Saturday, June 02, 2007

In Memory of "The Big Banana": Charles Nelson Reilly

Charles Nelson Reilly died last week at age 76 and in the wake of his passing there have been fond remembrances of his years as a regular on Match Game, his role as the real estate agent on The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (which, to be frank, he was the only reason to watch), and even his over the top portrayal of Hoo Doo on Lidsville, but overlooked has been one of his most memorable and bizarre roles of the 1970's, that of the "Big Banana" in commercials for Bic Banana pens.
As part of The Word's Video Week, and as tribute to one of the favorite entertainers of my childhood, here are two examples of some of Reilly's finest work:


Here's the all-singing/all dancing version:

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