| The man who played Charles Townsend - he was | | | | clarity and was excellent for narration, voice-overs |
| the never-seen answer phone voice - in Charlie's | | | | and hosting shows. He was in demand in later years |
| Angels was John Forsythe. Now he is well into his | | | | as a voice-over artist for corporate videos and was |
| eighties and enjoying his retirement.John Lincoln | | | | famously cast as Charlie (Charles Townsend), the |
| Freund was born in Penns Grove, New Jersey as | | | | never seen subject of the hit tv series Charlie's |
| firstborn to Samuel and Blanche Freund in 1918. John | | | | Angels.Most of his career was in television, playing |
| was soon joined by a sister and a brother. He | | | | dramatic roles in such shows as in Starlight Theatre, |
| graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School, Bronx, | | | | Suspense and Studio One. Then, in 1957, came the |
| New York when he was still 16 and spent two years | | | | situation comedy series Bachelor Father. Situation |
| at the University of North Carolina. After graduation | | | | comedies were a rarity on television on those days. |
| he found a job as sportscaster for the Brooklyn | | | | Comedy was more likely to be found in variety show |
| Dodgers, a dream job for the baseball mad young | | | | acts. Radio, on the other hand, was familiar territory |
| man. His experience behind the microphone and some | | | | for |
| work with a children's theatre company got John | | | | sit-coms and it was a radio scriptwriter who came |
| thinking about the possibility of taking up acting. His | | | | up with the idea for Bachelor Father. A situation |
| father was not sure about the idea and had always | | | | comedy required a situation, preferably an unusual |
| expected that John would take up a more stable | | | | situation that would give rise to misunderstandings |
| career. He intuitively realised, | | | | and comic conflict. The situation that scriptwriter |
| though, that it would be better to support his son | | | | Everett Freeman put forward to MCA's Revue |
| rather than reject his choice, although John was not | | | | Productions, one of U.S. television's mainstay |
| sure himself whether his chosen path would prove to | | | | production houses, was where a wealthy bachelor |
| be the right one. Only time would tell.John Freund | | | | attorney is landed with the role of looking after his |
| became actor John Forsythe as he took on bit parts | | | | young niece after her parents are killed in an auto |
| off- and on-Broadway as well as landing roles in radio | | | | accident. The trouble really starts when the young |
| dramas. Whilst treading the boards he met fellow | | | | lady becomes a teenager. This situation was certainly |
| actress Parker MacCormick and they married in 1939. | | | | a recipe for misunderstanding and conflict. This was a |
| Around the time of the birth of their son, Dall, in | | | | major shift for John Forsythe, who was invited to |
| 1941, John Forsythe was noticed by Warner Brothers | | | | play the lead role of Bentley Gregg, the |
| who signed him up. Events were moving apace as | | | | man-about-town bachelor, as this was his first |
| the Second World War intervened. John was signed | | | | comedy role on television.The scripts for Bachelor |
| up to the Army Air Corps where he appeared in the | | | | Father were genteel and refined. Bentley Gregg and |
| show Winged VictoryHe continued to play several | | | | Kelly, his niece, played by Noreen Corcoran, are kindly |
| uncredited movie parts for Warner Brothers, including | | | | folk who have a slightly different outlook on life. |
| a part in Action in the North Atlantic and another part | | | | Bentley is keen to keep up his bachelor lifestyle while |
| (a soldier) in Northern Pursuit in 1943. He landed his | | | | Kelly likes to play matchmaker or unintentionally |
| first credited part later that year in Destination | | | | involve |
| Tokyo, playing a sailor. By now, his marriage was | | | | Bentley in a situation that causes him |
| over and he had met Julie Warren and they soon | | | | embarrassment. The housekeeper, played by |
| wed.After the war John was asked to help Elia | | | | Sammee Tong, provides some more farcical |
| Kazan, Cheryl Crawford and Robert Lewis with the | | | | moments as a counterweight to the softer comedy |
| fledgling Actor's Studio project. One of the students | | | | of the main protagonists.Bachelor Father ran for five |
| he coached was a very young Joan Collins, later to | | | | seasons in all, covering Kelly's emergence into |
| co-star with him in Dynasty. Television was still in its | | | | womanhood as she dated various suitors until she |
| early years, but already it was hungry for acting | | | | finally got engaged. Finally is the apt word as the |
| talent as the first commercial networked show was | | | | show was pulled before there could be a |
| being planned at WNBT-TV. This was Kraft Television | | | | wedding.Onwards and upwards, John Forsythe |
| Theatre. John Forsythe was an obvious candidate as | | | | followed with The John Forsythe Show in 1965, using |
| he was certainly in the right place at the right | | | | a similar comedy format. He still took on many |
| time.These days it may be hard to imagine how | | | | straight roles on television and some in the theater |
| relatively unimportant television was on those days. It | | | | and on film. As well as being Charlie to the Angels, he |
| was roughly equivalent to somebody doing a | | | | became world famous in the 1980s as scheming |
| webcast about 10 years ago when most internet | | | | Blake Carrington in Dynasty where he came to work |
| connections were far too slow to see any video, | | | | with his old pupil, Joan Collins.Sadly, in 1994, his wife |
| leaving a very limited audience. However, the fact | | | | of nearly 50 years, Julie Warren, died. He married |
| that John was in television at such an early stage | | | | Nicole Carter in 2002.John Forsythe was a pioneer. He |
| meant that he had the contacts and the track record | | | | was one of the earliest members of the Actor's |
| that would bring work to him in the future. Indeed, | | | | Studio and one of the early faces on television. He |
| his early work on stage, film and television meant | | | | now lives a very contented retirement on his Bel Air |
| that he was always engaged in one of those media | | | | ranch, enjoying his horses, his art collection and his |
| throughout his career and was never out of work | | | | family. It seems that the choice he made back in |
| for any length of time. Another string to his bow | | | | 1940, to go into acting, was the right one after |
| was the fact that he had a very clear voice with | | | | all.Vernon Stent is the content writer for Here is a |
| excellent diction. This carried with it authority and | | | | page about Bachelor Father. |