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12-28-2005, 07:40 AM
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Michael Vale; rose to make the doughnuts
By Globe Staff | December 28, 2005
Michael Vale, an actor who turned a bleary-eyed baker into an American advertising icon for Dunkin' Donuts, died Saturday in New York City. He was 83.
Mr. Vale died of complications from diabetes, his family said.
As ''Fred the Baker," Mr. Vale, a veteran of the Broadway stage, became one of television's most enduring and endearing pitchmen.
When Mr. Vale shot his first ''Time to make the doughnuts" commercial in 1982, advertising and company executives had no plans for making it the start of a long-running campaign.
But something in Mr. Vale's delivery and demeanor resonated.
''Everybody relates to him," Ron Berger, who worked on the ads, told the Globe in 1997.
After about 200 more commercials and a decade and a half, Mr. Vale hung up his apron in 1997. Although Dunkin' Donuts had shifted its marketing to focus on younger customers, the decision to ''retire" its beloved baker did not come easily.
The Canton, MA-based firm surveyed customers to determine the reaction to <ORG idsrc="NASDAQ" value="FRED">Fred's</ORG> possible departure. Customers said Fred could leave -- if he were treated like an honored friend and employee. So Dunkin' Donuts devised an official ''retirement" celebration for him, including a Boston parade and free doughnuts for about 6 million customers on Sept. 22, 1997.
Growing up in Brooklyn, Mr. Vale was dubbed ''the actor" by pals because of his ability to imitate ballplayers and celebrities. He studied at the Dramatic Workshop at The New School in New York.
He made his Broadway debut in ''The Egg." His most successful Broadway role was as Harold the hypochondriac doctor in ''The Impossible Years," which opened in 1965 and ran for two years.
Mr. Vale appeared in several TV series, including ''Car 54, Where Are You?" and ''The Cosby Show." On the big screen, he was a cabdriver in ''A Hatful of Rain" in 1957 and a jewelry salesman in ''Marathon Man" in 1976.
Mr. Vale leaves his wife, Nancy; a daughter, Ivy Vale Reil of New York, a son, Tracy of Los Angeles; and a granddaughter.
Dunkin' Donuts, which now has more than 6,000 outlets worldwide, had its beginnings in a defunct awning store in Quincy in 1950. Its founder, William Rosenberg, wrote a memoir on his experience. He titled it ''Time to Make the Donuts."
Material from the Los Angeles Times was used in this obituary. http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/File-Based_Image_Resource/dingbat_story_end_icon.gif
Michael Vale; rose to make the doughnuts
By Globe Staff | December 28, 2005
Michael Vale, an actor who turned a bleary-eyed baker into an American advertising icon for Dunkin' Donuts, died Saturday in New York City. He was 83.
Mr. Vale died of complications from diabetes, his family said.
As ''Fred the Baker," Mr. Vale, a veteran of the Broadway stage, became one of television's most enduring and endearing pitchmen.
When Mr. Vale shot his first ''Time to make the doughnuts" commercial in 1982, advertising and company executives had no plans for making it the start of a long-running campaign.
But something in Mr. Vale's delivery and demeanor resonated.
''Everybody relates to him," Ron Berger, who worked on the ads, told the Globe in 1997.
After about 200 more commercials and a decade and a half, Mr. Vale hung up his apron in 1997. Although Dunkin' Donuts had shifted its marketing to focus on younger customers, the decision to ''retire" its beloved baker did not come easily.
The Canton, MA-based firm surveyed customers to determine the reaction to <ORG idsrc="NASDAQ" value="FRED">Fred's</ORG> possible departure. Customers said Fred could leave -- if he were treated like an honored friend and employee. So Dunkin' Donuts devised an official ''retirement" celebration for him, including a Boston parade and free doughnuts for about 6 million customers on Sept. 22, 1997.
Growing up in Brooklyn, Mr. Vale was dubbed ''the actor" by pals because of his ability to imitate ballplayers and celebrities. He studied at the Dramatic Workshop at The New School in New York.
He made his Broadway debut in ''The Egg." His most successful Broadway role was as Harold the hypochondriac doctor in ''The Impossible Years," which opened in 1965 and ran for two years.
Mr. Vale appeared in several TV series, including ''Car 54, Where Are You?" and ''The Cosby Show." On the big screen, he was a cabdriver in ''A Hatful of Rain" in 1957 and a jewelry salesman in ''Marathon Man" in 1976.
Mr. Vale leaves his wife, Nancy; a daughter, Ivy Vale Reil of New York, a son, Tracy of Los Angeles; and a granddaughter.
Dunkin' Donuts, which now has more than 6,000 outlets worldwide, had its beginnings in a defunct awning store in Quincy in 1950. Its founder, William Rosenberg, wrote a memoir on his experience. He titled it ''Time to Make the Donuts."
Material from the Los Angeles Times was used in this obituary. http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/File-Based_Image_Resource/dingbat_story_end_icon.gif