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Gordon Jump

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Gordon Jump
Jump in 1979
Born
Alexander Gordon Jump

(1932-04-01)April 1, 1932
Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
DiedSeptember 22, 2003(2003-09-22) (aged 71)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materKansas State University
OccupationActor
Years active1959–2003
Known for
Spouses
  • Olinda D. Kandt
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1954; div. 1962)​
  • Anna F. Inge Jump
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1963; div. 1992)​
  • Betty McKeever
    ​
    (m. 1993)​
Children4

Alexander Gordon Jump (April 1, 1932 – September 22, 2003) was an American actor best known for playing Arthur "Big Guy" Carlson in the series WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–1982); he reprised the role in its spinoff The New WKRP in Cincinnati (1991–1993). He also played Chief Tinkler in the sitcom Soap (1977–1978) and Mr. Horton on a two-part episode of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes (1983). He appeared in Maytag commercials as the "Maytag repairman" from 1989 until he retired in 2003.[1]

Early life

[edit]

Born Alexander Gordon Jump, Jump was raised in Centerville, a suburb of Dayton, Ohio. He graduated from Centerville High School and enrolled in Otterbein College. After his first year, he transferred to Kansas State University studying broadcasting and communication; he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He got his first television job with WIBW-TV in Topeka. He dabbled in "writing, producing, and directing" while at the station.[2]: 17  Jump was the title character in WIBW's "WIB the Clown", an educational children's program. He reported the weather on the channel and was not always able to get his clown makeup off in time.

In September 1961, he returned to Dayton and joined WLWD as the station's director of special broadcast services.[3] He continued as a producer and on-air personality at WLWD, hosting Gordon Jump's Fun Time, a popular show for younger children,[4] and High Time, a variety series,[5] before moving to Los Angeles in 1963 to pursue acting.[2]: 17  Later in his life, Jump converted and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).[6]: 1 

Career

[edit]

Jump's acting career began when he was 32. Jump participated in a theatre production at the Glendale Centre Theatre in Glendale, California, where he was noticed and offered an agent.[6]: 1  The theatre was owned by Nathan and Ruth Hale, who were members of the LDS Church. It was there that Jump first learned about the LDS Church.[7][8]

Jump's first break on television was his guest role as Marcus Clements in CBS's Daniel Boone,[2]: 18  where he had eight lines.[6]: 1  During the 1960s, he landed minor roles in television on such shows as Get Smart,[9] Lancer,[10] Here Come the Brides,[11] and Green Acres.[12][13] He guest-starred in a number of series during the 1970s and through the 1990s.[9]

In the 1960s, Jump converted to the LDS Church. He acted in several church-produced instructional and educational productions, including When Thou Art Converted (1967), Pioneers In Petticoats (1969),[8] and What About Thad? (1970),.[14] In 1967, he played the role of Lehi in the Burbank pageant People of the Book.[15] He appeared as Peter, the apostle, in a 1969 film which was used in some of the church's temple ceremonies.[16] He also acted in The Singles Ward in 2002, a LDS comedy series.[17] He and Robert Starling, an independent filmmaker began Associated Latter-day Media Artists.[8]

Jump's first recurring role came in 1977, as Chief of Police Tinkler in Soap.[2]: 18 [9] In 1978, he landed his signature role of Arthur "Big Guy" Carlson on the situation comedy WKRP in Cincinnati, portraying a bumbling radio station manager.[2]: iii  Jump stated that the character of Arthur Carlson was based on a real-world WQXI executive.[2]: 7 

After WKRP in Cincinnati was cancelled in 1982, Jump made appearances on many other shows. On a two part episode of Diff'rent Strokes, titled "The Bicycle Man". He played Mr. Horton, the owner of a bicycle shop who attempts to molest series protagonist Arnold Jackson and his friend, Dudley.[1] While his Los Angeles Times obituary called this role a "daring career turn",[1] Genevieve Koski at the AV Club's roundtable found the laugh track that played during the scene in which the boys see nude photographs "horrifying".[18] Koski's fellow roundtable member Donna Bowman disagreed, stating that the special humanized the situation.[18] Other appearances include The Love Boat, Night Court, The Golden Girls, Murder, She Wrote, and Who's the Boss?. He had a recurring role as Maggie Seaver's father on Growing Pains.

