John McGiver
| John Irwin McGiver | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | November 5, 1913 New York City, New York, United States |
| Died | September 9, 1975 (aged 61) West Fulton, New York |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1955–75 |
| Spouse | Ruth Schmigelsky (1947–75) (his death) |
John Irwin McGiver (November 5, 1913 – September 9, 1975) was a character actor who made more than a hundred appearances in television and motion pictures over a two-decade span from 1955 to 1975.
The owl-faced, portly actor with the mid-Atlantic accent was known for his performances as the religious fanatic Mr. O'Daniel in the film Midnight Cowboy; as the kindly Tiffany's salesman in Breakfast at Tiffany's; and as the ill-fated but honorable Senator Thomas Jordan in the original film version of The Manchurian Candidate. He also appeared on many TV shows and commercials, including a Baggies spot in the 1960s, as well as the first of a popular series of commercials for the American Express charge card ("Do you know me?").
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[edit] Early life
McGiver was born the son of Irish immigrants.[1] He received a B.A. in English from Fordham University in 1938 and master's degrees from Columbia University and Catholic University.[2] He was an English teacher before he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and served as an officer in the U.S. Army's 7th Armored Division in Europe during World War II.[3] His stage career also began before the war, when he was an actor-director in New York's Irish Repertory Theater.[4] He continued to teach English and speech at Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx, working occasionally in off-Broadway plays, until 1955, when he became a full time actor.[5]
[edit] Career
In 1959, McGiver appeared in the episode "The Assassin" of NBC's espionage drama Five Fingers, starring David Hedison. In 1962, he appeared as Gramps in the episode "The Seventh Day of Creation" of the NBC medical drama about psychiatry, The Eleventh Hour, starring Wendell Corey and Jack Ging. He appeared on the Twilight Zone episode "Sounds and Silences".
Between 1963 and 1964, McGiver appeared in five episodes of The Patty Duke Show as J.R. Castle, who was Martin Lane's boss at the fictional newspaper The Chronicle.
In the 1964–1965 television season, McGiver played the widower Walter Burnley, the head of the complaint department of a fictitious Los Angeles department store in the CBS sitcom Many Happy Returns. His costars included Elinor Donahue, Mark Goddard, Mickey Manners, and Elena Verdugo.
[edit] Death
McGiver died of a heart attack on September 9, 1975 in West Fulton at age 61. His remains were cremated.
[edit] Personal
McGiver was married to Ruth Schmigelsky from 1947 until his death; they had ten children.
[edit] Partial filmography
- Love in the Afternoon (1957) with Gary Cooper
- I Married a Woman (1958)
- The Gazebo (1959) with Glenn Ford
- Love in a Goldfish Bowl (1961) with Tommy Sands and Fabian
- Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) with Audrey Hepburn
- Something's Got to Give (1962; aborted Marilyn Monroe film)
- Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962) with James Stewart
- The Manchurian Candidate (1962) with Laurence Harvey
- Period of Adjustment (1962) with Tony Franciosa
- Who's Got the Action? (1962) with Dean Martin
- My Six Loves (1963)
- Who's Minding the Store? (1963) with Jerry Lewis
- Take Her, She's Mine (1963) with James Stewart
- Man's Favorite Sport? (1964)
- A Global Affair (1964) with Bob Hope
- Marriage on the Rocks (1965) with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin
- The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) with Doris Day
- The Spirit Is Willing (1967) with Sid Caesar
- Fitzwilly (1967) with Dick Van Dyke
- Midnight Cowboy (1969) with Jon Voight
- Lawman (1971) with Burt Lancaster
- Mame (1974) with Lucille Ball
- The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) with Don Knotts
[edit] Television series
McGiver was a regular performer on:
- McKeever & the Colonel, 1962–1963
- Many Happy Returns, 1964–1965 (lead role)
- Mr. Terrific, 1967
- The Jimmy Stewart Show, 1971–1972
McGiver also appeared in:
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (“Fatal Figures”)("Six People, No Music")
- Bonanza
- The Twilight Zone (two episodes: "The Bard", "Sounds and Silences")
- The Lucy Show (“Lucy is Kangaroo for a Day", 1963)
- The Patty Duke Show (5 episodes)
- The Rogues ("Mr White's Christmas", 1965)
- The Fugitive (episode "The End Game")
- The Dick Van Dyke Show
- The Beverly Hillbillies (“Granny Versus the Weather Bureau”)
- Gidget ("One More for the Road", 1966)
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ("The Birds and the Bees Affair", 1966)
- I Dream of Jeannie ("Jeannie Breaks the Bank", 1966)
- Gilligan's Island (“Man With a Net", 1966)
- Honey West ("Mr Brillig", 1966)
- Bewitched ("Mother-in-Law of the Year", 1971)
- The Wild Wild West
[edit] Stage
Broadway theatre includes:
- Drink to Me Only, 1958
- A Thurber Carnival, 1960
- The Front Page, 1969–1970
[edit] References
- ^ U.S. Census, January 1, 1920, State of New York, County of New York, enumeration district 681, p. 15A, family 319.
- ^ "John McGiver, Actor, 62, Dies; Did TV, Film Character Roles", New York Times, September 10, 1975, p. 48.
- ^ National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 [database on-line], Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.
- ^ "War Provided Background For C.U. Play", The Washington Post, June 8, 1947, p. L2.
- ^ "John M'Giver — Teacher Who Took a Chance", New York Times, June 1, 1958, p. X9.
