Jack Gilford | |
|---|---|
 Jack Gilford in 1986 | |
| Born | Jacob Aaron Gellman July 25, 1908 Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | June 4, 1990 (aged 81) Manhattan, New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1937–1989 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
Jack Gilford (born Jacob Aaron Gellman; July 25, 1908 – June 4, 1990) [2] was an American Broadway, film, and television actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Save the Tiger (1973).
Gilford was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. His parents were Romanian-born Jewish immigrants Sophie "Susksa" (née Jackness), who owned a restaurant, and Aaron Gellman, a furrier. [3] Gilford was the second of three sons, with an older brother Murray ("Moisha") and a younger brother Nathaniel ("Natie").
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. [4] [ citation needed ]
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. [1] 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. [1] [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 Joseph 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 House Un-American Activities 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]
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. [1] She was married at the time and divorced her first husband soon after meeting Gilford. [5] The couple married in 1949, [1] remaining together for 40 years until his death in 1990. The couple 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. [2]
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. [1] Gilford is buried in the Yiddish theater section of Flushing, New York's Mount Hebron Cemetery. [10]
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]
| 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 | |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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") | 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") | Nominated | [20] |
| Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Thirtysomething (Episode: "The Mike Van Dyke Show") | 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] |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
