Bob Einstein, known for his role as Marty Funkhouser on Curb Your Enthusiasm, passed away on January 2, 2019. Einstein also portrayed Larry Middleman on Arrested Development. But to those of us who grew up watching television in the 1970s and 1980s, he will always be Super Dave Osborne.
Einstein’s Super Dave character presented a refreshing and funny take on stunt performers like Evel Knievel. Knievel was all the rage in the late 1960s and early 1970s. And Super Dave’s costume even copied the white outfits with red and blue worn by Knievel during his motorcycle jumps.
While Einstein made Super Dave a goofy character getting slapstick laughs, Einstein’s creation also commented on those of us entranced with watching Evel Knievel. Yes, part of us watched with the hope that Knievel would succeed. But part of us watched because we also hoped to see something go wrong.
For Super Dave, something always did go wrong. His humor inspired other performers. One may trace a short line from Super Dave’s stunts to shows like Jackass. But somehow Super Dave seemed much kinder and gentler, perhaps because he never hurt anyone else. And the “special effects” ensured that we were in on the joke.
After writing for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, Einstein first appeared as Super Dave Osborne in the 1972 TV series, The John Byner Comedy Hour. Super Dave would later appear on other television shows, such as Bizarre (1979-86) and Late Night with David Letterman. And Super Dave would get his own television series in Canada in 1987-1991. The character also starred in his own animated television show and a movie, The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave (2000).
Einstein — who was born in Los Angeles as Stewart Robert Einstein on November 20, 1942 — is the brother of actor-director Albert Brooks. He wrote for other shows and did other wonderful acting jobs throughout his career. But every time I would see him on shows such as Curb Your Enthusiasm, I would always think of him as Super Dave Osborne, the stunt hero I hoped would never die. Rest in peace.