Samuel Wanamaker, CBE (born Wattenmacker; June 14, 1919 â€" December
18, 1993) was an American actor and director who moved to the United
Kingdom after becoming fearful of being blacklisted in Hollywood due
to his communist sympathies. He is credited as the person most
responsible for saving The Rose Theatre, which led to the modern
recreation of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, where he is
commemorated in the name of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, the site's
second theatre.Wanamaker was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of
tailor Maurice Wattenmacker (Manus Watmakher) and Molly (née Bobele).
His parents were Ukrainian Jews from Nikolayev. He was the younger of
two brothers, the elder being William, long-term cardiologist at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.He trained at the Goodman School of Drama
at the Art Institute of Chicago (now at DePaul University) and began
working with summer stock theatre companies in Chicago and northern
Wisconsin, where he helped build the stage of the Peninsula Players
Theatre in 1937.Wanamaker began his acting career in traveling shows
and later worked on Broadway. In 1942 he starred with Ingrid Bergman
in the play Joan of Lorraine and directed Two Gentlemen from Athens
the following year.
18, 1993) was an American actor and director who moved to the United
Kingdom after becoming fearful of being blacklisted in Hollywood due
to his communist sympathies. He is credited as the person most
responsible for saving The Rose Theatre, which led to the modern
recreation of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London, where he is
commemorated in the name of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, the site's
second theatre.Wanamaker was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of
tailor Maurice Wattenmacker (Manus Watmakher) and Molly (née Bobele).
His parents were Ukrainian Jews from Nikolayev. He was the younger of
two brothers, the elder being William, long-term cardiologist at
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.He trained at the Goodman School of Drama
at the Art Institute of Chicago (now at DePaul University) and began
working with summer stock theatre companies in Chicago and northern
Wisconsin, where he helped build the stage of the Peninsula Players
Theatre in 1937.Wanamaker began his acting career in traveling shows
and later worked on Broadway. In 1942 he starred with Ingrid Bergman
in the play Joan of Lorraine and directed Two Gentlemen from Athens
the following year.
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