Harold "Jack" Albertson (June 16, 1907 – November 25, 1981) was an American actor, comedian, dancer and singer who also performed in vaudeville.Obituary Variety, December 2, 1981. Albertson was a Tony, Oscar, and Emmy winning actor, which ranks him among a rare stature of 24 actors who have been awarded the "Triple Crown of Acting".
For his performance as John Cleary in the 1964 play The Subject Was Roses and its 1968 film adaptation, he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play, and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. This again places him among a select status as one of eleven peers who have won both awards for the same role. His other roles include Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), Manny Rosen in The Poseidon Adventure (1972), and Ed Brown in the television sitcom Chico and the Man (1974–1978), for which he won an Emmy. For his contributions to the television industry, Albertson was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1977 at 6253 Hollywood Boulevard.
Early life Albertson was born on June 16, 1907, in Malden, Massachusetts, the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants Flora (née Craft) and Leopold Albertson.Jack Albertson's Kinship to Cloris Leachman , genealogymagazine.com; accessed October 19, 2015. His older sister was actress Mabel Albertson. Their mother, a stock actress, supported the family by working in a shoe factory. Until the age of 22, Albertson was known as "Harold Albertson".
During a 1972 New York Daily News interview with Sidney Fields, Albertson reminisced:
When he was eighteen, he began to be paid for his prize winning shows. His sister Mabel taught him the first "time steps" in tap dancing, and he picked up additional routines by watching vaudeville acts that played his hometown. Around this time, he started singing with a group called "The Golden Rule Four," who held their practice sessions beneath a railroad bridge."Current Biography 1976". The H.W. Wilson Company. 1976. P#3-4
Career Broadway Albertson joined the vaudeville road troupe known as the Dancing Verselle Sisters. He then worked in burlesque as a hoofer (soft shoe dancer) and straight man to Phil Silvers on the Minsky's Burlesque Circuit. Besides vaudeville and burlesque, he appeared on the stage in many Broadway plays and musicals, including High Button Shoes, Top Banana, The Cradle Will Rock, Make Mine Manhattan, Show Boat, Boy Meets Girl, Girl Crazy, Meet the People, The Sunshine Boys – for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor, and The Subject Was Roses – for which he won a Tony for Best Supporting Actor.
Film
Albertson appeared in more than 30 films. He had an early minor role in Miracle on 34th Street as a postal worker who redirects dead letters addressed to "Santa Claus" to the courthouse where Kris Kringle's sanity hearing is held. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1968 film The Subject Was Roses.
Albertson appeared as Charlie Bucket's Grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), and in The Poseidon Adventure (1972), where he played Manny Rosen.Jack Alberston on TCM.com
Albertson said that his one regret was that he did not reprise his role in the movie version of The Sunshine Boys. When producer Ray Stark acquired the film rights from Neil Simon in 1973, Albertson was expected to play the part, but by the time MGM had bought the rights in 1974 and was preparing to begin filming in February 1975, Albertson was not available because he was appearing on Chico and the Man on TV.
Radio Albertson was a radio performer early in his career. Among the shows he appeared on were Just Plain Bill, Lefty, That's My Pop and The Jack Albertson Comedy Show. In the late 1940s he was for a time a regular on the Milton Berle Show.Terrace, Vincent. (1998) Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland. p.229
Television Albertson had a recurring role as the neighbor Walter Burton in eight episodes of the 1962 ABC sitcom Room for One More, with Andrew Duggan and Peggy McCay. He had recurring roles in Ensign O'Toole (1962–63).
Other 1960s series on which Albertson appeared were: NBC's sitcom Happy, starring Ronnie Burns, and Glynis, starring Glynis Johns, and Keith Andes, which aired for 13 weeks in the fall of 1963. Albertson appeared in two episodes of The Twilight Zone.
From 1971 to 1972, he co-starred, with actor Sam Groom, in the Canadian TV series Dr. Simon Locke. He then co-starred as "The Man" Ed Brown on the popular series Chico and the Man with Freddie Prinze. He stayed for its entire run from 1974 to 1978. He earned an Emmy Award for that role in 1976, which was his second; his first was for an appearance on the variety show Cher in 1975.
