Wonderful comic actor, probably best remembered for "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World." Marvin and Arnold Stang played a pair of gas station attendants whose gas station is destroyed single-handedly by Jonathan Winters.
From a mailing today by L.A. theatre company Theatre West:
It is with a sad and heavy heart to inform you our very own Marvin Kaplan passed away today at 5AM in his sleep. There will be a memorial at the theatre, in addition to any other service held for him. We will send out more information as we receive it.
I'm 48 and I used to watch Marvin on Alice from when I was 9 in '77 (when I first tuend in that summer to the 1st season re-runs) until lthe show's end in March 1985. Marvin's humorous style as Henry, always made me laugh , a lot. It's a sad coincidence that he and fellow cast mate Beth Howland leave us only 8 months (to the week) apart. Having only heard about Beth last week, it makes me feel even sadder.
In an unusual coincidence.....I've been watching the CBS series "Becker" (1998-2004) with Ted Danson on DVD and Henry appears in a total of 4 shows as Dr. Becker's patient "Mr. Gordon".. Tonight, I'm finishing the series' final season and the '04 episode "DNR" was not just Henry's last appearance on the show, but his very last in a sitcom overall. I'll watch that one as tribute to his simple but very funny humor.
In case some may not know, the show's 40th anniversary is this August 31st on Wednesday.