Deseret News
Monday, July 11, 2011
Former Deseret News artist and stand-up comedian Dick Carter dies at 91
CONCORD, Calif. — Richard Fielding Carter, a decorated World War II flyer and retired Deseret News artist whose late-life career as a stand-up comedian propelled him to appearances on "The Tonight Show," died Saturday at his home in Concord, Calif., of causes incident to age. He was 91.
Mr. Carter enlisted in the Army Air Corp in 1942 and was commissioned a second lieutenant, assigned as co-pilot of a B-24 Liberator flying with the 461st Bomb Group. On Aug. 22, 1944, he was on his 13th mission, bombing underground fuel bunkers near Vienna when his plane was badly damaged by heavy anti-aircraft fire and the entire crew had to bail out over Hungary.
Mr. Carter's parachute snagged in a tree, and he and others crew members were captured, interrogated by the Gestapo and interred at Stalag Luft III in Poland, where British officers earlier had attempted an escape, which was depicted in the 1963 movie, "The Great Escape," starring Steve McQueen. Mr. Carter and other ex-POWs served as advisers during production of the film and were invited to its premier.
As the Russians approached the camp in the winter of 1944, the prisoners were force-marched for three days through the snow to Spremberg, Germany, then sent by rail car to the Moosberg camp, where Mr. Carter recalled filthy conditions, freezing temperatures and little food. The camp was liberated by Gen. George Patton’s 3rd Army in April. Carter's younger brother, Ralph Carter, was a private assigned to Patton's company, and he found Richard among the 130,000 POWs held there.
Mr. Carter was awarded the Air Medal for his service.
After the war, Mr. Carter moved to Salt Lake City, where he worked as an artist for the Deseret News for 33 years. While there, he gathered material for his later work in life, as an author and later as a stand-up comedian. Mr. Carter penned an acerbic view of growing old in a book titled "The Golden Years are a Crock."
He also occasionally wrote columns for the Deseret News that showed his flair as a comedic writer, even when writing about his experience as a war prisoner. "The food we had most was rutabagas — great big things like a cabbage, only I think they were made out of wood. We had to boil them 18 days. You couldn't chew them then, but you could cut them into smaller pieces and cook them some more. I remember we softened them up for cooking by playing soccer with them for about a week."
He retired from the Deseret News in 1981, and at the age of 62, he began promoting his long-labored book — illustrated by fellow Deseret News artist Calvin Grondahl — and found his most receptive audiences at comedy clubs. He moved to Contra Costa County in 1989, living in Walnut Creek and Concord.
Mr. Carter became a regular on the West Coast and Intermountain West comedy club circuit, where he sharpened a routine about the indignities of growing old. It wasn't lost on Mr. Carter, in his last days, that he'd become the punch line to many of his jokes. An example, taken from the Comedy Central website:
"Hearing aids? I don't wear ′em. Six-hundred-fifty bucks for those things — there isn't anything anybody can tell me, that I don't already know, that's worth $650," Carter would say. Depending on the crowd, he might add: "Except maybe that the rabbit died."
Mr. Carter routinely worked in Las Vegas and appeared on bills with such comedic luminaries as Phyllis Diller, Tim Conway and Rich Little. In his 80s, Mr. Carter appeared as a guest on Jay Leno’s "The Tonight Show" in 1993 and 1994.
No funeral is planned.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Former Deseret News artist and stand-up comedian Dick Carter dies at 91
CONCORD, Calif. — Richard Fielding Carter, a decorated World War II flyer and retired Deseret News artist whose late-life career as a stand-up comedian propelled him to appearances on "The Tonight Show," died Saturday at his home in Concord, Calif., of causes incident to age. He was 91.
Mr. Carter enlisted in the Army Air Corp in 1942 and was commissioned a second lieutenant, assigned as co-pilot of a B-24 Liberator flying with the 461st Bomb Group. On Aug. 22, 1944, he was on his 13th mission, bombing underground fuel bunkers near Vienna when his plane was badly damaged by heavy anti-aircraft fire and the entire crew had to bail out over Hungary.
Mr. Carter's parachute snagged in a tree, and he and others crew members were captured, interrogated by the Gestapo and interred at Stalag Luft III in Poland, where British officers earlier had attempted an escape, which was depicted in the 1963 movie, "The Great Escape," starring Steve McQueen. Mr. Carter and other ex-POWs served as advisers during production of the film and were invited to its premier.
