I don't have to tell you that Alan Young is a terrific comic actor. You've watched Mr. Ed. You've probably seen him in movies or heard his voice on many a cartoon, including Duck Tales (where he played Uncle $crooge) and even a few shows I wrote. He is also, you may not know, a wonderful stage actor. Many years ago in Vegas, I dragged a skeptical friend — it was Marv Wolfman — to see a production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum…a play I will go see anywhere, anytime, anywhere. Seeing it at the Plaza Hotel in downtown Las Vegas tested my dedication to the work, for the Plaza is the kind of casino where people wipe their feet before they leave so as not to track up the street. This particular production pretty much defaced the source material, trimming songs and characters for length but adding Vegas-style jokes.
The great burlesque comic Irv Benson was playing Erroneous and, every trip across the stage, he'd pause for a couple of tit and/or Liberace jokes. I once discussed it with co-author Larry Gelbart, who hadn't seen it but remarked, "I heard they occasionally did a few of our lines."
To which I told him what I'll tell you now: Yes, but Alan Young, playing Pseudolus, was terrific. He also did the lines from the actual play, at least in the scenes that weren't cut, and I later heard that he was a last minute replacement for someone else and had learned the whole part in just a few days. You wouldn't have known that from his performance. I have seen many a Pseudolus and Mr. Young, even though under-rehearsed and playing somewhat against type, brought a note of genuine stardom and first-rate comic timing to the role. I hated what they did to the show but I'm glad I saw him in it. Even if it was at the Plaza. In more recent years, Young has toured, playing Captain Andy in Showboat, which is perfect. Having seen how good he can be in what was not exactly the right part for him, I'd love to see him in the right one.
All of this is my lead-up to suggesting you visit his website, which is — no, it's not his name. It's www.mister-ed.tv. I will further suggest that you order his autobiography, Mister Ed and Me, and that you have him autograph it. It's a good book and you'll be the envy of all your friends when you casually display his signature in your copy. (Alan Young is also a very nice man. As this is not always the case with folks we love on television, I felt I oughta mention that.)