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((short description|American comedian; also known as Larry "Bud" Melman))
((Infobox person
| name = Calvert DeForest
| image = Calvert DeForest (1990).jpg
| caption = DeForest in 1990
| birth_name = Calvert Grant DeForest
| birth_date = ((Birth date|1921|7|23))
| birth_place = New York City, U.S.
| death_date = ((Death date and age|2007|3|19|1921|7|23))
| death_place = [[West Islip, New York]], U.S.
| occupation = Actor, [[comedian]]
| years_active = 1972–2002
)) 
'''Calvert Grant DeForest''' (July 23, 1921 – March 19, 2007), also known by his character name '''Larry''' "'''Bud'''" '''Melman''', was an American actor and comedian, best known for his appearances on ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]'' and ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]''. He was the great-nephew of inventor [[Lee de Forest]].<ref>((Cite web|last=Wagstaff|title=The Last Amateur: Calvert DeForest, 1921 – 2007|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/tv/the-last-amateur-calvert-deforest-19212007/|access-date=2021-08-27|website=www.slantmagazine.com|date=22 March 2007 |language=en-US))</ref>

==Biography==

===Early life===
DeForest grew up in [[Bay Ridge, Brooklyn]].<ref>((cite web| url = https://www.nysun.com/obituaries/calvert-deforest-85-raised-to-fame-as-larry-bud/50970| title = Calvert DeForest, 85, Raised to Fame as Larry 'Bud' Melman))</ref> He was born to Calvert Martin DeForest, M.D., a physician who died in 1930 at the age of 49, and Mabelle (Taylor) DeForest.<ref name="nytimes.com">Lee, Jennifer [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/22/arts/television/22defo.html "Calvert DeForest, 85, Larry (Bud) Melman on 'Letterman', Dies"], ''New York Times'', March 22, 2007.</ref> His father was a cousin of radio pioneer [[Lee de Forest]].<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/COSIxe1GS2Q Ghostarchive]((cbignore)) and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20180911140706/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COSIxe1GS2Q&feature=youtu.be Wayback Machine]((cbignore)): ((cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COSIxe1GS2Q| title = Tom Snyder's Last Cable Show w/Bob Newhart, Calvert DeForest, Dec. 1, 1994 | website=[[YouTube]]))((cbignore))</ref>

DeForest attended [[Poly Prep Country Day School]] in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York (state)|New York]]. He was employed for many years as a [[clerk|file clerk]] at the pharmaceutical company [[Parke-Davis]], which was later acquired by [[Pfizer]]. He had aspirations of acting but was discouraged by his mother, who was briefly an actress herself. After her death in 1969, DeForest did part-time backstage work, which eventually led to acting work, and is credited with appearing in five films from 1972 to 1982. He worked part-time as a receptionist at a drug rehabilitation center until February 1984, when his supervisor learned of his employment with NBC and his resulting ineligibility for the position (as it was part of a program designed for those who made under $6,000 a year) and asked him to resign.<ref>((cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/12/arts/leterman-aide-loses-a-job.html |title=Letterman Aide Loses a Job |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=1984-03-12|access-date=2014-04-28))</ref>

===Work with David Letterman===
((more citations needed section|date=December 2021))
In early 1982, DeForest was hired to appear on the new NBC program ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]''. His late-blossoming television career began with a New York University student film project called ''King of the Zs'', by future Letterman writers [[Stephen Winer]] and Karl Tiedemann, who brought him along when they joined the ''[[Late Night (TV series)|Late Night]]'' writing staff.<ref name="nytimes.com" /> The [[Associated Press]] noted: "DeForest's gnomish face was the first to greet viewers when [[David Letterman|Letterman]]'s NBC show debuted on February 1, 1982, offering a parody of the prologue to the [[Boris Karloff]] film ''[[Frankenstein (1931 film)|Frankenstein]]''. 'It was the greatest thing that had happened in my life,' he once said of his first Letterman appearance."<ref name=AP-CBS-obit>((cite news |agency=Associated Press |title=Letterman's Larry 'Bud' Melman actor dies |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/larry-bud-melman-actor-dies-at-85/ |date=2007-03-21 |publisher=CBS News))</ref>

On ''Late Night'', DeForest played the role of Larry "Bud" Melman. ''Late Night'' talent coordinator Sandra Furton described him as a "[[mascot]]",<ref>((cite web |title=The Backstory of Letterman Legend Larry 'Bud' Melman |publisher=[[Dangerous Minds]] |access-date=April 25, 2019 |year=2014 |first=Brian |last=Abrams |url=https://dangerousminds.net/comments/the_backstory_of_letterman_legend_larry_bud_melman))</ref> but Melman had no real fixed or defined role on the show.  He was simply an older, short, portly man with thick black-framed glasses who was seen relatively frequently, especially in the early years. In the first few years of the show, the Melman character was somewhat of an entrepreneur, appearing in ads for "Melman Bus Lines" as well as for "Mr. Larry's Toast On A Stick" ("[[Bread]]'s answer to the [[Popsicle (brand)|Popsicle!]]").  He was also ostensibly the producer of the show as the head of "Melman Productions", although this facet of the character was soon dropped. The character's teenage son, Troy "Chipper" Melman (who rarely spoke, and usually just coughed uncontrollably) was seen occasionally alongside his father in various ads.

