View Full Version : Farewell Maxwell Smart
Actor Don Adams Dies at 82
Don Adams, the comedic actor who won three consecutive Emmys for his role as Agent Maxwell Smart in the hit comedy series Get Smart, died yesterday in Los Angeles; he was 82. The actor died of a lung infection at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and had apparently been in ill health for the past year, after suffering a broken hip.
Adams began his Hollywood career after World War II, working as a stand-up comedian and writing and performing for television. Changing his last name from Yarmy to Adams, reportedly because he wanted to be called first and not last at auditions, the actor provided the voice of animated character Tennesee Tuxedo, and his numerous appearances on talk shows provided him with the opportunity to star in Get Smart. A spy spoof created after the surging popularity of the James Bond films, the show wasn't something that interested Adams initially, until he found out that Mel Brooks and Buck Henry had written the pilot. As the snappy but not-quite-intrepid secret agent Maxwell Smart, he was paired with the much smarter and much sexier Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon), and his standard line "Would you believe?!" became a national catchphrase; fans will also remember Smart's infamous "shoe phone" and the agency names CONTROL (the good guys) and KAOS (the bad guys). Adams became an instant star, and the show ran from 1965-1970, winning the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy award in 1968 and 1969. Adams himself won three Emmys and received a fourth nomination. After the series ended, Adams continued to make numerous television appearances, and even starred in a Maxwell Smart movie, The Nude Bomb (1980), after the show became a hit in syndication. In the 80s, Adams also provided the lead voice for the popular animated series Inspector Gadget, which spawned another well-known phrase, "Go, go, Gadget!" After a failed attempt to revise the Get Smart show in 1995, Adams worked mainly offscreen, providing Inspector Gadget's voice and others for various animated shows.
Adams was married and divorced three times, and had a total of seven children from the three marriages. --Prepared by IMDb staff
IMDB (http://www.imdb.com)
Shame he couldn't make it to 86!
Missed it by that much!!
sandeano
27 Sep 2005, 08:32
Back in the 70s, as soon as we got in from school the TV was switched to channel 10 (or 0 as it was then) for "Lost In Space" followed by "Gilligan's Island", then over to 7 for "Get Smart". Now, Gilligan and Max have gone in a matter of weeks. Sorta sad.
I'll watch movies by the truckload, but generally avoid TV, however I doubt if there is a "Get Smart" episode I have not seen at least a dozen times and even today, if I stumble across an episode, the channel stays right there and I am hooked again, mouthing the punchlines that I know by heart.
The greatest ever TV series? Maybe, that is debatable.
My favourite ever show? No question.
Gasometer
27 Sep 2005, 09:42
Never got or get sick of reruns of Get Smart.
My fave Ep was when Max and 99 were gangsters...they had to escape from the Chief in a set up by rolling out the back of a moving car. They tried about 5 times to get it right and failed on every attempt. I killed myself laughing everytime I saw that epsiode, pure gold.
Vale Don Adams, a comic legend.
Gaso
grimlock
27 Sep 2005, 12:11
Very sad. Even though Get Smart was made years before I was born, I became a big fan watching it on Ch7 repeats on weekend afternoons.
Tim the Toolman
27 Sep 2005, 13:33
This should've been titled "Would you believe...."
The show was light years ahead of its time - written by the great Mel Brooks and carried out by Don Adams - what a talent, what a great gift to us. We'll miss you Don, you're a legend up there with the great comics.
"Sorry about that Chief!"
Colonel Matrix
27 Sep 2005, 14:11
Yes thanks for the memories Don, Get Smart on a weekend was one of the only things that could actually keep me in the house as a kid.
So Barbara Feldon is the only regular cast member still alive.The chief died years ago,as did Larabee.
I was looking on IMDB and was suprised to see Siegfried only appeared in 14 episodes [there were nearly 140 episodes].He seemed to always be in it.
Gasometer
27 Sep 2005, 16:26
Seigfried was played by the guy who went onto do the 'Love Boat'.
Why about Hymee the spy robot? Wonder what happened to him?
gaso
lenny&carl
27 Sep 2005, 16:26
One of the saddest celebrity deaths of my life so far. I'm so sad he's gone.
He escaped from Chaos agents, and The Groovy Guru, The Craw, A tarantula, The guard dogs in Zigfrieds concentration camp ha ha!
The dude had invisible walls installed in his batchelor pad, and he had 99 to hang out with. He invented the mobile phone (except it was in his shoe, hehehe,)
Plenty of times I've driven into work, through the gates, up the lift, through the door, through the next door with the Get Smart tune stuck in my head.
...
Even the opening credits of the show were unreal.
The theme tune is a ripper. West Coast Eagles should nick it. Ner ner nerrrrr-ner, nerner nerner. Then there was actually a tripped out version of the Get Smart theme tune when maybe his sportscar wass blue instead of red... sometime mid-60's. Like an electro-jazzified-swing version. Can't describe sounds in words really. But it was on a fair few episodes that they re-peated in the 80's.
but the show was basically funny. It's whole purpose.
118 episodes... I can't remember many bad ones.
Seigfried was played by the guy who went onto do the 'Love Boat'.
Yep,Bernie Koppell was Siegfried on Get Smart and Doc on Love Boat.
Gasometer
27 Sep 2005, 16:29
The cone of silence.
Gold
gaso
Why about Hymee the spy robot? Wonder what happened to him?
He went on to be the current Victorian Premier. ;)
Nah,he's still kicking Hymie profile (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0310370/)
Terrible news.
I was/am a big fan of Get Smart. I loved his voice it was so, well i don't know how to describe it but it suited his charachter so much and him and 99 were great together. Couldn't imagine another actor playing Max.
