Al Lewis

Al Lewis (born Abraham Meister; April 30, 1923 – February 3, 2006) was an American actor and activist, best known for his role as Grandpa on the television series The Munsters from 1964 to 1966 and its film versions. He previously also co-starred with The Munsters Fred Gwynne in the television show Car 54, Where Are You? from 1961 to 1963. Later in life, he was a restaurant owner, political candidate, and radio broadcaster.

Lewis originally gave his birth year as 1910. His reputed early radio work in the mid-1930s would indicate the earlier birth date, as did an off-the-cuff remark on the TVLegends interview, 2002, where he says "not a bad memory for 92". Ted Lewis, his son, firmly said his father was born in 1923 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York. The official marriage records show Al's parents were married in Manhattan October 29, 1922. Other sources placed his birth in Wolcott, New York,

In a 1998 interview with Walt Shepperd, Lewis said:

Education

According to a report in The Jewish Week, Al Lewis attended Yeshiva Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn, New York, in his youth and "asked annoying questions to the teachers." Lewis then attended Thomas Jefferson High School, which he left in his junior year. He claimed to have attended Oswego State Teachers College (now SUNY Oswego), notwithstanding his lack of a high school diploma, and to have earned a Ph.D. in child psychology from Columbia University in 1941, of which Columbia has no record. Lewis did send at least one of his children to Yeshiva in the San Fernando Valley.

Career

In 1949, after a suggestion from a friend, he decided to pursue a career as an actor after joining the Paul Mann Actors' Workshop in New York. He worked in burlesque and vaudeville theaters, then on Broadway in the dramas The Night Circus (1958) and One More River (1960) and as the character Moe Shtarker in the musical comedy Do Re Mi (1962).

His earliest television work includes appearances on the crime drama Decoy and The Phil Silvers Show. From 1959 to 1963, he appeared in four episodes of Naked City. Lewis's first well-known television role was as Officer Leo Schnauser on the sitcom Car 54, Where Are You? from 1961 to 1963, also starring Fred Gwynne (Lewis reprised the role in the 1994 movie of the same name). an action-adventure title with a Halloween theme. His appearance in the game mirrored his Grandpa persona in The Munsters.

In 1987, he opened an Italian restaurant named Grampa's Bella Gente at 252 Bleecker Street in Manhattan. In September 1989, he licensed a comedy club named Grampa's to an entrepreneurial mafia family named Cataldo in New Dorp Plaza in Staten Island.

Politics As a left-wing activist, he hosted a politically oriented radio program on WBAI (whose theme song was King Curtis' "Foot Pattin'") and ran as Green Party candidate for governor of New York in 1998. In that race, he sought to be listed on the ballot as Grandpa Al Lewis, arguing that he was most widely known by that name. His request was rejected by the Board of Elections, a decision upheld in court against his challenge.

Despite this setback, he achieved one of his campaign objectives. His total of 52,533 votes exceeded the threshold of votes set by New York law (50,000) and hence guaranteed the Green Party of New York an automatic ballot line for the next four years (see New York gubernatorial elections). In 2000, he sought the Green Party nomination for US Senate; he ultimately placed second in the primary, with about 32 percent of the vote, losing to Mark Dunau. His memorial service was held at Riverside Memorial Chapel in Manhattan on February 18, 2006.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1951 London Entertains HimselfDocumentary 1957 I Vampiri Assistant 1960 Pretty Boy Floyd Manny 'Machine Gun Manny' 1964 The World of Henry Orient Tobacconist 1966 Munster, Go Home! Grandpa Munster 1969 They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Turkey 1970 The Boatniks Bert 1971 They Might Be Giants Messenger 1973 The Night Strangler Hobo 1974 Death Wish Guard At Hotel Lobby Uncredited 1974 Black Starlet Sam 1974 Coonskin The Godfather Voice, uncredited 1975 White House Madness Judge Cirrhosis 1979 That's Life unfinished film 1980 Used Cars Judge Harrison 1987 Comic Cabby Al the Cabsmith 1988 Married to the Mob Uncle Joe Russo 1988 Bum Rap Mr. Wolfstadt 1992 My Grandpa is a Vampire Vernon Cooger 1993 The Garden Holocaust survivor Abel short film 1994 Car 54, Where Are You? Leo Schnauzer 1994 Piedras rodantes short film 1996 Fast Money Poon 1996 South Beach Academy Uncle Gene 1998 Sidoglio Smithee Himself 2002 Night Terror Father Hanlon 2006 Goodbye, America HimselfDocumentary

Television Year Title Role Notes 1953–1957 The Big Story Willie 2 episodes 1957 Decoy Chi Chi Episode: "Queen of Diamonds" 1957 Brenner Logan Episode: "Thin Ice" 1959 The Phil Silvers Show Bruno the Mobster, Mobster Bengal, Mike 3 episodes 1959 Deadline Fletcher Episode: "Jail Break" 1959–1960 The United States Steel Hour Bartender, Paul Gordon 2 episodes 1959–1963 Naked City Mr. Carrari, Mr. Tanner, Harry McGoglan, Bookie, Gus, Mr. Pike 6 episodes 1961–1963Car 54, Where Are You? Officer Leo Schnauser 44 episodes 1962 The Defenders Sergeant Cross Episode: "The Search" 1964–1966 The Munsters Grandpa Munster 70 episodes 1967Lost in Space Zalto Episode: "Rocket to Earth"1968Gomer Pyle, USMCHarry WhippleSeason 5, 1 episode 1971 Green Acres Charlie Episode: "Star Witness" 1971 Night Gallery Mishkin 1 episode 1972 Love, American Style Bernie 1 episode 1973 The Night Strangler Tramp Television film 1973 The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie Grandpa Munster Episode: "The Mini-Munsters" 1973 Here's Lucy Lionel Barker Episode: "Lucy Plays Cops and Robbers" 1978 Ring of Passion Mike Jacobs Television film 1980 CBS Children's Mystery Theatre Episode: "The Treasure of Alpheus T. Winterborn" 1981 The Munsters' Revenge Grandpa Munster Television film 1981 Taxi Security Guard Episode: "On the Job: Part 2" 1981 Best of the West Judge Episode: "The Hanging of Parker Tillman" 1988 Super Scary Saturday Albert Einstein Grampa Episode: "War of the Gargantuas" 1990 Mathnet Ring Announcer Episode: "The Case of the Masked Avenger" 1991 Hi Honey, I'm Home Grandpa Munster Episode: "Grey Skies" 1995 Here Come the Munsters Restaurant Guest Television film

Theater Year Title Role