Jack Gilford

Jack Gilford (born Jacob Aaron Gellman; July 25, 1908 – June 4, 1990)<ref name=shepard>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Archived at GhostarchiveTemplate:Cbignore and the Wayback MachineTemplate:Cbignore: {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref>Template: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.<ref name="var" /> 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.<ref name="var" /><ref name="nysun" /> 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.<ref name="nysun" />

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.<ref>Mandelbaum, Ken (January 6, 2006). "DVDs: Many Moons Ago". Broadway.com.</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Beloved in the part, Gilford performed it 77 times between 1950 and 1964.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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).<ref name=nysun/>

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.<ref name=var/> She was married at the time and divorced her first husband soon after meeting Gilford.<ref name=nysun>Template:Cite news</ref> The couple married in 1949,<ref name=var/> 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.<ref name=shepard/>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His wife, Madeline Lee Gilford, died on April 15, 2008, from undisclosed causes.<ref name=var/> Gilford is buried in the Yiddish theater section of Flushing, New York's, Mount Hebron Cemetery.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name="Vassar">Template:Cite press release</ref> 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."<ref name="Genzlinger">Template:Cite news</ref> Finks was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, with Miriam Silverman<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Play.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Broadway stage appearances

• Meet the People (1940–1941, musical revue)<ref name="Vault">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• They Should Have Stood in Bed (1942, play)<ref name="Vault" />
• Alive and Kicking (1950, musical revue)<ref name="Vault" />
• The Live Wire (1950, play)<ref name="Vault" />
• The World of Sholem Aleichem (1953, play, Off-Broadway)<ref name="Vault"/>
• The Diary of Anne Frank (1955–1957, play)<ref name="Vault"/>
• Romanoff and Juliet (1957–1958, play)<ref name="Vault"/>
• Drink to Me Only (1958, play)<ref name="Vault"/>
• Look After Lulu (1959, play)<ref name="Vault"/>
• Once Upon a Mattress (1959, musical)<ref name="Vault"/> – Gilford initially played the role of King Sextimus Off-Broadway. When the show moved to Broadway, the role was played by Will Lee instead. Gilford, though, reprised his Sextimus performance for two television productions of the musical.
• The Tenth Man (1959–1961, play)<ref name="Vault"/>
• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962–1964, musical)<ref name="Vault"/>
• Cabaret (1966–1968, musical)<ref name="Vault"/>
• Three Men on a Horse (1969–1970, play, revival)<ref name="Vault"/>
• No, No, Nanette (1971, revival, musical)<ref name="Vault"/>
• The Sunshine Boys (1973–1974, play, replacement for Jack Albertson)<ref name="Vault"/>
• Sly Fox (1976–1978, play)<ref name="Vault"/>
• The Supporting Cast (1981, play)<ref name="Vault"/>
• The World of Sholem Aleichem (1982, play, revival)<ref name="Vault"/>

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<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	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

• Winnie-The-Pooh: 17 Songs From The Pooh Song Book (1952)
• You Don't Have to Be Jewish (1965)
• Anything Goes, conducted by John McGlinn; EMI Records (1989)

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominated work	Result	Template:Refh
1973	Academy Awards	Best Supporting Actor	Save the Tiger	Template:Nom	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1979	Daytime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Individual Achievement in Children's Programming	Big Blue Marble Template:Small	Template:Won
1973	Golden Globe Awards	Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture	Save the Tiger	Template:Nom	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1963	Grammy Awards	Best Recording for Children	Winnie-the-Pooh	Template:Nom	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1989	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series	The Golden Girls Template:Small	Template:Nom	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
		Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series	Thirtysomething Template:Small	Template:Nom
1988	Saturn Awards	Best Supporting Actor	Cocoon: The Return	Template:Nom
1963	Tony Awards	Best Supporting or Featured Actor in a Musical	A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum	Template:Nom	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1967		Best Leading Actor in a Musical	Cabaret	Template:Nom	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

External links

• [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 0318527

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• Template:Iobdb name
• Jack and Madeline Gilford papers, 1938-2005, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
• Template:Find a Grave