Post by Grumpyoldman on Mar 26, 2015 16:18:43 GMT -5
Gene Patton, the beloved dancing stagehand on the hugely popular 1970s series "The Gong Show," has died in Pasadena, Calif. He was 82.
He died Monday after suffering from diabetes, his family announced Saturday.
For seemingly no reason at all, Barris would bellow for "Gene Gene the Dancing Machine," and out would shuffle Patton, who was really a NBC stagehand. Pandemonium ensued as Barris, the guest judges and the audience screamed and danced and Patton did his weird, static little dance to the show's band belting out Count Basie's "Jumpin' at the Woodside."
While Patton danced, show staff in the wings would throw rubber chickens, articles of clothing, shoes, toys and even basketballs, which Patton would catch and dribble while he tripped his version of the light fantastic.
"The Gong Show" was an incredibly goofy and sometimes just plain awful variety show produced by Barris. It could be called the antithesis of modern talent series like "America's Got Talent."
The contestants were more often horrible instead of talented, and guest judges would stand up and bang a gong to put the performer out of his or her misery.
But everyone loved Patton, who had been a high school janitor before becoming the first African-American member of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees, Local 33, in 1969.
Barris said he once saw Patton dancing by himself in a corner during rehearsals for the show. The big, lumbering man didn't move his feet much — he just danced from the waist up. "He was terrific," Barris said in his autobiography "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," according to The Hollywood Reporter .
And so Patton became a regular fixture on the highly irregular show.
Patton also appeared in 1980's "The Gong Show Movie" and the 2002 film version of Barris' book starring Sam Rockwell as Chuck Barris.
Over the years, he lost both legs to diabetes.
His funeral is scheduled for March 21 at the First Church of the Nazarene in Pasadena, according to his obituary.
He is survived by four children, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
This hits me very hard. And I'm going to admit something that I never shared. Whenever he came on, I (as grumpyyoungkid) would dance like he did while my brothers pelted me with pillows.
Rest now, Gene. And thank you for making me laugh.
He died Monday after suffering from diabetes, his family announced Saturday.
For seemingly no reason at all, Barris would bellow for "Gene Gene the Dancing Machine," and out would shuffle Patton, who was really a NBC stagehand. Pandemonium ensued as Barris, the guest judges and the audience screamed and danced and Patton did his weird, static little dance to the show's band belting out Count Basie's "Jumpin' at the Woodside."
While Patton danced, show staff in the wings would throw rubber chickens, articles of clothing, shoes, toys and even basketballs, which Patton would catch and dribble while he tripped his version of the light fantastic.
"The Gong Show" was an incredibly goofy and sometimes just plain awful variety show produced by Barris. It could be called the antithesis of modern talent series like "America's Got Talent."
The contestants were more often horrible instead of talented, and guest judges would stand up and bang a gong to put the performer out of his or her misery.
But everyone loved Patton, who had been a high school janitor before becoming the first African-American member of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees, Local 33, in 1969.
Barris said he once saw Patton dancing by himself in a corner during rehearsals for the show. The big, lumbering man didn't move his feet much — he just danced from the waist up. "He was terrific," Barris said in his autobiography "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," according to The Hollywood Reporter .
And so Patton became a regular fixture on the highly irregular show.
Patton also appeared in 1980's "The Gong Show Movie" and the 2002 film version of Barris' book starring Sam Rockwell as Chuck Barris.
Over the years, he lost both legs to diabetes.
His funeral is scheduled for March 21 at the First Church of the Nazarene in Pasadena, according to his obituary.
He is survived by four children, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
This hits me very hard. And I'm going to admit something that I never shared. Whenever he came on, I (as grumpyyoungkid) would dance like he did while my brothers pelted me with pillows.
Rest now, Gene. And thank you for making me laugh.
