Allan Melvin

Allan Melvin (born February 18, 1922 in Kansas City, Missouri) is an American actor with a long history of sitcom and voiceover work. He began acting on television in the 1950s, and some of his earlier roles, both from the 1960s, include playing Sgt. Charley Hacker on Gomer Pyle, USMC, and providing the voice of the cartoon character Magilla Gorilla.

However, Melvin is arguably best remembered for supporting roles he played on two very different sitcoms in the 1970s; he played Sam Franklin, the owner of a local meat shop and boyfriend of Alice Nelson (the Bradys' housekeeper) on The Brady Bunch, and Barney Hefner, Archie Bunker's neighbor and friend on All in the Family.

Though Melvin was usually cast in genial roles, he made several guest appearances on The Andy Griffith Show, as a heavy, including a performance as a grocery store worker who menaces Barney (Don Knotts) after receiving a ticket for littering. Melvin also guest-starred in Mayberry R.F.D. as a bully who challenged mild-mannered intellectual Jack Dodson for the affection of waitress Arlene Golonka. Unusual for a male character actor, Melvin has blond hair.

Melvin is a prolific character actor who has done some of his best work in television commercials, for products as diverse as Kellogg's Sugar Frosted Flakes and Remington electric razors. He has never been given an opportunity to demonstrate his full range of talents. In one episode of Sergeant Bilko, Melvin gave a devastatingly accurate (and hilarious) impersonation of Humphrey Bogart.

External links

• Allan Melvin at IMDb