Sam The Butcher

 

Allan John Melvin was born in Kansas City, Missouri on February 18, 1923.  During his formative years, Melvin lived with his grandparents in New York City.  There he attended Columbia University, getting his first taste of acting as a theatre student.

Like many of his generation, Melvin served his country during World War 2, enlisting in the Navy after graduation. When the war was over, he returned to New York and began his career at NBC Radio, working in the sound effects department.  He also married his sweetheart Amalia Sestero, with whom he'd spend the next 64 years.

By the 1950s, Melvin's career had really taken off.  He'd appeared on Broadway in a production of Stalag 17, won Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts radio show, and created his own nightclub act. Then in 1955, he was cast in the first of several iconic television roles, that of Corporal Steve Henshaw on The Phil Silvers Show (aka Sergeant Bilko).  The series ran for four seasons, and Melvin enjoyed very minute of it.

"I think the camaraderie of all those guys made it such a pleasant way to work.  They were so relaxed."

After the series ended, Melvin signed up for another tour of duty as Staff Sergeant Charlie Hacker on Gomer Pyle, USMC.  For four seasons, he served as rival and chief antagonist to series regular Sergeant Carter.  Prior to this, he had made several appearances on The Andy Griffith Show in a variety of different roles.  At the same time, Melvin was beginning a very prolific voice-over career, in both animation and live-action shows (see Trivia below).

In the 1970s, Melvin was working consecutively on some of the most popular series of the decade.  He had a recurring role as Sam Franklin (aka Sam the Butcher) on The Brady Bunch (above), boyfriend of housekeeper Alice Nelson.  He was also appearing as Barney Hefner, Archie Bunker's best friend, on All in the Family as well as its spin-off series, Archie Bunker's Place.  Additionally, he made several appearances as a diner patron on Alice, while doing a lot of commercial work as well (see Trivia below).  By the mid-1980s, he was working exclusively in animation, until he retired in 1994.

By the early 200s, Melvin's health was in decline.  Diagnosed with cancer, he ultimately died on January 17, 2008.  He was 84 years old. 

Allan Melvin was interred at Pierce Brothers Memorial Village in Los Angeles.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Amalia eventually passed in December 2020, having reached the 100-year mark.
  
  
• Despite having a rather lengthy resume in Hollywood, Melvin only ever appeared in one film, 1968's With Six You Get Eggroll.
  
  
  
• For more than thirty years, Melvin was an in-demand voice actor on a number of popular television series.  Most prominently, he was the voice of Magilla Gorilla (right), Drooper on The Banana Splits Show, and Bluto on Popeye.
  
  
• Melvin did a lot of commercial work during the 1970s and was a recurring pitchman for Liquid Plumbr.  Yes, I spelled that correctly.  Here are a few of those spots (1973, 1978, 1981). 
  
  
• Pin-up model Bettie Page is buried right next to the Melvins, but this blogger can find no connection between them.  She also died in 2008.  Their grave is also within walking distance of Archie Bunker himself, Carroll O'Connor.  Brady Bunch co-star Florence Henderson is also nearby.