Herschel on the Roof

After all these videos and postings about Herschel Bernardi, I received an email from the wonderful Treva Silverman, a two-time Emmy winning-writer for The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  As I briefly mentioned, she was close friends with Herschel Bernardi, and she sent an update and passed along this story.

(For those coming in late to the party, Herschel Bernardi replaced Zero Mostel on Broadway in Fiddler on the Roof, and later starred in the musical Zorba by Kander & Ebb.  He won an Emmy awards, but is probably best known as the original voice of "Charlie the Tuna" for Star Kist and the Jolly Green Giant.)

Thanks for your nice words about my remembrance of Herschel.  I should've added something -- that he pretty much always, when he was at home, having a one-to-one dinner, or a few people over, or a small party of close friends, wore pajamas and a robe.  He loved being comfortable above all.  When he died, there was no question of what clothes to bury him in. 

I once went with him to some expensive restaurant -- I forget which one, someplace in NY.  He wore trousers, a shirt and a jacket.   Extremely dressed-up for him.  The maitre d' insisted that he wear a tie.  All the gentlemen here have to wear a tie.  Herschel, who considered that he was already dressed to the nines, refused.   A decorous argument ensued -- nothing loud, all very polite.   Herschel finally allowed that, okay, he would wear a tie.

The maitre d' brought a tie. 

Herschel put it on, commented that it was a very nice tie, then wordlessly removed his jacket and shirt until he was only dressed in trousers, a tie and an undershirt which barely covered his hairy chest.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, he was then permitted to take off the tie and put back the rest of his clothes.

God, I loved him.