Character Actor Max Showalter
I've been listening to Debbe Reynold's memoir "Make 'Em Laugh" (quite good, by the way) and she talks about her friendship with the actor Max Showalter, also billed as Casey Adams during his early days. He had a long and varied career that spanned some 50 years and she references his "special friend" Peter, at the end of his life. He appeared in more than 1000 tv programs, was the original Ward Cleaver in the pilot to "Leave It To Beaver" and appeared alongside Marilyn Monroe in 2 movies. Showalter was a prolific artist and composer. He also recorded an album of his own music.
It seems he also saw much tragedy. He moved back to his hometown in Kansas in the 1950s to care for his teenage sister after the death of his parents in a car accident. This was two years after losing a brother in another car accident. He returned to Hollywood and resumed his career. Later in life, he moved to an 18th century farmhouse in Chester, Ct where he was active in local theatre productions. It seems he fell in love with the area while making a movie in 1959. It was at this time he became good friends with Katherine Hepburn, a neighbor one town over. One of his last roles was in "16 Candles" as one of Molly Ringwald's grandfathers. All in all, a fascinating life. Anyone know more, or have any stories?
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | August 21, 2019 10:12 PM
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Max Showalter played Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly! on Broadway for many years, longer than anyone else.
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | August 20, 2019 9:13 PM
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Interesting that original Ward wasn't interested in any Beaver.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | August 21, 2019 3:23 AM
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R1
Beat me to it. I was fortunate to have seen him a traveling show of HELLO DOLLY with Betty Grable back in '67.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | August 21, 2019 3:27 AM
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Just watched him a few days ago in the film "Niagara". He and Jean Peters play a couple visiting Niagara Falls who meet Marilyn Monroe and Joseph Cotten, another couple staying at the "Rainbow Cabins" , a small collection of tourist cabins.
He's billed as "Casey Adams" in the film.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | August 21, 2019 3:35 AM
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He pinged to high heaven.
Somewhere between Charles Nelson Reilly and Paul Lynde.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | August 21, 2019 4:13 AM
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Max Showalter had a major role in Barbara Cook’s last Broadway book musical, “The Grass Harp.”
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | August 21, 2019 4:29 AM
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He was great as the terrified neighbor/pianist Pat Riley in the classic It’s a Good Life episode of Twilight Zone. My favorite bit is that tense, quiet moment where Showalter is in the middle of choosing to play a classic song that little Anthony wants to hear or a another song that Don Keefer wants to hear (they are celebrating his birthday), the quiet and tension broken by Max playing the opening bar to Stardust (the song Anthony wanted to hear). Not an amazing scene but I enjoyed it.
Side note: the rather attractive fit “twunk” Tom Hatcher, the partner of the very lucky Arthur Laurents, played the delivery boy/milkman in that Zone/Showalter episode. He was hot back then.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | August 21, 2019 4:36 AM
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Max helps his daughter (Tuesday Weld) pick out the dozen cashmere sweaters she needs to join an exclusive girls club in 1966' LORD LOVE A DUCK.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | August 21, 2019 5:15 AM
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I think my new drag name will be Periwinkle Pussycat!
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | August 21, 2019 6:22 PM
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[qoute] Debbe Reynold's memoir
Double "oh, dear!"
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | August 21, 2019 9:53 PM
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He wrote the original music for a pretty good musical episode of "The Lucy Show" with guest Arthur Godfrey. The best tune was probably Vivian Vance's solo.
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | August 21, 2019 9:59 PM
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Just goes to show you, you can have a prolific career and no one knows your name. Truthfully, "making it" in Hollywood is "making a living." Anything more than that, is pure luck!
I grew up watching the reruns of Leave it to Beaver. I can't imagine anyone else playing Wally Cleaver than Tony Dow. I always thought he was too hot, to be called "Wally". I used to fantasize about taking a bath with Tony Dow. ( What! I was a kid!!!)
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | August 21, 2019 10:12 PM
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