Alfie Wise obit

Altoona graduate Alfie Wise, who appeared in Reynolds’ movies, dies at 81

Alfie Wise recalled for humor, kindness

 

He was not on the list.

Actor, real estate investor and Altoona native Ralph “Alfie” Wise lived a seemingly quiet life in Florida, unknown to many in his hometown today but well-known and beloved by fans of Burt Reynolds movies.

Wise, who collaborated with Reynolds on more than a dozen projects, died last week at the age of 81.

The news of his passing was shared with the Mirror by Lee (McConahy) Montgomery, who attended Altoona Area High School with Wise. She graduated in 1959; he was in the Class of 1960, she said.

She and Wise even won a dance contest, she recalled, noting that she went to a dance and no one was dancing with Wise because he was rather short.

She ended up with him on the dance floor, where they won a contest.

Her prize was a Trifari pin with multicolored stones.

“I wore my pin for a long time,” she said, but she doesn’t remember what Wise would have been given as his prize.

While Montgomery hadn’t kept in close touch with Wise over the years, she knew he was living in Florida with his fiancee, Stephanie Bliss, and that he tended to keep his life private.

She first heard about his death via a social media post or two, Montgomery said. Most posts put his death as July 23 or July 24.

Wise didn’t necessarily make a big name for himself, but he was known for his talent and charisma, according to a YouTube video announcing his death.

Wise could be found in 1981’s “The Cannonball Run” and earlier, in 1977’s “Smokey and the Bandit,” both alongside his friend Reynolds. He played Oliver Wardell in all 12 episodes of the TV series “B.L Stryker,” that had a short run from 1989-90 and also starred Reynolds.

According to the Internet Movie Database, imdb.com, Wise appeared in 34 films and TV shows, including two episodes of “The Fall Guy,” in 1982 and 1984.

Wise also appeared on the “Match Game” where he sported a sweater that read “Altoona Has Hustle.”

His earliest acting credits are listed as 1972, in “Call Her Mom” and “The Sandy Duncan Show.”

Listed as a Trooper II, Wise was among the cast of the Reynolds’ classic, “The Longest Yard.”

Among his other credits are “The Jeffersons,” “Hooper,” “Hot Stuff,” “Evening Shade” and 1997’s “Catherine’s Grove.”

It appears Wise chose to leave the limelight behind in the early 2000s, after he played Howard Borlotti in 15 episodes of “S Club 7 in Miami,” a short-lived TV series that ran from 1999-2000.

It is on the “Miami 7” fans Facebook page that Wise is described as a comedic actor.

“S Club 7 in Miami” featured a fictional group of British youths “packaged for stardom through albums, television series and the occasional BBC special.” S Club 7 still enjoys a big fandom in the UK and abroad, the post states.

While he remained out of the limelight, Wise continued his friendship with Reynolds. In February 2017, he was pictured with Reynolds at The Woods in Harbourside, Jupiter, Florida, for his friend’s 81st birthday. Reynolds died the next year at age 82.

Altoona native Dee (Hunt) Brantlinger said when she decided to move to Los Angeles in 1977, her friend Sally, a classmate and friend of Wise, “reached out to Alfie.”

“I slept on Alfie’s couch for 2-3 weeks while looking for an apartment,” Brantlinger said in an email. “Alfie drove me to work every day in Beverly Hills from the valley. As I was so new, I don’t recall if Alfie lived in Studio City or Sherman Oaks or Encino.”

One day, she and Alfie went into Beverly Hills and stopped to visit Burt Reynolds’ soon-to-be house that was framed out at the time.

“Alfie was everything to Burt — actor friend, assistant, pal. Burt definitely depended on Alfie to handle details so he, Burt, could concentrate on whatever movie he was starring in at the time,” Brantlinger said.

Wise was a “very, very private person,” she added, noting “there isn’t much out there on him.”

As far as she knew, his acting career was mostly in Reynolds’ movies.

Wise moved to Florida, perhaps invited by Reynolds, she said. Once there, he got his real estate license and “hopefully had the life he deserved,” she added.