Outside the pre-taped ads, Melman would sometimes be given odd chores to perform by Letterman, such as handing out hot towels to arrivals at the [[Port Authority Bus Terminal]]. At other times, Melman would give pre-scripted answers to unlikely audience questions, or appear unexpectedly to heckle Letterman or the audience. Melman also appeared numerous times as "Kenny The Gardener," offering dubious gardening advice to home viewers, followed by a song performed in a tuneless-but-enthusiastic style. Occasionally, Melman would just simply wander onto the stage during Letterman's monologue as if lost, then leave without saying anything.

A hallmark of the Melman character was his seemingly genuine lack of acting polish. Melman's scripted lines were clearly read from cue cards and usually delivered in a forceful shout—but when Letterman or others forced "Melman" into ad-libbing, the actor's naturally more soft-spoken and polite demeanor came to the forefront. Melman routinely flubbed or mangled lines, but gamely persevered with whatever sketch he was in. He was also noted for his remote interviews in which he would ask the interviewee a question, but pitch the microphone to the interviewee too quickly, resulting in the last part of the question being inaudible to Dave and the audience. As a result of his frequent appearances, he became hugely popular with fans of ''Late Night'', often being greeted with loud cheers and applause before even speaking.

When Letterman moved from [[NBC]] to [[CBS]] in 1993, the Melman name was retired, as NBC insisted that the character of "Larry 'Bud' Melman" was their [[intellectual property]]. However, starting from the first edition of ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'', DeForest continued to play exactly the same character he had played on ''Late Night'', now simply using his real name. DeForest often "drew laughs by his bizarre juxtaposition as a ''Late Show'' correspondent at events such as the [[1994 Winter Olympics]] in Norway and the Woodstock anniversary concert that year."<ref name=AP-CBS-obit /> One of DeForest's more memorable skits came on Letterman's May 13, 1994 show in [[Los Angeles]]. The host stated [[Johnny Carson]] would announce the evening's Top 10 list, at which point DeForest appeared as "Johnny Carson." Shortly after DeForest's exit, the real Johnny Carson appeared in what would prove to be Carson's last television appearance.

DeForest continued to appear on Letterman's show until his 81st birthday in 2002 before retiring from acting. He had appeared in 15 outside films or TV shows since he began his association with Letterman in 1982.

Letterman noted after DeForest's death: "Everyone always wondered if Calvert was an actor playing a character, but in reality he was just himself: a genuine, modest, and nice man. To our staff and to our viewers, he was a beloved and valued part of our show, and we will miss him."<ref name=AP-CBS-obit /> When asked how he'd like to be remembered, DeForest responded, "Just being able to make people laugh and knowing people enjoyed my humor. I also hope I haven't offended anyone through the years."<ref>[http://www.fadetoblack.com/interviews/larrybudmelman/page3.htm FADE TO BLACK PRESENTS – Calvert Deforest, a.k.a. Larry Bud Melman] ((webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709053114/http://www.fadetoblack.com/interviews/larrybudmelman/page3.htm |date=2008-07-09)).</ref>

===Other appearances===
He was co-host (in charge of the digital switcher) on the local SF Bay Area radio program, ''10@10'', on [[KNBR-FM|KFOG]] with Dave Morey.

In 1985, he appeared in the [[music video]] for the [[Run-DMC]] song "[[King of Rock (song)|King of Rock]]" as a [[security guard]].<ref>((cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXzWlPL_TKw | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/qXzWlPL_TKw| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|title=RUN-DMC – King Of Rock |publisher=Youtube.com |access-date=2014-04-28))((cbignore))</ref>

In 1989, he appeared in the [[Special Ed (rapper)|Special Ed]] video for the song "Think About It" as the villainous Dr. Norecords.<ref>((cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixYvr0s0E44 |title=Special Ed-Think About It |publisher=YouTube |date=2007-11-14 |access-date=2014-04-28))</ref>

In 1994, he wrote a humor book called ''Cheap Advice''.