In 1989, Jump took over the Maytag repairman role from Jesse White. In the 1990s, Jump starred in a short-lived revival of WKRP in Cincinnati[19] entitled The New WKRP in Cincinnati. He appeared in the ninth and final season of Seinfeld, in which he played George Costanza's boss at a playground equipment company over two episodes. His last movie role was in the 2004 film Changing of the Guard, released after his death.

Death

[edit]

Jump died on September 22, 2003, from pulmonary fibrosis that led to respiratory failure at his home near Los Angeles.[20]

Inspiration

[edit]

Jump believed the film and television industry to be "the most powerful tool" that can "communicate" and "give... a positive outlook of life to many people."[6]: 1  According to his personal religious faith, he also believed theatre and television had the ability to uplift and edify individuals and felt that God uses a similar medium to guide his children.[6]: 1 

When scripts required Jump to act in ways that went against his religious convictions, he said that his acting required the same "honesty and judiciousness" as the rest of his life.[6]: 5  He portrayed the fictional character as accurately as possible to deliver an honest representation of the story to his audience. He warned against portraying all theatrical characters like "missionaries", and instead encouraged actors to "stay true to their craft", through which their inner virtue would shine through.[6]: 7, 11  Additionally, Jump did not believe in censorship, claiming that "if you teach people correct principles, they can govern themselves", which is a paraphrase of a teaching by Joseph Smith.[2]: 95 [21]

When Jump was offered the role of Chief Tinkler in Soap, he and the LDS Church bishop of his church were wary that the content of the program was contrary to his faith. Jump returned to the producers the next day with the intention of refusing the role. The directors heard his concerns and suggested that the underlying messages of the show were more aligned to his beliefs as a Latter-day Saint than he realized; he was encouraged to read the "retribution scenes" in the script. Impressed by the depth of the lessons told through humor,[6]: 8  Jump took the role in Soap and recommended that viewers of faith evaluate the lessons taught by the finished artistic product of a film or show rather than evaluate whether an actor would actually do some of the things which they portray on screen.[6]: 7 

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes Citation
1965 Marriage- What Kind For You? Business Man at the New Years party LDS Church film [22]
1967 When Thou Art Converted Typewriter Boss and Elders Quorum President [23][24]
1969 Pioneers In Petticoats [25]
What About Thad? Bishop in the LDS Church [26]
Flareup Security Guard [27]
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple Film The Apostle Peter [28][16]
1970 Ransom Money [29]
1972 Conquest of the Planet of the Apes Auctioneer [30]
Trouble Man Salter [31]
Rolling Man [32][13]
1975 A Cry For Help Lloyd Hogan [33]
1976 Sybil [34]
1977 Skateboard Harris [35]
1978 Ruby and Oswald [36][13]
The Guilty LDS Church film. [37]
The Fury Nuckells [38]
House Calls Dr. O'Brien [39]
The Small One Joseph Voice, Short animated film [40]
1979 Goldie and the Boxer Alex [41][13]
Evidence of Power Dr. Lawson [42]
1980 Mr. Krueger's Christmas Narrator LDS Church film [43]
1981 Midnight Offerings [44][13]
1982 For Lovers Only Harvey Pugh [45][13]
Families are Forever LDS church film [46]
1984 Making the Grade Mr. Harriman [47]
1985 Darlin' Clementine [48]
1987 Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love [49][13]
On Fire [50][13]
1988 Moving Simon Eberhart [51]
Justin Case Sheldon Wannamaker [52][13]
1990 Honeymoon Academy Mr. Nelson Alternative title: For Better or For Worse [53]
1994 Bitter Vengeance Arnold Fulmer [54]
1999 A Dog's Tale Professor Thadeus A. Widstone [55]
2002 The Singles Ward An Airline Passenger [56]
2003 Dismembered [57]