As the Russians approached the camp in the winter of 1944, the prisoners were force-marched for three days through the snow to Spremberg, Germany, then sent by rail car to the Moosberg camp, where Mr. Carter recalled filthy conditions, freezing temperatures and little food. The camp was liberated by Gen. George Patton’s 3rd Army in April. Carter's younger brother, Ralph Carter, was a private assigned to Patton's company, and he found Richard among the 130,000 POWs held there.
Mr. Carter was awarded the Air Medal for his service.
After the war, Mr. Carter moved to Salt Lake City, where he worked as an artist for the Deseret News for 33 years. While there, he gathered material for his later work in life, as an author and later as a stand-up comedian. Mr. Carter penned an acerbic view of growing old in a book titled "The Golden Years are a Crock."
He also occasionally wrote columns for the Deseret News that showed his flair as a comedic writer, even when writing about his experience as a war prisoner. "The food we had most was rutabagas — great big things like a cabbage, only I think they were made out of wood. We had to boil them 18 days. You couldn't chew them then, but you could cut them into smaller pieces and cook them some more. I remember we softened them up for cooking by playing soccer with them for about a week."
He retired from the Deseret News in 1981, and at the age of 62, he began promoting his long-labored book — illustrated by fellow Deseret News artist Calvin Grondahl — and found his most receptive audiences at comedy clubs. He moved to Contra Costa County in 1989, living in Walnut Creek and Concord.
Mr. Carter became a regular on the West Coast and Intermountain West comedy club circuit, where he sharpened a routine about the indignities of growing old. It wasn't lost on Mr. Carter, in his last days, that he'd become the punch line to many of his jokes. An example, taken from the Comedy Central website:
"Hearing aids? I don't wear ′em. Six-hundred-fifty bucks for those things — there isn't anything anybody can tell me, that I don't already know, that's worth $650," Carter would say. Depending on the crowd, he might add: "Except maybe that the rabbit died."
Mr. Carter routinely worked in Las Vegas and appeared on bills with such comedic luminaries as Phyllis Diller, Tim Conway and Rich Little. In his 80s, Mr. Carter appeared as a guest on Jay Leno’s "The Tonight Show" in 1993 and 1994.
No funeral is planned.
Deseret News
Monday, July 11, 2011
Former Deseret News artist and stand-up comedian Dick Carter dies at 91
CONCORD, Calif. — Richard Fielding Carter, a decorated World War II flyer and retired Deseret News artist whose late-life career as a stand-up comedian propelled him to appearances on "The Tonight Show," died Saturday at his home in Concord, Calif., of causes incident to age. He was 91.
Mr. Carter enlisted in the Army Air Corp in 1942 and was commissioned a second lieutenant, assigned as co-pilot of a B-24 Liberator flying with the 461st Bomb Group. On Aug. 22, 1944, he was on his 13th mission, bombing underground fuel bunkers near Vienna when his plane was badly damaged by heavy anti-aircraft fire and the entire crew had to bail out over Hungary.
Mr. Carter's parachute snagged in a tree, and he and others crew members were captured, interrogated by the Gestapo and interred at Stalag Luft III in Poland, where British officers earlier had attempted an escape, which was depicted in the 1963 movie, "The Great Escape," starring Steve McQueen. Mr. Carter and other ex-POWs served as advisers during production of the film and were invited to its premier.
As the Russians approached the camp in the winter of 1944, the prisoners were force-marched for three days through the snow to Spremberg, Germany, then sent by rail car to the Moosberg camp, where Mr. Carter recalled filthy conditions, freezing temperatures and little food. The camp was liberated by Gen. George Patton’s 3rd Army in April. Carter's younger brother, Ralph Carter, was a private assigned to Patton's company, and he found Richard among the 130,000 POWs held there.
Mr. Carter was awarded the Air Medal for his service.
After the war, Mr. Carter moved to Salt Lake City, where he worked as an artist for the Deseret News for 33 years. While there, he gathered material for his later work in life, as an author and later as a stand-up comedian. Mr. Carter penned an acerbic view of growing old in a book titled "The Golden Years are a Crock."
He also occasionally wrote columns for the Deseret News that showed his flair as a comedic writer, even when writing about his experience as a war prisoner. "The food we had most was rutabagas — great big things like a cabbage, only I think they were made out of wood. We had to boil them 18 days. You couldn't chew them then, but you could cut them into smaller pieces and cook them some more. I remember we softened them up for cooking by playing soccer with them for about a week."
