Sam The Butcher and Moose The Yankee
Posted: February 17, 2008 Filed under: football, Sports, television | Tags: Allan Melvin, Brady Bunch, Moose Skowron, Sam the Butcher, Yankeees 3 Comments
Allan Melvin
Bill Skowron
Sam The Butcher and Moose The Yankee
My uncle, Allan Melvin, recently passed away from cancer at the age of 84. To generations of TV viewers, he was known as Sam the Butcher, Barney on Archie Bunker’s Place, Corporal Henshaw on the Phil Silvers Show, and the voice of Magilla Gorilla. He also appeared in some of the Andy Griffith episodes, in Gomer Pyle, USMC, and starred in Liquid Plumber commercials. He appeared in one movie, “With Six You Get Eggroll” starring Doris Day.
To me he was Uncle Allan, a good man and a funny guy. I have fond memories of vacations on the Jersey Shore with Uncle Allan and his wife of 64 years, Aunt Amalia. It was fun growing up having a celebrity uncle. Later the Melvins moved to southern California, but every summer my parents and aunt would visit them in Michigan.
Cleaning out my desk earlier this week, I came across an old postcard with a black and white photo of Allan Melvin as Cpl, Henshaw from the 1950s. It is signed simply: “To Rickey, Moose Skowron of White Plains. Best Wishes, Uncle Allan.”
Bill “Moose Skowron” was my favorite Yankee growing up. I saw the Moose hit a home run for the only Yankee run in the first major league baseball game I ever attended, a 7-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox in 1958 at the original Yankee Stadium. A first baseman, Moose won four World Series rings with the Yankees. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1963, where he won another ring, this one against the Yankees. Showing his true colors, Moose got rid of the Dodger ring. He still holds the record — with Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle — for most home runs by three teammates, 143, in a single season, 1961.
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nice job, was thinking about you when your uncle passed a way.Imight have been 5YRS old when i first met him. good luck on the new venture jamie
Hi Rick~
I came across your uncles name on Facebook searching for relatives and I finally have the opportunity to ask if some how he may be related to my family.
My mothers maiden name is “Melvin”. Her grandfathers name was “Morse Melvin” and his family is from Elk City, OK. He brought his family which included my mothers father “Ernest Melvin” to Bakersfield, CA during the Dust Bowl time. I do not know much about my greatgrandfathers family beyond that.. I only know that my granfather was one of 10 children of Morse Melvin that married my great grandmother, “Maggie Bonnie” and that Morse was from Scotch decent.
Do you have any background info on your uncle? I have been wondering and have been curious for years and no one in the family can give me an answer, because they did not keep any records.
Also, how are you related to your Uncle Allan?
Thank you so much for your time and I look forward in hearing back from you.
Sincerely,
Lisa Picollo
Lisa, I am not directly relted to Allan Melvin, but I always knew him as cncle Allan from the time I was a little kid growing up in New York. Allan was married to Amalia for 64 years before he passed away last year. Amalia remains to this day a dear friend of my aunt and godmother, Marion. My father and Allan were like brothers. Every year my mom and dad, along with Marion, would venture up to Michigan to spend time with Allan and Amalia. I remember Alan mostly as a kid, he was always good to me…and just as funny off screen as on. We spent some time with the Melvins on the Jersey Shore when I was young, that was fun. I have nothing but fond memories of uncle Allan.