Editing Don Adams

{{Short description|American actor (1923–2005)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Don Adams
| image              = DonAdams.jpg
| caption            = Don Adams as Maxwell Smart (1968)
| birth_name         = Donald James Yarmy
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1923|4|13}}
| birth_place        = New York City, New York, U.S.
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2005|9|25|1923|4|13}}
| death_place        = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| resting_place      = [[Hollywood Forever Cemetery]]
| occupation         = Actor
| years_active       = 1954–2001
| notable works      = ''[[Get Smart]]'', ''[[Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales]]'',<br/>''[[Inspector Gadget]]''
| spouse             = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Adelaide Efantis|1947|1960|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Dorothy Bracken|1960|1976|end=div}}
* {{marriage|Judy Luciano|1977|1990|end=div}}
}}
| children           = 7, including [[Cecily Adams]]
| relatives          = [[Dick Yarmy]] <small>(brother)</small>
| module             = {{Infobox military person | embed=yes
| allegiance       = {{USA}}
| branch           = [[File:USMC logo.svg|25px]] [[United States Marine Corps]]
| battles          = [[World War II]]
-[[Battle of Guadalcanal]]
| battles_label    = 
| serviceyears     = 1941–1945
}}
}}

'''Donald James Yarmy''' (April 13, 1923&nbsp;– September 25, 2005), known professionally as '''Don Adams''', was an American actor. In his five decades on television, he was best known as bumbling Maxwell Smart (Secret Agent 86) in the television situation comedy ''[[Get Smart]]'' (1965–1970, 1995), which he also sometimes directed and wrote. Adams won three consecutive [[Emmy Award]]s for his performance in the series (1967–1969). Adams also provided voices for the animated series ''[[Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales]]'' (1963–1966) and ''[[Inspector Gadget (1983 TV series)|Inspector Gadget]]'' (1983–1986) as well as several revivals and spinoffs of the latter in the 1990s.

==Early life==
Adams was born Donald James Yarmy on April 13, 1923, in [[Manhattan]], New York,<ref name="nytobit">{{cite news |last=Martin |first=Douglas |date=September 27, 2005 |title=Don Adams, Television's Maxwell Smart, Dies at 82 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/27/arts/television/don-adams-televisions-maxwell-smart-dies-at-82.html |access-date=June 20, 2024 |work=The New York Times}}</ref> a son of William Yarmy and his wife, Consuelo (née Deiter) Yarmy. His father was of [[Hungarian Jewish]] descent and worked as a restaurant manager;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1803789 |title=Adams, Don |last=Gentile |first=Richard H. |website=doi.org |publisher=[[American National Biography]] |access-date=March 10, 2025}}</ref> his mother was Irish American. Donald and his brother [[Dick Yarmy]] were each raised in the religion of one parent: Don in the Catholic faith of their mother, and Dick in the Jewish faith of their father.<ref>[http://www.ilovegetsmart.com/donbio.html The Unclassified Get Smart Site], ilovegetsmart.com; accessed December 22, 2015.</ref> The brothers had an elder sister, Gloria Ella Yarmy (later Gloria Burton), a writer who wrote an episode of ''Get Smart''. Dropping out of New York City's [[DeWitt Clinton High School]], he worked as a theater usher. He later remarked that he had "little use for school".<ref name=post>Smith, Austin. [https://nypost.com/2005/09/27/hes-agent-86d-get-smart-star-don-adams-dies/ "He's Agent 86'd – 'Get Smart' Star Don Adams Dies"], ''[[New York Post]]'', September 27, 2005; accessed August 13, 2017.</ref><ref name=":0"/>

=== World War II service ===
Late in 1941, he joined the United States Marine Corps. Yarmy reported to the First Training Battalion in New River, North Carolina, and then was assigned to I Company of the [[3rd Battalion, 8th Marines|Third Battalion, Eighth Marines]] in San Diego.<ref name=":0"/>

