David Landsberg obit

 

David Landsberg, ‘CPO Sharkey’ Actor and ‘Cosby’ Writer, Dies at 73

David Landsberg, an actor, screenwriter and producer who appeared opposite Don Rickles on 'CPO Sharkey' and penned and produced episodes of Bill Cosby’s CBS sitcom, has died. He was 73.

He was not on the list.

David Landsberg, an actor, screenwriter and producer who appeared opposite Don Rickles on CPO Sharkey and penned and produced episodes of Bill Cosby’s CBS sitcom, has died. He was 73.

Landsberg died Sunday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles from complications that arose from surgery for esophageal cancer, his daughter, Caryn O’Neill, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Landsberg also wrote and/or produced episodes of Blossom, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Herman’s Head, Fantasy Island, The New Love Boat and The John Larroquette Show and co-created with Brenda Hampton (7th Heaven) a 1994 CBS sitcom called Daddy’s Girls, starring Dudley Moore, Harvey Fierstein and Keri Russell.

The Brooklyn native portrayed the shy U.S. Navy recruit Skolnick on the 1976-78 NBC sitcom CPO Sharkey, and on the big screen, he was seen in Coming Attractions (1978) opposite Bill Murray; Love at First Bite (1979), starring George Hamilton; Skatetown, U.S.A. (1979), with Patrick Swayze; The Jerk (1979) with Steve Martin; and Shoot the Moon (1982), starring Albert Finney and Diane Keaton.

He and Lorin Dreyfuss, older brother of Oscar-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss, co-wrote and co-starred in the feature comedies Detective School Dropouts (1986) and Dutch Treat (1987), and Landsberg wrote and produced Sex Tax: Based on a True Story (2010).

Born Sept. 3, 1944, Landsberg attended Plainedge High School in North Massapequa, N.Y., served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968 and graduated from the University of Maryland in 1970 with a degree in business and marketing.

After working at a large advertising firm in New York, he decided to pursue an acting career and landed gigs in dinner theater and on commercials and PBS series in Maryland.

Landsberg made his national onscreen debut on CPO Sharkey, and in 1978 on Rhoda, he played a guy who goes on a mismatched blind date with Valerie Harper’s character. He went on to guest-star on Bosom Buddies, The Love Boat, Eight Is Enough, Hart to Hart and Hello, Larry, among other shows.

He also was the voice of the dad Mr. Griff on the Disney Playhouse animated series Stanley.

Landsberg worked on Cosby, the comedian’s follow-up to The Cosby Show that aired on CBS from 1996 to 2000.

In addition to his daughter, survivors include his son Daniel (and his wife, Candice); brother Joseph (and his wife, Judy); granddaughters Carly, Bettie and Siouxsie; nieces Jodi and Kristen; and nephews Michael and Bryan.

A memorial service will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday at Mount Sinai in the Hollywood Hills. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or to the Veterans Administration.

 

Actor

Stanley's Dinosaur Round-Up (2006)

Stanley's Dinosaur Round-Up

6.7

TV Movie

Dad (voice)

2006

 

Charles Shaughnessy and Jessica D. Stone in Stanley (2001)

Stanley

6.5

TV Series

Mr. Griff

Oscar

2001–2004

22 episodes

 

Jessica D. Stone in Stanley: Wild for Sharks! (2002)

Stanley: Wild for Sharks!

Video Game

Dad (voice)

2002

 

Jessica D. Stone in Stanley: Tiger Tales (2001)

Stanley: Tiger Tales

Video Game

Dad (voice)

2001

 

D4G (2001)

D4G

5.6

Video

Finniky Starbucks Customer

2001

 

John Larroquette in The John Larroquette Show (1993)

The John Larroquette Show

7.2

TV Series

Man #1

1996

1 episode

 

Lenny (1990)

Lenny

7.4

TV Series

Vet

1990

1 episode

 

Richard Dreyfuss in Let It Ride (1989)

Let It Ride

6.8

Patron in Chinese Restaurant

1989

 

Dutch Treat (1987)

Dutch Treat

4.4

Jerry

1987

 

Detective School Dropouts (1986)

Detective School Dropouts

5.4

Donald Wilson

1986

 

Saturday Supercade (1983)

