Jerry Houser makes his living these days as a voice-over artist, but in the early 1970's it looked like he was well on his way to becoming a well-known actor. As the best friend Oscy in the successful Summer of '42 and it's follow up Class of '44, Jerry Houser's face became instantly recognizable, if not his name.
Movies in the 1970's were not made for teenagers. Even though the humor in those films came from the things teenage boys said and did, the movies back then, even the coming-of-age ones, were made for adults. They were smart and not full of gross-out gags like today's films.
Had Jerry Houser been born ten years later, I believe that he might have become more well known and he would have fit nicely into movies like Porky's or American Pie. However, those types of comedies weren't being made in the early 1970's making Houser an actor ahead of his time. And even though he had a nice supporting role in the Paul Newman hockey film, Slap Shot, I'm not convinced that Hollywood knew what to do with his talents at the time.
Due to the popularity of Summer of '42, I would always spot him when he would guest star on the numerous television shows of his generation. And found it quite funny when his character ended up married to Marcia Brady in the Brady Girls Get Married television special.
I always enjoyed the work of Jerry Houser and was pleasantly surprised whenever he would pop up on television or in a bit part in a film. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he will do it again some day.
Had Jerry Houser been born ten years later, I believe that he might have become more well known and he would have fit nicely into movies like Porky's or American Pie. However, those types of comedies weren't being made in the early 1970's making Houser an actor ahead of his time. And even though he had a nice supporting role in the Paul Newman hockey film, Slap Shot, I'm not convinced that Hollywood knew what to do with his talents at the time.
Due to the popularity of Summer of '42, I would always spot him when he would guest star on the numerous television shows of his generation. And found it quite funny when his character ended up married to Marcia Brady in the Brady Girls Get Married television special.
I always enjoyed the work of Jerry Houser and was pleasantly surprised whenever he would pop up on television or in a bit part in a film. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he will do it again some day.