Personal life
He and his wife, Wallace, had one daughter, Maura Dhu, who is married to actor Wes Studi.
Death On the morning of November 25, 1981, Albertson died at his Los Angeles home in the Hollywood Hills at the age of 74 from colon cancer. He and his elder sister, Bewitched actress Mabel Albertson (who died 10 months later from Alzheimer's disease), were cremated and their ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 1938 Next Time I Marry Reporter 1940 Strike Up the Band Barker Uncredited 1947 Miracle on 34th Street Al 1952 Anything Can Happen Flower Vendor 1954 Top Banana Vic Davis 1955 Bring Your Smile Along Mr. Jenson1956 Over-Exposed Les Bauer The Harder They Fall Pop The Eddy Duchin Story Piano tuner Uncredited The Unguarded Moment Prof You Can't Run Away from It Third proprietor1957 Monkey on My Back Sam Pian Man of a Thousand Faces Dr. J. Wilson Shields Don't Go Near the Water Rep. George Jansen 1958 Teacher's Pet Guide1959 Never Steal Anything Small Sleep-Out Charlie Barnes The Shaggy Dog Reporter Uncredited1961 The George Raft Story Milton Lover Come Back Fred1962 Convicts 4 Art Teacher Period of Adjustment Desk Sergeant Who's Got the Action? Officer Hodges Days of Wine and Roses Trayner 1963 Son of Flubber Mr. Barley1964 Kissin' Cousins Capt. Robert Jason Salbo A Tiger Walks Sam Grant The Patsy Theatergoer with Helen Roustabout Lou (tea house manager) 1965 How to Murder Your Wife Dr. Bentley 1967 The Flim-Flam Man Mr. Packard1968 How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life Mr. Slotkin The Subject Was Roses John Cleary Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor1969 Changes The Father Justine Cohen1970 Squeeze a Flower Alfredo Brazzi Rabbit, Run Marty Tothero1971 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory Grandpa Joe Bucket The Late Liz Reverend Gordon Rogers1972 Pickup on 101 Jedediah Bradley The Poseidon Adventure Manny Rosen1981 Dead & Buried William G. Dobbs The Fox and the Hound Amos Slade Voice
Television Year Title Role Notes1956 Burns and Allen Eddie 'Bozo Schultz' Wilson Episode: "Burlesque" I Love Lucy Helicopter Dispatcher Episode: "Bon Voyage" Crusader Ernie Duchek Episode: "The Syndicate" Sheriff of Cochise Greenbriar Merritt Episode: "Closed for Repairs" 1957–1959 The Thin Man Lt. Harry Evans 14 episodes 1957–1960 Have Gun – Will Travel Mayor Whiteside,Jason Coldwell,Bookie3 episodes1958 Bachelor Father Charlie Sharpe,Salesman 2 episodes The People's Choice Luther Jenkins Episode: "Daisies Won't Tell", with Jackie Cooper 1959 Richard Diamond, Private Detective Fallace Episode: "Boomerang Bait" 1959–1961 The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Bison Lodge Member,Police Sergeant,Newspaper Reporter,Mr. Quimby,Police chief 5 episodes 1959–1962 The Jack Benny Program Reporter 6 episodes1960 The Gale Storm Show Freddy Morell Episode: "Show Biz" The Tab Hunter Show Coach Episode: "My Darling Teacher" The Ann Sothern Show Mr. Dooley Episode: "Billy" Happy Ed Langley Episode: "Chris' Night Out" Klondike Eskimo Eddie Episode: "Sure Thing, Men"1961 Riverboat Sampson J. Binton Episode: "Listen to the Nightingale"' The Tab Hunter Show Harry,Dr. Hocker,P. T. Bailey Episode: "Weekend on Ice"Episode: "Me and My Shadow"Episode: "Crazy Over Horses" The Twilight Zone Jerry Harlowe Episode: "The Shelter" 1961–1964 Mister Ed Paul Fenton 7 episodes1962 The Dick Van