Tom Bosley starred on Broadway, appeared in movies, and was a successful television star. But years before we knew him for those pursuits, Bosley dreamed of becoming either a baseball star or a sports announcer.
Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, dreaming of playing left fielder for the Chicago Cubs. When that prospect dimmed, he shifted to sportscasting, enrolling at DePauw University and further training at the Radio Institute of Chicago.
Bosley with “Gus” and Tim Conway (photo courtesy Cult Film Freak)
As fate would have it, he didn’t end up in that line of work, but he did star in sports-related films. In Gus (1976), a comedy film about a football-playing mule, Bosley played Spinner, an inveterate criminal, alongside his partner Crankcase, played by Tim Conway. Together, they tried to stop Gus (the mule) from playing so his team would lose. Along the way, they tried to get Gus drunk before he took the field. Their strategy worked (sort of): Gus and his team lost but still made the playoffs. Undeterred, they tried again to keep Gus from playing, this time in the championship game. They kidnapped him, planning to replace him with a mediocre mule. But their plan fell short. The police arrested them and airlifted Gus to the game.
Bosley also appeared in the television movie The Jesse Owens Story (1984). Bosley portrayed the notorious labor union leader Jimmy Hoffa. In the film, Owens (played by Dorian Harewood) meets with Hoffa to enlist more Black truck and cab drivers in Chicago. Owens is reluctant at first but gives a speech to Hoffa’s men.
While those were notable roles, they came after Bosley had a reputation. The path to stardom began on Broadway, first when he originated the role of New York City Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia in the Broadway musical Fiorello! (1959). Later, he originated the role of Maurice in the Broadway version of Beauty and the Beast (1994). Bosley also starred in other Broadway productions, which include Show Boat (1994), Cabaret (2002), and On Golden Pond (2006).
Mr. C with The Fonz (photo courtesy of The Guardian)
Bosley also appeared in movies, including Love with the Proper Stranger (1963), The World of Henry Orient (1964), Divorce American Style (1967), The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1968), Yours, Mine and Ours (1968), To Find a Man (1972), and Mixed Company (1974).
But Bosley is best remembered for his television roles, most notably as the easygoing father Howard Cunningham (Mr. C) on the ABC sitcom Happy Days (1974-1984). He also had a recurring role as Sheriff Amos Tupper in the CBS mystery series Murder, She Wrote (1984-1988) and as Father Frank Dowling in Father Dowling Mysteries (1989-1991). Bosley also lent his voice to many animated programs, most notably as the lead, Harry Boyle, in the animated sitcom Wait Till Your Father Gets Home (1972-1974).
Had he lived, Bosley would be celebrating his 99th birthday this month. But heavy smoking led him down a different path. He died from lung cancer in 2010 at the age of 83.
