Michael Pataki (January 16, 1938 – April 15, 2010) was an American actor.

Early life

Pataki was born in

Youngstown, Ohio Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County, Ohio, Mahoning County. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of ...

. His parents were Hungarians. He was the youngest of three children - one older brother and one older sister. He attended the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8. ...

with a double major in

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...

and

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

. His career was launched at a

summer stock In American theater, summer-stock theater is a theater that presents stage productions only in the summer. The name combines the season with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes. Summer stock th ...

festival in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

in 1966, with a review that read, "Michael Pataki went beyond the bounds of mere nationality in his tense and moving interpretation of Jerry in '' The Zoo Story''". Pataki was so well loved that at a reception for the theatre group acclaimed English actor

Laurence Harvey Laurence Harvey (born Zvi Mosheh Skikne; 1 October 192825 November 1973) was a Lithuanian-born British actor and film director. He was born to Lithuanian Jewish parents and emigrated to South Africa at an early age, before later settling in th ...

, whom Pataki had never met, said he was magnificent and gave him a kiss on the mouth.

Television career

Pataki had a co-starring role on the 1974–75 groundbreaking ABC-TV series '' Get Christie Love!'' playing Officer Pete Gallagher, Christie Love's bumbling but well-meaning sidekick with the dream to one day be a technical advisor on a TV cop show. Despite being the first detective TV series with an African American female lead, the characters of Christie and Pete rarely discussed race and just focused on watching out for each other and getting out of the trouble they often created for themselves. Pataki appeared as a guest star in numerous television productions, from the black and white days of ''

Hawaiian Eye ''Hawaiian Eye'' is an American detective television series that ran from October 1959 to April 1963 on the ABC television network. Premise Private investigator Tracy Steele (Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian partner, Tom Lopaka (Robert Con ...

'', '' M Squad'', ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television program, television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dysto ...

'', '' Ripcord'', '' Combat!'' and '' My Favorite Martian'', to early color shows such as ''

The Flying Nun ''The Flying Nun'' is an American sitcom about a community of nuns which included one who could fly when the wind caught her cornette. It was produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book '' The Fifteenth Pelican,'' written by Ter ...

'', ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series '' Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...

'', '' Mr. Terrific'', ''

Garrison's Gorillas ''Garrison's Gorillas'' is an ABC TV series originally broadcast from 1967 to 1968; a total of 26 hour-long episodes were produced. It was inspired by the 1967 film '' The Dirty Dozen'', which featured a similar scenario of training Allied priso ...

'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'', '' Run for Your Life'', '' Mission: Impossible'', ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private in ...

'', ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book '' Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939 ...

'' and ''

Felony Squad ''The Felony Squad'' is a half-hour television crime drama originally broadcast on the ABC network from September 12, 1966, to January 31, 1969, a span encompassing seventy-three episodes. Overview The program starred Howard Duff (as Sergeant S ...

''. He was also a regular on '' Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers'' and ''

The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of the franchise, it began publication in 1963 as a bim ...

'', and had a re-occurring role on '' McCloud'' as well. One of his most famous roles was as "Korax", the brash, loudmouthed

Klingon The Klingons ( ; Klingon language, Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a fictional species in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star Trek'' ('' ...

who provoked the bar fight in " The Trouble with Tribbles" episode of ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vario ...

''. He also played Governor Karnas in the '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode " Too Short a Season" and George Liquor in the episodes of ''

The Ren & Stimpy Show ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'' (also known as ''Ren & Stimpy'') is an American animated television series created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi. Originally produced by Spümcø for Nickelodeon, the series aired from August 11, 1991, to Dec ...

'' entitled "Dog Show" and "Man's Best Friend"; he would continue playing the latter role in subsequent projects by John Kricfalusi up until his death, with his last appearance being in the posthumously released 2019 short ''Cans Without Labels''. Pataki is one of the few ''Star Trek'' actors that appeared in both the original series and ''The Next Generation''. In the original series, he played

First Officer Korax in the episode " The Trouble with Tribbles". He was also the voice of The Cow in '' Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures'', along with many other secondary characters. Pataki played a guest spot on ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most su ...

'' Season 4 as Myron "Count" Malachi, one half of the Malachi brothers. He was made famous on ''Happy Days'' for his line "Let the pigeons loose." He played a Russian defector in the episode "The Americanization of Ivan" in '' WKRP in Cincinnati''.

