Robert Alda (born Alfonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo; February 26, 1914 – May 3, 1986) was an Italian-American theatrical and film actor, a singer, and a dancer. He was the father of actors

Alan Alan may refer to: People *Alan (surname), an English and Turkish surname * Alan (given name), an English given name **List of people with given name Alan ''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.'' *A ...

and

Antony Alda Antony Alda (born Antonio Joseph D'Abruzzo; December 9, 1956 – July 3, 2009), sometimes called Tony, was an American actor who grew up in a popular acting family. The son of Robert Alda, he was born in France. His early studies were in Rome and ...

. Alda was featured in a number of Broadway productions, then moved to Italy during the early 1960s. He appeared in many European films over the next two decades, occasionally returning to the U.S. for film appearances such as '' The Girl Who Knew Too Much'' (1969).

Early life

Alda, an American of Italian descent, was born Alfonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, the son of Frances (née Tumillo) and Antonio D'Abruzzo, a barber born in

Sant'Agata de' Goti Sant'Agata de' Goti is a ''comune'' (municipality) and former Catholic bishopric in the Province of Benevento in the Italian region Campania, located about 35 km northeast of Naples and about 25 km west of Benevento near the Monte Taburn ...

, Benevento, Campania, Italy. (D'

Abruzzo Abruzzo (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese Neapolitan, Abbrùzze , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; nap, label=Sabino dialect, Aquilano, Abbrùzzu; #History, historically Abruzzi) is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy wi ...

is a

toponymic surname A toponymic surname or topographic surname is a surname derived from a place name.

.) He graduated from

Stuyvesant High School Stuyvesant High School (pronounced ), commonly referred to among its students as Stuy (pronounced ), is a State school, public university-preparatory school, college-preparatory, Specialized high schools in New York City, specialized high school ...

in New York in 1930.

Career

He began his performing career as a singer and dancer in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

after winning a talent contest, and moved on to

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

. Alda is known for portraying

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

in the biographical film ''

Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered i ...

'' (1945) as well as the talent agent in the

Douglas Sirk Douglas Sirk (born Hans Detlef Sierck; 26 April 1897 – 14 January 1987) was a German film director best known for his work in Hollywood melodramas of the 1950s. Sirk started his career in Germany as a stage and screen director, but he left fo ...

classic '' Imitation of Life'' (1959). On Broadway, he originated the role of Sky Masterson in ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...

'' (1950), for which he won a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

, and starred in ''

What Makes Sammy Run? ''What Makes Sammy Run?'' (1941) is a novel by Budd Schulberg inspired by the life of his father, early Hollywood mogul B. P. Schulberg. It is a rags to riches story chronicling the rise and fall of Sammy Glick, a Jewish boy born in New York's L ...

'' (1964). He was also the host of the DuMont TV version of the game show ''

What's Your Bid? ''What's Your Bid?'' was an ABC and DuMont Television Network game show hosted by Leonard Rosen (as "Liberal Bill") (ABC) and Robert Alda (DuMont), with announcement and live commercials delivered by John Reed King (ABC) and Dick Shepard (DuMont). ...

'' (May–June 1953). Alda made two guest appearances with his son Alan on ''

M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. The ...

'', in the episodes " The Consultant" (January 1975) and "

Lend a Hand Lend may refer to: * ''Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector'', see Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter *Lend, Austria, a town in the east district of Zell am See in the state of Salzburg *Lend (Graz), a district of Graz *Lend, Iran, a village in Mazanda ...

" (February 1980). The latter episode also featured

(1956–2009), his younger son by his second wife. Alda appeared in an episode of ''

The Feather and Father Gang ''The Feather and Father Gang'' is a 1976–1977 American crime-drama television series starring Stefanie Powers and Harold Gould, which centers on an attorney who enlists her con-man father and his team of bunco artists to help her solve crim ...

'' in 1977.

Personal life

Alda's first wife, and mother of actor

Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war co ...

, Joan Browne, was a homemaker and former beauty pageant winner. They divorced in 1946. Alda was married to his second wife and mother of Antony, Flora Marino, an Italian actress whom he met in Rome, until his death.

Death

Alda died on May 3, 1986, aged 72, after a long illness following a stroke. Guys-and-Dolls-Original-Poster

He is buried in the Garden of Ascension lot 9101 Forest Lawn Cemetery,

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...

Theater credits

* ''

'' (1950–1953) * ''Harbor Lights'' (1956) * ''Roger the Sixth'' (1957) * '' Can-Can'' (1963) * ''

'' (1964–1965) * ''Riverwind'' (1966) * ''My Daughter, Your Son'' (1969) * ''

The Front Page ''The Front Page'' is a Broadway comedy about newspaper reporters on the police beat. Written by former Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, it was first produced in 1928 and has been adapted for the cinema several times. Plot The ...

'' (1969–1970) * ''

Follies ''Follies'' is a Musical theater, musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on t ...

