Jack Gilford

Jack Gilford (born Jacob Aaron Gellman; July 25, 1908 – June 4, 1990) was an American Broadway, film, and television actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Save the Tiger.

Early life Gilford was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the second of three sons of Romanian-born Jewish immigrants Sophie "Susksa" (née Jackness), who owned a restaurant, and Aaron Gellman, a furrier. He had an older brother, Murray ("Moisha"), and a younger brother, Nathaniel ("Natie"), and grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Career Gilford was discovered working in a pharmacy by Milton Berle, who became his mentor. While working in amateur theater, he competed with other talented youngsters, including a young Jackie Gleason. He started doing imitations and impersonations. His first appearance on film was a 1936 short entitled Midnight Melodies in which he did his imitations of George Jessel, Rudy Vallee and Harry Langdon. Gilford developed some unique impressions that became his trademarks — most notably, one of "split pea soup coming to a furious boil" using only his face. Other unusual impressions he created were a fluorescent light going on in a dark room, John D. Rockefeller Sr. imitating Jimmy Durante, and impressions of animals.

In 1938, Gilford worked as the master of ceremonies in the first downtown New York integrated nightclub, Café Society, which was owned and operated by Barney Josephson. His was a unique blend of the earlier style of the Yiddish theater, vaudeville and burlesque, and started the tradition of monology such as later comedians Lenny Bruce and Woody Allen used. He won numerous industry awards. Gilford became known for his roles on the Broadway stage, such as Drink To Me Only, Romanoff and Juliet, and The Diary of Anne Frank.

Gilford's career was derailed for a time during the 1950s and McCarthyism. He was an activist who campaigned for social change, integration, and labor unions. He was quite active both socially and politically in left-wing causes, as was his wife, Madeline Lee.

Gilford was nominated for several Tony Awards, including for best supporting actor as Hysterium in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1963), and for his role as Herr Schultz in Cabaret (1966). He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in (1973) for his role as Phil Green in Save the Tiger (his co-star Jack Lemmon won for Best Actor). Sir Rudolf Bing engaged Gilford for the comic speaking role of the tippling jailer Frosch in the operetta Die Fledermaus. Beloved in the part, Gilford performed it 77 times between 1950 and 1964.

He appeared in a series of television commercials for Cracker Jack in the 1960s, and enjoyed success in films, including a notable role in Cocoon (1985). The couple married in 1949, His wife, Madeline Lee Gilford, died on April 15, 2008, from undisclosed causes.

Biographical play Finks In July 2008, Josh Radnor and Jennifer Westfeldt starred in the premiere of the play Finks, based on the Gilfords' experiences with HUAC and the Hollywood blacklist, written by Joe Gilford (their son), and directed by Charlie Stratton for stage and film. The play was produced Off-Broadway at New York's Ensemble Studio Theatre in April 2013.

The New York Times called it a "bracing play" that "quickly leaves you not caring that you've visited the territory before." Finks was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, with Miriam Silverman nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Play.

Broadway stage appearances Meet the People (1940–1941, musical revue) They Should Have Stood in Bed (1942, play) Brooks Carmichael

Episode: "An Old Flame"

Partial discography Winnie-The-Pooh: 17 Songs From The Pooh Song Book (1952) You Don't Have to Be Jewish (1965) Anything Goes, conducted by John McGlinn; EMI Records (1989)

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 1973 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Save the Tiger 1979 Daytime Emmy Awards Outstanding Individual Achievement in Children's Programming Big Blue Marble 1973 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Save the Tiger 1963 Grammy Awards Best Recording for Children Winnie-the-Pooh 1989 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series The Golden Girls Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Thirtysomething 1988 Saturn Awards Best Supporting Actor Cocoon: The Return 1963 Tony Awards Best Supporting or Featured Actor in a Musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum 1967 Best Leading Actor in a Musical Cabaret