Those of us of a certain vintage well remember a number of comic 1960s television characters who were integral to our formative years. Think of the likes of Sergeant Schultz from Hogan’s Heroes, Dobie Gillis from The Life and Loves of Dobie Gillis, Maxwell Smart from Get Smart, Gilligan from Gilligan’s Island and Gomer Pyle from Gomer Pyle, USMC.
Somewhere in our memories there’s a special place reserved for Corporal Randolph Agarn from ‘F Troop’. The wise-cracking, scheming cavalryman played second fiddle to Sergeant Morgan O’Rourke at the ironically named Fort Courage on the frontier of ‘Indian country’. It was classic American 60s television, probably too politically incorrect for today’s sanitised tastes.
Larry Storch, who played Agarn, passed away earlier this month at the age of 99. And with him goes a part of my childhood in what seemed to be a more innocent age. Blow that bugle, Private Dobbs!
To read an obituary for Larry Storch from The Washington Post click here.
To read a general account of the life of Larry Storch click here.
RIP Larry Storch.
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About Ian Hauser
A relaxed, Noosa-based retiree with a (very) modest sporting CV. A loyal Queenslander, especially when it comes to cricket and rugby league. Enjoys travel, coffee and cake, reading, and has been known to appreciate a glass or three of wine. One of Footy Almanac's online editors who enjoys the occasional editing opportunity to assist aspiring writers.
Why can’t I remember my PIN# or find my glasses, but have this continual ear worm……
“The end of the Civil War was here,
When quite accidentally,
A hero who sneezed,
Abruptly seized,
Retreat and reversed it to victory….”
Accompanied by collapsing cannons and guard towers.
As a kid I aspired to O”Rourke; became Colonel Parmenter; and now happily settled for Agarn.
He was the sort of idiot savant epitomised by Peter Sellers as Chancey Gardner in the wonderful “Being There”. Reminded me of VP Pence in real life.
Vale’ Larry. I’ll see you in my dreams.
He will always be the Groovy Guru to me!!
God I loved Agarn! I wish I had a dollar for every time we impersonated him in the school yard the day after a show. I loved the Hacowie tribe as well. Thanks for the laughs Larry.
Great show ,watched it every night after school . Favourite episode the Burglar of Banfffff where Paul Lynde masqueraded as the Singing Mountie when he really was the Burglar of Banfffff.
Who was the nearly blind bloke who manned the lookout ??
Vanderbilt. First name?
He was known simply as Trooper Vanderbilt.
“I don’t know why everyone says you’re so dumb, Agarn.” The corporal would smile, happy with the compliment.
And we’d wait for the next scene when Agarn would suddenly ask, “Who says I’m dumb.”
Now that’s a joke worth repeating. And they did.
@ smokie – you Meatloafed me there (took the words right out of my mouth)
I loved F Troop, perhaps mostly because of Corporal Agarn. I didn’t realise it at the time but like so many of those 60s sitcoms, there was a lot of Jewish humour in the scripts, but the fact that some of the best lines came from the business-savvy Bald Eagle and Krazy Kat made it even funnier.