Robert Brackett Elliott (March 26, 1923 – February 2, 2016) was an American comedian and actor, one-half of the comedy duo of Bob and Ray. He was the father of comedian/actor Chris Elliott and grandfather of actresses and comedians Abby Elliott and Bridey Elliott. He is most remembered for the character of radio reporter Wally Ballou. the son of Gail Marguarite (née Brackett), a needleworker, and Fred Russell Elliott, who worked in insurance. Bob Elliott served in the U.S. Army in Northern Europe during World War II. On radio, he appeared in programs with his long-time partner Ray Goulding. These were in different series and time slots over decades, beginning in the late 1940s at Boston's WHDH radio on the show Matinee with Bob and Ray.
thumb|right|150px|[[Bob and Ray in a publicity photo with Tedi Thurman for Monitor, where all were program regulars]] On television, Elliott and Goulding hosted Bob and Ray from 1951 to 1953. He appeared on a number of other television programs, including Happy Days; Newhart; and Bob & Ray, Jane, Laraine & Gilda in 1979 (with Goulding, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner); The David Steinberg Show; and Saturday Night Live. He would star in made-for-TV-Movie's such as Between Time and Timbuktu and FDR: A One Man Show. Elliott also made television commercials,
In 1970, the duo debuted in The Two and Only on Broadway. Bob and Goulding worked together up until Goulding's death in 1990. In 1990, he portrayed "Fred Peterson" in the television series Get a Life, which starred Chris as his son. Four years later, the elder Elliott appeared in the Tim Burton production Cabin Boy, playing Chris's father again. In 2004, he appeared in a skit on the Air America radio program The O'Franken Factor. Elliott appeared on radio with Garrison Keillor in The American Radio Company of the Air. In 1954, Elliott married Knight's widow, Lee (née Peppers). They were married for 58 years until her death in 2012. They adopted Lee and Ray Knight's two children, Colony Elliott Santangelo and Shannon Elliott.
Elliott died in Cundy's Harbor, Maine, on February 2, 2016, from throat cancer at the age of 92.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1959
| Test Dive Buddies
| Bob
| Short film directed by Ed Graham Jr.
|-
| 1960
| Kid Gloves
| Bob
| Short film directed by Ed Graham Jr.
|-
| 1971
| Cold Turkey
| Hugh Upson/David Chetley/Sandy Van Andy
| Satirical comedy film directed by Norman Lear.
|-
| 1980
|Vengeance
| Luke
| Directed and written by Bob Bliss.
|-
| 1981
| B.C.: A Special Christmas
| Peter (voice)
| American animated short film directed by Vlad Goetzelman.
|-
| 1982
| Author! Author!
| Patrick Dicker
| American comedy drama film directed by Arthur Hiller and written by Israel Horovitz.
|-
| 1984
| Kidco
| Policeman #2
| Comedy film directed by Ronald F. Maxwell.
|-
| 1987
| The Gnomes' Great Adventure
| Fred
|
|-
| 1990
| Quick Change
| Bank Guard
|
|-
| 1994
| Cabin Boy
| William Mayweather
|
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 1951–53
| Bob and Ray
| Co-Host
| 15-minute television series on NBC.
|-
| 1972
| Between Time and Timbuktu
| Bud Williams, Jr.
|
|-
| 1976
| The David Steinberg Show
|
| Episode: "Episode #1.1 (Pilot)"
|-
| 1978
| Saturday Night Live
| Interviewer
| Episode: "Elliott Gould/Peter Tosh"
|-
| 1979
| Happy Days
| Gil Crawford
| Episode: "Here Comes the Bride, Again"
|-
| 1981
| The Steve Allen Comedy Hour
|
| Episode: "Episode #1.22"
|-
| 1985
| Trapper John, M.D.
| Zeke Rainey
| Episode: "A False Start"
|-
| 1986
| Action Family
| The Vendor
|
|-
| 1987
| FDR: A One Man Show
| Make-Up Man
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1988
| Coming of Age
|
| Episode: "Hale to the Chief"
|-
| Newhart
| Bill Loudon
| Episode: "I Came, I Saw, I Sat"
|-
| 1990–92
| Get a Life
| Fred Peterson
| Contract role
|-
| 1999
| LateLine
| Wally Van Horn
| Episode: "The Minister of Television"
|-
| 2008
| King of the Hill
| Edgar Hornsby (voice)
| Episode: "Square-Footed Monster" (final role)
|-
|}
References
External links
- Portland Monthly: Elliott family life in Maine
- New York Times article about the Elliot family
- Bob and Ray shows at the Internet Archive collection "Bob and Ray for the Truly Desperate" https://archive.org/details/bobandraytoaster