Richard deacon gay
PRIDE TV: THE Hushed GAY HEROES OF SIXTIES SITCOMS
The faces of these three actors were familiar to Baby Boomers raised on TV situation comedies. Their private lives were not. In a way, though, they helped to blaze trails for which they were never given credit.
by Burt Kearns & Jeff Abraham
With this year’s Gay Pride Month marking the fiftieth anniversary of the uprising at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, the accomplishments of LGBT heroes of the past fifty years have been widely celebrated. But along with political activists and social revolutionaries, there were a number of entertainers who, in the decades surrounding the rebellion, brought a clear, if often exaggerated, gay presence into American homes.
Most did not “come out” officially, but there was no need. Even kids planted in front of the television sets in the 1960s knew there was something “funny” about Uncle Arthur and Claymore Gregg. And these humorous men were welcome. They made us laugh. They, along with other favorite sitcom characters, were influences on American punk culture and today are looked upon as pioneers.
What follows are the stories of three of them, acto
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Richard Lewis Deacon (May 14, 1922[2][3] – August 8, 1984) was an American television and motion picture actor,[4] leading known for playing supporting roles in television shows such as The Dick Van Dyke Show,[5] Leave It To Beaver,[6] and The Jack Benny Program[7] along with minor roles in films such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)[8] and Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963).[9] Clifton Webb wasn't unfamiliar with the gay circles in the clip colony. Hedda Hopper wrote that he socialized with Monty Woolley and Laird Cregar. He was often a guest (with Mabelle) at George Cukor's, and even more frequently at Cole Porter's. He was very close to William Haines and Jimmie Shields. The television actor Richard Deacon became a good friend, and at one point threw a party for Clifton, trying to set him up with a young man. Ray Stricklyn remembered the potential date arrived wearing very short denim cutoffs, "his enormous cock practically poking out from below." Stricklyn said Clifton was "appalled, thinking him quite crude,
Actor Richard Deacon initiate fame on classic TV sitcoms such as The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS, 1961-1966), on which he played Mel Cooley, and Leave it to Beaver (CBS, 1957-1963), in which which he portrayed neihbor Fred Rutherford. Both characters were married to women, while Fred had a son.
In real existence, such was not the case with Deacon, who died tragically in 1984 at only 62 from hypertensive heart disease. Off-camera, Deacon was gay. This is his story.
A Closer Look
Richard Deacon, nicknmaed "Fly" and "Deac," was born on May 14, 1922, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In the early days of his career, stage legend Helen Hayes told the aspiring actor that he did not have head man appeal and suggested he focus on becoming a character actor.
Due to his hairless top, strong voice, Deacon was typically hired to portray humorless or anger-geared command figures. As such, he cut out quite a niche for himself in several movies for the big screen, giving supporting to stars like Jack Benny and Gary Grant.
Then Came Television
Richard Deacon's knack for playing non-affable, stern characters, such as Mel Cooley on The It's been four decades since the tragic demise of beloved actor Richard Deacon. He initiate fame on classic TV sitcoms such as The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS, 1961-1966), on which he played Mel Cooley, and Leave it to Beaver (CBS, 1957-1963), in which which he portrayed neighbor Fred Rutherford. Both characters were married to women, while Fred had a son. In real being, such was not the case with Deacon, who died tragically at only 62, on August 8, 1984, from hypertensive heart disease. Off-camera, Deacon was gay. Richard Deacon, nicknamed "Fly" and "Deac," was born on May 14, 1922, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the aspiring days of his acting career, Deacon was told by stage legend Helen Hayes that he did not have principal man appeal and suggested he center on becoming a character actor.Here's the Story
Due to his hairless brain, strong voice, Deacon was usually hired to portray humorless or anger-geared command figures. As a result, he carved out quite a niche for himself in several movies for the huge screen, offering endorse to legendary stars like Jack Benny and Gary Grant.T