RICHARD DEACON

 

He made us laugh. He was brilliant.
Richard, we miss your sarcastic wit!

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A TRIBUTE TO ACTOR RICHARD DEACON

 

Remember Mel Cooley? How about Fred Rutherford? Wasn't Richard Deacon awesome in these roles? Nobody plays the pompous know-it-all better than Deacon. Nobody!

Now in my 40's, I have fallen in love again with the television shows of my youth. I adore these shows just as I did 40 years ago, only for different reasons. I see the subtleties now. I understand the sarcasm I missed as a child. Interestingly, I find myself liking different characters than I did before. One of my favorites today is Richard Deacon. I did not appreciate him earlier. I thought he was dull. Now, I can see how he brought so much to the script. His characters uniquely flavored his shows, even though he played largely supporting roles.

 

 Pictured to the left is Deacon as Mel Cooley on the Dick Van Dyke Show. What a hilarious name! Melvin Cooley. Deacon was astounding in the 1950's and 1960's in his many television appearances. He also played the role of Fred Rutherford on Leave It To Beaver. This is my favorite of all his characters. Wasn't Fred a dork? Wasn't Deacon brilliant as the model "worst parent" in America?

 

 In these performances, Deacon was solid and consistent. I am thoroughly entertained and I yearn for more. I wish he had more minutes, more of the script. And not just Deacon, but the shows themselves are better than I remember. These classic shows far out perform shows today. There is no comparison.
 

I decided that Richard Deacon needed a tribute. He needed to be recognized. He needed his own web site. Too bad this web site comes over twenty years after his passing. But then again, Mel wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed!

Unfortunately, there is not much information on Richard Deacon, his life, his career, or really even photos. He is largely forgotten. I gathered whatever I found and it is included here at MelCooley.com. Please email me if you knew Richard and have stories to share. I'll include your comments.
 

Please join me in a round of applause for Richard Deacon. Somewhere, somehow, I know he is smirking at us.

 

   Patrick Carron  melvincooley@ymail.com

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