>>>I thought this article is worth passing on.....although I'm not sure about
the author's theory that our famous unknown actor was a friend of Andy.
I've read in other places that Andy was asked about who played Mr. Schwamp,
and he said he didn't know who he was, or even the actor's name. Not sure
if this is true.<<<
Well, Joe, it makes for interesting reading, but I don't subscribe to the
author's theory. ("It's just a theory. What's your theory?") I am just as
curious as any other fan about Mr. Schwamp's identity, but I don't think we're
ever going to find out at this point. Yes, Andy himself, when asked, denied
knowing who the man was. In fact, every person connected with the show, when
asked, could not identify him. If he was, indeed, Andy's personal friend, why
would Andy lie? And why would no one else know of this connection? I can see
no possible reason for it. I don't know why it is so hard for some people to
accept that Mr. Schwamp was simply an extra (background actor), which is
someone who acts in the background of a scene, does not have spoken lines, and
is not given screen credit. The fact that he was a professional extra would
explain why we have seen Mr. Schwamp on other TV shows and even in movies.
(There is reason to believe a younger Mr. Schwamp was a background actor
in the movie "Christmas in Connecticut" from 1945.) There are a number of
extras that make recurring appearances on TAGS. One of them is the woman we
commonly refer to as Nice Dress Nellie. We don't know who she is either --
because extras are not credited -- but we know she also appeared as an extra on
other TV shows. I have recognized her in the background a few times on the
original "Bob Newhart Show." I am a bit put off by the fact that the author of
this article floats the idea of Mr. Schwamp being a friend of Andy, even though
he says it's uncorroborated. This is how rumors get passed around and how
people start believing things that aren't true. I think the author included
this because it makes a good story and gives people something to talk about,
but he gives us no reason to believe it is true. Why don't we think Nice Dress
Nellie was a personal friend? He spoke to her in one or two episodes. Or any
of the other extras? Well, I think it's simply because Mr. Schw
amp was a rather goofy looking guy. His features were unattractive, and he
wore an obvious toupee. So he sticks out more. He adds to the humor of a
scene. And, thus, we like to talk about him.
Going back to the idea of Mr. Schwamp being a personal friend of Andy, this may
have possibly come from a similar scenario on the "I Love Lucy" set. Lucille
Ball started acting in movies in the 1930's. She became friends with another
starlet at the time, Barbara Pepper, who went on to have minor roles in several
movies. By the time "I Love Lucy" started in the early 1950's, Barbara had
fallen on hard times. She had developed a drinking problem, had gained weight,
and had trouble getting work. Lucy, wanting to give a boost to an old friend,
had Barbara appear on her show a number of times as either an extra or, more
often, in small parts. I wonder if someone was aware of this true story and
decided to apply it to Andy and Mr. Schwamp. That is just a possibility, of
course, but it came to my mind as I read the article.
Thelma Lou
(Janet)
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