Brantlinger knows very well how hard it is to catch a break in show business.

Still living in California, Brantlinger said “I came to LA to have a bigger life than I had in Altoona/Ebensburg/Johnstown. I knocked myself out for 14 years teaching classical ballet and creating shows ala Ruth Barnes.”

Brantlinger said she remained friends with Wise for a while, and was also friends with Altoona native and movie star Janet Blair, but those friendships eventually declined for no other reason than “just each of us moving forward as best we can in this very tough business.”

She now owns and operates Brantlinger Entertainment, with five writers under her direction.

A search of the Mirror’s archives turned up just a handful of articles mentioning Wise.

In the Oct. 18, 1978, Altoona Mirror, an entertainment column by Bets E. Helsel featured the most information.

Helsel writes that Barb Hoover enjoyed a trip to the West Coast where she met up with Wise, a classmate.

The story goes that in California, Wise invited Hoover to Reynolds’ home. There she presented Wise with an “Altoona Has Hustle” sweater from the Altoona Has Hustle Committee. It’s that sweater that he later wore on the game show “Match Game.”

Hoover had photos taken with Wise and Reynolds, but “they were Polaroid shots” and could not be reproduced in the paper, Helsel wrote.

While there, though, Hoover was able to interview Wise, and at the same time, Reynolds, who chimed in that “Alfie is a terrific guy and a very good friend who has worked long and hard to make it in the acting profession.”

Wise, who lived in North Hollywood, said, “It’s a lot of hard work and determination in the acting profession, but for myself, I love it.”

During the interview, Wise spoke about the direction his life had taken since graduating from Altoona High (1960) and Penn State University (1964).

He entered the Navy and served his tour of duty as a Naval officer and then headed out to Hollywood as another show biz hopeful, Hoover wrote.

He took a job at NBC as a page, which required a college degree.

“I worked a lot more than I had to just to stay at the studio and learn from the many different personalities,” Wise told Hoover. “Some of these personalities I worked for after being promoted to head page at NBC were Merv Griffin, Johnny Carson and Elvis Presley.”

His first television appearance was in “Call Her Mom,” starring Connie Stevens.

Wise left NBC for Columbia, where Jerry Paris suggested he change his name from Ralph to Alfie to better suit his personality on the screen.

The name stuck and his film credits, and his real estate business, are all under the name Alfie Wise.

He worked on the “Sandy Duncan Show” before going on to movies and television commercials, the article states.

“I did six movies before landing the co-starring role in Hooper,” Wise told Hoover.

When she asked Wise about his friendship with Reynolds, he said “I’ve been very lucky to get to know and work with such a good friend. Burt is one of the true gentlemen in the business as well as a caring and warm man.”

Wise’s parents, who moved from Altoona to North Hollywood to be with their son, are simply listed as Mr. and Mrs. Ralph R. Wise Sr.

In the 1978 article, Wise’s achievement record in the Altoona Area School District is mentioned.

While attending Keith Jr. High School, he served as the class president during his freshman year. At Altoona High School, he was elected president of the class for all three years, and, during his four years at Penn State University, he was elected president of the class each year, the article states.

He was even elected to serve as Commandant of his class during Naval Officer Training School, his mother told Hoover.

The interview wraps up with Wise telling Hoover that “Altoona will always be my home, for my school days hold special and fun memories for me.”

On a Burt Reynolds Fan Club Facebook page, news of Wise’s death was posted July 24.

There, posts reflected on his acting abilities and his warm personality.

“His cameo in the first Smokey was legendary — as well as being a great foil for Burt. RIP Alfie, and thanks for the laughs and smiles,” states one post, while another fan wrote that Wise was a legend, “bringing joy to many through his performances on screen, he will truly be missed.”

A post from Justin DeRosa, owner of Stars Stunt Team and a professional stunt action coordinator, said “I had so much fun working with Alfie Wise on set of ‘Smokey’ and ‘Hooper.’ He was down to earth and funny as hell.”

 

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