Luther Adler (born Lutha Adler; May 4, 1903 – December 8, 1984) was an American actor best known for his work in theatre, but who also worked in film and television. He also directed plays on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

Early life and career

Adler was born on May 4, 1903, in New York City. He was one of the six children of

Russian-Jewish The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...

actors

Sara Sara may refer to: Arts, media and entertainment Film and television * ''Sara'' (1992 film), 1992 Iranian film by Dariush Merhjui * ''Sara'' (1997 film), 1997 Polish film starring Bogusław Linda * ''Sara'' (2010 film), 2010 Sri Lankan Sinhal ...

and

Jacob P. Adler Jacob Pavlovich Adler (Yiddish: יעקבֿ פּאַװלאָװיטש אַדלער; born Yankev P. Adler; February 12, 1855 – April 1, 1926)IMDB biography was a Jewish actor and star of Yiddish theater, first in Odessa, and later in London and ...

. His father was considered to be one of the founders of the

Yiddish theatre Yiddish theatre consists of plays written and performed primarily by Jews in Yiddish, the language of the Central European Ashkenazi Jewish community. The range of Yiddish theatre is broad: operetta, musical comedy, and satiric or nostalgic revu ...

in America. His siblings also worked in theatre; his sister Stella Adler achieved fame as an actress and drama teacher. His brother Jay also achieved some renown as an actor. Adler's father gave him his first acting job in the Yiddish play, '' Schmendrick,'' at the Thalia Theatre in Manhattan in 1908; Adler was then 5 years old. His first

plays were ''The Hand of the Potter'' in 1921; ''Humoresque'' in 1923; ''Monkey Talks'' in 1925; ''Money Business'' and ''We Americans'' in 1926; ''John'' in 1927; ''Red Rust'' (or ''Rust'') and ''Street Scene'' in 1929.

Years in the Group Theatre

In 1931 Adler became one of the original members of the Group Theatre (New York), a New York City theatre collective formed by

Cheryl Crawford Cheryl Crawford (September 24, 1902 – October 7, 1986) was an American theatre producer and director. Biography Born in Akron, Ohio, Crawford majored in drama at Smith College. Following graduation in 1925, she moved to New York City and ...

Harold Clurman Harold Edgar Clurman (September 18, 1901 – September 9, 1980) was an American theatre director and drama critic. In 2003, he was named one of the most influential figures in U.S. theater by PBS.

and

Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American theatre director, actor and acting teacher. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931 ...

. The founders, as well as the actors in the group, "tended to hold left-wing political views and wanted to produce plays that dealt with important social issues." The collective lasted for ten years, had twenty productions, and served as an inspiration for many actors, directors and playwrights who came after it. During those years, the Group's members included Luther, Luther's sister and brother, Stella Adler and

Jay Adler Jay Adler (August 4, 1896 – September 24, 1978) was an American actor in theater, television, and film. Early life Born in New York City, he was the eldest son of actors Jacob and Sara Adler, and the brother of five actor siblings, including st ...

Elia Kazan Elia Kazan (; born Elias Kazantzoglou ( el, Ηλίας Καζαντζόγλου); September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003) was an American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one o ...

John Garfield John Garfield (born Jacob Julius Garfinkle, March 4, 1913 – May 21, 1952) was an American actor who played brooding, rebellious, working-class characters. He grew up in poverty in New York City. In the early 1930s, he became a member of ...

, Paul Green (playwright),

Howard Da Silva Howard Da Silva (born Howard Silverblatt, May 4, 1909 – February 16, 1986) was an American actor, director and musical performer on stage, film, television and radio. He was cast in dozens of productions on the New York stage, appeared in mo ...

Harry Morgan Harry Morgan (born Harry Bratsberg; April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) was an American actor and director whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both ''December Bride'' (1954–1959 ...

(billed as Harry Bratsburg),

Franchot Tone Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor, producer, and director of stage, film and television. He was a leading man in the 1930s and early 1940s, and at the height of his career was known ...

, John Randolph, Joseph Bromberg, Michael Gordon,

Will Geer Will Geer (born William Aughe Ghere; March 9, 1902 – April 22, 1978) was an American actor, musician, and social activist, who was active in labor organizing and other movements in New York and Southern California in the 1930s and 1940s. In C ...