Film career

Pataki's film credits included '' Airport '77'' (1977), '' Spider-Man'' (1977), ''

Love at First Bite ''Love at First Bite'' is a 1979 American comedy horror film directed by Stan Dragoti and written by Robert Kaufman, using characters originally created by Bram Stoker. It stars George Hamilton, Susan Saint James, Richard Benjamin, and Ar ...

'' (1979), '' The Onion Field'' (1979), '' Raise the Titanic'' (1980), '' Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins'' (1985), and many others. He also appeared in ''

Rocky IV ''Rocky IV'' is a 1985 American sports drama film written, directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the sequel to ''Rocky III'' (1982) and is the fourth installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, ...

'' (1985), as Nicoli Koloff, the sports administrator for the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

team and had a memorable moment in

Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of ''The Twilight Zone''. He ...

's '' Night Shift'' as a man who moons an entire courtroom. Pataki has also had his fair share of

B movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feat ...

roles in titles such as '' The Last Porno Flick'' (1974), ''

Carnal Madness ''Carnal Madness'' (also known as ''Delinquent School Girls'', ''Sizzlers'', ''The Delinquents'', ''Love Maniacs'', ''Scrubbers 2'') is a 1975 exploitation film directed by Gregory Corarito and starring Stephen Stucker, Bob Minor, and Michael P ...

'' a.k.a. ''Delinquent Schoolgirls'' (1975) with George Buck Flower and Colleen Brennan, and others. In ''

Dracula's Dog ''Dracula's Dog'' (U.K. title: ''Zoltan... Hound of Dracula''; original working title: ''Hounds of Dracula'') is a 1977 American horror film starring Michael Pataki and José Ferrer. It revolves around a dog who is turned into a vampire by a membe ...

'' (1977), he played opposite Reggie Nalder and

José Ferrer José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón (January 8, 1912 – January 26, 1992) was a Puerto Rican actor and director of stage, film and television. He was one of the most celebrated and esteemed Hispanic American actors during his lifetime, ...

as a descendant of

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taki ...

who is being

stalked Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring them. The term ...

by a vampiric

Doberman Pinscher The Dobermann (; ), or Doberman Pinscher in the United States and Canada, is a medium-large breed of domestic dog that was originally developed around 1890 by Louis Dobermann, a tax collector from Germany.Grave of the Vampire'' (1972), '' The Baby'' (1973), ''

Dead & Buried ''Dead & Buried'' is a 1981 American horror film directed by Gary Sherman, starring Melody Anderson, Jack Albertson, and James Farentino. It is Albertson’s final live-action film role before his death six months after the film’s release. Th ...

'' (1981) and '' Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers'' (1988). He also directed Richard Basehart in ''

Mansion of the Doomed ''Mansion of the Doomed'' (U.K. theatrical title: ''The Terror of Dr. Chaney''; also known as ''Massacre Mansion'', ''Eyes'', ''Eyes of Dr. Chaney'' and ''House of Blood'') is a 1976 American exploitation horror film directed by Michael Pataki an ...

'' (1976).

Other work

Pataki directed the 1977 film version of ''

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

''. He also co-produced the filming of the stage presentation of '' Pippin'' with David Sheehan, starring William Katt. Pataki was also an accomplished voice over artist, playing the part of the Sewer King in an episode of '' Batman: The Animated Series''. He was the voice of George Liquor for ''

'' production house Spümcø until the company was fired by ''

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

'' in 1992. He reprised the role for subsequent John Kricfalusi projects in the following years, with the last being the crowdfunded short ''Cans Without Labels'', which was released in 2019, nine years after his death. Michael Pataki was George Liquor on ''Ren & Stimpy''
". ''forum.bcdb.com'', April 22, 2010

Death

Pataki died from cancer on April 15, 2010 at the age of 72. He completed his recording for George Liquor for ''Cans Without Labels'' before his death and the short was dedicated to his memory.

Selected filmography

* '' The Young Lions'' (1958) as Pvt. Hagstrom (uncredited) * '' Ten North Frederick'' (1958) as Parking Lot Thug (uncredited) * '' Easy Rider'' (1969) as Mime #4 * '' The Sidehackers'' (1969) as J.C. * ''The Cut-Throats'' (1969) as German Sniper (uncredited) * ''Dream No Evil'' (1970) as Rev. Paul Jessie Bundy * '' The Andromeda Strain'' (1971) as Operator of 'The Hands' (uncredited) * ''

The Return of Count Yorga ''The Return of Count Yorga'' (originally titled ''Yorga Returns'') is a 1971 American vampire horror film directed by Bob Kelljan and starring Robert Quarry, Roger Perry, Yvonne Wilder, George Macready, Rudy De Luca, Edward Walsh, and Craig ...