'' (1973) * ''

The Sunshine Boys ''The Sunshine Boys'' is an original two-act play written by Neil Simon that premiered December 20, 1972 on Broadway starring Jack Albertson as Willie Clark and Sam Levene as Al Lewis and later adapted for film and television. Plot The play's ...

'' (1974-1975)

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1945) as George Gershwin * ''

Cinderella Jones ''Cinderella Jones'' is a 1946 American musical comedy film directed by Busby Berkeley and written by Charles Hoffman. The film stars Joan Leslie, Robert Alda, Julie Bishop, William Prince, S. Z. Sakall, and Edward Everett Horton. The film w ...

'' (1946) as Tommy Coles * ''

Cloak and Dagger "Cloak and dagger" was a fighting style common in the Renaissance involving a knife hidden beneath a cloak. The term later came into use as a metaphor, referring to situations involving intrigue, secrecy, espionage, or mystery. Overview In "The ...

'' (1946) as Pinkie * ''

The Beast with Five Fingers ''The Beast with Five Fingers'' is a 1946 mystery horror film directed by Robert Florey from a screenplay by Curt Siodmak, based on a short story written by W. F. Harvey and first published in 1919 in ''The New Decameron''. The film stars Robert ...

'' (1946) as Conrad Ryler * '' The Man I Love'' (1947) as Nicky Toresca * ''

Nora Prentiss ''Nora Prentiss'' is a 1947 American film noir drama film directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Ann Sheridan, Kent Smith, Bruce Bennett, and Robert Alda. It was produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The cinematography is by James Wong Howe ...

'' (1947) as Phil Dinardo, Cafe Owner * ''

Bungalow 13 ''Bungalow 13'' is a 1948 American crime drama film starring Tom Conway. Plot Private detective Christopher Adams chases a precious antique jade lion through the Mexican cafes, auto courts, and the seamy side of Los Angeles. Adams has a meetin ...

'' (1948) * '' April Showers'' (1948) as Billy Shay * ''

Homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...

'' (1949) as Andy * ''

Hollywood Varieties ''Hollywood Varieties'' is a 1949 American film from Lippert Productions starring Robert Alda and directed by Paul Landres. The ''Los Angeles Times'' called it a "vaudeville show on screen with Robert Alda as master of ceremonies." Cast *Robert Al ...

'' (1950) as Master of Ceremonies * ''

Tarzan and the Slave Girl ''Tarzan and the Slave Girl'' is a 1950 American adventure film directed by Lee Sholem and starring Lex Barker as Tarzan, Vanessa Brown as Jane, and Robert Alda as big game hunter Neil. The plot involves a lost civilization in Africa, a strange i ...

'' (1950) as Neil * '' Mister Universe'' (1951) as Fingers Maroni * ''

Two Gals and a Guy ''Two Gals and a Guy'', also known as ''Baby and Me'', is a 1951 comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Janis Paige, Robert Alda, James Gleason, Lionel Stander, Arnold Stang, The Three Suns, and Patty McCormack, in her film debut. ...

'' (1951) as Deke Oliver * ''

Beautiful But Dangerous ''Beautiful But Dangerous'' (also released as ''La donna più bella del mondo''/ ''The World's Most Beautiful Woman'') is a 1956 French-Italian comedy drama romance film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. The picture is a biopic about Italian opera s ...

'' (1955) as Maestro Doria * ''Assignment Abroad'' (1955) as Major Bill Morgan * '' Imitation of Life'' (1959) as Allen Loomis * ''

The Millionaire (TV series) ''The Millionaire'' is an American anthology series that aired on CBS from 1955 to 1960. It was originally sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive. The series, produced by Don Fedderson and Fred Henry, explored the ways that sudden and unexpected wealth ...

'' episode "The Julia Conrad Story" (1959) as Gilbert Patterson, with co-star

Ellen Drew Ellen Drew (born Esther Loretta Ray; November 23, 1914 – December 3, 2003) was an American film actress. Early life Drew, born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1914, was the daughter of an Irish-born barber. She had a younger brother, Arden. Her ...

* ''Un militare e mezzo'' (1960) as Roy Harrison * ''

Cleopatra's Daughter ''Cleopatra's Daughter'' ( it, Il sepolcro dei re) is a 1960 historical drama film set in Egypt during the reign of the pharaoh Khufu (r. 2589-2566 BC). The film stars Debra Paget and was directed by Fernando Cerchio. For some reason, the Engli ...

'' (1960) as Inuni—Pharaoh's Architect * ''

Revenge of the Barbarians ''Revenge of the Barbarians'' ( it, La vendetta dei barbari) is a 1960 film about the sack of Rome in AD 410 by the Visigoths. This film was written by Gastone Ramazzotti and directed by Giuseppe Vari. Cast Production Anthony Steel had moved ...

'' (1960) as Ataulf * ''

The Devil's Hand ''The Devil's Hand'' (a.k.a. ''Witchcraft'', ''The Naked Goddess'', ''Devil's Doll'' and ''Live to Love'') is a 1961 American Independent film, independent horror film. It was produced by Alvin K. Bublis and directed by William J. Hole Jr. The fi ...