Clifford Odets Clifford Odets (July 18, 1906 – August 14, 1963) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. In the mid-1930s, he was widely seen as the potential successor to Nobel Prize-winning playwright Eugene O'Neill, as O'Neill began to withdra ...

and Lee J. Cobb.

considered Adler to be the best actor working in the company. In 1932, Adler starred in John Howard Lawson's, '' Success Story'' and garnered rave reviews for his performance. In 1933 Adler briefly joined the Katherine Cornell Company, playing opposite Cornell in ''Alien Corn'', but in 1934 he returned to the Group and played alongside his sister Stella in '' Gold Eagle Guy''. ''Gold Eagle Guy'' was not popular with audiences and had a short run. Adler had suspected the play would not succeed, remarking, shortly before it opened, "Boys, I think we're working on a stiff." Adler went on to appear in Group Theatre (New York) productions: '' Awake and Sing!'' and ''

Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse. A second edition followed in 16 ...

'' (both 1935), and he performed with

Frances Farmer Frances Elena Farmer (September 19, 1913August 1, 1970) was an American actress and television hostess. She appeared in over a dozen feature films over the course of her career, though she garnered notoriety for sensationalized accounts of her l ...

in '' Golden Boy'' (1937). He also appeared in Kurt Weill's anti-war musical '' Johnny Johnson'' (1936) and originated the role of Captain Joshua in the 1939 Group Theater production of Thunder Rock. "By the late 1930s... the cohesiveness of the group began to crumble. The chronic financial problems and long-simmering disputes about 'the method' began to chip away at their solidarity... and in 1941 the group dissolved."

After the Group Theatre

By the early 1940s, Adler began to direct, but his first production ''They Should Have Stood in Bed'' closed after only 11 performances in 1942. His next directorial venture, '' A Flag Is Born'', ran for 120 performances in 1946 and featured newcomer

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

in one of the major roles. In 1965, when

Zero Mostel Samuel Joel "Zero" Mostel (February 28, 1915 – September 8, 1977) was an American actor, comedian, and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of comic characters such as Tevye on stage in ''Fiddler on the Roof'', Pseudolus on stage and on ...

left the Broadway cast of ''

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the ...

'' during a contract dispute, Adler took over the role of Tevye.

Film and television career

In 1937 Adler began to appear in films, although they were never his highest priority. His credits included '' Cornered'' (1945), ''

Wake of the Red Witch ''Wake of the Red Witch'' is a 1948 American adventure film directed by Edward Ludwig, produced by Edmund Grainger and starring John Wayne, Gail Russell, Gig Young, Adele Mara and Luther Adler. It is based upon the 1946 novel of the same name wri ...

'' (1948), '' House of Strangers'' (1949), '' D.O.A.'' (1949), '' The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel'' (1951) (appearing as

Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

), and '' M'' (1951). During the 1950s, Luther Adler was among the directors and actors who were blacklisted. He later appeared in ''

Voyage of the Damned ''Voyage of the Damned'' is a 1976 drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, with an all-star cast featuring Faye Dunaway, Oskar Werner, Lee Grant, Max von Sydow, James Mason, and Malcolm McDowell. The story was inspired by actual events co ...

'' (1976) and ''

Absence of Malice ''Absence of Malice'' is a 1981 American drama neo noir thriller film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Paul Newman, Sally Field, Wilford Brimley, Melinda Dillon and Bob Balaban. The title refers to one of the defenses against libel def ...

'' (1981). He also acted frequently on television in such programs as the

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a dif ...

, ''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

'', ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'', '' Kraft Television Theater'' and ''

Robert Montgomery Presents ''Robert Montgomery Presents'' is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950, until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its eight-year run, and the title was altered to feature the ...

''. He guest-starred in 1960 in the

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

fantasy series, ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'' as the poor

pawnbroker A pawnbroker is an individual or business (pawnshop or pawn shop) that offers secured loans to people, with items of personal property used as collateral. The items having been ''pawned'' to the broker are themselves called ''pledges'' o ...

Arthur Castle, with

Vivi Janiss Vivi may refer to: People * Vivi Bach (1939–2013), Danish actress and singer * Vivi Fernandez (born 1977), Brazilian model * Vivi Flindt (born 1943), Danish ballerina * Vivi Friedman (1967–2012), Finnish film director * Vivi Gioi (1917–1975 ...

as his wife Edna, in the episode entitled " The Man in the Bottle" (again appearing as

). In the story line, a

genie Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources) – are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic myt ...

offers the couple four wishes which do not lead to happiness. He was also cast in episodes of ''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

'', ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaff ...

'', ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was o ...

'', '' Mission: Impossible'', '' Hawaii Five-O'', most notably in the series' only three-part episode "'V' for Vashon", ''

The Streets of San Francisco ''The Streets of San Francisco'' is a television crime drama filmed on location in San Francisco and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros. Television (QM produced the show on its ...

'', '' Naked City'' and '' Route 66''.