Dyke Show Mr. Eisenbauer Episode: "The Twizzle" Bus Stop Lawson Episode: "Turn Home Again" Lawman Doc Peters Episode: "The Unmasked" Saints and Sinners Dr. Felixson Episode: "All the Hard Young Men" Room for One More Walter Burton 8 episodes 1962–1963 Ensign O'Toole Lt. Cdr. Virgil Stoner 32 episodes1963 Glynis Al Episode: "The Pros and Cons" The Twilight Zone The Genie Episode: "I Dream of Genie" The Lieutenant District Attorney George O'Leery Episode: "Cool of the Evening" 1964 Death Valley Days Pearlman Episode: "Sixty-Seven Miles of Gold" 1966–1967 Run for Your Life Harry Krissel 2 episodes 1967 The Andy Griffith Show Bradford J. Taylor Episode: "Aunt Bee's Cousin" 1968–1970 Ironside Money Howard,Sgt. Dave Spangler Episode: "Side Pocket""Blackout" 1968 Here Come the Brides role as Merlin S1, E10 "A Man and His Magic" 1968–1972 Bonanza Jonathan May,Enos Blessing 2 episodes1969 The Big Valley Judge Ben Moore Episode: "The Battle of Mineral Springs" The Monk Tinker ABC Movie of the Week1969–1970 Land of the Giants Professor Kirmus,Inidu 2 episodes The Virginian Billy "Moose" Valentine,Nathaniel E. "Doc" Watson 2 episodes 1969–1974 Gunsmoke Moses Darby,Joshua Finch,Lucius Prince,Danny Wilson 4 episodes1970 Marcus Welby, M.D. Mr. Chambers Episode: "Go Get 'Em, Tiger" The Immortal Dr. Koster Episode: "Reflections on a Lost Tomorrow" Daniel Boone Sweet Episode: "Run for the Money" Nanny and the Professor Edwin Higgenbotham Botkin Episode: "The Haunted House"1971 Sarge Harry Wainwright Episode: "A Terminal Case of Vengeance" Love, American Style Archie Segment: "Love and the Second Time" Congratulations, It's a Boy! Al Gaines ABC Movie of the Week 1971–1972 Dr. Simon Locke Dr. Andrew Sellers 1972 Night Gallery Bullivant Episode: "Dead Weight" 1973 The Streets of San Francisco Tim Murphy Episode: "The Set-Up" 1974 Gunsmoke Moses Darby Episode: "Cowtown Hustler" S19E22 Aired on May 11, 1974 1974–1978 Chico and the Man Ed Brown 88 episodesPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series 1975 Tony Orlando and Dawn Himself Episode: #1.20 Mitzi and 100 Guys TV movie Cher Episode: "Episode #1.4"Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing or Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in Variety or Music Match Game '75 5 episodes1976 Donny & Marie 1 Episode dated April 6, 1976 Andy 1 Episode dated October 6, 1976 1978 Grandpa Goes to Washington Senator Joe Kelley 7 episodes 1979 Valentine Pete Ferguson TV movie 1980 Charlie's Angels Edward Jordan Episode: "Angel in Hiding" 1981Charlie and the Great Balloon Chase Charlie Bartlett TV movie1982 My Body, My Child Poppa MacMahon TV movie; filmed in 1981; released posthumously; final television roleNominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Special Terror at Alcatraz George 'Deacon' Wheeler TV movie, (final film role)
Theater Year Title Role Notes 1940 Meet the People 1942 Strip for Action Eddie 1944 Allah Be Praised! Caswell / Emir 1945 A Lady Say Yes Dr. Bartoli 1947 High Button Shoes Mr. Pontdue (replacement) The Cradle Will Rock Yasha 1950 Tickets, Please! Roller Derby 1951 Top Banana Vic Davis 1964 The Subject Was Roses John Cleary Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play 1972 The Sunshine Boys Willie Clark Drama Desk Award for Outstanding PerformanceNominated – Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play
Awards and nominations