Robert Goulet

Robert Goulet just died.

He rose to fame as Lancelot in the Broadway musical Camelot, introducing the hit "If Ever I Would Leave You." I'd say he was seen more as a handsome guy with a great voice than an actor, and his career was mostly based on his pipes. (He's also the punchline to a famous joke which I will leave it to Columbus Guy to relate.)

Still, he seemed to have had a good sense of humor, and in later years was more likely to show up on a sitcom playing himself, or a parody of himself, than a character. (Will Ferrell also did a parody, and I'm guessing the real thing enjoyed it.) He was also used as offbeat casting in movies such as Beetle Juice, Scrooged and The Naked Gun.

My favorite appearance by Goulet--essentially playing himself--is in Atlantic City (1980). (This is from memory, so excuse me if I don't get it exactly right.) Susan Sarandon visits the hospital after finding out her ex-husband was killed. Sarandon is talking to some officials about what to do with the body and the camera pans left with her as she walks away, not sure what to do. We see Goulet and some showgirls in the background opening up a new wing--the city has just allowed gambling and this is a sign of its growth. The camera now focuses on Goulet as he sings a song and walks to the left, where he goes up to a phone booth and starts singing to Sarandon, who's on the phone and in no mood for the celebrity interruption.

He was perfect for the small role, since he represented the sort of Vegas-y entertainer you'd get for such an event. In fact, he later appeared in a memorable episode of The Simpsons, where he opened Bart's treehouse casino.