Personal life

Adler was married to actress Sylvia Sidney from 1938 until 1946 and was the father of Sidney's only child, her son Jacob, who predeceased her. A lifelong Democrat, he and his siblings supported the campaign of Adlai Stevenson during the 1952 presidential election. He died at his Kutztown, Pennsylvania home, and was buried in Mount Carmel Cemetery, Glendale, New York, next to several of his relatives, including his parents and older sister Stella.

Complete filmography

* '' Lancer Spy'' (1937) .... Schratt * '' Cornered'' (1945) .... Marcel Jarnac * ''

Saigon , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...

'' (1948) .... Lt. Keon * '' The Loves of Carmen'' (1948) .... Dancaire * ''

'' (1948) .... Mayrant Ruysdaal Sidneye * '' House of Strangers'' (1949) .... Joe Monetti * '' D.O.A.'' (1949) .... Majak * '' Under My Skin'' (1950) .... Louis Bork * '' Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye'' (1950) .... Keith 'Cherokee' Mandon * '' South Sea Sinner'' (1950) .... Cognac * '' M'' (1951) .... Dan Langley * '' The Magic Face'' (1951) .... Rudi Janus / Adolf Hitler * '' The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel'' (1951) .... Adolf Hitler * '' Hoodlum Empire'' (1952) .... Nick Mancani * '' The Tall Texan'' (1953) .... John Tinnen * ''

The Miami Story ''The Miami Story'' is a 1954 American film noir crime film directed by Fred F. Sears and starring Barry Sullivan, Luther Adler and Adele Jergens. It was produced by Sam Katzman for distribution by Columbia Pictures. The film features an introdu ...

'' (1954) .... Tony Brill * ''

Crashout ''Crashout'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Lewis R. Foster and starring William Bendix, Arthur Kennedy, Luther Adler, William Talman, Gene Evans, Marshall Thompson, and Beverly Michaels.. Plot Convict Van Duff is the lead ...

'' (1955) .... Pete Mendoza * ''

The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing ''The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing'' is a 1955 American film directed by Richard Fleischer from a screenplay by Walter Reisch and Charles Brackett, and starring Joan Collins, Ray Milland, and Farley Granger. The CinemaScope film was released ...

'' (1955) .... Delphin Delmas * ''

Hot Blood ''Hot Blood'' is a 1956 American CinemaScope Technicolor musical film starring Jane Russell and Cornel Wilde and directed by Nicholas Ray. Plot Marco Torino, king of the gypsies in southern California, is terminally ill. He wants his younger ...

'' (1956) .... Marco Torino * ''

The Last Angry Man ''The Last Angry Man'' is a 1959 drama film that tells the story of a television producer who profiles the life of a physician. It stars Paul Muni (in his last film appearance), David Wayne, Betsy Palmer, Billy Dee Williams (in his film debut ...

'' (1959) .... Dr. Max Vogel * '' Cast a Giant Shadow'' (1966) .... Jacob Zion * '' The Three Sisters'' (1966) .... Chebutykin * ''The Sunshine Patriot'' (1968, TV Movie) .... Imre Hyneck * '' The Brotherhood'' (1968) .... Dominick Bertolo * ''Chelsea D.H.O.'' (1973, TV Movie) .... Dr. Levine, M.E. * '' Crazy Joe'' (1974) .... Falco * ''Paradise'' (1974, TV Movie) * '' The Man in the Glass Booth'' (1975) .... Presiding Judge * '' Live A Little, Steal A Lot'' (1975) .... Max 'The Eye' * '' Mean Johnny Barrows'' (1976) .... Don Racconi * ''

'' (1976) .... Prof. Weiler * ''

'' (1981) .... Malderone (final film role)

Complete television credits

* ''Somerset Maugham TV Theatre'', "Honolulu" (1951) * ''Faith Baldwin Romance Theatre'', "Portrait of Niki" (1951) * ''

The United States Steel Hour ''The United States Steel Hour'' is an anthology series which brought hour long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation (U. S ...

'', "Hedda Gabler" ... Judge Brock (1954), "The Gamblers" ... Sidney West (1956) * '' Studio One'', "A Criminal Design" (1954), "Cauliflower Heart" ... Joe Rundle (1956) * ''The Mask'', "The Visitor" (1954) * '' The Motorola Television Hour'', "Nightmare in Algiers" ... General Fox (1954) * ''Center Stage'', "The Day Before Atlanta" ... Jubal Banks (1954) * ''

'', "Nora #1" ... Torvald Helmer (1954), "Man with a Vengeance" ... Warner Johnson (1955) * '' Pond's Theater'', "Billy Budd" (1955) * ''

'', "The Killer" (1955) * ''Crossroads'', "The Unholy Trio" ... Rabbi Rosenblum (1955) * ''

Playhouse 90 ''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of th ...

