Charles Nelson Reilly died Friday in Los Angeles of complications from pneumonia.

Some people knew Charles in real life, but for most of us, we knew Charles from game shows. In particular, I fell in love with him (and Brett) on Match Game, with Gene Rayburn (the only Match Game that matters).



Once I discovered re-runs on the Game Show Network, I made hubby watch -- now he's a fan and regularly turns the show on himself.



I learned much about sex and humor from Charles on Match Game. (My parents gave me a fabulous start, but it's always best to get other sources and teachers.)

As Danny Miller wrote:

In my opinion some of the best comedy ever seen on television came from the impromptu antics of Charles and Brett on that show. They got away with a ribald, wicked repartee that would never be allowed on network television today--at least not without massive FCC fines.

Danny and his wife are lucky enough to have known Reilly personally, but I dig that he wrote a reference that I can share. It makes the loss easier to bear. Somewhat.

While I 'met' Charles on Match Game, it was there that I discovered that I'd already known him from Lidsville, a Sid and Marty Krofft series that I wasn't as much of a fan of by that age/time. (Hey, I'd moved on from drug-induced fantasy to sex humor -- and I was a devoted Pufinstuf fan, but that's another bit.)



The knowledge that he was a Kroft family member only made me love him more. He was a kid, with a wicked wit, who was proof we need not ever completely grow up. Enough to have sex, but not enough to avoid crazy shit.

And hey, hey, Charles was gay. It was just a fact. It wasn't a marvel to me then -- just as gay folk aren't a marvel to me now. He was just an incredible entertainer. Who happened to be gay. No big deal. I suppose that was (or is) a big deal to many. But I didn't care -- just make me laugh again, Charles.



I'll grant his sucess and status as 'out' was a huge step for queer-kind and if I had to trace my knowledge of 'gay' to some starting point, Charles was likely it. So perhaps an example of gay education? But I don't want to make this a piece about Charles Nelson Reilly being gay -- it's precisely my point that his value was, is, about being an incredibly funny man. And it's my belief that to be that funny, you also have to be pretty intelligent, aware and even warm because you have to 'get' people to make them laugh.

And boy, Charles did that.

Some folks were lucky enough to know Charles, even visit his house and have dinner. I envy them -- but some were kind enough to make video to share:



Here's the trailer for The Life of Reilly (a film version of his autobiographical one-man show, "Save It for the Stage: The Life of Reilly," about his family life growing up in the Bronx.)



I love his line in this trailer, that he was told he'd never make it on television, but now he asks, "Who do you have to screw to get off it?"

I hope the flick makes it into town here, because that's as close as I'll ever get to Charles now. Until heaven, that is. I can wait; but I am looking forward to it.

Until then, Charles, have a grand time.