Maurice Gosfield

Maurice Lionel Gosfield (January 28, 1913 – October 19, 1964) was an American stage, film, radio and television actor, best remembered for his portrayal of Private Duane Doberman on the sitcom ''The Phil Silvers Show'' (1954–1959) and voicing Benny the Ball in ''Top Cat'' (1961–62).

Biography

Early life

Gosfield was raised in Philadelphia and, later, in Evanston, Illinois.

Pre-war career

In 1937, he made his Broadway debut as Manero in the play ''Siege''. Other theatre credits from the late 1930s include ''The Petrified Forest'', ''Three Men on a Horse'' and ''Room Service''. He also made several appearances on radio programs.Gosfield profile
radiogoldindex.com; accessed July 17, 2015.

In September 1941, Gosfield joined the cast of the Broadway play ''Keep Covered''.

During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army as a Technician fourth grade (T/4) in the 8th Armored Division.

Post-war career

In early 1951, Gosfield acted in the play ''Darkness at Noon'', which ran for 156 performances from January to June 1951, and in September 1951, he joined the cast of ''Out West of Eighth'', which closed after only four performances''.''

From October to November 1952 he had a comedic role as "A Turkish Gentleman" in the play ''In Any Language'', his performance being singled out as the funniest of the play by reviewers of the show''.'' From late 1954 to early 1955, he acted in ''A Stone for Danny Fisher'', which ran off-Broadway at the Downtown National Theater.

''The Phil Silvers Show''

From 1955 to 1959, Gosfield played Private Duane Doberman in ''The Phil Silvers Show'' (titled ''You'll Never Get Rich'' in its first season). Doberman was written as the most woebegone soldier. The actor originally hired for the part was Maurice Brenner, but Brenner was recast as Private Irving Fleischman. The show's creator Nat Hiken's biography details the casting for the role and the effect that Gosfield had on him, the producer and Phil Silvers when he appeared in front of them:

In 1959, Gosfield was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for the show. DC Comics published eleven issues of a Private Doberman comic from 1957 to 1960. That same year, he again played Private Doberman in the television show ''Keep in Step'' and made his final appearance as the character, the following year, when he guest starred on ''The Jack Benny Program''.

Phil Silvers, in his 1973 autobiography, said of Gosfield that he had a pomposity and condescension off-screen and "thought of himself as Cary Grant playing a short, plump man", Silvers continued: "He began to have delusions. He did not realize that the situations in which he worked, plus the sharp lines provided by Nat and the other writers, made him funny." For his part, Gosfield crowed, "Without me, the ''Bilko'' show would be nothing."

Later years

In 1961, Gosfield appeared in the film ''The Teenage Millionaire'' (1961). He also provided the voice for Benny the Ball on the cartoon series ''Top Cat'' which was partially based on the Sergeant Bilko series. His last role was in the 1963 film '' The Thrill of It All'', playing a truck driver. In 1964, he unsuccessfully tested for the role of Uncle Fester in the TV series ''The Addams Family''.

Illness and death

On October 14, 1964, while he was performing in a play at a New York theatre, Gosfield kept losing his balance and repeatedly falling asleep. He was diagnosed as having critical hypertension and was given seven different medications, which he was told to take for the rest of his life.

On October 19 1964, Gosfield died at age 51 at Will Rogers Memorial Hospital in Saranac Lake, New York after suffering "a series of ailments including diabetes and heart trouble and other complications." Gosfield was buried at Long Island National Cemetery, Suffolk County, New York.

Filmography

*''Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town'' (1950) as New York Tour Ticket Seller (uncredited)
*''Guilty Bystander'' (1950) as Guard on Bridge (uncredited)
*''Teenage Millionaire'' (1961) as Ernie
*'' The Thrill of It All'' (1963) as Truck Driver (final film role)

Television

*'' Studio One'' (1949, Episode: "The Glass Key")
*'' The Clock'' (1949, Episode #1.25)
*''We the People'' (1952, Episode - Episode dated 15 February 1952) as Himself
*''The New Recruits'' (1955, TV Movie) as Pvt. Mulrooney
*''The Phil Silvers Show'' (1955-1959) as Pvt. Duane Doberman
*''The Ed Sullivan Show'' (1956-1958) as Pvt. Duane Doberman / Himself
*''The Steve Allen Plymouth Show'' (1958, Episode #3.34) as Himself - Guest
*''The Phil Silvers Pontiac Special: Keep in Step'' (1959, TV Special) as Pvt. Duane Doberman
*''Summer in New York'' (1960, TV Movie)
*''The Jack Benny Program'' (1960, Episode: "Maurice Gosfield/Amateur Show") as Himself / Pvt. Duane Doberman
*''One Happy Family'' (1961, Episode: "Big Night") as Fred
*'' The Detectives'' (1961, Episode: "Secret Assignment") as Angie
*''The Red Skelton Hour'' (1961, Episode: "San Fernando and the Kaaka Maami Island") as Millionaire
*''The Jim Backus Show'' (1961, Episode: "Old Army Game") as Private Dilly Dillingham
*''Top Cat'' (1961-1962) as Benny the Ball (voice)

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gosfield, Maurice
1913 births
1964 deaths
20th-century American male actors
American male voice actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American male radio actors
United States Army personnel of World War II
Burials at Long Island National Cemetery
Hanna-Barbera people
Jewish American male actors
Jewish American military personnel
Male actors from Evanston, Illinois
Male actors from New York City
Male actors from Philadelphia
United States Army soldiers
20th-century American Jews