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes Citation
1965 Daniel Boone Marcus Clements 1 episode [9][13]
1966 Get Smart Hobson 2 episodes "Casablanca" "Maxwell Smart, Private Eye" [9][13]
1967 T.H.E. Cat 1 episode
1968 Green Acres Surveyor 1 episode: "How to Get from Hooterville to Pixley Without Moving". [9][13]
Lancer 1 episode "The Homecoming" [13]
1970 Mannix Charlie 1 episode "Once upon a Saturday" [9][13]
1970–1974 The Partridge Family Man #2 / Zack Feldman / Father 7 episodes [9][13]
1970 The Brady Bunch Mechanic / Collins 2 episodes [9][13]
The Young Rebels 1 episode "The Hostages" [13]
1970–1973 Love, American Style [9]
1971 The Doris Day Show Mr. Robinson 1 episode [9]
Bewitched 2 episodes "The Return of Darrin the Bold" "Money Happy Returns" [9][13]
Cade's County 1 episode "Violent Echo" [13]
1971-1974 Partridge Family 4 episodes "The Strike-Out King (1973)" "Art For Mom's Sake (1974)" [13]
1971-1973 Love, American Style 2 episodes "Love and the Bowling Ball (1971)" "Love and the Suspicious Husband (1973)" [13]
The New Dick Van Dyke Show 1 episode [9][13]
1972–1973 The Mary Tyler Moore Show Hank Morton / Judy's Father 2 episodes "The Courtship of Mary's Father's Daughter (1972)" [9][13]
1973 A Touch of Grace Greenwald 1 episode [13]
The Paul Lynde Show Larry 1 episode "The Congressman's Son" [13]
1974 Chase 1 episode "$35 Will Fly You to the Moon" [13]
Kojak Jonas 1 episode "Slay Ride" [9][13]
The Apple's Way [9]
McCloud [9]
Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers Mr. Mead 1 episode [13]
Girl With Something Extra 1 episode "Guess Who's Feeding the Pigeons?" [13]
1975-1976 The Rockford Files Freddie 2 episodes "Just By Accident (1975)" "A Bad Deal in the Valley (1976)" [9][13]
1974–1975 That's My Mama Officer O'Reilley 3 episodes "The Last Haircut (1974)" [9][13]
1975 Harry O 2 episodes "Anatomy of a Frame" & "Lester II" [9][13]
Police Woman 1 episode "No Place to Hide" [9][13]
Starsky and Hutch [9]
The Streets of San Francisco Sergeant Lacy 1 episode
Switch 1 episode "Stung From Behind" [13]
ABC Afterschool Special 1 episode "Fawn Story" [13]
The Lost Saucer The Mayor 1 episode "The Tiny Years"
1976 The Bionic Woman Charles Butler 1 episode "Welcome Home, Jaime" [9][13]
McMillan & Wife [9]
Rich Man, Poor Man Dr. Simms 1 episode
Alice Sheriff McElroy 1 episode [9][13]
McDuff, the Talking Dog Amos Ferguson 11 episodes [13]
Archie Mr. Andrews 1 episode "Pilot" [13]
1977 Black Sheep Squadron 1 episode "Last One for Hutch" [13]
Good Times [9][13]
Lou Grant National Editor 6 episodes [9]
The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries Officer Hooper 1 episode "Mystery of the Diamond Triangle" [13]
1977-1978 Soap Chief of Police Tinkler 12 episodes [13]
1978 The Incredible Hulk Mac 1 episode [9]
1978–1982 WKRP in Cincinnati Arthur "Big Guy" Carlson, Station Manager 88 episodes (90 in syndication) [13]
1980-1987 The Love Boat 6 episodes "The Invisible Maniac (1980)" "Putting on the Dog (1983)" "Aerobic April (1983)" "Frat Wars (1986)" "Who Killed Maxwell Thorn? (1987)" [13]
1981 Project Peacock 1 episode "The Big Stuffed Dog (special)" [13]
1983 Diff'rent Strokes Mr. Horton 2 episodes: "The Bicycle Man" (two parts) [9][13]
Just a Little More Love (NBC special) [13]
Great Day 1 episode "Pilot" [13]
1984 Second Edition 1 episode "Pilot" [13]
1985 CBS Children's Mystery Theatre 1 episode "The Dirkin Detective Agency" [13]
Night Court American agent 1 episode "World War III" [9][13]
Amazing Stories 1 episode "Guilt Trip" [13]
Tall Tales & Legends Mr. Ripple 1 episode
1986–1991 Growing Pains Ed Malone 11 episodes [9]
1986 Simon & Simon Ross Garrett 1 episode "Camp Apollo" [9][13]
New Love American Style 1 episode "Love and the Balcony" [13]
The Golden Girls Leonard Barton 1 episode [13]
Murder, She Wrote Mayor Tilly 1 episode: "If the Frame Fits" [9][13]
1987 What a Country 1 episode "The Love Potion" [13]
1988 Who's the Boss? Archie 1 episode
1989 Sister Kate Lucas Underwood 1 episode
1991–1993 The New WKRP in Cincinnati Arthur 'Big Guy' Carlson 46 episodes
1994 Baywatch Max Edelman 2 episodes [9]
Kino's Storytime Himself, narrator of Horton Hatches the Egg 1 episode
1995 Empty Nest Bud 1 episode
1997 Married... with Children Mr. Tot 1 episode [9]
Seinfeld Mr. Thomassoulo 2 episodes [9]
1998 Mike Hammer, Private Eye Augustus Hancock Sterling, The General 2 episodes

