His 1960 comedy albums The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart and The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back caught the attention of the legendary star maker Ed Sullivan.

Among the many items that Newhart signed for me is a newspaper photo of Sullivan jokingly strangling the comic.

“To James, my friend in D.C.,” he wrote.

Despite a busy professional life, including TV and standup comedy that extended into his 90s, Newhart took the time to reply to his fan mail. This might have explained why he was such a successful and beloved comedian.

In 2022, Parade magazine featured Newhart on its cover. In the background were photos of the actor’s famous TV and film roles, including the 2003 film Elf. I sent him a copy of the Parade cover for him to sign for me.

He very sweetly signed, “To James, a good friend, from Papa Elf.”

Perhaps the most gratifying item Newhart signed for me was in response to a Christmas card.

“Thank you for the beautiful Christmas card. It was among the prettiest of the cards my family received,” he wrote.

Newhart’s films included Hell is For Heroes, Catch-22, and my favorite, Cold Turkey. In the latter film, a small town is offered a fortune if everyone can stop smoking. The cast included Dick Van Dyke, Edward Everett Horton, and Tom Poston.

In 1963, Newhart starred in a memorable episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Newhart played a henpecked husband attracted to a stripper. In “How to Get Rid of Your Wife,” Jane Withers (1926-2021) played Newhart’s wife and lovely Joyce Jameson (1927-1987) was Newhart’s attractive stripper interest.

Newhart plays Gerald Swinney who, tired of being a henpecked husband, devises a plan to, as the title suggests, “get rid of his wife.” If you think that Newhart planned to murder his wife, you would be wrong. He has another plan in mind.

“How to Get Rid of Your Wife” is a very clever episode, and Newhart plays Newhart. His role is the same sitcom character that audiences loved, but in a Hitchcockian situation. If you have not seen the episode, prepare to be impressed. Withers is also very good.

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and the 30-minute Alfred Hitchcock Presents can be seen on Peacock, a subscription-based streaming service where many fine older TV shows can be viewed.  

Newhart had a unique gift of speaking in a halting way that appealed to audiences. In 2006, he wrote a well-received memoir, I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This! After his death, the book returned to the bestseller lists.

In his memoir, Newhart explained his comedic way of speaking. It came naturally to him, he said.

“When I first performed, I didn’t study all the working comedians and say, ‘There is nobody stammering out there … What a great opportunity,’” he wrote, adding, “Truly, that’s … the … way I talk.”

Newhart received Emmys, Grammys, and, in 2002, a Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He also received my fan mail. He generously replied. Thanks, Bob!

James Patterson is a writer in the Washington, D.C., area.