In May 1942, Yarmy's unit was transported to [[Samoa]] for further training, and then participated in the [[Battle of Guadalcanal]] in August 1942 in the [[Asiatic-Pacific Theater|Pacific Theater of Operations]]. Contrary to urban legend, he was not wounded in combat,{{Contradictory inline|reason=This prefatory "urban legend" caveat contradicts the source used at the end of this sentence that indicates he was wounded.|date=November 2024}} but did contract [[blackwater fever]], a serious complication of malaria, known for a 90% rate of fatality.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Evans |first=Art |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vXntDwAAQBAJ&dq=donald+yarmy+marines&pg=PA55 |title=World War II Veterans in Hollywood |date=June 23, 2020 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-3967-3 |pages=55–59 |language=en}}</ref> Yarmy was evacuated and then hospitalized for more than a year at a Navy hospital in [[Wellington]], New Zealand.<ref name="nytobit"/><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/sep/30/broadcasting.guardianobituaries| location=[[Manchester]]| work=[[The Guardian]]| first=Ronald| last=Bergan| title=Don Adams profile| date=September 30, 2005}}</ref><ref name="washobit"/> After his recovery, Yarmy served as a Marine Drill Instructor in the United States,<ref name="notablebiographies.com">{{cite encyclopedia|
 url=http://www.notablebiographies.com/newsmakers2/2007-A-Co/Adams-Don.html| title=Don Adams biography| encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of World Biographies| access-date=September 2, 2017}}</ref><ref name="TruthorFiction">{{cite web| year=2005| url=http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/d/don-adams.htm| title=U.S. Marine Don Adams| work=Truth or Fiction| access-date=December 22, 2015}}</ref> holding the rank of corporal. He was an expert marksman and was noted for his competence.<ref name=":0"/>

==Career==
===Early career===
After his discharge in 1945, Yarmy went to Florida and worked as a comic in a strip club, doing impersonations of celebrities, but he refused to do [[Obscenity|"blue"]] material and was fired. In 1947, he married Adelaide Constance Efantis (1924–2016), nicknamed "Dell", a singer who performed as Adelaide Adams. He decided to take her name because performers were called up for auditions in alphabetical order. Adams also worked as a commercial artist and restaurant cashier to help support his wife and three daughters.<ref name=":0"/>

Adams' work on television began in 1954 when he won on ''[[Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts]]'' with a stand-up comedy act written by boyhood friend [[Bill Dana (comedian)|Bill Dana]]. In the late 1950s, he made eleven appearances on ''[[The Steve Allen Show]]'', where Dana was part of the writing team. During the 1961–63 television seasons, he was a regular on NBC's ''[[The Perry Como Show]]'' as part of The Kraft Music Hall Players, and frequently on the [[Jimmy Dean]] Show.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6566074/ | title=Don Adams. Roy Clark, Ernest Tubb | website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref> He had a role on the NBC sitcom ''[[The Bill Dana Show]]'' (1963–65) as a bumbling [[hotel detective]] named Byron Glick.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Bill Dana Show (1963–1965): Full Cast & Crew |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056741/fullcredits#cast |access-date=September 2, 2017 |publisher=[[IMDb]]}}</ref>

===''Get Smart''===
{{more citations needed section|date=March 2016}}
[[File:Don Adams Barbara Feldon Get Smart 1967.jpg|thumb|Adams and Barbara Feldon in ''Get Smart'']]
Creators [[Mel Brooks]] and [[Buck Henry]], prompted by producers [[Daniel Melnick]] and [[David Susskind]],<ref name="nytobit"/> wrote ''[[Get Smart]]'' as the comedic answer to the successful 1960s spy television dramas such as ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]'', ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]'', ''[[I Spy (1965 TV series)|I Spy]]'' and others. They were asked to write a spoof that combined elements from two of the most popular film series at the time: [[James Bond (film series)|James Bond]] and [[The Pink Panther]] (Inspector Clouseau).

''Get Smart'' was written as a vehicle for [[Tom Poston]], to be piloted on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]; when ABC turned it down, NBC picked up the show and cast Adams in the role because he was already under contract.<ref name="nytobit"/> When ''Get Smart'' debuted in 1965, it was an immediate hit. [[Barbara Feldon]] co-starred as Max's young and attractive partner (later wife) Agent 99. They had great chemistry throughout the show's run, despite a 10-year age difference, and they became best friends during and after.

Adams gave the character a clipped speaking style borrowed from actor [[William Powell]]. Feldon said, "Part of the pop fervor for Agent 86 was because Don did such an extreme portrayal of the character that it made it easy to imitate."{{Citation needed|date=March 2010}} Adams created many popular catchphrases (some of which were in his act before the show), including "Sorry about that, Chief", {{nowrap|"Would you believe&nbsp;...?"}}, "Ahh&nbsp;... the old [noun] in the [noun] trick. That's the [number]th time this [month/week]." (sometimes the description of the trick was simply, "Ahh... the old [noun] trick."), and "Missed it by 'that much'".

Adams also produced and directed 13 episodes of the show. He was nominated for [[Emmy]]s four seasons in a row, from 1966 to 1969, for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series. He won the award three times. The show moved to CBS for its final season, with ratings declining, as spy series went out of fashion. ''Get Smart'' was canceled in 1970 after 138 episodes.