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Oliver, Myrna (September 24, 2003). "Gordon Jump, 71; Was 'Maytag Man' in Ads, 'Big Guy' on 'WKRP' TV Series". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Kassel, Michael B. (June 15, 1993). America's Favorite Radio Station: WKRP in Cincinnati. Popular Press. ISBN 978-0-87972-584-6.
  3. ^ "WLW-D names Gordon Jump". Dayton Daily News. September 19, 1961. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  4. ^ "Gordon makes successful Jump into local TV, not Minowland". The Journal-Herald (Dayton, Ohio). September 27, 1961. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  5. ^ "Dayton Daily News 09 Nov 1962, page 15".
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Jump, Gordon. Gordon Jump oral history interview, ID: MSS OH 466. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University.
  7. ^ Hall, Andrew (May 11, 2012). "2003 Mormon Literature Year in Review". Dawning of a Brighter Day. The Association for Mormon Letters.
  8. ^ a b c Proctor, Maurine Jensen; Baggaley, Thomas (September 24, 2003). "LDS Actor, Gordon Jump Dies". Meridian Magazine.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj Hunter, James Michael (2013). Mormons and Popular Culture: The Global Influence of an American Phenomenon. ABC-CLIO. p. 241. ISBN 978-0-313-39167-5.
  10. ^ TV Guide. Triangle Publications. 1986. p. 51.
  11. ^ TV Guide. Triangle Publications. 1990.
  12. ^ Tate, Marsha Ann; Houser, Earl (January 14, 2022). What America Watched: Television Favorites from the Cornfields to the Cosmos, 1960s-1990s. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-8057-6.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf Parish, James R., and Vincent Terrace (1989). The Complete Actors' Television Credits, 1948-1988. Metuchen, NJ, & London: The Scarecrow Press, Inc. pp. 264–265.
  14. ^ "Latter-day Saint Video Vault: "What About Thad?" Offers Bleak Inspiration". This Week in Mormons. October 11, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  15. ^ "People of the [Other] Book" by Michael Hicks. Spencer Kimball's Record Collection: Essays on Mormon Music. Signature Books. 2020. 9781560852865.
  16. ^ a b "Best Satan Part 2". Wheat & Tares. August 13, 2017. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  17. ^ "The Singles Ward (2002)". www.ldsfilm.com. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  18. ^ a b Adams, Erik; Bowman, Donna; James, Emily St.; Koski, Genevieve; Sims, David; Dyess-Nugent, Phil; McGee, Ryan. "A "very special" Diff'rent Strokes that's terrifying for all the wrong reasons". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  19. ^ King, Susan (September 1, 1991). "Retro 'WKRP' in Los Angeles". Los Angeles Times.
  20. ^ "Gordon Jump, 71, 'WKRP' Actor Who Played Maytag's Repairman". The New York Times. September 24, 2003. Retrieved July 21, 2007. Gordon Jump, who played a befuddled radio station manager on the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati and made his mark in commercials as the lonely Maytag repairman, died on Monday at his home southeast of Los Angeles. He had pulmonary fibrosis.
