JACK ALBERTSON
Name: Jonathan George Albertson
Born: 16 June 1907 Malden, Massachusetts
Died: 25 November 1981 Hollywood, California
Jonathan George "Jack" Albertson (June 16, 1907 – November 25, 1981) was an
Academy Award, Emmy Award and Tony Award-winning American character actor,
dating back to vaudeville. Albertson is a comedian, dancer, singer, and musician,
having performed on stage, radio, movies, and television.
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. His 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.
Albertson soon 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.
Name: Jonathan George Albertson
Born: 16 June 1907 Malden, Massachusetts
Died: 25 November 1981 Hollywood, California
Jonathan George "Jack" Albertson (June 16, 1907 – November 25, 1981) was an
Academy Award, Emmy Award and Tony Award-winning American character actor,
dating back to vaudeville. Albertson is a comedian, dancer, singer, and musician,
having performed on stage, radio, movies, and television.
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. His 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.
Albertson soon 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.