Saturday Supercade

6.7

TV Series

Additional Voices (voice)

1983

13 episodes

 

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981)

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends

7.1

TV Series

Videoman

Francis Byte (voice)

1983

1 episode

 

Ricardo Montalban and Hervé Villechaize in Fantasy Island (1977)

Fantasy Island

6.6

TV Series

John Pike

1983

1 episode

 

Bea Arthur in Amanda's (1983)

Amanda's

5.4

TV Series

Bud

1983

1 episode

 

Helen Hunt, Anthony Edwards, Richard Crenna, Patty Duke, Billie Bird, and Richard McKenzie in It Takes Two (1982)

It Takes Two

6.9

TV Series

Mailman

1982

1 episode

 

Writer

Sex Tax: Based on a True Story (2010)

Sex Tax: Based on a True Story

7.7

written by

2010

 

Love Boat: The Next Wave (1998)

Love Boat: The Next Wave

4.6

TV Series

writer

1998–1999

2 episodes

 

Bill Cosby in Cosby (1996)

Cosby

6.2

TV Series

written by

1996–1998

5 episodes

 

John Larroquette in The John Larroquette Show (1993)

The John Larroquette Show

7.2

TV Series

written by

1996

1 episode

 

Harvey Fierstein, Dudley Moore, Keri Russell, Phil Buckman, and Meredith Scott Lynn in Daddy's Girls (1994)

Daddy's Girls

6.0

TV Series

creator

written by

1994

3 episodes

 

Ken Hudson Campbell, Molly Hagan, Rick Lawless, Peter Mackenzie, and William Ragsdale in Herman's Head (1991)

Herman's Head

7.2

TV Series

written by

teleplay

1991–1993

7 episodes

 

Jenna von Oÿ, Joey Lawrence, Mayim Bialik, Michael Stoyanov, and Ted Wass in Blossom (1990)

Blossom

6.1

TV Series

written by

1991

1 episode

 

Lenny (1990)

Lenny

7.4

TV Series

written by

1990–1991

3 episodes

 

Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

Star Trek: The Next Generation

8.7

TV Series

story by

1988

1 episode

 

Dutch Treat (1987)

Dutch Treat

4.4

Writer

1987

 

Detective School Dropouts (1986)

Detective School Dropouts

5.4

Writer

1986

 

Reggie (1983)

Reggie

5.0

TV Series

written by

1983

1 episode

 

Ricardo Montalban and Hervé Villechaize in Fantasy Island (1977)

Fantasy Island

6.6

TV Series

written by

1982–1983

2 episodes

 

Producer

UnStitched

TV Series

co-executive producer

2012

1 episode

 

Josh Webber, Michael Girgenti, Eleni Symeonides, and Bill T. Williams in A Broken Code (2012)

A Broken Code

5.1

Video

associate producer

2012

 

Sex Tax: Based on a True Story (2010)

Sex Tax: Based on a True Story

7.7

executive producer

producer

2010

 

Love Boat: The Next Wave (1998)

Love Boat: The Next Wave

4.6

TV Series

executive producer (season 2)

1998–1999

 

Bill Cosby in Cosby (1996)

Cosby

6.2

TV Series

executive producer

co-executive producer

1996–1997

3 episodes

 

Harvey Fierstein, Dudley Moore, Keri Russell, Phil Buckman, and Meredith Scott Lynn in Daddy's Girls (1994)

Daddy's Girls

6.0

TV Series

executive producer

1994

3 episodes

 

John Larroquette in The John Larroquette Show (1993)

The John Larroquette Show

7.2

TV Series

consulting producer (1996)

1993–1996

 

Ken Hudson Campbell, Molly Hagan, Rick Lawless, Peter Mackenzie, and William Ragsdale in Herman's Head (1991)

Herman's Head

7.2

TV Series

executive producer

co-executive producer

1991–1993

5 episodes

 

Jenna von Oÿ, Joey Lawrence, Mayim Bialik, Michael Stoyanov, and Ted Wass in Blossom (1990)

Blossom

6.1

TV Series

co-producer

1991

9 episodes

 

Lenny (1990)

Lenny

7.4

TV Series

co-producer

1990

1 episode

 

Second Edition (1984)

Second Edition

TV Movie

producer

1984