I am lucky to say I chatted with actor Dabney Coleman a few times back in the day, in Elaine’s. Elaine Kaufman loved him, too. He was dapper and erudite and a lot of fun. Coleman died today at age 92.
Dabney Coleman is probably best known as the terrible boss from the movie, “9 to 5.” He had about 15 years of journeyman service on TV, on every single show, until he finally hit it big on “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” in 1976. He played Merle Jeter, the con man husband of Wanda Jeter (the also great Marion Mercer). He was mean but very acerbic. Eventually Merle became mayor of Fernwood until a TV set fell in his bath and electrocuted him. The nation mourned.
Coleman’s turn in “9 to 5” was so good that Jane Fonda had him cast in her next movie, “On Golden Pond.” Coleman was on a roll. He was in Garry Marshall’s comedy “Young Doctors in Love,” as well as “Tootsie” — he was the maniacal star of the fictitious soap — and “War Games.” When he was in the groove, Coleman was able to play greedy and self-motivated with sly humor. He was the kind of actor who, when he appeared on screen, you wanted to clap. And he was always a character, never playing himself.
He had not one but two cult TV shows in the 80s: “Buffalo Bill” and “Slap Maxwell.” They may have been too much for regular audiences, but they were memorable series. If HBO or Netflix had been around then, those series would have run for years.
As late as 2019, Coleman played Kevin Costner’s father in “Yellowstone.” He had five Emmy nomminations and 1 win. According to the imdb, he had two divorces, with four children from the first marriage.
Still, with dozens and dozens of credits, Dabney Coleman will always be clueless, egotistical, male chauvinist pig, and philanderer Franklin J. Hart in “9 to 5,” a movie more relevant today, 40 years later, than ever.
Rest in peace Dabney.