He retired from the Deseret News in 1981, and at the age of 62, he began promoting his long-labored book — illustrated by fellow Deseret News artist Calvin Grondahl — and found his most receptive audiences at comedy clubs. He moved to Contra Costa County in 1989, living in Walnut Creek and Concord.
Mr. Carter became a regular on the West Coast and Intermountain West comedy club circuit, where he sharpened a routine about the indignities of growing old. It wasn't lost on Mr. Carter, in his last days, that he'd become the punch line to many of his jokes. An example, taken from the Comedy Central website:
"Hearing aids? I don't wear ′em. Six-hundred-fifty bucks for those things — there isn't anything anybody can tell me, that I don't already know, that's worth $650," Carter would say. Depending on the crowd, he might add: "Except maybe that the rabbit died."
Mr. Carter routinely worked in Las Vegas and appeared on bills with such comedic luminaries as Phyllis Diller, Tim Conway and Rich Little. In his 80s, Mr. Carter appeared as a guest on Jay Leno’s "The Tonight Show" in 1993 and 1994.
No funeral is planned.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Former Deseret News artist and stand-up comedian Dick Carter dies at 91
CONCORD, Calif. — Richard Fielding Carter, a decorated World War II flyer and retired Deseret News artist whose late-life career as a stand-up comedian propelled him to appearances on "The Tonight Show," died Saturday at his home in Concord, Calif., of causes incident to age. He was 91.
Mr. Carter enlisted in the Army Air Corp in 1942 and was commissioned a second lieutenant, assigned as co-pilot of a B-24 Liberator flying with the 461st Bomb Group. On Aug. 22, 1944, he was on his 13th mission, bombing underground fuel bunkers near Vienna when his plane was badly damaged by heavy anti-aircraft fire and the entire crew had to bail out over Hungary.
Mr. Carter's parachute snagged in a tree, and he and others crew members were captured, interrogated by the Gestapo and interred at Stalag Luft III in Poland, where British officers earlier had attempted an escape, which was depicted in the 1963 movie, "The Great Escape," starring Steve McQueen. Mr. Carter and other ex-POWs served as advisers during production of the film and were invited to its premier.
As the Russians approached the camp in the winter of 1944, the prisoners were force-marched for three days through the snow to Spremberg, Germany, then sent by rail car to the Moosberg camp, where Mr. Carter recalled filthy conditions, freezing temperatures and little food. The camp was liberated by Gen. George Patton’s 3rd Army in April. Carter's younger brother, Ralph Carter, was a private assigned to Patton's company, and he found Richard among the 130,000 POWs held there.
Mr. Carter was awarded the Air Medal for his service.
After the war, Mr. Carter moved to Salt Lake City, where he worked as an artist for the Deseret News for 33 years. While there, he gathered material for his later work in life, as an author and later as a stand-up comedian. Mr. Carter penned an acerbic view of growing old in a book titled "The Golden Years are a Crock."
He also occasionally wrote columns for the Deseret News that showed his flair as a comedic writer, even when writing about his experience as a war prisoner. "The food we had most was rutabagas — great big things like a cabbage, only I think they were made out of wood. We had to boil them 18 days. You couldn't chew them then, but you could cut them into smaller pieces and cook them some more. I remember we softened them up for cooking by playing soccer with them for about a week."
He retired from the Deseret News in 1981, and at the age of 62, he began promoting his long-labored book — illustrated by fellow Deseret News artist Calvin Grondahl — and found his most receptive audiences at comedy clubs. He moved to Contra Costa County in 1989, living in Walnut Creek and Concord.
Mr. Carter became a regular on the West Coast and Intermountain West comedy club circuit, where he sharpened a routine about the indignities of growing old. It wasn't lost on Mr. Carter, in his last days, that he'd become the punch line to many of his jokes. An example, taken from the Comedy Central website:
"Hearing aids? I don't wear ′em. Six-hundred-fifty bucks for those things — there isn't anything anybody can tell me, that I don't already know, that's worth $650," Carter would say. Depending on the crowd, he might add: "Except maybe that the rabbit died."
Mr. Carter routinely worked in Las Vegas and appeared on bills with such comedic luminaries as Phyllis Diller, Tim Conway and Rich Little. In his 80s, Mr. Carter appeared as a guest on Jay Leno’s "The Tonight Show" in 1993 and 1994.
No funeral is planned.
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