Larry Tate

[storrs19]

Does anyone else find Larry Tate an obnoxious overbearing stubborn person? I mean the guy plans instant elaborate dinners for clients without asking Darrin & Samantha, pops in anytime he wants, ruins many a vacation for them, and I could go on and on. If I had been Darrin I would have told him to get stuffed as the British say. That plus the fact that he seemed 20 years older than his wife too. Imagine if he found out that Samantha was a witch! He would have had her zapping every client in to submission for him.

[comedyfreak]

Not to mention that he also threatens Darrins position with the company. I never liked him, but he has grown on me. I like his saying, "You son of a gun".

[Katya]

I like him better now then when I watched the show as a kid but I don't disagree with anything that has been said,he was pretty imposing on the Stephans and always threatening Darrian's job.I think Dick York's Darrian handled Larry better though he seemed less annoyed by him and sort of accepted that Larry was an ovegrown kid.He would get mad if pushed to far by Larry though.

[kooky12]

Even though his wife was 20 years younger and hot, he always seeemed ready to cheat on her with an attractive new client. For some reason, he also seemed delighted when Darrin had a chance to cheat on Samantha, that's when some of the 'you ol' son of a gun' comments happened.

[TV Knowledge Fan]

...it seems to me that, after the pilot episode was produced, either Danny Arnold or Bill Asher decided that Darrin's boss should have a somewhat regular presence in the episodes. Maybe it was because of David White, but once he appeared on screen, there'd be no question that Larry Tate would have an integral part in virtually every story. Now, nobody likes to have an employer as grasping, cheating, money-grubbing, arrogant and toadying (to the clients) as Larry. But that was part of the fun!! We KNOW how Larry is going to react to some ridiculous situation, or when he's going to browbeat Darrin into coddling the next big client into McMann & Tate's fold, or force himself into another unexpected dinner with the client, at the house...or fire Darrin
once more, and eventually force himself into hiring him right back again. That such an "unappetizing" boss could be so "lovable" is a testament to White's acting abilities. Larry Tate really isn't a "bad" person, he's just an "impossible" one...and not that hard to like.

[Mikado]

To me, Larry Tate was a rehash of Dagwood's Boss Julius Ceasar Dithers, from the comic strip Blondie! ( Think about it )

[queenFrostine278]

yes i agree. i think he's a jerk and a very boring character to watch. darrin's office scenes are my least favorite; i consistently find myself either yawning or fast forwarding through them.

[Katya]

Originally Posted by TV Knowledge Fan

...it seems to me that, after the pilot episode was produced, either Danny Arnold or Bill Asher decided that Darrin's boss should have a somewhat regular presence in the episodes. Maybe it was because of David White, but once he appeared on screen, there'd be no question that Larry Tate would have an integral part in virtually every story. Now, nobody likes to have an employer as grasping, cheating, money-grubbing, arrogant and toadying (to the clients) as Larry. But that was part of the fun!! We KNOW how Larry is going to react to some ridiculous situation, or when he's going to browbeat Darrin into coddling the next big client into McMann & Tate's fold, or force himself into another unexpected dinner with the client, at the house...or fire Darrin
once more, and eventually force himself into hiring him right back again. That such an "unappetizing" boss could be so "lovable" is a testament to White's acting abilities. Larry Tate really isn't a "bad" person, he's just an "impossible" one...and not that hard to like.

I agree Larry was the needed mortal foil on the show for Darrian-he also made Darrian look good.I think many have a love/hate thing about Larry at least I think that was how the character was supposed to be.

[EmpressDR]

I just watched my $1 DVDs of the Lucy Show, and an early Marilyn Monroe movie where she had a bit as a secretary ( Hometown Story, also starring Alan Hale Jr --the Skipper! ). Old TV shows and films had quaint notions of boss/employee and the workplace. Lucy always wanted to goof off --you wondered why Mr Mooney didn't just fire her? She deserved to be fired for being such a goldbrick? Or Darrin putting up with Larry Tate. Or in the film, Alan Hale's character eyeballing sexy secretary Monroe --but also his costar, Jeffrey Lynn's newspaper-editor character who ranted about greedy businessmen and their stockholders actually making PROFITS! O! The shame!

These days, you won't likely see characters deliberately goofing off, or trying to get off work, unless it's a temp job --if it's their living, the storyline tends to reflect reality more --in that it's hard to get work, and you are grateful to have a job! Hilarious mishaps can occur, but not due to laziness.

[catlover79]

I agree with all that has been said about Larry. He WAS a pushy, ovverbearing boss (probably the pushiest in sitcom history) and it's a testament to David White's acting ability that he was still able to make Larry likeable. My favorite scene: when Larry learns he's to be a father for the first time ("...And Something Makes Three", Season 1).

[snelson]

Originally Posted by catlover79

I agree with all that has been said about Larry. He WAS a pushy, ovverbearing boss (probably the pushiest in sitcom history) and it's a testament to David White's acting ability that he was still able to make Larry likeable. My favorite scene: when Larry learns he's to be a father for the first time ("...And Something Makes Three", Season 1).

he was very stubborn and very greedy. every time he looses an account he fires darius i mean darrin then changes his money i often wonder why louise never slapped him in the face. all he cared about was money.

[Dusty's Fan]

Even though his wife was 20 years younger and hot, he always seeemed ready to cheat on her with an attractive new client.

Here are the dates of birth for Larry and the Louises:

David White: April 4, 1916

Irene Vernon: January 16, 1922

Kasey Rogers: December 15, 1925

So we see that David was less than 10 years older than the women who played Louise!

[AB]

There were times when I really didn't like him too well but he was an asset to the show.

[hch]

He was an ASSET, all right!

[BensonFan]

Originally Posted by catlover79

I agree with all that has been said about Larry. He WAS a pushy, ovverbearing boss (probably the pushiest in sitcom history) and it's a testament to David White's acting ability that he was still able to make Larry likeable. My favorite scene: when Larry learns he's to be a father for the first time ("...And Something Makes Three", Season 1).

Very true....he had some really funny moments. Like the whole "sobriety test" scene when he tells Darrin & Sam to pick any straight line and he'll walk it. Then Darrin says, "Why don't you walk from where you spilled your drink to where you burned the table?"