Jack Albertson

Infobox Actor
name = Jack Albertson


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caption = Jack as 'The Man' in 'Chico and the Man'
birthname =
birthdate = birth date|1907|6|16|mf=y
birthplace = Malden, Massachusetts, USA
deathdate = Death date and age|1981|11|25|1907|06|16
deathplace = Hollywood, California, USA
othername = Jackie Alberts
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academyawards = Best Supporting Actor
1968 "The Subject Was Roses"
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emmyawards = Outstanding Lead Actor - Comedy Series
1974 "Chico and the Man"
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tonyawards = Best Supporting Actor
1965 "The Subject Was Roses"
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Jack Albertson (June 16, 1907 – November 25, 1981) was an American award-winning character actor dating to vaudeville. A comedian, dancer, singer, and musician, Albertson is perhaps best known for his role as Grandpa Joe in the 1971 version of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". HWOF sentence|genre=television|address=6253 Hollywood Boulevard. The actor often stated that he and fellow character actor, Arthur O'Connell, were often confused for each other.

Early life

Albertson was born in Malden, Massachusetts, the son of Russian-born Jewish immigrants Flora Craft and Leopold Albertson. [http://www.genealogymagazine.com/albertson.html Jack Albertson's Kinship to Cloris Leachman and Sharon Stone ] ] [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70F1EFD38591A728DDDAE0894D9405B838BF1D3 Jack Spreads A Little Sunshine; Jack Spreads Sunshine - Free Preview - The New York Times ] ] His sister was actress Mabel Albertson. Albertson's mother, a stock actress, supported the family by working in a shoe factory. Albertson dropped out of high school and traveled to New York City in an attempt make it big in show business. He was too poor to get a room in a flophouse, so in the winter he would sleep on the IRT subway for a nickel, and hide out when the transit workers would clear out the train at the end of the line. In the summer he would sleep in Central Park. Albertson's first real job in show business was with a vaudeville road troupe, the Dancing Verselle Sisters. He was considered a complete entertainer from the old school.

Career

Broadway

Albertson worked in burlesque as a hoofer (soft shoe dancer) and straight man to Phil Silvers on the "Minsky's Burlesque Circuit". Besides vaudeville and burlesque, he appeared on the stage in many Broadway plays including "High Button Shoes", "Top Banana", "The Cradle Will Rock", "Make Mine Manhattan", "Show Boat", "Boy Meets Girl", "Girl Crazy", "Meet the People", "The Sunshine Boys" (for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor), and "The Subject Was Roses" (for which he won a Tony for Best Supporting Actor). He was also known for two radio programs, "Just Plain Bill" and "The Jack Albertson Comedy Show".

Film

Albertson appeared in over 30 films. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1968 film "The Subject Was Roses". He appeared as Charlie Bucket's Grandpa Joe in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" (1971), and in "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972), where he was the husband who encouraged his wife, the former swimming champion (played by Shelley Winters in her Oscar-nominated role) to swim for safety. Albertson said that his one regret was that he was not asked to reprise his role in the movie version of "The Sunshine Boys".

Television

Television also saw much of Albertson's talent. He appeared in dozens of series, including Dean Jones's NBC series "Ensign O'Toole" from 1962-1963 and Jack Sheldon's short-lived "Run, Buddy, Run" on CBS in 1966. He starred in "Chico and the Man", for which Albertson won an Emmy, making him one of the few entertainers to win the triple crown of entertainment (a Tony, an Oscar, and an Emmy).

Personal life and death

Albertson was married to Wallace (Wally) Thompson and had one daughter, Maura. He resided for years in West Hollywood, California. In 1978, he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, but kept this information private so he could continue to act. He made two television movies, "My Body, My Child" (1982) and "Grandpa, Will You Run With Me?" (1982), that were released posthumously.

Albertson died on November 25, 1981, from colorectal cancer. He was cremated and as his sisters', Mabel Albertson, would be, his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.

Filmography

ee also

* Vaudeville
* Broadway theatre
* "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory"
* "Chico and the Man"

References

External links

*amg name|2:695
*Findagrave|13134
*imdb|0016776