Jack Gilford

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Use American English Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters".Template:Wikidata image

Jack Gilford (born Jacob Aaron Gellman; July 25, 1908 – June 4, 1990)[1] was an American Broadway, film, and television actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Save the Tiger (1973).

Early life

Gilford was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the second of three sons of Romanian-born Jewish immigrants Sophie "Susksa" (née Jackness), who owned a restaurant, and Aaron Gellman, a furrier.[2] He had an older brother, Murray ("Moisha"), and a younger brother, Nathaniel ("Natie"), and grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Career

Gilford was discovered working in a pharmacy by Milton Berle, who became his mentor. While working in amateur theater, he competed with other talented youngsters, including a young Jackie Gleason. He started doing imitations and impersonations. His first appearance on film was a short entitled Midnight Melodies in which he did his imitations of George Jessel, Rudy Vallee and Harry Langdon. Gilford developed some unique impressions that became his trademarks — most notably, one of "split pea soup coming to a furious boil" using only his face. Other unusual impressions he created were a fluorescent light going on in a dark room, John D. Rockefeller Sr. imitating Jimmy Durante, and impressions of animals.[3]Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

In 1938, Gilford worked as the master of ceremonies in the first downtown New York integrated nightclub, Café Society, which was owned and operated by Barney Josephson. His was a unique blend of the earlier style of the Yiddish theater, vaudeville and burlesque, and started the tradition of monology such as later comedians Lenny Bruce and Woody Allen used. He won numerous industry awards. Gilford became known for his roles on the Broadway stage, such as Drink To Me Only, Romanoff and Juliet, and The Diary of Anne Frank.

Gilford's career was derailed for a time during the 1950s and McCarthyism. He was an activist who campaigned for social change, integration, and labor unions. He was quite active both socially and politically in left-wing causes, as was his wife, Madeline Lee.[4] In 1953 Gilford and Lee were called to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) regarding their alleged Communist sympathies, after being specifically named by choreographer Jerome Robbins in his own testimony to the committee.[4][5] The couple had difficulty finding work during much of the rest of the 1950s due to the Hollywood blacklist, and often had to borrow money from friends to make ends meet.

Gilford found work towards the end of the 1950s and during the early 1960s with the end of the McCarthy era. He made his comeback as Hysterium in the 1962 Broadway musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He co-starred in the play with his close friend, Zero Mostel, who was also blacklisted during the McCarthy era. This production was also choreographed by Jerome Robbins, who had previously testified before the House Committee in 1953.[5]

One of Gilford's specialties was pantomime, and this talent was put to good use by director George Abbott when he cast Gilford as the silent King Sextimus in Once Upon a Mattress (Off-Broadway, 1959). Gilford shared the stage with a young Carol Burnett in this production, and reprised his performance with her in two separate televised versions of the show in 1964 and in 1972.[6]

Gilford was nominated for several Tony Awards, including for best supporting actor as Hysterium in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1963), and for his role as Herr Schultz in Cabaret (1966). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in (1973) for his role as Phil Green in Save the Tiger (his co-star Jack Lemmon won for Best Actor). Sir Rudolf Bing engaged Gilford for the comic speaking role of the tippling jailer Frosch in the operetta Die Fledermaus.[7] Beloved in the part, Gilford performed it 77 times between 1950 and 1964.[8]

He appeared in a series of television commercials for Cracker Jack in the 1960s, and enjoyed success in films, including a notable role in Cocoon (1985).[5]

Personal life

Gilford met actress (and later producer) Madeline Lee at progressive political meetings and events during the late 1940s. Gilford entertained at many of these events, some of them produced by Lee.[4] She was married at the time and divorced her first husband soon after meeting Gilford.[5] The couple married in 1949,[4] remaining together for 40 years until his death in 1990. They raised three children: Lisa Gilford, a producer (from Lee's previous marriage); Joe Gilford, a screenwriter, playwright, and stage director; and Sam Max Gilford, an artist and archivist.[1]

Death

Following a year-long battle with stomach cancer, Gilford died in his Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, home in 1990 at age 81.[9] His wife, Madeline Lee Gilford, died on April 15, 2008, from undisclosed causes.[4] Gilford is buried in the Yiddish theater section of Flushing, New York's, Mount Hebron Cemetery.[10]

Biographical play Finks

In July 2008, Josh Radnor and Jennifer Westfeldt starred in the premiere of the play Finks, based on the Gilfords' experiences with HUAC and the Hollywood blacklist, written by Joe Gilford (their son), and directed by Charlie Stratton for stage and film.[11] The play was produced Off-Broadway at New York's Ensemble Studio Theatre in April 2013.