===Typecasting===
Following this, Adams then wanted to move on to other projects. His efforts after ''Get Smart'' were less successful, including the comedy series ''[[The Partners]]'' (1971–72), a game show called ''Don Adams' Screen Test'' (1975–76, see below), and three attempts to revive the ''Get Smart'' series in the 1980s.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} His movie ''[[The Nude Bomb]]'' (1980) was unsuccessful at the box office. Adams had been [[Typecasting|typecast]] as Maxwell Smart and was unable to escape the image, although he had success as the voice of the title character of ''[[Inspector Gadget (1983 TV series)|Inspector Gadget]]''.<ref name=post/>

He earned most of his income from his work on stage and in nightclubs. As Adams had chosen a lower salary in exchange for a one-third ownership stake in ''Get Smart'' during the show's production, he received a regular income for many years due to the show's popularity in reruns.<ref name="nytobit"/>

===''Don Adams' Screen Test''===
[[File:Don Adams 1975.jpg|thumb|Adams as the host of his short-lived game show ''Don Adams' Screen Test'', 1975]]
''[[Don Adams' Screen Test]]'' was a syndicated game show which lasted 26 episodes during the 1975–76 season. The show was filmed in two 15-minute segments, in each of which a randomly selected audience member would "act" to re-create a scene from a Hollywood movie as accurately as possible.

Such moments as the bar scene from ''[[The Lost Weekend (film)|The Lost Weekend]]'', the duel scene from ''[[The Prisoner of Zenda (1937 film)|The Prisoner of Zenda]]'' or the beach scene from ''[[From Here to Eternity]]'' were used, with Adams directing and a celebrity guest playing the other lead in the scene. Hokey effects, bad timing, forgotten lines, prop failures and the celebrity's "ad libs" were maximized for comic effect as the audience watched "bloopers" and "outtakes" as they happened. At the end of the program, the final, serious, fully edited version of the "screen test" of each of the two contestants would be played, with audience reaction determining the winner, who would receive a trip to Hollywood and a real screen test for a motion picture.<ref name=nostalgia>{{cite web| title=Don Adams' Screen Test| date=June 16, 2014| url=http://nostalgiacentral.com/television/tv-by-decade/tv-shows-1970s/don-adams-screen-test/| publisher=Nostalgia Central| access-date=September 2, 2017}}</ref>

===Later work===

Adams resurrected the Maxwell Smart character for a series of television commercials for Savemart, a retail chain that sold audio and video equipment.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/20/business/advertising-don-adams-gets-smart-for-savemart-spots.html| work=[[The New York Times]]| date=January 20, 1982|last=Dougherty|first=Phillip H.| title=Advertising; Don Adams Gets Smart for Savemart Spots}}</ref> He also did a series of audio/radio commercials in the 1980s for Chief Auto Parts, a retail automobile parts establishment later sold to [[Chief Auto Parts|AutoZone]].

He also appeared in the film ''[[Jimmy the Kid]]'' (1982) and played a cameo role as a harbormaster in ''[[Back to the Beach]]'' (1987).

Adams attempted a situation-comedy comeback in Canada with ''[[Check it Out! (Canadian TV series)|Check it Out!]]'' in 1985. Set in a supermarket, the show ran for three years but was not successful in the United States. The show also starred [[Gordon Clapp]], an unknown actor at the time, who developed a rapport with Adams.

In 1995, Adams reprised his Maxwell Smart role one last time on ''[[Get Smart (1995 TV series)|Get Smart]]'' for [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]; it co-starred Barbara Feldon and rising star [[Andy Dick]] as Max and 99's son. Unlike the original version, this show did not appeal to younger viewers, and it was canceled after just seven episodes. One of Adams's last public appearances was at the Get Smart Gathering on November 7, 2003, at a North Hollywood restaurant, in which fans of the show joined the cast and some of the creative talent of the series.

Adams was the voice of the title character in ''[[Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales]]'' (1963–66), with his bombastic catchphrase "Tennessee Tuxedo will ''not'' fail!" Later, he voiced himself in animated form for a guest shot in an episode of [[Hanna-Barbera]]'s ''[[The New Scooby-Doo Movies]]'', titled "The Exterminator". His most notable voiceover work was that of the title character in ''[[Inspector Gadget (1983 TV series)|Inspector Gadget]]''. He voiced the character in the original television series (1983–85) and a 1992 Christmas special, as well as in subsequent 1990s spinoffs ''Gadget Boy'' and ''Inspector Gadget's Field Trip''. He retired from voicing Inspector Gadget in 1999.