'' (1971) as Joe * '' Brute Corps'' (1971) as MacFarlane * ''The All American Hustler'' (1972) as Carol's Boyfriend (uncredited) * ''Pink Angels'' (1972) as Biker * '' Grave of the Vampire'' (1972) as Caleb Croft / Professor Lockwood * ''

The Dirt Gang ''The Dirt Gang'' is a 1972 American action drama film directed by Jerry Jameson and starring Paul Carr, Michael Pataki, Lee de Broux, Jon Shank, Nancy Harris, T.J. Escott, and Jessica Stuart. The film was released by American International Pic ...

'' (1972) as Snake * ''The Black Bunch'' (1973) as Mr. Heinke * '' The Baby'' (1973) as Dennis * '' Sweet Jesus, Preacherman'' (1973) as State Senator Sills * '' Little Cigars'' (1973) as Garage Mechanic * ''Heterosexualis'' (1973) as Virgil * ''

Last Foxtrot in Burbank ''Last Foxtrot in Burbank'' is a 1973 film directed by Charles Band. It is a spoof of Bernardo Bertolucci's ''Last Tango in Paris''. Cast * Michael Pataki as Paul (as Michael Loveman) * Sherry Denton as Jeanne * Merlouch Drabin * I. William ...

'' (1973) as Paul * '' The Bat People'' (1974) as Sgt. Ward * '' The Last Porno Flick'' (1974) as Ziggy * '' Get Christie Love!'' (1974-75) as Sgt. Pete Gallagher * ''

'' (1975) as Carl C. Clooney * '' Airport '77'' (1977) as Wilson * '' Spider-Man'' (1977, TV Movie) as Captain Barbera * ''

'' (1977) as Michael Drake / Count Igor Dracula * ''Jailbait Babysitter'' (1977) as Roger Warfield (uncredited) * ''

Spider-Man Strikes Back ''Spider-Man Strikes Back'' is a 1978 American superhero film that had a theatrical release abroad, a composite of the two-parter episode "Deadly Dust" of the contemporary television show ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', released on 8 May 1978. It was ...

'' (1978) as Captain Barbera (voice) * '' Superdome'' (1978, TV Movie) as Tony Sicota * '' When Every Day Was the Fourth of July'' (1978, TV Movie) as Robert Najarian * '' The Pirate'' (1978, TV Movie) as General Eshnev * ''

'' (1979) as Mobster * '' The Onion Field'' (1979) as Dist. Atty. Dino Fulgoni * ''

The Glove The Glove was a 1983 English musical collaboration and recording project by the Cure's Robert Smith and Siouxsie and the Banshees' Steven Severin. They released one studio album, '' Blue Sunshine'', in 1983 as part of Severin's solo deal with ...

'' (1979) as Harry Iverson * '' The Last Word'' (1979) as Dobbs * '' Disaster on the Coastliner'' (1979, TV Movie) as Tate * ''Up Yours'' (1979) as Virgil / Virgil's Father * '' Raise the Titanic'' (1980) as Munk * '' High Noon, Part II: The Return of Will Kane'' (1980, TV Movie) as Darold * '' Graduation Day'' (1981) as Principal Guglione * '' Dead and Buried'' (1981) as Sam * '' Night Shift'' (1982) as Man Who Moons Courtroom (uncredited) * '' Sweet Sixteen'' (1983) as George Martin * '' One More Chance'' (1983) as Sam * '' Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins'' (1985) as Jim Wilson * ''

'' (1985) as Nicolai Koloff * '' American Anthem'' (1986) as Coach Soranhoff * '' The Underachievers'' (1987) as Murphy * ''Death House'' (1987) as Franco Moretti * '' Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers'' (1988) as Dr. Hoffman * ''Hollywood Hot Tubs 2: Educating Crystal'' (1990) as Professor Drewton * ''The Looking Glass'' (2003) as Frank * ''Edge of Nowhere'' (2003) as Sheriff * ''Trim'' (2010) as Dimitri * ''Cans Without Labels'' (2019) as George Liquor (posthumous release)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pataki, Michael 1938 births 2010 deaths American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors American people of Hungarian descent Deaths from cancer in California Male actors from Youngstown, Ohio University of Southern California alumni