Jack Gilford (born Jacob Aaron Gellman; July , â€" June , ) was an
American Broadway, film, and television actor. He was nominated for
the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Save the Tiger
().Gilford was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and grew up in
Williamsburg, Brooklyn. His parents were Romanian-born Jewish
immigrants Sophie "Susksa" (née Jackness), who owned a restaurant,
and Aaron Gellman, a furrier. Gilford was the second of three sons,
with an older brother Murray ("Moisha") and a younger brother
Nathaniel ("Natie").Gilford was discovered working in a pharmacy by
his mentor Milton Berle. While working in amateur theater, he competed
with other talented youngsters, including a young Jackie Gleason. He
started doing imitations and impersonations. His first appearance on
film was a short entitled Midnight Melodies in which he did his
imitations of George Jessel, Rudy Vallee and Harry Langdon. Gilford
developed some unique impressions that became his trademarks â€" most
notably, one of "split pea soup coming to a furious boil" using only
his face. Other unusual impressions he created were a fluorescent
light going on in a dark room, John D. Rockefeller Sr. imitating Jimmy
Durante, and impressions of animals. [citation needed]In , Gilford
worked as the master of ceremonies in the first downtown New York
integrated nightclub, Café Society owned and operated by Barney
Josephson. He was a unique blend of the earlier style of the Yiddish
theater, vaudeville and burlesque, and started the tradition of
monology such as later comedians Lenny Bruce and Woody Allen used. He
won numerous industry awards.
American Broadway, film, and television actor. He was nominated for
the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Save the Tiger
().Gilford was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and grew up in
Williamsburg, Brooklyn. His parents were Romanian-born Jewish
immigrants Sophie "Susksa" (née Jackness), who owned a restaurant,
and Aaron Gellman, a furrier. Gilford was the second of three sons,
with an older brother Murray ("Moisha") and a younger brother
Nathaniel ("Natie").Gilford was discovered working in a pharmacy by
his mentor Milton Berle. While working in amateur theater, he competed
with other talented youngsters, including a young Jackie Gleason. He
started doing imitations and impersonations. His first appearance on
film was a short entitled Midnight Melodies in which he did his
imitations of George Jessel, Rudy Vallee and Harry Langdon. Gilford
developed some unique impressions that became his trademarks â€" most
notably, one of "split pea soup coming to a furious boil" using only
his face. Other unusual impressions he created were a fluorescent
light going on in a dark room, John D. Rockefeller Sr. imitating Jimmy
Durante, and impressions of animals. [citation needed]In , Gilford
worked as the master of ceremonies in the first downtown New York
integrated nightclub, Café Society owned and operated by Barney
Josephson. He was a unique blend of the earlier style of the Yiddish
theater, vaudeville and burlesque, and started the tradition of
monology such as later comedians Lenny Bruce and Woody Allen used. He
won numerous industry awards.
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