Severn Darden

Infobox Person
name = Severn Darden


caption =
image_size =
birth_date = birth date|1929|11|9|mf=y
birth_place = New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
death_date = death date and age|1995|5|27|1929|11|9|mf=y
death_place = Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.

Severn Darden (November 9 1929 – May 27 1995) was a comedian and actor, and an original member of The Second City Chicago-based comedy troupe.

Background

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, he attended the University of Chicago. Darden’s offbeat and intellectual sense of humor, appropriate for someone who attended the University of Chicago and in fact a major element in the style of The Second City at that time, is evident throughout his work. It is exemplified by the opening remarks to "The Metaphysics Lecture" (introduced as "A Short Talk on the Universe"): "Now, why — you will ask me — have I chosen to speak on the Universe, rather than some other topic. Well, it's very simple: there isn’t anything else!" This lecture, loaded with digressions, was ostensibly given by Prof. Walther von der Vogelweide, a reference to the
famous medieval poet of the same name.

Another Prof. Walther von der Vogelweide lecture (with the assistance of the rest of the Second City cast) was "Free will and necessity in the light of Oedipus Rex", or "What would have happened to Oedipus if he had read the book before going on the journey". The professor plays the role of Oedipus and refuses to perform the actions that would cause his fate, but other circumstances produce the same results. The Sphinx actively tries to persuade him to answer her riddle correctly: "Think of the power—of the glory—". He responds, "I don't need power and glory, I'm a full professor."

The Second City sketch "Football Comes to the University of Chicago" satirized the university and its students, presenting a possible explanation for the failure of the attempt to introduce football. A typical coach teaches "Football 202" and struggles with the intellectual students. Darden plays a student named Morgenstern who states his field is the "history of arithmetic". When the coach mentions the football positions called "ends", Morgenstern interrupts and asks where the beginnings for those ends are, because all ends must have beginnings, according to Aristotle.

Another example of his offbeat humor is the way he squeezed the phrase "Know thyself" into the seven-character limitation of a New Mexico license plate: NOYOSEF.

Darden appeared in various movies and television series. The comedy "The President's Analyst" is probably his best known film role; Darden had a major part as a low-key Soviet agent. An early film, "LUV" (1967)" (based on the play of the same title by Murray Schisgal), in which he played a junk dealer, also starred Jack Lemmon, Peter Falk, Elaine May, and Nina Wayne.

He also played a toy manufacturer in an episode of "The Monkees", the cold-hearted Kolp in "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" and "Battle for the Planet of the Apes", and a highly-respected, but befuddled college dean, in the 1985 comedy "Real Genius".

In 1986, he was featured in the Off-Broadway improvisational sketch comedy show, "Sills & Company," directed by Paul Sills.

After triple heart bypass surgery, he lived in semi-retirement in Los Angeles before moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1992. He died there of congestive heart failure at age 65.

Works

Movies

As actor:
* "The Telephone" (1988)
* "Back to School" (1986)
* "Real Genius" (1985)
* "Saturday the 14th" (1981)
* "In God We Trust" (1980)
* "Wanda Nevada" (1979)
*"I wonder Who's Killing Her Now?" (1975)
* "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" (1973)
* "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (1972)
* "Cisco Pike" (1972)
* "Vanishing Point" (1971) (supporting role) as J. Hovah
* "The Hired Hand" (1971)
* "The President's Analyst" (1967)
* "LUV" (1967)
* "Fearless Frank" (1967)
* "Dead Heat on a Merry-go-round" (1966)

Other movie credits include:
* "The Last Movie" (1971) (composer)

Television series

* "Cheers" (1981)
* "The Six Million Dollar Man", episodes "The Secret of Bigfoot" (parts I and II) and "The Return of Bigfoot, part I" (all 1976).
* (1976)
*"Night Gallery: You Can't Get Help Like That Anymore" (1972)

Routines

* "The Metaphysics Lecture" (recorded Jan. 30, 1961) and "Oedipus Rex" appeared on an LP collection of comedy routines featuring Darden titled Citation |title = The Sound of My Own Voice (and Other Noises) |publisher = Mercury OCS 6202| oclc = 12851697.
* "Football Comes to the University of Chicago" is available on CD 3 of the collection Citation | title = But Seriously: the American Comedy Box | publisher = Rhino R2 71617 | isbn = 1568264577.

References

External links

*
* [http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/042782.html an excerpt from Encounters and Reflections: Conversations with Seth Benardete] . The New York University professor recalls some anecdotes from his time as a University of Chicago student, including some of Darden's escapades. His brother, Dr. José Benardete, is cited in the Metaphysics Lecture as the author of an imaginary work.