It all turned to shit Twenty-five years ago today

For Victor Buono, that is; Mother tells me that she met him once while she was a hatcheck girl at Clifton's (no relation) cafeteria in the sixties. Wikipedia told me (highlights are mine): Buono was born in San Diego, California, the son of Myrtle Belle (née Keller; 1909-1979) and Victor Francis Buono (1907-1981). His maternal grandmother, Myrtle Glied (1886-1969), had been a Vaudeville performer on the Orpheum Circuit. At the age of eighteen he joined the Globe Theater Players in San Diego. The director had confidence in Buono and cast him in Volpone, Midsummer Night's Dream and other Globe presentations. He received good notices for his various Shakespearean roles and in modern plays such as The Man Who Came To Dinner and Witness For The Prosecution.
In the summer of 1959, a talent scout from Warner Bros. saw the heavyset Buono play Falstaff at the Globe and took him up to Hollywood for a screen test. He made his first network TV appearance playing the bearded poet Bongo Benny in an episode of 77 Sunset Strip. Over the next few years he appeared on numerous shows playing menacing heavies in just about every Grade "A" private eye series. He also appeared on The Untouchables. Because of his overweight stature, Buono usually played older characters. After appearing in a few motion pictures uncredited, he was cast by director Robert Aldrich in the psychological horror movie What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) with screen luminaries Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. He played the part of the ne'er-do-well musical accompanist, Edwin Flagg. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for this performance.
He appeared in Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) playing Big Sam Hollis, the father of Bette Davis, who had the title role, which was also directed by Aldrich. And he appeared in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) starring Max von Sydow, Michael Anderson, Jr. and Carroll Baker, which was produced and directed by George Stevens. Buono played the role of the High Priest Sorak in this story about Jesus.
He also appeared in such movies as 4 for Texas (1963), Robin and the Seven Hoods (1964), The Silencers (1966), Who's Minding the Mint? (1967), Target: Harry (1969) and Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970).
Buono had a vast body of work in movies, and among his extensive TV appearances were the recurring roles of the demented Count Manzeppi on the popular (CBS) series The Wild Wild West starring Robert Conrad and Ross Martin, which ran from 1965 to 1969, and he also played unrelated characters in that series' premiere episode and in the second and final Wild Wild West reunion movie. He played King Tut on the (ABC) series Batman with Adam West and Burt Ward, which ran from 1966 to 1968. King Tut was a timid history professor who, after being hit in the head with a brick at a peace rally, donned the persona of the Egyptian royal. When he suffered another blow to the head, the villain would return to his meek demeanor. He was in demand to play villains of various nationalities and ethnic origins on many programs between 1964 and 1970. He made a guest appearance as Hannibal Day in the Get Smart episode "Moonlighting Becomes You" originally airing January 2, 1970.
In the early 1970s, Buono released some comedy record albums, which poked fun at his extra large stature, and a book of comic poetry called It Could Be Verse. He would sometimes recite his poetry on guest appearances of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
In the late 1970s and in 1980, Buono played the memory-impaired Reverend Jim Ignatowski's millionaire father on Taxi. Buono died before the end of the series, and another actor played the role briefly. The character was eventually killed-off and an episode dealt with Jim coping with his father's death. Another recurring role in the late '70s was as Mr. Schubert, the main villain on Man from Atlantis.
Buono liked to read and write, and one of his main hobbies was Shakespeare. "The more you study him," he said, "the greater he grows". He was also highly regarded as a gourmet chef.
In regards to relationships (and the implicit questioning of his sexuality), Buono is quoted as saying "I've heard or read about actors being asked the immortal question 'Why have you never married?' They answer with the immortal excuse 'I just haven't found the right girl.' Because I'm on the hefty side, no one's asked me yet. If they do, that's the answer I'll give. After all, if it was good enough for Monty Clift or Sal Mineo..." Buono died of a heart attack at his ranch in Apple Valley, California.

Cuz it turned out so GREAT for Monty and Sal, too. Thank goodness that I have met the right girl: Mother.