Jack Carter (born Jack Chakrin; June 24, 1922 – June 28, 2015) was an American comedian, actor and television presenter. Born in Brooklyn, Carter had a long-running comedy act similar to fellow rapid-paced contemporaries Milton Berle and Morey Amsterdam.
Life and career
Carter was born in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York, to Russian Jewish immigrants Anna ( Borofsky) and Harry Chakrin. His parents owned a candy store there where he began to dance on tables at the age of 3.
Carter served in the United States Army Air Forces 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, though DuMont did not hire Gleason until the network's choice, Jerry Lester, also jumped to NBC. The Jack Carter Show appeared under the banner of the Saturday Night Revue, NBC's -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 Caesar his entire life and delivered the eulogy at his funeral.
His only major Broadway appearance was opposite Sammy Davis Jr. in the 1956 musical Mr. Wonderful. He earlier 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.Canby, Vincent. "Alligator" (film review), The New York Times, Friday, June 5, 1981. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
Starting in the 1970s, Carter was on more than ten Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts for some popular television stars and sports personalities. In 1981, Carter starred as Fagin in the stage performance of Oliver! at the Birmingham Theater in Birmingham, Michigan alongside Shani Wallis as Nancy.
He made appearances on many television series, including Diagnosis: Unknown, The Dick Van Dyke Show, I Dream of Jeannie, Combat!, The Love Boat, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Rockford Files, Emergency!, Mannix, Cannon, The Wild Wild West, Tales of Tomorrow, The Kallikaks, Password, $weepstake$, The Ren & Stimpy Show, 7th Heaven, Diagnosis Murder, The Road West, Sanford and Son, Tattletales, Monk, Rules of Engagement, Living Single, iCarly, Desperate Housewives, and Shameless and voice work on King of the Hill. He was a guest on Norm Macdonald's video podcast, Norm Macdonald Live, in 2014.
In 1994, Carter was offered the role of Wilbur Cobb in The Ren & Stimpy Show, a character intended to be named Raymond Spum, but was renamed after John Kricfalusi was fired. Showrunner Bob Camp felt sorry for Carter's lack of work, so he shoehorned the character in episodes at every opportunity he could, to the detriment of the show and criticism by crew members such as William Wray. Death Carter died on June 28, 2015 at his home in Beverly Hills, California, of respiratory failure.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes1959It Happened to JaneStenographerUncredited1962The Horizontal LieutenantLieutenant Billy Monk1964Viva Las VegasCasino PerformerUncredited1969The Extraordinary SeamanOrville Toole1971The Resurrection of Zachary WheelerDwight Chiles1975HustleHerbie Dalitz1976Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved HollywoodMale Journalist1976The Amazing DobermansSolly Kramer1977The Happy Hooker Goes to WashingtonSenator Caruso1978Record CityManny1979The GloveWalter Stratton1980AlligatorMayor1980The OctagonSharkey1981Separate WaysBarney Brodsky1981History of the World, Part IRat Vendor1981HeartbeepsCatskil-55602Voice1983The Funny FarmPhilly Beekman1984Hambone and HillieLester Burns1984Love ScenesSidney1986The Trouble with DickSamsa1987W.A.R.: Women Against RapeFrank Bower1989ArenaAnnouncer1990Satan's PrincessOld Priest1990Cyber-C.H.I.C.Dr. Burburagmus1990Caged FuryMr. Castaglia1990SexpotCal Farnsworth1992In the Heat of PassionStan1992The Opposite Sex and How to Live with ThemRabbi1995Prima DonnasSenator Robertson1997The Good Bad GuyHonda Civic Driver1997Always Say GoodbyeJerry Feldman1998October 22Pawnbroker1998The Modern Adventures of Tom SawyerYoung Guy1999Play It to the BoneDante Solomon2004One Last RideSid2007Cougar ClubParty Guest, Stan's Friend2008The Great Buck HowardHimself2011Let GoFrosty2014MercyMr. BelloFinal role
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1962Alfred Hitchcock PresentsStanley TowersEpisode: "Most Likely to Succeed" 1964The Dick Van Dyke ShowNeil SchenkEpisode: "Stretch Petrie vs. Kid Schenk" 1968I Dream of JeannieJames AshleyEpisode: "My Master, the Ghostbreaker"
1969 Wild Wild West "Night of the Janus" Season 4 Episode 18 source - IMDB1973Hawaii Five-OHarry FoxtonEpisode:"Try to Die on Time"1977The Rockford FilesMarty GoldenEpisode: "The Becker Connection"1977Sanford and SonMarvinEpisode: "Fred Meets Redd"1993Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanMurray BrownEpisode: "I'm Looking Through You"1994Burke's LawDanny DukeEpisode: "Who Killed the Host at the Roast?"1994–1996The Ren & Stimpy ShowWilbur Cobb (voice)9 episodes1995DuckmanChecky Borscht (voice)Episode: "Research and Destroy"1996Saved by the Bell: The New ClassLarry MadisonEpisode: "The Final Curtain"1996Living SingleRay Kellum2 episodes1997Superman: The Animated SeriesHarry (voice)Episode: "Warrior Queen" A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.1998HerculesTiresias (voice)Episode: "Hercules and the Griffin"19993rd Rock from the SunUncle AbeEpisode: "Dick Solomon of the Indiana Solomons"1999Pinky, Elmyra & the BrainZiff Twyman (voice)Episode: "That's Edutainment!"2001King of the HillIrwin Linker (voice)2 episodes 2002Static ShockFrieda's Grandfather (voice)Episode: "Frozen Out"2004Justice League UnlimitedSid (voice)Episode: "This Little Piggy"2005Phil of the FutureOlder NathanEpisode: "Maybe-Sitting"2008MonkJoseph MoodyEpisode: "Mr. Monk Buys a House"2009Parks and RecreationOld GusEpisode: "Ron and Tammy"2010iCarlyGilbert Gibson2 episodes2011Family GuyOld Man (voice)Episode: "Grumpy Old Man"2012–2014ShamelessStan Kopchek4 episodes2012New GirlBurtEpisode: "Backslide"2013Go OnSarge Episode: "Urn-ed Run"
Video games YearTitleRoleNotes2001Jak and Daxter: The Precursor LegacyUncle
References
External links
Jack Carter interview, April 2011, Part One Jack Carter interview, April 2011, Part Two Jack Carter interview, June 2011, Part Three Jack Carter interview, June 2011, Part Four Jack Carter on The Tonight Show with Jerry Lewis, 1962