Hank Garrett

Last updated

Hank Garrett
Hank Garrett circa 1961 to 1963 for his role in Car 54, Where are You%3F.png
Garrett in Car 54, Where are You? , 1961
Born
Henry Greenberg Cohen Sandler Weinblatt

(1931-10-26) October 26, 1931 (age 92)
Harlem, New York City
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • author
  • speaker
  • teacher
  • mixed martial artist
  • professional wrestler
Years active1958–2018
Spouses
Agnes Deangelis
​
​
(m. 1963;div. 1979)​
Linda Slessinger
​
​
(m. 1982;died 2008)​
Deanna Marie Smith
​
(m. 2017)​
Parent(s)Ida and Sam Greenberg
Website hankgarrett.biz

Hank Garrett (born Henry Greenberg Cohen Sandler Weinblatt; October 26, 1931) is an American actor, comedian, author, speaker, teacher, mixed martial artist and retired professional wrestler [1] best known for the television role of Officer Nicholson on Car 54, Where Are You? [2] [3]

Contents

Early life and career

Garrett was born in Harlem, New York City, to Sam and Ida Greenberg, both Jewish Russian immigrants. His birth certificate lists his name as Henry Greenberg Cohen Sandler Weinblatt. [4] Garrett began powerlifting, bodybuilding and karate as a means of self-protection in a rough neighborhood, starting at age 13. He was the 1958 winner of the Junior Olympic Powerlifting competition. [5] This led to an extended stint (1957-66) in professional wrestling under the name of The Minnesota Farm Boy. [6]

His mother was worried that he was on a path toward delinquency and had Willie Bryant and Sammy Davis Jr. talk to him, and they got him a job as a "band boy". He would set up the music stands for a band at shows, he was paid $50 for his first day of work. He later worked at the club owned by Larry Storch. [5]

After several years in pro wrestling, Garrett turned to comedy and performed a regular routine in the Borscht Belt, using anecdotes from his childhood years in Harlem. [7] [ failed verification ]

Television career

As well as his regular role on Car 54, Where are You? , [8] Garrett has acted in a number of television productions [9] [10] including episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard , Knots Landing , Max Headroom , Santa Barbara , Three's Company , Airwolf , Knight Rider , Columbo , Dragnet , Kojak , and Alien Nation . Garrett is also known for his voiceover work on Garfield and GI Joe .

Film career

Among Garrett's film credits are notable roles in Serpico , Three Days of the Condor , [11] Death Wish , and The Sentinel . Garrett tends to be cast as the "heavy" in many roles. [12]

He played the hitman disguised as a postman in Three Days of the Condor. [13] During the filming, a tell was needed so that the Redford character would know that Garrett was not a real postman, and Redford thought of the idea to have Garrett wear his shoes. During the filming of the fight scene, Garrett broke Redford's nose. [5] Garrett won the New York Film Critics’ Award for that role. [14]

Personal life

Garrett has been married three times. His first wife was Agnes Deangelis (1963-1979), his second was Linda DeBlasio (1982-2008) and his third is Deanna Marie Smith (since July 23, 2017). [15] [16] He has two sons.[ citation needed ]

Garrett was active in philanthropic causes, and is on the Screen Actors Guild board. He lives in the San Fernando Valley and was last working on producing a one-man show. [17] [18] [19]

Awards

Garrett has also been recognized as an actor with a New York Film Critics' Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award, among other awards. In June 2009, he was inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame. [6] [20] He was also inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame. [14]

Selected filmography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Greenberg</span> American baseball player (1911–1986)

Henry Benjamin Greenberg, nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", and "the Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the Detroit Tigers as a first baseman in the 1930s and 1940s. A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and a two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award winner, he was one of the premier power hitters of his generation and is widely considered one of the greatest sluggers in baseball history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Redford</span> American actor and filmmaker (born 1936)

Charles Robert Redford Jr. is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1996, the Academy Honorary Award in 2002, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2005, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, and the Honorary César in 2019. He was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John G. Avildsen</span> American film director (1935–2017)

John Guilbert Avildsen was an American film director. He is best known for directing Rocky (1976), which earned him the Academy Award for Best Director. He is also renowned for directing the first three films in The Karate Kid franchise (1984–1989). Other films he directed include Joe (1970), Save the Tiger (1973), The Formula (1980), Neighbors (1981), Lean on Me (1989), Rocky V (1990), 8 Seconds (1994), and Inferno (1999).