  21. ^ News, Deseret (January 23, 1993). "'TEACH THEM CORRECT PRINCIPLES': GOSPEL INFLUENCES LIFE, OUTLOOK OF FRESHMAN MEMBER OF CONGRESS". Deseret News. Retrieved February 24, 2022. {{cite news}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  22. ^ Carol Lynn Pearson, Wetzel O. Whitaker (1968). Marriage: What Kind for You? (VHS). Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Event occurs at 0:50. OCLC 22013770. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  23. ^ "When Thou Art Converted". Mormon Literature & Creative Arts Database. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  24. ^ Jones, Jared (January 24, 2020). "Latter-day Saint Video Vault: Find Business Advice and Basic Inspiration from "When Thou Art Converted"". This Week in Mormons. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  25. ^ "Pioneers in Petticoats". Mormon Literature & Creative Arts Database. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  26. ^ Jones, Jared (October 11, 2019). "Latter-day Saint Video Vault: "What About Thad?" Offers Bleak Inspiration". This Week in Mormons. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  27. ^ "Flareup". www.tcm.com. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  28. ^ "Mormon Temple Film (1969)". Radio Times. Archived from the original on February 28, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  29. ^ "Ransom Money". TVGuide.com. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  30. ^ "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes". TVGuide.com. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  31. ^ "Gordon Jump Filmography". www.tcm.com. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  32. ^ "Rolling Man". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  33. ^ "A Cry For Help". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  34. ^ "Sybil". TVGuide.com.
  35. ^ "Skateboard". TVGuide.com. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  36. ^ "Ruby and Oswald". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  37. ^ "The Guilty". Mormon Literature & Creative Arts Database. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  38. ^ "The Fury". TVGuide.com. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  39. ^ "House Calls". TVGuide.com. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  40. ^ "The Small One (Walt Disney Studios)". Big Cartoon DataBase (BCDB). Retrieved March 10, 2022.[dead link]
  41. ^ "Goldie and the Boxer". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  42. ^ "Evidence of Power". TVGuide.com. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  43. ^ "Mr. Krueger's Christmas". Mormon Literature and Creative Arts Database. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  44. ^ "Midnight Offerings". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  45. ^ "For Lovers Only". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  46. ^ "Families Are Forever (with Gordon Jump)". Mormon Literature & Creative Arts Database. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  47. ^ "Making the Grade". TVGuide.com. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  48. ^ "Darlin' Clementine". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  49. ^ "Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  50. ^ "On Fire". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  51. ^ "Moving". TVGuide.com. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  52. ^ "Justin Case". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  53. ^ "Honeymoon Academy". TVGuide.com. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  54. ^ "Bitter Vengeance". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  55. ^ "A Dog's Tale". TVGuide.com. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  56. ^ "The Singles Ward". Mormon Literature & Creative Arts Database. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  57. ^ "Dismembered". TVGuide.com. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
[edit]
Preceded by Maytag Repairman
1989–2003 		Succeeded by
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