'' (1961) as Rick Turner * ''

Force of Impulse '' Force of Impulse'' is a 1961 American drama film directed by Saul Swimmer and starring Robert Alda, Jeff Donnell and J. Carrol Naish.McCarty p.192 A high school student robs his own father's grocery store in order to raise the money to take his ...

'' (1961) as Warren Reese * ''

Toto and Peppino Divided in Berlin ''Totò e Peppino divisi a Berlino'', internationally released as ''Toto and Peppino Divided in Berlin'', is a 1962 Italian comedy film directed by Giorgio Bianchi. Plot Antonio leaves Italy for Berlin to reach Peppino, who works the miserable ...

'' (1962) as the judge * ''

Musketeers of the Sea ''Musketeers of the Sea'' ( it, I moschettieri del mare) is a 1962 Italian adventure film directed by Steno. Cast * Pier Angeli as Consuelo/Altagracia Di Lorna * Channing Pollock as Pierre De Savigny * Aldo Ray as Moreau * Philippe Cla ...

'' (1962) as Vice Governatore Gomez * ''That Woman'' (1966) as Wally * '' The Girl Who Knew Too Much'' (1969) as Kenneth Allardice * ''

Night Flight from Moscow ''Night Flight from Moscow'' (also known as ''The Serpent'') (French: ''Le Serpent'') is a 1973 French-Italian-West German Cold War spy-thriller film that was produced, cowritten and directed by Henri Verneuil and starred Yul Brynner, Henry Fond ...

'' (1973) as Polygraph interrogator * ''

'' (1975–1980, TV series) as Dr Anthony Borelli * ''

Cagliostro Count Alessandro di Cagliostro (, ; 2 June 1743 – 26 August 1795) was the alias of the Italian occultist Giuseppe Balsamo (; in French usually referred to as Joseph Balsamo). Cagliostro was an Italian adventurer and self-styled magician. ...

'' (1975) as Pope Clement XIII * '' The House of Exorcism'' (1975) as Father Michael * ''Natale in casa d'appuntamento'' (1976) * '' I Will, I Will... for Now'' (1976) as Dr Magnus * ''

Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood ''Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood'' is a 1976 American comedy film directed by Michael Winner, and starring Bruce Dern, Madeline Kahn, Teri Garr and Art Carney. Spoofing the craze surrounding Rin Tin Tin, the film is notable for the larg ...

'' (1976) as Richard Entwhistle * ''

Bittersweet Love ''Bittersweet Love'' is a 1976 American DeLuxe Color romantic drama film directed by David Miller, written by Adrian Morrall and D.A. Kellogg, starring Lana Turner, Robert Lansing, Celeste Holm, Robert Alda, Scott Hylands, and Meredith Baxter-B ...

'' (1976) as Ben Peterson * ''

The Rip-Off ''The Rip-Off'' ( it, Controrapina) AKA The Squeeze and Diamond Thieves is a 1980 film directed by Antonio Margheriti. It was Margheriti's third collaboration with actor Lee Van Cleef, after previously directing him in ''The Stranger and the Gun ...

'' (1978) as Captain Donati * ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner that aired on the NBC network from September 13, 1974 to January 10, 1980, and remains in syndication. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator ...

'' (1978, TV series) as Cy Margulies * ''

Every Girl Should Have One ''Every Girl Should Have One'' is a 1978 whodunit independent film. In Brazil, the film was is known as ''O Que Toda Mulher Tem''. Its tagline was "a 14 Karat Caper". The film had a printed film format of 35 mm. Plot A diamond theft takes ...

'' (1978) as Adam Becker * ''

Spider-Man Strikes Back ''Spider-Man Strikes Back'' is a 1978 American superhero film that had a theatrical release abroad, a composite of the two-parter episode "Deadly Dust" of the contemporary television show ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', released on 8 May 1978. It was ...

'' (1978) as Mr. White * ''

Supertrain ''Supertrain'' is an American science fiction-adventure-drama television series that ran on NBC from February 7 to May 5, 1979. Nine episodes were made, including a two-hour pilot episode. Premise The series takes place on the ''Supertrain'', a ...

'' (1979, TV series) as Dan Lewis * ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that streams on the streaming service Peacock. The soap, which aired on the American television net ...

'' (1981–82) as Stuart Whyland * ''

Amanda's ''Amanda's'' (also known as ''Amanda's by the Sea'') is an American sitcom television series based on the 1970s British sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'' that aired on ABC from February 10 to May 26, 1983. The series starred Bea Arthur as Amanda Cartwrig ...

'' (1983, TV series) as Mr Gordon (final appearance)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alda, Robert 1914 births 1986 deaths 20th-century American male actors American burlesque performers American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors American people of Italian descent Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Donaldson Award winners Male actors from New York City Stuyvesant High School alumni Tony Award winners Vaudeville performers Warner Bros. contract players