'', "The Last Clear Chance" ... Garvin (1958), "The Plot to Kill Stalin" ... Molotov (1958), "The Rank and File" ... Irving Werner (1959) * ''

Lamp Unto My Feet ''Lamp Unto My Feet'' was an American ecumenical religious program that was produced by CBS Television and broadcast from 1948 to 1979 on Sunday mornings. The title comes from Psalm 119: "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." ...

'', "Antigone" (1958) * '' The Play of the Week'', ''"A Month in the Country"'' ... Ignaty Illyich Shpichelsky (1959) * ''

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse ''Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series produced by Desilu Productions. The show ran on the Columbia Broadcasting System between 1958 and 1960. Three of its 48 episodes served as pilots for the 1950s televisio ...

'', "Meeting at Appalachia" ... Sal Raimondi (1960) * ''

'', " The Man in the Bottle" ... Arthur Castle (1960) * ''

'', "Nicky" ... Gus Marco (1960), "Murder Under Glass" ... Emile Bouchard (1961), "Takeover" ... Charlie Zenko (1962) * '' Naked City'', "The Man Who Bit a Diamond in Half" ... Sean Wicklow (1960), "A Memory of Crying" ... Willard Manson (1961), "The Fingers of Henri Tourelle" ... Henri Tourelle (1961), "Make It Fifty Dollars and Add Love to Nona" ... Mr. Kovar (1962) * '' The Islanders'', "Escape from Kaledau" ... Frank Fellino (1961) * ''

The DuPont Show of the Month ''DuPont Show of the Month'' was a 90-minute television anthology series that aired monthly on CBS from 1957 to 1961. The DuPont Company also sponsored a weekly half-hour dramatic anthology series hosted by June Allyson, ''The DuPont Show with Ju ...

'', "The Lincoln Murder Case" ... Edwin M. Stanton (1961) * '' Straightaway'', "The Leather Dollar" (1961) ... Manager * ''

'', "The Insolent Heart" ... Dr. Michael Waldman (1961), "The White Ones Are Dolphins" ... Dr. Bowersox (1963) * '' Target: The Corruptors'', "Silent Partner" ... Victor Cobalt (1961), "The Wrecker" ... Jonathan (1962) * '' Route 66'', "Man Out of Time" ... Harry Wender (1962) * ''

'', "5: Part 3" ... Thomas Allen (1963) * ''Festival of Arts'', "Sibelius: A Symphony of Finland" ... Voice of Sibelius (1965) * '' Mission: Impossible'', "Phantoms" ... Leo Vorka (1970) * '' The Name of the Game'', "Tarot" ... Marc Osborne (1970) * '' The Psychiatrist'', "God Bless the Children" (1970), "Such Civil War in My Love and Hate", "The Longer Trail", "Ex-Sgt. Randell File, U.S.A." and "Par for the Course" (1971) ... Dr. Bernard Altman (all episodes) * '' Hawaii Five-O'', " 'V' for Vashon: The Son", " 'V' for Vashon: The Father" and " 'V' for Vashon: The Patriarch" ... Dominick Vashon (1972), "How to Steal a Masterpiece" ... Charles Ogden (1974), "The Case Against McGarrett" ... Dominick Vashon (1975) (archive footage) * ''

Search Searching or search may refer to: Computing technology * Search algorithm, including keyword search ** :Search algorithms * Search and optimization for problem solving in artificial intelligence * Search engine technology, software for find ...

'', "Numbered for Death" ... Vollmar (1973) * ''

Hec Ramsey ''Hec Ramsey'' is an American television series that aired on NBC from 1972 to 1974, starring Richard Boone. The series was created by Jack Webb's production company, Mark VII Limited in association with Universal's television productions. Th ...

'', "The Detroit Connection" ... Victor Bordon (1973) * ''

'', "Mister Nobody" ... Victor (1974) * ''The Making of 'Absence of Malice'' (1982 documentary) ... Himself

Footnotes

References

* * * * * * * * *

External links

* * * * *
Luther Adler papers, 1890–1984
held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division,

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, is located in Manhattan, New York City, at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side, between the Metro ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adler, Luther 1903 births 1984 deaths American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors American people of Russian-Jewish descent Jewish American male actors Male actors from New York City 20th-century American male actors California Democrats New York (state) Democrats Pennsylvania Democrats People from Kutztown, Pennsylvania 20th-century American Jews