So all I have to go on his body of work. His list of credits was enormous – as a writer, director, and actor. Among them: he wrote the screenplay for THE GRADUATE. That alone puts him on the Mt. Rushmore of screenwriters.
Henry traveled in the “high rent” district when it came to show business. Mike Nichols, Elaine May, Mel Brooks, Warren Beatty, Lorne Michaels. Who can ever forget Henry’s appearances on SNL in the early years of that show when he played the lecherous babysitter (a character that today would spark outrage)?
Without listing his credits (which you’ve probably seen in fifteen other tributes), all I know is that whenever I saw his name attached in any way I knew it was going to be a high class production. Even GET SMART (which he co-created with Mel Brooks). God, it was funny and “smart” in its early Buck Henry period. Even a silly spoof was elevated.
From the outside it looked like Buck Henry had a fabulous life (and 89 is a pretty good run). He was well respected in his field, accomplished many things, and entertained millions of people. I hope he did have a fabulous life. Fabulous or better. I’m only sorry I couldn’t thank him personally for all the joy and inspiration he provided me.
RIP Buck Henry
I would like to agree 100%, but I felt a twinge of sadness when I read one obit - NY Times or LA Times, I believe, that said he had a daughter from a previous relationship but that his widow didn't know the daughter's name. That made me sad for that family.
ReplyDeleteFor all the brilliance and accolades for The Graduate in 1967, if you watch it today, it does not hold up well.
ReplyDeleteGet Smart, on the other hand, is still fresh, clever and brilliant.
Bucky Henry on Carson was always a hoot.
ReplyDeleteWhat I loved about Buck Henry was his subtlety. His work was usually funny, but even if he didn't generate a guffaw it was still a satisfying laugh.
ReplyDeleteR.I.P. Buck.
M.B.
Buck was the best. I too never met him, but about a decade back I found him on Facebook, sent him a short note about my admiration for his screenplay for Catch-22, a great novel I felt was almost impossible to adapt for film, which I thought Buck did a great, Herculean job on. I got a nice note back from Buck, expressing his own lingering fondness for Catch-22, a movie which, thanks to M*A*S*H, never got the love it deserved.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: I think The Graduate holds up well.
ReplyDelete"Ben, this whole idea sounds pretty half-baked."
"No, sir, it's completely baked."
Buck Henry's adaptation of The Graduate - which included an unusual amount of "stage direction" for a movie script, such as the example I saw online earlier this week - was masterful, whatever one thinks of how it plays today (and I think it does hold up). I know the novel well, and there are only minor story differences (e.g., in the novel Ben sells his sports car upon moving to Berkeley) and only one long scene left out of the movie: Ben telling his folks about his solo road trip during which he ends up fighting brush fires. Most movies that too closely adapt the original source work end up feeling lifeless on screen, whereas The Graduate (to me, anyway) feels fresh even now.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame...is it me, or does it seem like we are losing more great talents faster these last few years?
ReplyDeleteWe also just lost rock drummer Neil Peart:
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/neil-peart-rush-obituary-936221/
I appreciate the fact we have on record Buck Henry's memories of co-creating"Get Smart" and the descriptions of his duties as the S1,2 story editor. I understand he often wrote the teasers and epilogues for the episodes and have no doubt a lot of the hilarious 86 to 44 dialogues were largely his creation (one of the best contained in the S1 two-parter "Ship of Spies," co-written with series executive producer Leonard Stern).
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine Henry and Mel Brooks conjuring these things while shooting numerous games of pool? Would loved to have been a fly on that wall.
Fifty-five years after it's creation and it still makes me laugh...cause truly funny is timeless.
Thanks, Buck Henry (and Ken for paying tribute).
Bill
I'll always remember Buck Henry as John Belushi's foil in the Samurai sketches.
ReplyDeleteI remember him being a mystery guest on "What's My Line" the syndicated evening version hosted by Wally Bruner.
ReplyDeleteI believe Mr. Henry was in the opening scene of the movie The Player, he was over heard pitching for a sequel to The Graduate.
ReplyDelete"Plastics"
ReplyDeleteI did get the chance to meet and interview him. Thoroughly delightful. The script of which he was the most proud (at least that day): "What's Up Doc?" Since it's my personal favorite of his (and yes, it was a collaboration, but it sure sounded like an amicable one), I wholeheartedly agreed and we spent part of the interview discussing the challenges of screwball comedy. The man could do it all.
ReplyDeleteI've been watching his SNL appearances on Hulu. (They all seemed to actually know their lines and didn't reply on cue cards!) He was obviously a smart, understated performer and trouper, too - in one show Belushi accidentally cut Buck's forehead with the samurai sword and Buck just put on a bandage for the rest of the show. Other cast members put on bandages in solidarity. I always loved Buck Henry's work.
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