Buck Henry
by johnataylor · 16 things on Twos
- Buck Henry, born Henry Zuckerman (December 9, 1930 – January 8, 2020), was an American actor, writer, and director. His mother was Ruth Taylor (January 13, 1905 – April 12, 1984), a silent film actress, star of the original version of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and his father was Paul Steinberg Zuckerman (April 15, 1899 – December 3, 1965), an Air Force brigadier general and stockbroker.
From 1959 to 1962, as part of an elaborate hoax by comedian Alan Abel, he made public appearances as G. Clifford Prout, the quietly outraged president of the Society for Indecency to Naked Animals, who presented his point of view on talk shows.
The character of Prout wished to clothe all animals in order to prevent their 'indecency', using slogans such as "A nude horse is a rude horse". Henry played the character with deadpan sincerity. He was often presented as an eccentric, but was otherwise taken seriously by the broadcasters who interviewed him.
"Prout" received many letters of support from TV viewers, and even some unsolicited monetary donations, all of which were invariably returned, as neither Henry nor Abel (who had no intention of following through on the Society's stated aims) wanted to be accused of raising money fraudulently.
The group received widespread American media coverage, beginning with an appearance by G. Clifford Prout on NBC's Today Show on May 27, 1959. Press releases and media appearances continued for the next few years, until the hoax was finally revealed in late 1962.
- Resources on Buck Henry
- Here is a list of some of Henry's notable works and achievements:
- Co-wrote the screenplay for the 1967 film "The Graduate," which received critical acclaim and multiple Academy Award nominations.
- Co-created and co-wrote the television series "Get Smart" (1965-1970), a popular spy comedy.
- Co-wrote and appeared in the film "Catch-22" (1970), based on the novel by Joseph Heller.
- Co-wrote and directed the film "Heaven Can Wait" (1978), which received multiple Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.
- Hosted "Saturday Night Live" multiple times and contributed to its writing.
- Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Director for his work in "Heaven Can Wait."
- Acted in films such as "The Man Who Fell to Earth" (1976) and "Grumpy Old Men" (1993).
- Made guest appearances in various TV shows, including "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and "The Late Show with David Letterman."
- Received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Series for his work on "Saturday Night Live."
- Was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2007.
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