John Randolph

Emanuel Hirsch Cohen (June 1, 1915 – February 24, 2004), better known by the stage name John Randolph, was an American film, television and stage actor. His mother, Dorothy (née Shorr), was an insurance agent, and his father, Louis Cohen, was a hat manufacturer. In the 1930s, he spent his summers at the Pine Brook Country Club in Nichols, Connecticut, which was the summer home of the Group Theatre. He made his Broadway debut in 1938 in Coriolanus. Randolph joined the United States Army Air Forces in World War II. He had a small role in the 1948 film The Naked City.

Career Randolph was one of the last blacklisted actors to regain employment in Hollywood films when director John Frankenheimer cast him in a major leading role in the thriller Seconds in 1966. Randolph was in the original New York stage productions of The Sound of Music (as Von Trapp's butler, Franz), Paint Your Wagon, and The Visit.

In 1979, Randolph had a guest appearance on M*A*S*H as an adjutant army general admiring the culinary prowess of a master chef errantly assigned as a foot soldier in a front unit. From 1979 to 1980, he played Donna Pescow's father-in-law on the television series Angie.

In 1982, he appeared in a first-season episode of Family Ties as Jake Keaton, Steven Keaton's father. In 1985, he played the father of Charlie Partana (played by Jack Nicholson) in Prizzi's Honor. He was a special guest star in the 1986 ABC made-for-TV movie The Right of the People, playing Police Chief Hollander in a town soon allowing all adults to carry handguns.

In 1988, Randolph appeared in a Season 2 episode of Matlock as the head of a crime family in "The Investigation". In 1989, he appeared in two episodes of Roseanne playing Al, Roseanne's dad, who was later revealed to be an abusive parent. Also in 1989, he played Clark W. Griswold, Sr. in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (with Chevy Chase).

In 1990, he landed a regular series role, co-starring as a family patriarch in the NBC comedy Grand, co-starring Bonnie Hunt, and Michael McKean. In 1991, he guested in an episode of Married... with Children entitled "Al Bundy, Shoe Dick".

Randolph co-starred with Alec Guinness, Leo McKern, Jeanne Moreau and Lauren Bacall, in the BBC production of A Foreign Field (1993) as a World War II veteran returning to France to find the woman he fell in love with.

Also in 1993, Randolph appeared in the fourth season of Seinfeld, as the first actor to play George Costanza's father, Frank Costanza. In the following season, Randolph was replaced in this role by Jerry Stiller.

One of his last film roles was as Joe Fox's grandfather in You've Got Mail (1998).

Death On February 24, 2004, Randolph died at his home in Hollywood, California, of natural causes, aged 88. He acted until the year before his death.

Filmography Film + Year Title Role Notes 1948 The Naked City Police Dispatcher uncredited 1951 Fourteen Hours Fireman uncredited 1964 Hamlet Gravedigger 1966 Seconds Arthur Hamilton 1967 Sweet Love, Bitter 1968 Pretty Poison Morton Azenauer 1969 Smith! Mr. Edwards 1969 Number One Coach Southerd 1969 Gaily, Gaily Father 1970 There Was a Crooked Man... Cyrus McNutt 1971 Little Murders Mr. Chamberlain 1971 Escape from the Planet of the Apes Chairman 1972 Conquest of the Planet of the Apes Commission Chairman 1973 Serpico Sidney Green 1974 Earthquake Mayor 1976 Everybody Rides the Carousel Stage 7 (voice) 1976 All The President's Men John Mitchell (voice) uncredited 1976 King Kong Captain Ross 1978 Heaven Can Wait Former Owner 1981 Lovely But Deadly Franklin Van Dyke 1982 Frances Kindly Judge 1985 Prizzi's Honor Angelo 'Pop' Partanna 1985 Means and Ends Bill Henderson 1988 The Wizard of Loneliness Doc 1989 National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Clark Griswold, Sr. 1990 Sibling Rivalry Charles Turner Sr. 1991 Iron Maze Mayor Peluso 1997 The Hotel Manor Inn Gus 1997 Here Dies Another Day Brace 1998 A Price Above Rubies Rebbe Moshe 1998 You've Got Mail Schuyler Fox 1999 The Dogwalker Ike 2000 Sunset Strip Mr. Niederhaus 2003 Numb (final film role)

Television

+ Year Title Role Notes 1965 Inherit the Wind Rev. Brown TV movie The Patty Duke Show Coach 1 episode 1967 The Borgia Stick Smith TV movie Mission: Impossible Alex Morley 1 episode 1968 Bonanza Doctor Belden Episode: "Different Pines, Same Wind" 1969 Hawaii Five-O Marty Sloane 1 episode 1971 A Death of Innocence Charles Cameron TV movie 1971-1972 Bonanza Donavan/Mr. Dawson 2 episodes 1972 The Bob Newhart Show Junior Harrison Multiple Episodes 1974 Columbo Colonel Mayehoff Episode: "Swan Song" Kojak Judge Philip Templeton Makie, Sr. Episode: "The Best Judge Money Can Buy" The Missiles of October George Ball, Undersecretary of State TV movie 1975–1976 Lincoln Simon Cameron TV miniseries 1977 The Gathering Dr. Hodges TV movie 1981 The Adventures of Nellie Bly Joseph Pulitzer 1982 Family Ties Jake Keaton Episode: “I Never Killed For My Father” 1987 The Equalizer Jack Rattigan Episode: "Suspicion of Innocence" 1989 Roseanne Al Harris 2 episodes 1993 Seinfeld Frank Costanza Episode: "The Handicap Spot" 1996 Touched by an Angel Horace Widdenberg Episode: "The Journalist"