Edd Byrnes, Who Combed His Way to TV Stardom, Dies at 86

[Stonepounder]

This is a couple of days late.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/arts/television/edd-byrnes-dead.html

Edd Byrnes, Who Combed His Way to TV Stardom, Dies at 86

Edd Byrnes, who became one of television’s first teen idols as Kookie — the hair-combing, jive-talking youth on the hit series “77 Sunset Strip” — but found ever after that he could not live the character down, died on Wednesday at his home in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 86.

His son, Logan Byrnes, said the cause was probably a stroke.

Broadcast on ABC from 1958 to 1964, “77 Sunset Strip” starred Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Roger Smith as a pair of suave Los Angeles private eyes and Mr. Byrnes as the parking-lot attendant at the restaurant next door to their office.

<snip>

Mr. Byrnes, an immediate object of desire for the show’s young female viewers, was soon receiving 15,000 fan letters a week. At public appearances he was pelted with combs. With Connie Stevens, he recorded a single, “Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb,” which sold more than a million copies and reached No. 4 on the Billboard chart, despite the fact that by his own cheerful admission he could not sing.

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[Rhiannon12866]

1. Awww, he was also on Murder, She Wrote, Simon & Simon and shows of that vintage

[maryellen99]

3. He was also in Grease as well nt

[Poiuyt]

2. I got his autograph when I was in 2nd grade

He was on a lunch break during the shooting of 77 Sunset Strip. Nice guy.

[NBachers]

4. I used to spend hours in front of the mirror, Brylcreem in my hair, trying to get that cantlevered-

over-the-forehead technique that Kookie had. Unfortunately, I was no Kookster.

Sadly, my forehead seems to have won, at this point in my life.

I sure wish Warners would put 77 Sunset Strip out on DVD's or watch on demand. You can't find it anywhere.

[PCIntern]

5. I was just thinking that...

and who recalls that after it went off the air there was a series with Efrem Zimbalist, JR where he played the same character but no Agency. I recall distinctly that the first set of episodes was a multi-parter wherein the guy who hired him was the criminal. That was the first teleplay I ever saw where that was the denouement.

Yes, I'm weird...

[The Blue Flower]

6. Zimbalist also played an FBI agent in a series

Big fan of 77 Sunset Strip back in the day.

[NBachers]

7. Zimbalist had a recurring role in Maverick where he played a confidence man,

Last edited Sun Jan 12, 2020, 12:24 AM - Edit history (3)

Dandy Jim Buckley, who always seems to outwit Brett Maverick. You could tell Zimbalist really relished the role, as he chewed his way through every single scene. He is just a delight to watch in these episodes.