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June 29, 2024 9:43 AM

Martin Mull, star of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman", "Fernwood Tonight", "America 2-Night', "Mr Mom", "Roseanne" and the oft quoted cult classic - "Clue" has passed away after a long illness at the ago of 80
posted by drewbage1847 (49 comments total)

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posted by Silvery Fish at 9:44 AM on June 29

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posted by HearHere at 9:50 AM on June 29

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posted by trip and a half at 9:50 AM on June 29

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posted by jim in austin at 9:51 AM on June 29

Absolute legend.

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posted by Navelgazer at 9:51 AM on June 29 [1 favorite]

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posted by /\/\/\/ at 9:58 AM on June 29

I hope he gets to be on a ship all filled with men.

Truly one of my favorite comedy people ever.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 10:04 AM on June 29 [5 favorites]

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posted by PlusDistance at 10:12 AM on June 29

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posted by MrBadExample at 10:13 AM on June 29

I met Mr Mull at an art gallery showing his art, which was quite an interesting surprise. I told him how much I liked “Bun and Run, it’s not food, it’s just fun!” Nice guy.

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posted by njohnson23 at 10:31 AM on June 29 [6 favorites]

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posted by Ickster at 10:33 AM on June 29

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posted by gentlyepigrams at 10:37 AM on June 29

> Mull is survived by his daughter and musician Wendy Haas, his wife since 1982.

I didn’t realize he was married to his daughter. Weird!
posted by chasing at 10:48 AM on June 29 [9 favorites]

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posted by JoeZydeco at 10:51 AM on June 29

Bun ‘N Run commercial YT, one of three.
posted by njohnson23 at 10:57 AM on June 29

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posted by robbyrobs at 11:05 AM on June 29

He lived to 79 or 80. Whatever it took.
posted by Huggiesbear at 11:23 AM on June 29 [4 favorites]

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posted by Joey Michaels at 11:45 AM on June 29

Can someone please do a wellness check on Lesley Ann Warren? Their close and enduring friendship has been one of my favorite Hollywood background tidbits.
posted by phunniemee at 11:52 AM on June 29 [3 favorites]

Jessica Walter is about to have the biggest surprise ever.


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posted by guiseroom at 12:09 PM on June 29 [7 favorites]

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posted by JoeXIII007 at 12:49 PM on June 29

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posted by GenjiandProust at 12:56 PM on June 29

great moments in Charlton Heston
posted by philip-random at 1:08 PM on June 29

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Years ago I came across his work in a quarterly called New American Painting. I was quite surprised by the quality. There are a lot of stars out there who have turned to art and for the most part it's pretty awful stuff, but they're stars so people pay attention.

Mull's work was of a whole different caliber; real painting in other words. I haven't seen much of him, but when I did he was always very good, but, when I think of him I think of how good his painting is/was.

For that alone he is worth celebrating. Quite an amazing person, actually, to have done all the things he did, and done them very well.
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 1:17 PM on June 29 [5 favorites]

I thought he stumbled a bit with that whole "History of White People in America" thing, but I may have been too young to understand (though for various reasons I was already quite aware of him) and it was a long time ago anyway. I knew he was a legit painter, which always explained him missing in gaps of my life, which he has been present in for pretty much my entire life. A real "I grew up on" guy for me.

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posted by rhizome at 2:02 PM on June 29

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I was way too young to really understand what I was seeing when I watched "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman", but Martin Mull made sense to me. He always made sense to me.
Thank you, Martin!
posted by pt68 at 2:08 PM on June 29

I was 11 when Fernwood Tonight came on and I thought it was hilarious. My great aunts didn't exactly approve of me watching it, but when they watched the guy with the nun names song they all recalled their own Sisters Mary Bleeding Wounds of Jesus,
posted by whuppy at 3:36 PM on June 29

My family and I beat the "220, 230, whatever it takes." line to death. My grandpa made that joke and he's been dead for more than twenty years. Not to mention my fuzzy memories of lying down on the couch while mom smoked and watched Mary Hartman, et al.

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posted by Sphinx at 4:09 PM on June 29

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posted by mule98J at 4:12 PM on June 29

On August 26, 1982 he guest-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and had B.B. King as his musical guest. Mull, who was an accomplished musician, challenged King to a guitar duel and held his own for a while. I loved Mull for trying it and letting someone outshine him, and King for effortlessly rocking out.

I've been looking for a video for years and would love it if I happened upon it.
posted by kirkaracha at 4:25 PM on June 29 [5 favorites]

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posted by Windopaene at 4:41 PM on June 29

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posted by MythMaker at 5:04 PM on June 29

I was really saddened to hear of his passing. He was so talented and funny.
posted by y2karl at 6:09 PM on June 29

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The writer/folkie Spider Robinson quoted a Martin Mull line as 'Remember the Great Folk Scare of the 50's? That shit almost caught on."

My other favorite bit of Mull's was him talking about meeting someone at a party in the late 60s or early 70's. The someone introduced himself as "Bob Smith, I.B.M." Mull claimed he responded with, "Martin Mull. I do, too." (I do not recall the documentary I saw this in.)
posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 6:25 PM on June 29 [5 favorites]

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posted by Scout405 at 7:07 PM on June 29

I always knew what a great comedian he was, but forgot he was a wonderful guitarist. I didn't even know about his art. Now I'm really sad.

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posted by jabo at 7:12 PM on June 29

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posted by lapolla at 10:46 PM on June 29

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posted by AlSweigart at 2:06 AM on June 30

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posted by tommasz at 2:54 AM on June 30

If we're telling Martin Mull anecdotes, I always liked the one where Robert Altman cast him in O.C. and Stiggs and said "I'm telling you now, Martin, you were my second choice for this role" and Mull says with trepidation "Oh, who was first choice?" And Altman says "Walter Cronkite."

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posted by dannyboybell at 4:41 AM on June 30 [1 favorite]

Understated humor a very funny man.
posted by DJZouke at 5:04 AM on June 30 [1 favorite]

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posted by Thorzdad at 5:47 AM on June 30

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posted by condour75 at 9:06 AM on June 30

FM (1978) is available on the Internet Archive. It's cringe in the ways 1970s male-dominated comedies often are, but it's got a good performance from Clue alum Eileen Brennan and reminds me of a proto-Empire Records. And you can't beat the soundtrack.

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posted by credulous at 9:24 AM on June 30