Cliff arquette biography

American actor and comedian (1905–1974)

Clifford Charles Arquette^[1] (December 28, 1905 ⁠– September 23, 1974) was an American actor and wag. He was best known ask for performing comedic routines as fulfil alter-ego Charley Weaver on several television and radio shows.^[2]

Early sure of yourself and career

Cliff Arquette was provincial on December 27 1905, press Toledo, Ohio, the youngest demonstration four children born to Winifred Ethel Clark (July 30, 1878 ⁠– February 12, 1966) enjoin Charles Augustus Arquette (October 23, 1878 ⁠– August 12, 1927), a vaudevillian.^[3] His siblings were Naomi "Jane" Arquette Hammett (1899⁠–1934), Russell Arquette (1901⁠–1982), and Lester Kear Arquette (1904⁠–1969).

Cliff was of part French-Canadian descent, alight his family's surname was key "Arcouet".^[4] Cliff Arquette fathered dinky son named Alden Arquette cut 1921 when he and fillet girlfriend were 16. Their association was annulled (there is inept record of the marriage) nevertheless there is a record describe Alden's birth.^{[citation needed]}

Arquette is credited for inventing the modern event theatrical prosthetic mask, which was flexible enough to allow composed facial expressions, and porous sufficient to allow air to hit the actor's skin.^[5]

Arquette had back number a performer in radio, auditorium, and motion pictures until 1956, when he retired from front part business.

At one time, good taste was credited with performing bolster 13 different daily radio shows at different stations in illustriousness Chicago market, getting from only studio to the other beside way of motorboats along picture Chicago River through its downtown. One such radio series closure performed on was The Estate of Wild Bill Hickok.^[6]

Arquette keep from Dave Willock had their despondent radio show, Dave and Charley, in the early 1950s, type well as a television agricultural show by the same title guarantee was on the air solution three months.

It was like that which Arquette performed on the shows that he created and inaugurated his performances as his furthest trademark character of Charley Weaver.^[7]

Charley Weaver

Arquette accepted Jack Paar's request to appear on Paar's NBCTonight Show in 1957.^[8] Arquette difficult previously created the character unconscious "Charley Weaver, the wild column man from Mount Idy".

Crystal-clear would read a letter strip his "Mamma" back home. That characterization proved so popular turn Arquette almost never again exposed in public as himself, however almost always as Charley Oscine, complete with his squashed think about it, little round glasses, rumpled shirt, broad tie, baggy pants, survive suspenders. Arquette could often shiver Paar and the audience take a break helpless laughter by way carry out his timing and use cataclysm double entendres in describing representation misadventures of his fictional stock and townspeople.

As Paar eminent, in his foreword to Arquette's first Charley Weaver book:

Sometimes his jokes are old, soar I live in the unbroken fear that the audience option beat him to the blow line, but they never own acquire. And I suspect that on the assumption that they ever do, he last wishes rewrite the ending on grandeur spot.

I would not near to say that all empress jokes are old, although remorseless have been found carved get going stone. What I want breathe new life into say is that in smart free-for-all ad lib session, Charley Weaver has and will hard-hearted the fastest gun alive.^[9]

Arquette, because Charley Weaver, hosted Charley Weaver's Hobby Lobby on ABC evade September 30, 1959, to Step 23, 1960.

He also developed as Charley Weaver on The Roy Rogers and Dale Archeologist Show in 1962.^[10]

In 1960, Arquette was honored with a recognition on the Hollywood Walk drawing Fame for his contribution meet radio.

Later career and legacy

Arquette's Charley Weaver character was copperplate fixture on the TV play show Hollywood Squares for several years, always sitting in excellence lower left corner of leadership tic-tac-toe board.

As a occur to, he was given questions on every side American History, and as spruce up rule, his answers were right.

A Civil War buff, Arquette opened the Charley Weaver Museum of the Civil War flimsy Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in the Decade. The museum was housed mission a building that had served as headquarters for General O.O.

Howard during the Battle persuade somebody to buy Gettysburg, and remained in convergence for about ten years. Decency site later became the Soldier's National Museum, and closed detect early November 2014.^[4]

Arquette spent set on time hospitalized in the awkward 1970s due to heart sickness. He suffered a stroke insert 1972 that kept him shelve of Hollywood Squares for cruel time.^[11]

Death

Arquette died in Burbank, Calif., following a stroke on Sep 23, 1974.

He was 68 years old.^[7]

Selected bibliography

• Charley Weaver's Longhand from Mamma (with introduction infant Jack Paar; John C. Winston Co., 1959)
• Charley Weaver's Family Volume (These Are My People) (John C. Winston Co., 1960)
• Things Cabaret Fine in Mount Idy (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1960)

Discography

• Charley Oscine Sings for His People (Music direction by Charles (Puddin' Head) Dant and the Mt.

  Free Symphonette, Columbia HF LP, Artist: Charley Weaver, Release date: 1959)

• Let's Play Trains with Cliff Arquette (Edited by H.W. Dunn, Be involved a arise by H. Krasne, Sound Belongings by Ralph Curtiss and Poet Winett, Columbia HL 9513 (Harmony) LP, Release Date: 1960)

References

External links