Pat McCormick (June 30, 1927 â€" July 29, 2005) was an American actor
and comedy writer known for playing Big Enos Burdette in Smokey and
the Bandit and its two sequels. He wrote for a number of performers
such as Red Skelton, Phyllis Diller and Johnny Carson as well as for
shows including Get Smart. McCormick had a distinctive appearance
being 6'7" tall, weighing 250 lbs and having a walrus
mustache.McCormick was born in Lakewood, Ohio on June 30, 1927. He was
a 1945 graduate of Rocky River High School.McCormick was a high school
athlete and served in the United States Army during World War II. He
then enrolled at Harvard as a freshman in the fall of 1947 where he
played basketball that year. He later dropped basketball to
concentrate on track (hurdles). He dropped out of Harvard Law School
for a career in advertising, but abandoned that career as well when he
started writing jokes for television and standup comedians, including
Jonathan Winters. Eventually, he became a writer for The Jack Paar
Show. He wrote for Get Smart, The Danny Kaye Show and wrote and
appeared on Candid Camera. He was also a member of the I've Got a
Secret production staff in the early 1960s.McCormick was both the
announcer and straight man for Don Rickles on The Don Rickles Show in
1968. He was a regular on The New Bill Cosby Show in 1972. Behind the
scenes, he was one of the lead writers on The Tonight Show writing
many of its most well-known lines. He wrote the line "Due to today's
earthquake, the God is Dead rally has been canceled." As part of a
skit on a Jonathan Winters special McCormick, as a court jester,
quipped to the regally-attired Winters "Is that a scepter in your
pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" a quite risque line for
early 1970s television.
and comedy writer known for playing Big Enos Burdette in Smokey and
the Bandit and its two sequels. He wrote for a number of performers
such as Red Skelton, Phyllis Diller and Johnny Carson as well as for
shows including Get Smart. McCormick had a distinctive appearance
being 6'7" tall, weighing 250 lbs and having a walrus
mustache.McCormick was born in Lakewood, Ohio on June 30, 1927. He was
a 1945 graduate of Rocky River High School.McCormick was a high school
athlete and served in the United States Army during World War II. He
then enrolled at Harvard as a freshman in the fall of 1947 where he
played basketball that year. He later dropped basketball to
concentrate on track (hurdles). He dropped out of Harvard Law School
for a career in advertising, but abandoned that career as well when he
started writing jokes for television and standup comedians, including
Jonathan Winters. Eventually, he became a writer for The Jack Paar
Show. He wrote for Get Smart, The Danny Kaye Show and wrote and
appeared on Candid Camera. He was also a member of the I've Got a
Secret production staff in the early 1960s.McCormick was both the
announcer and straight man for Don Rickles on The Don Rickles Show in
1968. He was a regular on The New Bill Cosby Show in 1972. Behind the
scenes, he was one of the lead writers on The Tonight Show writing
many of its most well-known lines. He wrote the line "Due to today's
earthquake, the God is Dead rally has been canceled." As part of a
skit on a Jonathan Winters special McCormick, as a court jester,
quipped to the regally-attired Winters "Is that a scepter in your
pocket, or are you just happy to see me?" a quite risque line for
early 1970s television.
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