The New York Times called it a "bracing play" that "quickly leaves you not caring that you've visited the territory before."[12] Finks was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, with Miriam Silverman[13] nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Play.[14]

Broadway stage appearances

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1944 Hey, Rookie Specialty
1944 Reckless Age Joey Bagle
1959 The World of Sholem Aleichem Bontshe Shveig
1963 Cowboy and the Tiger Tiger
1963 Car 54, Where Are You? Officer Luther Snitkin Episode: "The Curse of the Snitkins"
1964 Once Upon a Mattress King Sextimus
1966 The Daydreamer Papa Andersen
1966 T.H.E. Cat Drummer Episode: "Little Arnie From Long Ago"
1966 Mister Buddwing Mr. Schwartz
1966 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Hysterium
1967 Enter Laughing Mr. Foreman
1967 Who's Minding the Mint? Avery Dugan
1967 The Incident Sam Beckerman
1968 The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Uncle Arnold
1969 Arsenic and Old Lace Dr. Herman Salk
1969 Here's Lucy Driving Examiner
1969 Get Smart Simon the Likeable
1970 Catch-22 "Doc" Daneeka
1971 They Might Be Giants Wilbur Peabody
1972 Of Thee I Sing Vice President Throttlebottom
1972 Once Upon a Mattress King Sextimus
1973 Save the Tiger Phil Greene
1975 Tubby the Tuba The Herald (voice)
1976 Rhoda Billy Glass
1976 Max Max Short
1976 Harry and Walter Go to New York Mischa
1976 All in the Family Bernard Bernstein
1977 Seventh Avenue Finklestein
1977 A Doonesbury Special Referee (voice)
1978 Apple Pie Grandpa Hollyhock
1979–1981 Taxi Joe Rieger 2 episodes
1979 Soap Saul
1980 Cheaper to Keep Her Stanley Bracken
1980 Wholly Moses! Tailor
1981 Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood Wally
1981 Caveman Gog
1981–1982 The Love Boat Fingers / Horace Bascons 2 episodes
1983 Anna to the Infinite Power Dr. Henry Jelliff
1983 Happy Bernie Nelson
1983 Mama's Family Alvin Thompson
1984 The Duck Factory[16] Brooks Carmichael
1985 Cocoon Bernie Lefkowitz
1985 Hostage Flight Mr. Singer
1985 Night Court Marty Ratner Episode: "An Old Flame"
1986 Young Again The Angel
1988 Arthur 2: On the Rocks Mr. Butterworth
1988 Cocoon: The Return Bernie Lefkowitz
1988 The Golden Girls Max Weinstock
1989 Head of the Class Wesley Winthrop

Partial discography

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Template:Refh
1973 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Save the Tiger Nominated [17]
1979 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Individual Achievement in Children's Programming Big Blue Marble (Episode: "Hello in There")Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Won
1973 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Save the Tiger Nominated [18]
1963 Grammy Awards Best Recording for Children Winnie-the-Pooh Nominated [19]
1989 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series The Golden Girls (Episode: "Sophia's Wedding: Parts 1 & 2")Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Nominated [20]
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Thirtysomething (Episode: "The Mike Van Dyke Show")Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Nominated
1988 Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actor Cocoon: The Return Nominated
1963 Tony Awards Best Supporting or Featured Actor in a Musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Nominated [21]
1967 Best Leading Actor in a Musical Cabaret Nominated [22]

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Archived at GhostarchiveTemplate:Cbignore and the Wayback MachineTemplate:Cbignore: Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".Template:Cbignore
  4. ↑ a b c d e Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".
  5. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Mandelbaum, Ken (January 6, 2006). "DVDs: Many Moons Ago". Broadway.com.
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

External links

Template:Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming

Script error: No such module "Authority control".

Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=Jack_Gilford&oldid=5661739"