Lefty MacDuke
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lefty "Helping Hand" MacDuke | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Lefthaus Manfredo Daniele 15 March 1955 |
| Spouse(s) | Jane Fonda (1978-1979) Suzanne Somers (1981-1982) Madonna Louise Ciccone (1984-1986) Christie Brinkley (1986-1987) |
Lefty "Helping Hand" MacDuke (born 15 March 1955) is an anthropomorphic, quadruple-digited left hand best known for his multi-decade spanning groundbreaking promotional work for Hamburger Helper. He helped skyrocket the General Mills brand to national supermarket fame, as well as bring peace and contentment to supper tables across the continent.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early career
Originally named Lefthaus Manfredo Daniele, Lefty was born into the lap of luxury in early 1955, the product of two famous stagehands. His father, Guido Daniele, a prestigious hand shadow master, was popular in the vaudeville circuits throughout the early Twentieth Century. His mother, Aphrodite Von Hausen, was a famous hand model for Swiss skincare giant, Yergens. Throughout his school years, he excelled in all subjects and extracurricular activities - he was captain of the Calligraphy Club, Bass Drum Leader of the marching band, and the star of all Drama Club productions. After graduating high school two years early, he decided to join the Peace Corps to help the underprivileged of the world.
In the late 1960’s, Lefty returned to the United States. Looking for a job, his father used his stage connections to find Lefty a position as an assistant drum tech for the Simon & Garfunkel tour. There he would meet and become close friends with Dwight Corbett, the tour’s promotional manager. When the band broke up in 1970, Lefty and Dwight moved to New York where Dwight took on a position at Ronald & Ronald (now Ronald&Ronald), an advertising agency on Madison Avenue.
Later that year, General Mills came to Ronald & Ronald looking for the perfect way to market their new product – an easy to make, affordable meal solution, targeted to help families tight on money and time. Dwight, convinced that his roommate would be the perfect spokesperson, persuaded Lefty to audition.
In 1971, the first Hamburger Helper commercial aired, launching Hamburger Helper and Lefty into national superstardom.
[edit] An American Icon
Throughout the next two decades, Lefty's popularity skyrocketed. As a regular guest on Johnny Carson, Lefty was paired with a cavalcade of artists such as Jack Nicholson, Heather Locklear, Deborah Harry, and Robert Redford. This notoriety successfully propelled his film career (see Filmography). During filming for one of his early films, An Officer and a Hand, he met his first wife, Jane Fonda. His early marriages never lasted long with the tabloids linking him to other stars of the time such as Ellen Burstyn, Faye Dunaway, and Talia Shire.
As his Hamburger Helper fame skyrocketed, Lefty began to express his vast talent in other outlets, including the recording of three full-length albums and various LP's (See Discography), a spot as a guest drummer during two Rolling Stones concerts, and appeareances in countless spreads shot by photography greats such as Annie Liebowitz and Richard Avedon. His stardom peaked with a special guest appearance as Michael Jackson's glove during the "Thriller" tour, during which he donned a custom-designed ensemble bejeweled by Karl Lagerfeld.
With the rise of media attention, scandal accusations followed. Although none were ever proven, General Mills became uneasy with his lifestyle. A fall was eminent. In the late 1980's, General Mills asked Lefty to retire, under the grounds that he "no longer represented a wholesome family helper," and that his celebrity and status had "consumed him."
[edit] Personal Turmoil
Propelled by the need to remain in the limelight, Lefty took on roles in various B-list films, as well as starring as "Thing" in the Broadway revival of "The Addams Family," which lasted only five months.
In the early 1990’s, disaster struck when he was convinced by a risqué periodical to bare more than the public was ready to handle. The spread unveiled not only his bare hand, but also portions of a previously unrevealed arm. After a media firestorm over the degradation of familial values, Lefty appeared on Larry King Live to combat the frenzy of criticism. When asked what made “the glove come off,” Lefty walked off the set.
His agent quit, and the phone stopped ringing. With the lack of offers, Lefty could no longer afford the manicured upkeep required to be a performing artist. He sold his Malibu estate, and moved into a compound for other retired icons. After a brief and disastrous cameo on VH1’s The Surreal Life in 2003, he was forced to take on various odd jobs such as burger flipper, gas station attendant, carwasher, and oven glove at Ruby Tuesday’s, among others.
In 2004, disgruntled with retirement home life, Lefty convinced other ex-icons Frito Bandito and Grimace to travel with him to third world countries to reinvigorate Lefty’s fight against hunger and poverty. While in Africa, he was introduced to film star Angelina Jolie. In a later interview on Good Morning America in 2008, Lefty spoke of this moment. “It was the realization that my celebrity could be used positively. I continued traveling with Angie around Africa, Asia, and South America to remind myself of all the help this little hand could do.”
[edit] Revival/Current Work
In late 2007, at a hunger benefit involving major US food corporations, Lefty reconnected with Dwight, the newly-promoted head of the creative department at Ronald&Ronald. General Mills, looking to rebrand their Hamburger Helper line, turned to Dwight for guidance, who again found what he was looking for in his old friend.
In 2008, General Mills approached Lefty to reconcile their differences. After long discussions with chief executives and strategists, Lefty was reinstated as the official spokesman of Hamburger Helper. He is currently producing, and starring in, commercials airing nationwide.
[edit] Filmography
- One Hand Forward Two Hands Back (1973)
- One Hand over the Cuckoo's Nest (1974)
- A Hand to Draw With (1974)
- Show Your Hand (1975)
- All Hands on Deck (1975)
- Hand Ho! (1976)
- Hand Me a Watermelon (1978)
- Hands Off My Woman (1980)
- The Hand that Rocks the Cradle *** understudy (1980)
- Hand Wars (1980) (TV)
- An Officer and a Hand (1982)
- A Hand for Me, A Hand for You (1984)
- Hands Overboard (1987)
- Hand She Wrote (1986-87) (3 episodes, TV)
- Do the Right Hand (1988)
- Hands Overboard 2 (1989)
- The Untold Story of Buffalo Hand (1990)
- Hands Overboard 3 (1990)
- Hands Overboard: Just Get out of the Water Already (1991)
- Handwriting for Hands (1991) (TV)
- Breakin' 4: Hands on the Floor (1992) (also associate producer, writer and choreographer)
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
[edit] LP Singles
- Hand, Hand Me Do; 1981; (#6 Austria, #22 Germany, #1 Japan))
- Hard To Handle; 1987; (#38 Italy; #15 Germany)
- Slowhand; 1988
