Yes, good point. This may have at least partly inspired the "Gilligan's Island" character.
They are both sort of overbearing rich guys (private airplane and all in IAMMMMW). Mr Fitzgerald is more the drunken playboy type (no Lovey).
The stuffy old money character was something he developed. A great character.
shareJim Backus was good at this kind of character. I think he played one regularly on a radio show, but that was before my time.
He's great in a small part in "His Kind of Woman" (1951), playing an oily vacationer at a posh Baja resort.
I recall seeing that film years ago. I remember he was good in it.
shareJim Backus was always great. Nobody could ever accuse him of phoning it in.
shareI forgot the exact line in the plane but its something like
JB:Im going back to make an old fashion
MR:what if something happens?
JB:what could happen to an old fashion??
"quit fooling around and make us some DRIINKS!" an old fashioned, the kind my dear old daaaad used to make"
classic, classic, classic stuff
Jim Bachus's photo hung in a Greek restaurant I frequented, in the "Greek Hall of Fame" section. I'm sure that the Los Angeles location has this same photo.
Yes, he was of Greek lineage like myself.