Ritch Brinkley obit

Ritch Brinkley, the Infatuated Cameraman on ‘Murphy Brown,’ Dies at 71

He also played William the Cook on another CBS series, 'Beauty and the Beast,' and was the captain in 'Cabin Boy.' 

He was not on the list.

Ritch Brinkley, who played Carl Wishnitski, the burly cameraman who was lovingly obsessed with Candice Bergen’s character on the CBS sitcom Murphy Brown, died on Nov. 5, his family announced. He was 71.

The bearded Brinkley also was known for his role as William the Cook on the 1987–90 CBS series Beauty and the Beast, starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman. And on David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, he portrayed prosecutor Daryl Lodwick in a couple of episodes of that ABC drama.

Brinkley was quite funny as Carl, who would gladly lay down his life for his beloved anchorwoman, on 28 episodes of the acclaimed Murphy Brown, which aired from 1988 to 1997. He also appeared on Dolly Parton’s short-lived 1987-88 ABC variety series.

Diane English, the creator of Murphy Brown, said on Twitter that she “wrote the part [of Carl] especially for him after he appeared on another show I produced, My Sister Sam,” starring Pam Dawber.

@MikeBarnes4 @THR I wrote the part especially for him after he appeared on another show I produced, My Sister Sam.

 

—    Diane English (@realmurphybrown) November 14, 2015

In The Man With the One Red Shoe (1985), Brinkley was one of the CIA agents, a listening expert, who worked for Dabney Coleman and followed Tom Hanks everywhere. And he played the captain of the boat The Filthy Whore in the Chris Elliott comedy Cabin Boy (1994).

Brinkley also appeared in the films Brubaker (1980), Parton’s Rhinestone (1984) and Big Business (1988) and on such TV shows as Hill Street Blues, Falcon Crest, Newhart, Get a Life and Saved by the Bell: The New Class.

Brinkley was born in Colorado City, Texas, and raised in the small town of Kermit. When he was in junior high school, he worked as a “legman” for Roy Orbison, bringing him bottles of soda pop during his breaks.

 

Twitter: @mikebarnes4

 

Filmography

 

Film

 

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1972    Curse of the Headless Horseman            Ritch   

1980            Brubaker         Gate Guard  

1984            Rhinestone       Luke   

1985    The Man with One Red Shoe            Hulse   

1988    Big Business            Mayor Bill Finker        

1990    Book of Love            Moving Van Driver      

1992    Ruby            Attorney Howard        

1992    Doctor Mordrid            Gunner

1994    Cabin Boy      Captain Greybar           

1997            Breakdown      Al        

1997            Cyclops, Baby Bait     

2002            Children on Their Birthdays            Acey Trump  (final film role)

Television

 

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1976    Great Performances            Frontiersman            Episode: "The Patriots"

1984    The Dukes of Hazard Starkey            Episode: "Play It Again, Luke"

1984    The Master Ralph Carter            Episode: "State of the Union"

1984    Mama's Family  Bert Wembly            Episode: "Mama's Birthday"

1984    Hill Street Blues            Prison Doctor            Episode: "Watt a Way to Go"

1984    Falcon Crest    Mr. Tower            Episode: "Shadows"

1985            Scarecrow and Mrs. King     Guro of Cosmic Love            Episode: "Over the Limit"

1985    Wild Horses (1985 film)      Wedge Smithfield            TV movie

1985    Night Court   Biker            Episode: "Dan's Boss"

1985    Misfits of Science            Bart            Episode: "Twin Engines"

1986    The Defiant Ones            Lonny            TV movie

1986    The Garry Shandling Show: 25th Anniversary Special            Cowboy          TV special

1986    The Twilight Zone            Middle-Aged Man (segment "Dead Run")            Episode: "The Leprechaun-Artist/Dead Run"

1986            Stingray (1985 TV series)            Westcott            Episode: "Ancient Eyes"

1986    1st & Ten (1984 TV series)  Otto            Episode: "Quarterbacks Tell No Tales"

1986            Manhunt for Claude Dallas   Judge Lodge  TV movie

1986            Houston: The Legend of Texas            Sen. Buckley            TV movie

1986            Amazing Stories (1985 TV series)            Mayor Chestor A. Barnsworth            Episode: "The Pumpkin Competition"

1987            Mathnet           Jasper Stoutman            Episode: "The Mystery of the Maltese Pigeon"

1987            Newhart          Farmer Bagley            Episode: "Jail, Jail, the Gang's All Here"

1987            Timestalkers     Barman            TV movie

1987    My Sister Sam            Dan            Episode: "Exposed"

1987-1988            Dolly (TV series)            Charlie Boil      9 episodes

1988    My Two Dads            Truck            Episode: "Nicole's Big Adventure"

1988    Blue Skies (1988 TV series)            Fred            Episode: "Something Old, Something New"

1988            Something Is Out There   Maxie            Episode: "In His Own Image"

1990    Normal Life (TV series)            Burt            Episode: "P.O.V."

1988-1990            Beauty and the Beast (1987 TV series)  William            15 episodes

1990    Twin Peaks   D.A. Daryl Lodwick            2 episodes

1990            Silhouette         Gene the Mechanic            TV movie

1991    Shades of LA   Actor            Episode: "Cross the Center Line"

1991    Get a Life (American TV series)            Dick            Episode: "The Construction Worker Show"

1991            Jailbirds (1991 film)            Beetle            TV movie

1991    Cast a Deadly Spell            Owl Wagon Manager            TV movie

1992    FBI: The Untold Stories  Actor            Episode: "Claude Dallas"

1992    Parker Lewis Can't Lose     Wiley            Episode: "Jerry's Journey"

1992    The Edge (Fox TV series)  Santa Claus            Episode #1.11

1993    Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman            Stan            Episode: "Neverending Battle"

1994    Burke's Law     Zach Warmly            Episode: "Who Killed the Fashion King?"

1994    Dead Man's Revenge            Valdez Sheriff  TV movie

1994            Thunder Alley (TV series)  Walter            8 episodes

1994            Something Wilder            Vince            Episode: "Love Native American Style"

1995    Virus (1995 film)            Restaurant Host            TV movie

1995            Amanda & the Alien            Bubba the Truck Driver   TV movie

1995            Walker, Texas Ranger            Sheriff Nathan Decker            Episode: "The Lynching"

1995    Saved by the Bell: The New Class            Grandpa Eddie Powers / Grandpa Ernie Powers 3 episodes

1996            Malcolm & Eddie            Dan            Episode: "Big Brother is Watching"

1996    The Jeff Foxworthy Show   Santa Claus            Episode: "Merry Christmas, Y'All"

1988-1997            Murphy Brown  Carl Wishnitski            28 episodes

1998    Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show            Schmorg            Episode: "Honey, Meet the Barbarians"

1995 & 1998            Weird Science (TV series)  Baldash Stuart Donnelly / Mr. Cabeza            2 episodes

1998    Maggie (1998 TV series)  Dr. Babcock            Episode: "Ballad of Maggie Day"

1999    Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996 TV series)            50 Year Old Man            Episode: "The Long and Winding Short Cut"