Chris Elliott’s father Bob passes away

Bob Elliott, the comedy legend who was half of the duo Bob and Ray, died on Tuesday. His death was confirmed by his son Chris, the actor and comedian. The two met while working as announcers at a Boston radio station in 1946 and had an easygoing rapport that gave life to routines about Komodo dragons (featuring Elliott’s expert from Upper Montclair, New Jersey – their people were always from unprepossessing American towns) and paperclip companies (with Goulding’s company president). It offered offbeat comments on the day’s news, fables about fictitious characters and bogus contest offers. Elliott appeared on a number of other television programs, including Happy Days; Newhart; and Bob & Ray, Jane, Laraine & Gilda in 1979 (with Goulding, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner). “They manipulated language the way Satchel Paige manipulated baseballs”. “If you’re going to be a phoney, be a good one”. Elliott’s recurring roles included the hapless news reporter Wally Ballou, “winner of 16 diction awards”, and sportscaster Biff Burns, whose signature signoff was “So, until next time, this is Biff Burns saying, until next time, this is Biff Burns saying goodnight”. Soft-spoken Elliot and rambunctious Ray hosted the TV sketch show “The Bob and Ray Show” from 1951-1953. Joseph McCarthy. Then, during a soap opera parody that took place in the small town of “Skunk Hollow”, they introduced a blustering Commissioner Carstairs, who waved a list of names of supposed miscreants he threatened to expose.

Born in Boston, Elliott attended the Feagan School of Drama and Radio.

The two were frequent commercial pitchmen, regular guests on talk shows and played dueling TV anchormen, David Chetley and Walter Chronic, in the 1971 film “Cold Turkey”.

He is survived by his five children, 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.