Jack Carter (comedian)

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Jack Carter
Carter in 1949
Born
Jack Chakrin[1]

(1922-06-24)June 24, 1922
Brooklyn, New York U.S.
DiedJune 28, 2015(2015-06-28) (aged 93)
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • television presenter
Years active1942–2014
Spouses
Joan Mann
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(m. 1949; div. 1958)​
​
​
(m. 1961; div. 1970)​
Roxanne Wander
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​
(m. 1971; div. 1977)​
​
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(m. 1992⁠–⁠2015)​
[citation needed]
Children4
Signature
Carter and Paula Stewart in 1959

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]

Life and career[edit]

Carter 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!, 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[edit]

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1962 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Stanley Towers Season 7 Episode 31: "Most Likely to Succeed"
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"
1994 Burke's Law Danny Duke Episode: "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 Episode: "The Final Curtain"
1996 Living Single Ray Kellum 2 episodes
1997 Superman: The Animated Series Harry Voice, episode: "Warrior Queen"[7]
1998 Hercules Tiresias Voice, episode: "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, episode: "That's Edutainment!"[7]
2001–2002 King of the Hill Irwin Linker Voice, 2 episodes
2002 Static Shock Frieda's Grandfather Voice, episode: "Frozen Out"[7]
2004 Justice League Unlimited Sid Voice, episode: "This Little Piggy"[7]
2005 Phil of the Future Older Nathan Episode: "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 2 episodes
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 Lt. 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]

  1. ^ a b Gertner, Richard (1982). International television almanac. Quigley Publishing Company. pp. 44–. ISBN 9780900610271. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  2. ^ "Jack Carter Net Worth: Late Comedian's Beverly Hills Mansion Listed For $5.825M". Realty Today. December 2, 2015.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Carter, Jack (August 4, 2014). "Norm Macdonald Live" (Interview). Interviewed by Norm Macdonald. Retrieved October 20, 2014.[dead YouTube link]
  5. ^ Canby, Vincent. "Alligator" (film review), The New York Times, Friday, June 5, 1981. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  6. ^ "Comedian Jack Carter Dead at 93". Variety. June 29, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  7. ^ 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 opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jack Carter.
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