Philip Loeb (March 28, 1891 â€" September 1, 1955), was an American
stage, film, and television actor, director and author. He was
blacklisted under McCarthyism and committed suicide in response.Philip
Loeb was born March 28, 1891, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He first
performed in a high school production of Lady Gregory's The Workhouse
Ward. He served in the Army, then worked as stage manager of The Green
Goddess. During his short career, he directed seven Broadway
productions and appeared in 36 Broadway plays., his first If I Were
King at the Shubert Theatre, 1916 and his last Time Out For Ginger,
1953, at the Lyceum Theatre. Loeb also was co-author of the film
adaptation of Room Service starring the Marx Brothers, Loeb had
previously appeared in the hit Broadway show of the same name which
had a 500 performance run at Broadway's Cort Theatre. His stage career
gained strength in the early 1920s when he became associated with the
newly formed Theatre Guild in New York City. His stage work lessened
in the 1930s, while he worked with Actors' Equity Association. (It is
his work with Equity that is thought to have prompted the charges of
Communist leanings.)In 1948, Loeb portrayed the role of Jake Goldberg
on Broadway in Gertrude Berg's play Me and Molly which was based on
Berg's long-running radio show The Goldbergs. After the play, he
reprised the role on the television adaptation of The Goldbergs on
CBS. Loeb became a viewer favorite as the exasperated, loving husband
Jake to Berg's meddlesome, bighearted Molly Goldberg.In June 1950, Red
Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television,
named Loeb as a Communist. Loeb denied being a Communist, but the
sponsors of The Goldbergs, General Foods, insisted that he be dropped
from the show's cast due to his "controversiality". Berg (who had
created the show and owned it on both radio and television) refused to
fire Loeb, but Loeb soon resigned, accepting a settlement which was
estimated at $40,000 ($385,100 today).
stage, film, and television actor, director and author. He was
blacklisted under McCarthyism and committed suicide in response.Philip
Loeb was born March 28, 1891, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He first
performed in a high school production of Lady Gregory's The Workhouse
Ward. He served in the Army, then worked as stage manager of The Green
Goddess. During his short career, he directed seven Broadway
productions and appeared in 36 Broadway plays., his first If I Were
King at the Shubert Theatre, 1916 and his last Time Out For Ginger,
1953, at the Lyceum Theatre. Loeb also was co-author of the film
adaptation of Room Service starring the Marx Brothers, Loeb had
previously appeared in the hit Broadway show of the same name which
had a 500 performance run at Broadway's Cort Theatre. His stage career
gained strength in the early 1920s when he became associated with the
newly formed Theatre Guild in New York City. His stage work lessened
in the 1930s, while he worked with Actors' Equity Association. (It is
his work with Equity that is thought to have prompted the charges of
Communist leanings.)In 1948, Loeb portrayed the role of Jake Goldberg
on Broadway in Gertrude Berg's play Me and Molly which was based on
Berg's long-running radio show The Goldbergs. After the play, he
reprised the role on the television adaptation of The Goldbergs on
CBS. Loeb became a viewer favorite as the exasperated, loving husband
Jake to Berg's meddlesome, bighearted Molly Goldberg.In June 1950, Red
Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television,
named Loeb as a Communist. Loeb denied being a Communist, but the
sponsors of The Goldbergs, General Foods, insisted that he be dropped
from the show's cast due to his "controversiality". Berg (who had
created the show and owned it on both radio and television) refused to
fire Loeb, but Loeb soon resigned, accepting a settlement which was
estimated at $40,000 ($385,100 today).
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