His last roles was providing the voice of [[Brain (Inspector Gadget)|Brain the Dog]] in the end credits for the 1999 film version of ''[[Inspector Gadget (film)|Inspector Gadget]]'' and character of Principal Hickey in the late-1990s/early-2000s [[Walt Disney Television Animation|Disney]] animated series ''[[Pepper Ann]]''.

==Personal life==
At the time of his enlistment in the U.S. Marines, he listed "none" on the section of the form asking about religion. During his difficult recovery from blackwater fever, he returned to his Catholic faith as he prayed to survive.<ref name=":0"/>

Adams divorced Adelaide in 1960 and married Dorothy Bracken, an actress. He left Bracken in 1977 to marry actress Judy Luciano with whom he had one child. That marriage also ended in divorce.<ref name=":0"/><ref name="washobit"/> He had seven children: Carolyn, Christine, Cathy, [[Cecily Adams|Cecily]], Stacey, Sean, and Beige. Cecily died of lung cancer in 2004 and his son Sean died in 2006 at age 35 of a brain tumor, a year after Don Adams's death.

His brother Richard Paul Yarmy, also known as Dick Yarmy (February 14, 1932&nbsp;– May 5, 1992), was an actor. His sister Gloria Yarmy Burton was a writer. [[Robert Karvelas]], who played the role of [[Get Smart#Characters|Agent Larabee]] on ''Get Smart'', was Adams' cousin on his mother's side of the family.

[[File:Don Adams Grave.JPG|thumb|Grave of Don Adams at [[Hollywood Forever Cemetery|Hollywood Forever]]]]A compulsive gambler, according to his longtime friend Bill Dana, Adams "could be very devoted to his family if you reminded him about it, [but] Don's whole life was focused around gambling."<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20144560,00.html| title=Don Adams: 1923–2005| work=[[People (magazine)|People]]| date=October 10, 2005| access-date=August 30, 2009}}</ref>

==Death==
Adams died on September 25, 2005, at [[Cedars-Sinai Medical Center]] in Los Angeles, California. He suffered from [[lymphoma]] and a lung infection. His health had declined after the death of his daughter Cecily.<ref name=":0"/><ref name="washobit">{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/26/AR2005092600847.html |url-access=subscription | title=Actor Don Adams Dies at 82; Starred in 'Get Smart' in '60s| date=September 27, 2005| newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]| last=Bernstein| first=Adam| access-date=August 30, 2009}}</ref> Before his death, Adams had joked about not wanting a mournful funeral, preferring, he said, to have his friends get together "and bring me back to life."<ref>{{cite web |title=Actor Don Adams Dies at 82 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2005/09/27/actor-don-adams-dies-at-82/76aff084-ea04-4048-9f9d-25a906d8da7a/ |website=www.washingtonpost.com}}</ref>

Among his eulogists were his decades-long friends [[Barbara Feldon]]; [[Don Rickles]]; [[James Caan]]; [[Bill Dana]]; and his son-in-law, actor [[Jim Beaver]] (widower of Adams' daughter Cecily). His funeral Mass was held at the [[Church of the Good Shepherd (Beverly Hills, California)|Church of the Good Shepherd]] in [[Beverly Hills]].<ref name="nytobit" /><ref name="washobit"/> He is interred in [[Hollywood Forever Cemetery]].