In 1994, he appeared in the [[music video]] for the [[Vince Gill]] song "[[What the Cowgirls Do|What The Cowgirls Do]]" as a cowboy sidekick.<ref>((cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaT5wWyjd2A | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/HaT5wWyjd2A| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|title=Vince Gill - What The Cowgirls Do |publisher=Youtube.com |access-date=2014-04-28))((cbignore))</ref>

In 1997, he made a cameo appearance in episode 164 of ''[[Wings (1990 TV series)|Wings]]'' (16th episode of the 8th season) entitled "[[List of Wings episodes#Season 8 (1996–97)|Escape from New York]]".

In the late 1990s, he often appeared in various television ads including ones for [[Tropicana Twister]], [[1800collect|1-800-Collect]] and [[Little Caesars]].

In 1999, he recorded the lounge compilation CD ''Calvert DeForest's Erotic Experience'', a collection of cover songs, published October 12, 1999 by Mars Entertainment.

DeForest also appeared on the albums ''[[Americana (The Offspring album)|Americana]]'' and ''[[Ixnay on the Hombre]]'' by [[The Offspring]], doing some of the voices that can be heard before and after certain tracks (examples are: “Hand Grenades,” “Change the World,” and “Cocktails”.) In late March 2007, a 20-minute clip of DeForest recording the voices for their album was posted on The Offspring's website.

He appeared at [[Woodstock '94]] to announce [[Nine Inch Nails]]' late night set by proclaiming, "Ladies and gentlemen, punch your balls off and please welcome Nine Inch Nails!"

He appeared on the first episode of the 1996 series ''[[The Dana Carvey Show]]'' on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]].

He appeared as Rusty in the 1986 episode ''The Gang's All Here'' of the television show ''[[Pee-wee's Playhouse]]''.<ref>((cite web|title=Pee Wee's Playhouse Season 1 Episode 12|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0672473/|website=IMDb|publisher=IMDb|access-date=5 January 2015))</ref>

===Death===
After years of poor health, DeForest died at [[Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center (West Islip, New York)|Good Samaritan Hospital]] in [[West Islip, New York|West Islip]], [[New York (state)|New York]], on [[Long Island]], on March 19, 2007.<ref name=Newsfromme>((cite news|title=Letterman sidekick Calvert DeForest dead at 85|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/la-et-deforest22mar22,1,6979392.story?coll=la-celebrity-news&ctrack=1&cset=true|access-date=2007-03-21|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070326175436/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/la-et-deforest22mar22%2C1%2C6979392.story?coll=la-celebrity-news&ctrack=1&cset=true|archive-date=2007-03-26|url-status=dead))</ref> Per his request, no funeral services were held; he was cremated and his remains were interred at Pinelawn Cemetery, [[Farmingdale, New York]]. By all press accounts, he left no surviving relatives.<ref name=AP-CBS-obit/>

==Filmography==
* ''While the Cat's Away'', movie (1972)
* ''Mrs. Barrington'', movie (1974)
* ''Apple Pie'', movie (1976)
* ''Blond Poison'', movie (1979)
* ''[[Waitress!]]'', movie (1980)
* ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]'' (1982–1993) as "Larry 'Bud' Melman"
* ''The First Time'', movie (1982)
* ''[[Nothing Lasts Forever (film)|Nothing Lasts Forever]]'', movie (1984)
* "Cleanin' Up the Town", [[The BusBoys]] music video (1984)
* "[[King of Rock (song)|King of Rock]]", [[Run-DMC]] music video (1985)
* ''[[Heaven Help Us]]'', movie (1985)
* ''[[Pee-wee's Playhouse]]'', (1986) (Episode 12), as "Rusty"
* ''[[My Demon Lover]]'', movie (1987)
* ''Leader of the Band'', movie (1987)
* ''The Couch Potato Workout'', video (1988), as "Larry 'Bud' Melman"
* ''[[Freaked]]'', movie (1993), as "Larry 'Bud' Melman"
* ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' (1993–2002)
* ''[[Mr. Write]]'', movie (1994)
* "What The Cowgirls Do", [[Vince Gill]] music video (1994)
* ''Encino Woman'', TV movie (1996)
* ''[[Wings (1990 TV series)|Wings]]'', cameo, (1997)
* '"American Psycho", [[Misfits (band)|Misfits]] music video (1997)
* "[[Closure (video)|Closure]]", [[Nine Inch Nails]] music video (1997)

==References==
((Reflist))

==External links==
* ((IMDb name|0214531))
* ((Find a Grave|18543002|Calvert Grant "Larry Bud Melman" DeForest))
((David Letterman))
((Authority control))

((DEFAULTSORT:DeForest, Calvert))
[[Category:American male comedians]]
[[Category:20th-century American comedians]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:Television personalities from New York City]]
[[Category:Male actors from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:1921 births]]
[[Category:2007 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Comedians from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:David Letterman]]
[[Category:Poly Prep alumni]]

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