Yes, 103 years ago in New York City was born the wonderful slow-burn expert and beloved TV staple Gale Gordon.
The son of stage troupers, he took up the family business and, while to us he was born to play second fiddle to Miss Brooks, Lucy Carmichael, and Jay North, he started long before...
...and had a certain something. He was a leading light of radio comedy, on
Fibber McGee and elsewhere,
and even assayed the classics. In the ruff, he has vincentpriceian charm, I think.
But once assigned the curmudgeonly second-banana slot, he stuck with it and did great things. He's seen here in avuncular mode with the whole clan Arnaz, and he clearly was considered part of the family. He even accompanied Ball into her ill-fated final foray,
Lifelike Lucy.
The career of Gale Gordon raises an interesting question: what is the male for "dowager"?