Jack Carter (born Jack Chakrin; June 24, 1922 – June 28, 2015) was an American comedian, actor, and television presenter.[1] Brooklyn-born, Carter had a long-running comedy act similar to fellow rapid-paced contemporaries Milton Berle and Morey Amsterdam.[2]
Jack Carter | |
|---|---|
 Carter in 1949 | |
| Born | Jack Chakrin[1] June 24, 1922 Brooklyn, New York U.S. |
| Died | June 28, 2015 (aged 93) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1942–2014 |
| Spouses | Joan Mann
(m. 1949; div. 1958)Roxanne Wander
(m. 1971; div. 1977)
(m. 1992–2015) |
| Children | 4 |
| Signature | |
 | |
Life and career
editCarter was born in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York, in 1922 to Anna (née Borofsky) and Harry Chakrin, immigrants from Russia. His parents owned a candy store there where he began to dance on tables at the age of 3.[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 2+1⁄2-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 Sid Caesar his entire life and delivered the eulogy at his funeral.[4]
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.[5]
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, 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. His last round of work included a cameo on New Girl and a voice on Family Guy. He was a guest on Norm Macdonald's video podcast, Norm Macdonald Live, in 2014.
Carter died on June 28, 2015, four days after his 93rd birthday, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, of respiratory failure.[6]
Filmography
editTelevision
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Stanley Towers | Season 7 Episode 31: "Most Likely to Succeed" |
| 1964 | The Dick Van Dyke Show | Neil Schenk | ”Stretch Petrie vs. Kid Schenk” |
| 1973 | Hawaii Five-O | Harry Foxton | Season 6 Episode 13: "Try to Die on Time" |
| 1977 | Sanford and Son | Marvin | Season 6 Episode 14: "Fred Meets Redd" |
| 1991-1996 | The Ren & Stimpy Show | Wilbur Cobb | Voice |
| 1993 | Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman | Murray Brown | Season 1 Episode 4: "I'm Looking Through You" |
| 1994 | Burke's Law | Danny Duke | Season 1 Episode 5: "Who Killed the Host at the Roast?" |
| 1995 | Duckman | Checky Borscht (voice) | Season 2 Episode 8: "Research and Destroy" |
| 1996 | Saved by the Bell: The New Class | Larry Madison | Season 4 Episode 13: "The Final Curtain" |
| 1996 | Living Single | Ray Kellum | Season 3 Episode 26: "Compromising Positions" |
| 1996 | Living Single | Ray Kellum | Season 4 Episode 9: "Do You Take This Man's Wallet?" |
| 1997 | Superman: The Animated Series | Harry | Voice, Season 2 Episode 24: "Warrior Queen"[7] |
| 1998 | Hercules | Tiresias | Voice, Season 1 Episode 35: "Hercules and the Griffin" |
| 1999 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Uncle Abe | Season 4 Episode 11: "Dick Solomon of the Indiana Solomons" |
| 1999 | Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain | Ziff Twyman | Voice, Season 1 Episode 20: "That's Edutainment!"[7] |
| 2001 | King of the Hill | Irwin Linker | Voice, Season 5 Episode 10: "Yankee Hankee" |
| 2001 | King of the Hill | Irwin Linker | Voice, Season 6 Episode 11: "Unfortunate Son" |
| 2002 | Static Shock | Frieda's Grandfather | Voice, Season 2 Episode 5: "Frozen Out"[7] |
| 2004 | Justice League Unlimited | Sid | Voice, Season 1 Episode 5: "This Little Piggy"[7] |
| 2005 | Phil of the Future | Older Nathan | Season 2 Episode 10: "Maybe-Sitting"[7] |
| 2008 | Monk | Joseph Moody | Season 7 Episode 1: "Mr. Monk Buys a House" |
| 2009 | Parks and Recreation | Old Gus | Season 2 Episode 8: "Ron and Tammy" |
| 2010 | iCarly | Gilbert Gibson | Season 4 Episode 1: "iGot a Hot Room" |
| 2010 | iCarly | Gilbert Gibson | Season 4 Episode 6: "iStart a Fan War" |
| 2011 | Family Guy | Old Man (voice) | Season 10 Episode 9: "Grumpy Old Man" |
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | It Happened to Jane | Stenographer | Uncredited |
| 1962 | The Horizontal Lieutenant | Lieutenant Billy Monk | |
| 1964 | Viva Las Vegas | Casino Performer | Uncredited |
| 1969 | The Extraordinary Seaman | Orville Toole | |
| 1971 | The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler | Dwight Chiles | |
| 1975 | Hustle | Herbie Dalitz | |
| 1976 | Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood | Male Journalist | |
| 1976 | The Amazing Dobermans | Solly Kramer | |
| 1977 | The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington | Senator Caruso | |
| 1978 | Record City | Manny | |
| 1979 | The Glove | Walter Stratton | |
| 1980 | Alligator | Mayor | |
| 1980 | The Octagon | Sharkey | |
| 1981 | Separate Ways | Barney Brodsky | |
| 1981 | History of the World, Part I | Rat Vendor | |
| 1981 | Heartbeeps | Catskil-55602 | Voice |
| 1983 | The Funny Farm | Philly Beekman | |
| 1984 | Hambone and Hillie | Lester Burns | |
| 1984 | Love Scenes | Sidney | |
| 1986 | The Trouble with Dick | Samsa | |
| 1987 | W.A.R.: Women Against Rape | Frank Bower | |
| 1989 | Arena | Announcer | |
| 1990 | Satan's Princess | Old Priest | |
| 1990 | Cyber-C.H.I.C. | Dr. Burburagmus | |
| 1990 | Caged Fury | Mr. Castaglia | |
| 1990 | Sexpot | Cal Farnsworth | |
| 1992 | In the Heat of Passion | Stan | |
| 1992 | The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them | Rabbi | |
| 1995 | Prima Donnas | Senator Robertson | |
| 1997 | The Good Bad Guy | Honda Civic Driver | |
| 1997 | Always Say Goodbye | Jerry Feldman | |
| 1998 | October 22 | Pawnbroker | |
| 1998 | The Modern Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Young Guy | |
| 1999 | Play It to the Bone | Dante Solomon | |
| 2004 | One Last Ride | Sid | |
| 2007 | Cougar Club | Party Guest, Stan's Friend | |
| 2008 | The Great Buck Howard | Himself | |
| 2011 | Let Go | Frosty | |
| 2014 | Mercy | Mr. Bello |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy | Uncle | [7] |
References
edit- ^ a b Gertner, Richard (1982). International television almanac. Quigley Publishing Company. pp. 44–. ISBN 9780900610271. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
- ^ "Jack Carter Net Worth: Late Comedian's Beverly Hills Mansion Listed For $5.825M". Realty Today. December 2, 2015.
- ^ Hevesi, Dennis (June 29, 2015). "Jack Carter, Comedian Who Brought His Rapid-Fire Delivery to TV, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ^ Carter, Jack (August 4, 2014). "Norm Macdonald Live" (Interview). Interviewed by Norm Macdonald. Retrieved October 20, 2014.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ Canby, Vincent. "Alligator" (film review), The New York Times, Friday, June 5, 1981. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- ^ "Comedian Jack Carter Dead at 93". Variety. June 29, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f "Jack Carter (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved December 19, 2023. 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.
External links
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