Hey, gang,
I was re-watching the great Woody Allen film, “Radio Days,” which I hadn’t seen in over 25 years.
Okay, as I’m watching the end credits, I see Peter Lombard listed as the host of “The Mr. Abercrombie Program,” a sort of 1940s radio personal advice show version of today’s Dr. Laura Schlessinger.
So, I skimmed back through the dvd, and sure enough, with his deep, resonant voice, there was actor Peter Lombard, best known to loyal DS fans as Oberon, the Leviathan cult member, who, with the lovely Hazar, waylays and brainwashes Barnabas as Mr. B. is making his way on the path between the Old House and Collinwood during the 1897/1795 storyline.
Mr. Lombard appeared in four episodes of DS as the creepy and hooded Oberon, the Leviathan member, who initially advises and directs Barnabas as the temporary leader of the Leviathans.
Mr. Lombard was born in Spokane, Washington in 1935. He had a long career on Broadway as a stage actor, appearing in “Promises, Promises” as Jerry Orbach’s understudy. Mr. Lombard also appeared as Thomas Jefferson in the play, “1776,” along with such other DS alumni as David Ford, Virginia Vestoff and Daniel Keyes.
After retiring from acting, Mr. Lombard and his wife ran an antique store, “The Salvage Barn” on Hudson Street in Manhattan. The Lombards also ran a bed & breakfast in upstate New York, Mr. Lombard died in 2015 and was survived by his wife and two children.
Even though Mr. Lombard appeared in only a few DS episodes, I think that he left a lasting impression with his fine acting and that oh-so-wonderfully eloquent voice of his.
Requiem aeternam, Mr. Lombard.