MagpieScouser
27 Sep 2005, 17:55
Now with the great don adams gone hopefully this has fastened the need for get smart to be released onto dvd,i mean if they release rubbish such as kojak,and magnum then surely they would have to get one of the all time great tv shows onto dvd
whythelongface
27 Sep 2005, 17:59
My favourite show (along with Seinfeld). His antics always brought a smile to my face as a kid. You know you are starting to get old when your favourite personalities are starting to drop off this earth.
RIP Agent 86.
First Gilligan, now Maxwell Smart. Very sad.
Before that we had Eddie Albert (Oliver Douglas - Green Acres) and Leon Askin (Gen Burkhalter - Hogan's Heroes) - although they were both in their late 90's.
Can't really add much more, although I did see someone mention the Groovy Guru, who was played by Larry Storch of F-Troop fame (Cpl Agarn - see my avatar :D ). Off the top of my head he was born around the same time as Don Adams (early 1920's) and the last time I looked he was still acting on Broadway. :thumbsu:
sandeano
27 Sep 2005, 22:24
I rang my dad tonight and reminisced about our favourite Get Smart episodes, characters and catchphrases.
Nothing more to add. What else can be said that hasn't been already stated?
Every so often, so very rarely, does true magic occur that can hook and link a couple of generations. This was one of those cases.
I heard Barbara Feldon (99) interviewed today. Would you believe she is 73 this year?
Seventy three.
Man....I don't know what to say.
lenny&carl
27 Sep 2005, 23:47
http://www.cinerhama.com/getsmart/gogo2.jpg
http://www.cinerhama.com/getsmart/csilence2.jpg
http://www.bcpl.net/~cbirkmey/graphics/dacollage2.jpg
Gasometer
28 Sep 2005, 09:35
Any news-ideas on a box set 'Get Smart'?
gaso
utility
28 Sep 2005, 12:43
RIP Don Adams, would you believe the anchor of possibly my two all-time favourite TV shows; Get Smart and Inspector Gadget. An amazing comedic actor, the guy certainly had talent.
I do hope they finally bring out the series on DVD.
The Hippie
28 Sep 2005, 22:33
I heard Barbara Feldon (99) interviewed today. Would you believe she is 73 this year?
They had a pic of her and Don from 2003? in the Hun, she's aged very, very well. I've seen women in their 40's who don't look that good. 30's, even. :thumbsu:
Loyal Lion
2 Oct 2005, 21:58
Back in the 70s, as soon as we got in from school the TV was switched to channel 10 (or 0 as it was then) for "Lost In Space" followed by "Gilligan's Island", then over to 7 for "Get Smart". Now, Gilligan and Max have gone in a matter of weeks. Sorta sad.
I'll watch movies by the truckload, but generally avoid TV, however I doubt if there is a "Get Smart" episode I have not seen at least a dozen times and even today, if I stumble across an episode, the channel stays right there and I am hooked again, mouthing the punchlines that I know by heart.
The greatest ever TV series? Maybe, that is debatable.
My favourite ever show? No question.
Spot on with your choice of tv shows. I loved Get Smart, but my all time favorite was Lost in Space. It was very sad too when Jonathon Harris passed away a couple of years ago.
Oh the pain, the pain!
For now RIP Agent 86. They don't make tv shows like that any more.
Bombers 2003
3 Oct 2005, 09:59
Can't really add much more, although I did see someone mention the Groovy Guru, who was played by Larry Storch of F-Troop fame (Cpl Agarn - see my avatar :D ). Off the top of my head he was born around the same time as Don Adams (early 1920's) and the last time I looked he was still acting on Broadway. :thumbsu:
Is Forrest Tucker,the sargeant in F-Troop,still alive?He'd probably be in his late 80's -early 90s.
Loyal Lion
3 Oct 2005, 13:21
Is Forrest Tucker,the sargeant in F-Troop,still alive?He'd probably be in his late 80's -early 90s.
No he passed on many years ago, in the 80's I think.
crudbucket
3 Oct 2005, 21:47
If you want to know about Forrest Tucker and a lot of others, use this site, it's full of info. Name is a bit ordinary but the site is good.
http://www.deadoraliveinfo.com/dead.nsf
Is Forrest Tucker,the sargeant in F-Troop,still alive?He'd probably be in his late 80's -early 90s.
He died in 1986 I think, he was in his late 60's.
A few of the original cast are still alive, Larry Storch (as I mentioned before) would be in his 80's now. Ken Berry (Cpt Parmenter) is still alive, as are James Hampton (Dobbs) and Melody Patterson (Wrangler Jane - the best shot in the fort :D ), and I am pretty sure that Don Diamond (Crazy Cat) and Joe Brooks (Vandebilt) are still with us too.
Melody Patterson was only 15 or 16 when she started with the show, so she would only be in her mid 50's these days.
Loyal Lion
3 Oct 2005, 23:48
If you want to know about Forrest Tucker and a lot of others, use this site, it's full of info. Name is a bit ordinary but the site is good.
http://www.deadoraliveinfo.com/dead.nsf
Very useful site indeed. There's not many 60's series where all of the main actors are still alive. Star Trek was intact until Deforest Kelly died a few years back. James Doohan passed on recently.
McHales Navy have only lost Joe Flynn I think. He died tragically, drowned at 49 when he hit his head in his family pool & lost conciousness.
crudbucket
5 Oct 2005, 15:54
.
McHales Navy have only lost Joe Flynn I think. He died tragically, drowned at 49 when he hit his head in his family pool & lost conciousness.
"Tinker" Bell has been gone for about 20 years, and Gary Vinson, the man who played "Christy" unfortunately took his own life some time ago as well.