Burt Mustin

[babydll57]

Is he still living? And if so how old is he? I have seen him on several different shows.And im thinking he has to be old.

[Perderabo]

Mr. Mustin was born on Feb 8, 1884. And he died on Jan 28, 1977.

[uncledav@pacbell.n]

After a long career selling cars in Pittsburgh, PA, where he also
directed a community chorus in his spare time, Burt "retired" to Phoenix, AZ, choosing that dry area to benefit his wife's health.
He got "discovered by the movies" while walking across a super-market parking lot in the Phoenix area, he told me, and I have to think his distinctive appearance had everything to do with some-one selecting him to consider for a part -- skinny old guy, ram-rod straight, already 68 years old, turtle-brak nose, with the "turkey wattles" below his chin. But a minute later, Burt would have WOW-ed them with his wit, sharp mind, singing ability, friendly candor, or ready fund of information -- or "all of the above." I met Burt in Barbershop Quartet singing in March 1960 and I see below that he was 76 -- a very alert, quick, "together" guy all the same. In those years he was playing the vault guard on the Jack Benny TV show, dressed in his civil war uniform, seated next to Jack's secret vault in the cave far beneath Jack's house, and Burt would be sitting there all patience, festooned with cobwebs, when Jack arrived, having clambered down countless stone steps, crossed the gator-filled moat, and so on, usually to get $2.00 out of the vault. Burt would mildly acquiesce when Jack told him it wasn't Burt's year for a raise yet, and wasn't his year for a vacation either. Wasn't Burt the train conductor on "Petticoat Junction," at least sometimes? In real life, he was a good accurate baritone in quartets, in fact he could sing any of the 4 parts, and taught the parts to new singers, oftentimes directed the 25-voice barbershop chorus of the San Fernando Valley Chapter of Barbershop singers, acted as the Chapter Delegate to
District and National meetings, and reported back to the chapter the precise data on actions by the House of Delegates, at a very rapid clip indeed. I recorded his verbal report one time, and it took Burt just 4 minutes to report to us on a 5-hour meeting, using no notes, just his great memory. When the printed report of that meeting came out a month later, I played the tape and compared. Well, Burt had covered it all and had it all correct, totally accurate, a typical kind and thoughtful service to his fellow members, from Burt when he was pushing 77 years of age. And Burt went to the District and National Conventions for 12 or 15 more years, loved barbershop music, never missed a meeting, always helped everyone, never even let it be known that he was a famous character actor on TV unless someone else brought it up, never took a drink and always left at 11 pm for his "beauty sleep." The walking definition of a nice man.

[donald snl]

thats a great story i always liked him esp. n on leve it to beaver as gus and also in his one time apperence on the brady bunch .

[vedastone]

Wow, what a great profile of one of my favorite character actors. It's nice to hear about the human side of our TV icons, especially when they are good real-life people. And the fact that his acting career started after normal retirement age is quite inspiring. Thanks, Uncle Santa.

[vze3t9q9]

I admire Burt> I give him credit starting a new career at 65 or so.I think his last tv appearance was on Phyliss Gee maybe I have a chance at something else. I would like a little limelight.

[one bullet barney]

my father met mr, mustin while working ont he set of the movie "the storm center" in 1955 or 1956, and said many times what a wonderful man burt mustin was.

[tdr]

I agree with everyone's opinion that Burt Mustin was a great character actor, and very likely a fine human being from accounts of those who knew him. But his appearances on The Andy Griffith Show are among his least impressive on television because he was almost always one of several "town loafers" who gossiped and sometimes set Barney up for embarrassment. I think "Gus" on Leave it to Beaver much more utilized his ability, as was also true of his few appearances as "Mr. Quiggly" on All in the Family in the 70's.

But he also appeared on 2 Dragnet episodes in the late 60's, which were absolute gems, and my favorites of his TV roles. [Spoilers:] In one, he was a daylight burglar who discovers home are vacant by reading obituaries and 'society' news in the papers, and he is caught on site by Friday and Gannon, and as he is being interrogated he goes off and talks brilliantly about anything but the burglaries. His guilt for the series of burglaries is finally cinched when the officers start telling him the jobs were "sloppy" and "pure amateur." This offends his pride, and he then takes them to his rented house where he has the loot stored. In his other appearance, he is a landlord of a small apartment building where a young female tenant has been murdered. The officers indicate he is the prime suspect, though they don't have enough evidence yet to arrest him. He seems to know a lot about police and investigations, which they think must come from reading magazines and trying to be an amateur detective. He is taken to the office, the captain recognizes him as a former detective in Chicago with whom he had worked, who retired as deputy chief of Chicago police. Apparently he intended for the officers to find out who he was only by getting their 'kickbacks' on him. Anyway, his "hunch" about the real murderer proves true; they ask him how he devloped it, and he explains, "Back in the old days, before you boys and your fancy crime labs and all, a hunch was just about all we had to go on."

[Bubba'sGirl]

He also played on All In The Family.He was in 2 or 3 episodes.:)

[Lolac]

One of my favorite lines from The Dick Van Dyke Show was uttered by Burt Mustin in the episode titled "Very Old Shoes, Very Old Rice." He says "Even at my age, I'd rather go on a honeymoon than take a dog to the movies!" If you haven't seen that episode, I highly recommend it. Burt was great in it!

Lolac
:wave:

[treky]

I agree with everyone's opinion that Burt Mustin was a great character actor, and very likely a fine human being from accounts of those who knew him. But his appearances on The Andy Griffith Show are among his least impressive on television because he was almost always one of several "town loafers" who gossiped and sometimes set Barney up for embarrassment. I think "Gus" on Leave it to Beaver much more utilized his ability, as was also true of his few appearances as "Mr. Quiggly" on All in the Family in the 70's.

But he also appeared on 2 Dragnet episodes in the late 60's, which were absolute gems, and my favorites of his TV roles. [Spoilers:] In one, he was a daylight burglar who discovers home are vacant by reading obituaries and 'society' news in the papers, and he is caught on site by Friday and Gannon, and as he is being interrogated he goes off and talks brilliantly about anything but the burglaries. His guilt for the series of burglaries is finally cinched when the officers start telling him the jobs were "sloppy" and "pure amateur." This offends his pride, and he then takes them to his rented house where he has the loot stored. In his other appearance, he is a landlord of a small apartment building where a young female tenant has been murdered. The officers indicate he is the prime suspect, though they don't have enough evidence yet to arrest him. He seems to know a lot about police and investigations, which they think must come from reading magazines and trying to be an amateur detective. He is taken to the office, the captain recognizes him as a former detective in Chicago with whom he had worked, who retired as deputy chief of Chicago police. Apparently he intended for the officers to find out who he was only by getting their 'kickbacks' on him. Anyway, his "hunch" about the real murderer proves true; they ask him how he devloped it, and he explains, "Back in the old days, before you boys and your fancy crime labs and all, a hunch was just about all we had to go on."I saw him on another episode of "Dragnet" once. He was just in one scene, though. Friday & Gannon were investigating a case where a guy was conning senior citizens out of their money. He played one of the guys victims, and they were talking to him in one scene.

[storrs19]

That would be "The Subscription Racket" from Dragnet 1967. Burt was a super character actor who seemed great in every role he played.