Jack Carter (comedian)
Jack Carter | |
|---|---|
 Carter in 1949 | |
| Born | Jack Chakrin [1] June 24, 1922 |
| Died | June 28, 2015 (aged 93) |
| Cause of death | Respiratory failure |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, comedian, host, voice actor |
| Years active | 1942–2015 |
| Spouse(s) | Paula Stewart (1961–1970; divorced) Roxanne Stone (1971–2015; his death) |
| Children | 2 sons, 2 daughters |
| Signature | |
 | |
Jack Chakrin (June 24, 1922 – June 28, 2015), known by his stage name Jack Carter, was an American comedian, actor and television presenter.[1] Brooklyn-born Carter had a long-running comedy act similar to fellow rapid-paced contemporaries Milton Berle and Morey Amsterdam.[2]
Life and career
Carter was born in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York, in 1922[3] to a Jewish family. Carter served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. He hosted an early television variety program called Cavalcade of Stars on the DuMont Network. He was lured to NBC to host his own program titled The Jack Carter Show. Carter recommended Jackie Gleason take his place as host of Cavalcade of Stars. The Jack Carter Show appeared under the banner of the Saturday Night Revue, NBC's two-and-a-half-hour Saturday night programming slot. Carter hosted his show for one hour each week followed by the 90-minute Your Show of Shows starring Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris. Carter remained friends with Sid Caesar his entire life and delivered the eulogy at his funeral.[4][5]
His only major Broadway appearance was opposite Sammy Davis, Jr. in the 1956 musical Mr. Wonderful. He had previously replaced Phil Silvers in the Broadway show Top Banana. He was a frequent guest on The Ed Sullivan Show during the 1960s and early 1970s, and was known for his impression of Ed Sullivan. He appeared as himself (along with his then-wife Paula Stewart) in the comedy series The Joey Bishop Show. In the late 1960s, he was the host of a game-show pilot called Second Guessers. The pilot did not sell. He was also a frequent panelist on the television game show Match Game during the 1973–1974 season and again during the early 1980s. In 1975, he appeared as a guest star on the quiz show $10,000 Pyramid with contestant Liz Hogan Schultz, and appeared as the ill-fated mayor in the cult horror film Alligator in 1980.[5]
He made appearances on many television series, including Diagnosis: Unknown, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Rockford Files, The Wild Wild West, Tales of Tomorrow, The Kallikaks, The Ren and Stimpy Show, 7th Heaven, The Road West, Sanford and Son, Tattletales, Monk, Desperate Housewives, and Shameless. His last round of work included a cameo on New Girl and a voice on Family Guy. He was a guest on Norm Macdonald's video podcast, Norm Macdonald Live.[5]
Carter died on June 28, 2015, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, of respiratory failure.[6] He was 93.
See also
- The King of Queens, Carter played Arthur Spooner in the sitcom's pilot, but was later replaced by Jerry Stiller.
Selected filmography
- The Horizontal Lieutenant (1962)
- Viva Las Vegas (1964)
- The Extraordinary Seaman (1969)
- The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler (1971)
- Hustle (1975)
- Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976)
- The Amazing Dobermans (1976)
- The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington (1977)
- Record City (1978)
- The Glove (1979)
- The Octagon (1980)
- Alligator (1980)
- History of the World, Part I (1981)
- Heartbeeps (voice only) (1981)
- Caged Fury (1989)
- Satan's Princess (1990)
- October 22 (1998)
- Play It to the Bone (1999)
References
- ^ a b Gertner, Richard (1982). International television almanac. Quigley Publishing Company. pp. 44–. ISBN 9780900610271. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
- ^ Jack Carter Net Worth: Late Comedian's Beverly Hills Mansion Listed For $5.825M
- ^ Hevesi, Dennis (June 29, 2015). "Jack Carter, Comedian Who Brought His Rapid-Fire Delivery to TV, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-06-30.
- ^ Carter, Jack (August 4, 2014). "Norm Macdonald Live" (Interview). Interviewed by Norm Macdonald. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
- ^ a b c Jack Carter at IMDb
- ^ "Comedian Jack Carter Dead at 93". Variety. June 29, 2015. Retrieved 2015-06-30.
External links
- 1922 births
- 2015 deaths
- People from Brighton Beach
- Male actors from New York City
- American Jewish comedians
- American male radio actors
- American male film actors
- American male television actors
- Jewish American male actors
- Jewish comedians
- Male actors from Los Angeles, California
- Deaths from respiratory failure
- American military personnel of World War II
- American Jews in the military
- United States Army Air Forces soldiers
- Las Vegas entertainers