<i>Serpico</i> 1973 biographical-crime film by Sidney Lumet

Serpico is a 1973 American biographical crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino in the title role. The screenplay was adapted by Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler from the book of the same name written by Peter Maas with the assistance of its subject, Frank Serpico. The story details Serpico's struggle with corruption within the New York City Police Department during his eleven years of service, and his work as a whistleblower that led to the investigation by the Knapp Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Conti</span> American composer and conductor

William Conti is an American composer and conductor, best known for his film scores, including Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky V (1990), Rocky Balboa (2006), The Karate Kid I (1984), The Karate Kid, Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), The Next Karate Kid (1994), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Dynasty, and The Right Stuff (1983), which earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Score. He also received nominations in the Best Original Song category for "Gonna Fly Now" from Rocky and for the title song of For Your Eyes Only. He was the musical director at the Academy Awards a record nineteen times.

<i>Three Days of the Condor</i> 1975 film by Sydney Pollack

Three Days of the Condor is a 1975 American political thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, and Max von Sydow. The screenplay by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel was based on the 1974 novel Six Days of the Condor by James Grady.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vincent J. McMahon</span> American professional wrestling promoter (1914–1984)

Vincent James McMahon, also referred to as Vince McMahon Sr., was an American professional wrestling promoter. He is best known for running the Capitol Wrestling Corporation, later known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation and the World Wrestling Federation. His father Jess McMahon and his son Vince McMahon were also professional wrestling promoters.

<i>Billy Madison</i> 1995 film by Tamra Davis

Billy Madison is a 1995 American comedy film directed by Tamra Davis. It stars Adam Sandler in the title role, Bradley Whitford, Bridgette Wilson, Norm Macdonald, Darren McGavin, Mark Beltzman, and Larry Hankin. The film was written by Sandler and Tim Herlihy and produced by Robert Simonds, and was Macdonald's feature film debut. It made around $26.4 million worldwide and debuted at number one at the box office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Allen (baseball)</span> American baseball player (1904-1959)

John Thomas Allen was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB), who played for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Dodgers, and New York Giants.

<i>Car 54, Where Are You?</i> American television series 1961–63

Car 54, Where Are You? is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1961 to April 1963. Filmed in black and white, the series starred Joe E. Ross as Gunther Toody and Fred Gwynne as Francis Muldoon, two mismatched New York City police officers who patrol the fictional 53rd precinct in The Bronx. Car 54 was their patrol car.

<i>The Electric Horseman</i> 1979 film by Sydney Pollack

The Electric Horseman is a 1979 American western comedy-drama film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda and directed by Sydney Pollack. The film is about a former rodeo champion who is hired by a cereal company to become its spokesperson and then runs away on a $12 million electric-lit horse and costume he is given to promote it in Las Vegas after he finds that the horse has been abused.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Maivia</span> Samoan-American professional wrestler (1937–1982)

Fanene Leifi Pita Maivia, better known as Peter Maivia, was a Samoan-American professional wrestler, actor and stunt coordinator. Maivia was the grandfather of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson via adoption, and was also part of the famous Anoaʻi family via blood brother pact. He was also the promoter of the National Wrestling Alliance member Polynesian Pro Wrestling in Hawaii.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe E. Ross</span> American actor

Joe E. Ross was an American actor known for his trademark "Ooh! Ooh!" exclamation, which he used in many of his roles. He starred in such TV sitcoms as The Phil Silvers Show and Car 54, Where Are You?.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryan Greenberg</span> American actor and musician

Bryan Greenberg is an American actor. He is known for his starring role as Ben Epstein in the HBO original series How to Make It in America as well as a recurring role in The Mindy Project. He also had a recurring role as Jake Jagielski in the WB series One Tree Hill and as Nick Garrett on the short-lived ABC drama October Road. His film work includes The Perfect Score, Prime, Bride Wars, and Friends with Benefits. He made his directorial debut with his film Junction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Kazmaier</span> American strongman

William Kazmaier is an American former world champion powerlifter, world champion strongman and professional wrestler. During the 1970s and 1980s, he set numerous powerlifting and strongman world records, and won two International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Championships and three World's Strongest Man titles. In the 1980s, Kazmaier became famous for his claim to be "the strongest man who ever lived" by equaling and surpassing spectacular and versatile feats of strength of famous strongmen of the 20th century. He is widely considered to be one of the all-time greatest competitors in strength competitions and was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.

