Bye, Bob: A farewell toast to Bob Newhart, the brilliant button-down comedian, actor and writer
Bob Newhart was Midwestern to his button-down core.
The brilliant comedian, actor and writer who died Thursday, July 18, at the fine old age of 94, was born in the Chicago area and raised with Midwestern values, including an appreciation for humor. His dry, understated style was popular for more than six decades, as each generation discovered how hilarious and sly he was.
Newhart was a stand-up comic and had hit comedy records, including the landmark 1960 record “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” recorded in Houston at, amazingly, his first-ever nightclub show. Among the classic bits: “Abraham Lincoln vs. Madison Avenue” and “Driving Instructor.”
It sold over 1 million copies, was named Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, winning two other awards as well, including Best New Artist, and propelled him to stardom. His second album, “The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back!” was also a smash, and at one point, he had the top two records on the charts.
Not bad for a failed accountant whose motto was “That’s close enough.” He also worked as a copy editor at an advertising agency, where he devoted much of his time to creating funny phone conversations with a buddy, which became the foundation of his career.
Bob Newhart wasn’t the first comedian to use the telephone as a prop. But he was the best at it.
Newhart’s life changed when he was 30 years old. He had been wondering if success and happiness had passed him by while he dreamed up funny routines. Then, he rocketed to the top of show business and remained there for the rest of his life. All through the years, Newhart was booked and busy, sparking laughter with creative, original material.
While his career changed, Newhart didn’t. He and his wife Ginnie were married for more than 60 years, raising four children and doting on 10 grandchildren. It was a very Midwestern life, even as he spent weeks performing in Las Vegas, appearing in movies such as “Catch-22,” “In & Out” and “Elf,” and starring in five TV series.
Two of them, “The Bob Newhart Show,” a brilliant show set in his native Chicago, and “Newhart,” are comedy classics. Just about everything he did was funny, because Bob Newhart worked hard on his comedy, his movies and his TV shows (including, as seen above, the 1970s hit, The Bob Newhart Show, in a public domain image posted on wikimedia commons). Hard work, a classic Midwest trait, was a key part of his success.
In his 2006 memoir, “I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This!: And Other Things That Strike Me as Funny,” he explained why Chicagoans are so honest and straightforward.
Turns out, it’s the weather.
“Whether blustery in words or weather, there’s no putting on airs in Chicago. It’s too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer to walk around with any pretenses,” Newhart wrote. “You’ve got to be as real and solid as one of those bone-in ribeyes served at Gibsons Steakhouse. It’s a city where you say what you mean, mean what you say, and, most importantly, where you must be able to back up what you say. All in all, this makes it a great place for comedians to sharpen their acts.”
Like many of the best comedians of his era, including his good friend Johnny Carson, he idolized Jack Benny.
“I think it was Jack Benny who once said, ‘A comic says funny things, but a comedian says things funny,’” Newhart wrote in his book. “I guess I’d fall into that latter grouping.”
He also admired and emulated George Gobel, a short, crew-cut comedian from Chicago who also employed a dry wit and understated approach to humor.
He was loved by millions and acclaimed by critics. Newhart won numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Like Twain, a Missouri boy who became an American legend, Bob Newhart’s comedy could have a cutting edge to it. There was a sharp edge beneath that calm exterior. His best friend was a very different kind of comic — Don Rickles. It’s worth noting that Newhart was a friend and admirer of Richard Pryor.
Their styles, both on- and off-stage, were very different. But they knew funny. That is why they are on the very short list of funniest comic minds in history.
In the 1980s, college students created a drinking game while watching reruns of his ‘70s show, where his character was known as Bob. Whenever someone said, “Hi, Bob,” they took a drink. Newhart, whose real first name was George, even though he went by his middle name Robert, knew of the game and understood it was all in fun.
He did worry about people playing it too enthusiastically and then driving, however. That’s a wise Midwestern attitude.
He delivered comedic delights to fans for six decades, stammering all the way. Those pauses and hesitations helped him live a comfortable life, selling his Bel Air mansion for $14.5 million in 2016, and became a true comedy legend. Right to the end, he was hilarious.
“Bye, Bob.” A final toast to your button-down brilliance.
Fourth-generation South Dakotan Tom Lawrence has written for several newspapers and websites in South Dakota and other states and contributed to The New York Times, NPR, The London Telegraph, The Daily Beast and other media outlets. Republish with permission.