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
| 1962 || ''[[The Longest Day (film)|The Longest Day]]'' || Ltjg Mackenzie || (uncredited) 
|-
| 1980 || ''[[The Nude Bomb]]'' || [[Get Smart#Characters|Maxwell Smart]] ||
|-
|1982
|[[Jimmy the Kid|''Jimmy'' ''the'' ''Kid'']]
|Harry Walker
|
|-
| 1987 || ''[[Back to the Beach]]'' || Harbor Master ||
|-
| 1999 || ''[[Inspector Gadget (film)|Inspector Gadget]]'' || [[Inspector Gadget (1983 TV series)#Characters|Brain the Dog]] (voice) || Final film role
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
| 1963–1964 || ''[[The Bill Dana Show]]'' || Byron Glick || Main cast (15 episodes)
|-
| 1963–1966 || ''[[Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales]]'' || Tennessee Tuxedo (voice) || Lead role (70 episodes)
|-
| 1965–1970 || ''[[Get Smart]]'' || [[Get Smart#Characters|Maxwell Smart]] || Lead role (138 episodes)
|-
| 1966 || ''[[Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre]]'' || Himself (guest) || Episode: "Murder at NBC"
|-
| 1967 || ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]'' || Himself (guest) || Episode: 1.11
|-
| 1967 || ''[[The Danny Thomas Hour]]'' || Harry || Episode: "Instant Money"
|-
| 1968 || ''[[Laugh-In]]'' || Himself (guest) || Episode: 1.4
|-
| 1970 || ''[[Pat Paulsen's Half a Comedy Hour]]'' || Dolf Clem || Episode: "Episode #1.9"
|-
| 1971 || ''Confessions of a Top Crime Buster'' || Det. Lennie Crooke || TV movie
|-
| 1971–1972 || ''[[The Partners]]'' || Det. Lennie Crooke || Lead role (20 episodes)
|-
| 1973 || ''Saga of Sonora'' || Himself (host) || Television special
|-
| 1973 || ''[[The New Scooby-Doo Movies]]'' || Himself (voice) || Episode: "The Exterminator"
|-
| 1973 || ''[[Wait Till Your Father Gets Home]]'' || Don Gibson Jr. (voice) || Episode: "Don for the Defense"
|-
| 1975 || ''[[Don Adams' Screen Test]]'' || Himself (host) || 13 episodes
|-
| 1976 || ''Three Times Daley'' || Bob Daley || Television pilot
|-
| 1976 || ''[[The Love Boat]]'' || Donald Richardson || TV movie
|-
| 1978 || ''[[The Love Boat]]'' || Lenny Camen || Episode: "One More Time"
|-
| 1979 || ''[[Fantasy Island]]'' || Cornelius Wieselfarber || Episode: "The Red Baron"
|-
| 1980 || ''[[The Love Boat]]'' || William Robinson || Episode: "We Three"
|-
| 1980 || ''[[Murder Can Hurt You]]!'' || Narrator (voice) || TV movie
|-
| 1982 || ''[[The Love Boat]]'' || Sidney Williams || Episode: "Safety Last"
|-
| 1983 || ''[[The Love Boat]]'' || Sam Corey || Episode: "The Very Temporary Secretary"
|-
| 1983–1985 || ''[[Inspector Gadget (1983 TV series)|Inspector Gadget]]'' || [[Inspector Gadget (1983 TV series)#Characters|Inspector Gadget]] (voice) || Lead role (86 episodes)
|-
| 1984 || ''[[The Love Boat]]'' || Walter Love || Episode: "Novelties"
|-
| 1984 || ''[[The Fall Guy]]'' || Sheriff || Episode: "Losers Wheepers: Part 1"
|-
| 1985–1988 || ''[[Check It Out! (Canadian TV series)|Check It Out!]]'' || Howard Bannister || Lead role (66 episodes)
|-
| 1989 || ''[[Get Smart, Again!]]'' || [[Get Smart#Characters|Maxwell Smart]] || TV movie
|-
| 1992 || ''[[Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas]]'' || [[Inspector Gadget (1983 TV series)#Characters|Inspector Gadget]] (voice) || Television special
|-
| 1994 || ''[[Empty Nest]]'' || Don Adams || Episode: "Charley's Millions"
|-
| 1995 || ''[[Get Smart (1995 TV series)|Get Smart]]'' || [[Get Smart#Characters|Maxwell Smart]] || Lead role (7 episodes)
|-
| 1995–1996 || ''[[Gadget Boy & Heather]]'' || [[Gadget Boy & Heather#Heroes|Gadget Boy]] (voice) || Lead role (26 episodes)
|-
| 1996–1998 || ''[[Inspector Gadget's Field Trip]]'' || [[Inspector Gadget (1983 TV series)#Characters|Inspector Gadget]] (voice) || Lead role (27 episodes)
|-
| 1997 || ''[[Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher]]'' || Principal || Episode: "Gargoyle Guys"
|-
| 1997–1998 || ''[[Gadget Boy & Heather#Gadget Boy.27s Adventures in History|Gadget Boy's Adventures in History]]'' || [[Gadget Boy & Heather#Heroes|Gadget Boy]] (voice) || Lead role (26 episodes)
|-
| 1997–2001 || ''[[Pepper Ann]]'' || Principal Hickey (voice) || Main cast (10 episodes)
|}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Don Adams}}
{{Portal|Biography}}
* {{IMDb name|0010915}}
* [http://laughterlog.com/2009/03/26/don-adams Profile], laughterlog.com
* [http://www.legacy.com/ladailynews/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=15226606 Associated Press obituary]. legacy.com

{{EmmyAward ComedyLeadActor 1950-1975}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Don}}
[[Category:1923 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century United States Marines]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:Jewish American male actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male voice actors]]
[[Category:American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Irish descent]]
[[Category:Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery]]
[[Category:DeWitt Clinton High School alumni]]
[[Category:Male actors from Manhattan]]
[[Category:Military personnel from New York City]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II]]