<i>The Hot Rock</i> (film) 1972 film by Peter Yates

The Hot Rock is a 1972 American crime comedy-drama film directed by Peter Yates and written by William Goldman, based on Donald E. Westlake's 1970 novel of the same name, which introduced his long-running John Dortmunder character. The film stars Robert Redford, George Segal, Ron Leibman, Paul Sand, Moses Gunn and Zero Mostel. It was released in the UK with the alternative title How to Steal a Diamond in Four Uneasy Lessons.

<i>The Super Cops</i> 1974 film by Gordon Parks

The Super Cops is a 1974 action adventure film directed by Gordon Parks and starring Ron Leibman and David Selby. The film is based on the book The Super Cops: The True Story of the Cops Called Batman and Robin by L. H. Whittemore. The film was released a few months after the successful cop movie Serpico.

<i>The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg</i> 1998 American film

The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg is a 1998 documentary film written, directed, and produced by Aviva Kempner about Hank Greenberg, first baseman of the Detroit Tigers, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. A Jewish player who chose not to play on Yom Kippur in 1934 during a heated pennant race, Greenberg had to face a great deal of antisemitism. In 1938 he nearly broke Babe Ruth's 60 home run record by hitting 58 home runs.

Jack Kehoe was an American film actor appearing in a wide variety of films, including the crime dramas Serpico (1973), The Sting (1973), The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984) and Brian De Palma's The Untouchables (1987), as well as the cult favorites Car Wash (1976) and Midnight Run (1988), the popular western Young Guns II (1990), and On the Nickel (1980).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Henderson (actor)</span> American actor (1915–2004)

Albert Horton Henderson was an American actor. He was born in New York City and died in Los Angeles.

References

  1. ↑ "Theater Reviews: Festen, Just Imagine, Never Land, Save Gertrude". Theater Critics. L.A. Weekly . October 14, 2009. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015.
  2. ↑ "the star of "Car 54 Where are you?" TALKS TO RETROCRUSH" Archived December 28, 2014, at the Wayback Machine . RetroCrush.
  3. ↑ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. pp. 220–. ISBN   978-0-307-48320-1.
  4. ↑ "Hank Garrett Welcomes YOU!". hankgarrett.net. Archived from the original on August 8, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 Gilbert Gotfried and Frank Santopadre (August 29, 2016). "Hank Garrett". Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast (Podcast). Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Oliver, Greg. "Savage, Orndroff, Graham top 2009 PWHF induction list". SLAM! Wrestling . Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. ↑ Everitt, David (2001). King of the Half Hour: Nat Hiken and the Golden Age of TV Comedy. Syracuse University Press. p. 166. ISBN   978-0-8156-0676-5.
  8. ↑ CAR 54, WHERE ARE YOU?: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON (DVD). Film Threat.
  9. ↑ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. Penguin Books. p. 642. ISBN   978-0-14-024916-3.
  10. ↑ American Film. American Film Institute. 1979. p. 76.
  11. ↑ "The Celebrity Collector". Southeastern Antiquing and Collecting Magazine.
  12. ↑ Rubenstein, Leonard (1979). The great spy films. Citadel Press. ISBN   978-0-8065-0663-0.
  13. ↑ Barnes & Noble Books (2004). TV Guide film & video companion. Barnes & Noble Books. p. 886. ISBN   978-0-7607-6104-5.
  14. 1 2 Profile, coasttocoastam.com. Accessed June 2, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Hank Garrett". IMDb.com.
  16. ↑ "Hank Garrett". AOF 2017 Action on Film Festival Aug 17-26. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  17. ↑ The Motion Picture Guide (1987) by Jay Robert Nash, Stanley Ralph Ross, Cinebooks via books.google.com. Accessed June 2, 2024.
  18. ↑ Cinefantastique, volumes 6-7 by Frederick S. Clarke (1977).
  19. ↑ New York Media, LLC (July 31, 1972). New York Magazine. New York Media, LLC. pp. 51–. ISSN   0028-7369.
  20. ↑ Gates, Robert K. "Hank Garrett". Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on September 10, 2010. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.