The Butcher Looms Large

At work this morning, we began a work-related discussion that ended with us wondering who played Sam the butcher on The Brady Bunch. I’m sure my sister could tell me off the top of her head, but we had to look it up on IMDB. Turns out his name is Allan Melvin. He was born in 1922 and is still alive, though it seems he retired in 1994. He made a ton of appearances on All In the Family and Archie Bunker’s Place, as well as being a recurring player on The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Andy Griffith Show, and played Cpl. Henshaw on The Phil Silvers Show. Plus a lot of voice work for animation. He’s had a hell of a career.

But you know, I remember him best as Sam the Butcher. That’s not just a character he played, to me and my cohort. That’s who he is. I didn’t realize his character even had a last name (Franklin). He’s just Sam the Butcher, and if I see him on a Dick Van Dyke episode, I’ll say “Hey, it’s Sam!”

But IMDB revealed something else, even more interesting to me than his long career: Sam only appeared on four episodes of The Brady Bunch. That seems completely wrong to me. In my memory, his character has a much greater presence than that. (Jim the Bastard suggests that he was probably mentioned a lot more than he was seen; he’s probably right.) He is, after all, the reason why I conflated the definitions of “butcher” and “bachelor” when I was a kid. “A single guy who sells cuts of meat.”

So here’s to you, Sam. You’re a giant among recurring sitcom characters. In only four appearances, you fleshed out the Brady’s world, and sabotaged my dating technique for years. (“Lamb shanks? I thought we were going out for dinner...?”)

Rob