John Elmer "Jack" Carson (October 27, 1910 â€" January 2, 1963) was a
Canadian-born, American film actor. Though he was primarily used in
supporting roles for comic relief, his work in films such as Mildred
Pierce (1945) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) displayed his mastery
of "straight" dramatic actor roles as well. He worked for RKO and MGM
(cast opposite Myrna Loy and William Powell in Love Crazy, 1941), but
most of his memorable work was for Warner Bros. His trademark
character was the wisecracking know-it-all, typically and inevitably
undone by his own smug cockiness.He was born in Carman, Manitoba,
Canada to Elmer[a][b] and Elsa Carson (née Brunke). He was the
younger brother of actor Robert Carson (1909 â€" 1979). His father was
an executive with an insurance company. In 1914, the family moved to
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which he always thought of as his home town. He
attended high school at Hartford School, Milwaukee, and St. John's
Military Academy, Delafield, but it was at Carleton College that he
acquired a taste for acting. Carson became a U.S. citizen in
California in 1949.Because of his size â€" 6 ft 2 in (1.9 m) and 220
lb (100 kg) â€" his first stage appearance (in a collegiate
production) was as Hercules. In the midst of a performance, he tripped
and took half the set with him. A college friend, Dave Willock,
thought it was so funny he persuaded Carson to team with him in a
vaudeville act â€" Willock and Carson â€" and a new career was born
with "a very successful comedy team that played large and small
vaudeville theatres everywhere in North America". This piece of
unplanned business would be typical of the sorts of things that tended
to happen to Carson in many of his film roles. After the act with
Willock broke up, Carson teamed with dancer Betty Alice Lindy for
appearances in theaters on the Orpheum Circuit.Radio was another
source of employment for the team, starting with a 1938 appearance on
the Kraft Music Hall when Bing Crosby hosted the show. In 1942â€"1943,
he was host of The Camel Comedy Caravan, and in the next season he
starred in The New Jack Carson Show, which debuted on CBS June 2,
1943. Charles Foster wrote about the show in Once Upon a Time in
Paradise: Canadians in the Golden Age of Hollywood: "It broke audience
records regularly during the four years it was on the air. Hollywood's
biggest stars ... lined up to do guest spots on the show."
Canadian-born, American film actor. Though he was primarily used in
supporting roles for comic relief, his work in films such as Mildred
Pierce (1945) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) displayed his mastery
of "straight" dramatic actor roles as well. He worked for RKO and MGM
(cast opposite Myrna Loy and William Powell in Love Crazy, 1941), but
most of his memorable work was for Warner Bros. His trademark
character was the wisecracking know-it-all, typically and inevitably
undone by his own smug cockiness.He was born in Carman, Manitoba,
Canada to Elmer[a][b] and Elsa Carson (née Brunke). He was the
younger brother of actor Robert Carson (1909 â€" 1979). His father was
an executive with an insurance company. In 1914, the family moved to
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which he always thought of as his home town. He
attended high school at Hartford School, Milwaukee, and St. John's
Military Academy, Delafield, but it was at Carleton College that he
acquired a taste for acting. Carson became a U.S. citizen in
California in 1949.Because of his size â€" 6 ft 2 in (1.9 m) and 220
lb (100 kg) â€" his first stage appearance (in a collegiate
production) was as Hercules. In the midst of a performance, he tripped
and took half the set with him. A college friend, Dave Willock,
thought it was so funny he persuaded Carson to team with him in a
vaudeville act â€" Willock and Carson â€" and a new career was born
with "a very successful comedy team that played large and small
vaudeville theatres everywhere in North America". This piece of
unplanned business would be typical of the sorts of things that tended
to happen to Carson in many of his film roles. After the act with
Willock broke up, Carson teamed with dancer Betty Alice Lindy for
appearances in theaters on the Orpheum Circuit.Radio was another
source of employment for the team, starting with a 1938 appearance on
the Kraft Music Hall when Bing Crosby hosted the show. In 1942â€"1943,
he was host of The Camel Comedy Caravan, and in the next season he
starred in The New Jack Carson Show, which debuted on CBS June 2,
1943. Charles Foster wrote about the show in Once Upon a Time in
Paradise: Canadians in the Golden Age of Hollywood: "It broke audience
records regularly during the four years it was on the air. Hollywood's
biggest stars ... lined up to do guest spots on the show."
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.