George Tobias (July 14, 1901 – February 27, 1980) was an American theater, film and television actor. He had character parts and supporting roles in several major films of Hollywood's Golden Age. He is also known for his role as Abner Kravitz on the TV

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typ ...

'' from 1964 to 1971.

Early life

Born in New York on July 14, 1901, Tobias was the younger of two sons born to Russian-Jewish immigrants Samuel and Esther—aka Nettie—Tobias, both of whom were active in 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 ...

, as was his older brother Benjamin."United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RKC-FYX?cc=1727033&wc=QZZH-SNK%3A133641301%2C133751301%2C143470301%2C1589219394 : 24 June 2017), New York > New York > Manhattan Ward 17 > ED 901 > image 41 of 48; citing NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.)."United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJYY-94D : 2 February 2021), George Tobias in entry for Samuel Tobias, 1920.Irwin, Virginia (September 20, 1940)
"The One-Man International Movie Settlement"
''St. Louis Post Dispatch''. p. 37. Retrieved January 11, 2022. Far removed fom the stereotypical stage parent, both Mr. and Mrs. Tobias did their utmost to discourage the acting bug in their youngest:

'' ey made up their minds very definitely that I was not going to spend my life nearly starving as they did. They wanted me to be a doctor or lawyer, but I knew from a very early age that I would follow the same career as my mother, father and brother ..So whenever I got an acting job in between my other jobs, I had to keep it secret from my family.''

Career

Tobias began acting at age 15, at New York's

Neighborhood Playhouse A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural a ...

. He appeared in

Eugene O'Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earli ...

's '' The Hairy Ape'' in 1922, and in Charles Méré's ''La Flamme'' and Channing Pollock's ''The Fool'' the following year, before making his

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 ...

debut in Maxwell Anderson's '' What Price Glory?'' in 1924. In 1939, he signed with Warner Bros. and was cast in supporting roles, many times along with

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

, in such movies as Cagney's ''

Yankee Doodle Dandy ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' is a 1942 American biographical musical film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway". It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, and Richard Whorf, and features Irene Manning, George To ...

'' (1942), as well as with

Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...

in ''

Sergeant York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known as Sergeant York, was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machi ...

'' (1941) and

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

, and

George Murphy George Lloyd Murphy (July 4, 1902 – May 3, 1992) was an American dancer, actor, and politician. Murphy was a song-and-dance leading man in many big-budget Hollywood musicals from 1930 to 1952. He was the president of the Screen Actors Guild fro ...

in '' This Is the Army'' (1943). In 1950, he was cast against type as a ruthless killer and felon in the

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American '' ...

'' Southside 1-1000''. BiffNicholasStrawbBlonde1941Trailer

During the 1959 television season Tobias was a regular on the '' Hudson's Bay'' series, playing Pierre Falcon. Tobias portrayed Penrose in eight episodes of the ABC program '' Adventures in Paradise'' (1959–1961). From 1964 to 1971, he played Abner Kravitz, the long-suffering neighbor on the ABC sitcom ''

''. Tobias often appeared in an uncredited role as a courtroom spectator on the CBS program '' Perry Mason'', and he played Sidney Falconer in the episode titled "The Case of the Antic Angel" (1964). In 1972-1973, Tobias appeared in three episodes of ''

The Waltons ''The Waltons'' is an American historical drama television series about a family in rural Virginia during the Great Depression and World War II. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr., based on his 1961 book '' Spencer's Mountain'' and the 1963 fil ...

'' as junkman Vernon Rutley. Tobias never married and retired from acting in 1977 after reprising his role as Abner Kravitz in a guest appearance on the ''Bewitched'' sequel ''

Tabitha Tabitha () is an English feminine given name, originating with (or made popular through) Saint Tabitha, mentioned in the New Testament. In the Bible Tabitha or Dorcas is a woman mentioned in the New Testament. The English name is derived fro ...

''.

Personal life

A Democrat, he supported Adlai Stevenson during the 1952 presidential election. On February 27, 1980, Tobias died of

Bladder cancer Bladder cancer is any of several types of cancer arising from the tissues of the urinary bladder. Symptoms include blood in the urine, pain with urination, and low back pain. It is caused when epithelial cells that line the bladder become ma ...

at the age of 78 at

Cedars Sinai Medical Center Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a nonprofit, tertiary, 886-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over 2, ...

in Los Angeles. He is buried in Mount Carmel Cemetery, Glendale, Queens, New York City.

Work

Theater

Broadway productions: *'' What Price Glory?'' (1924) *''The International'' (1928) *''The Road to Rome'' (1928) *''The Grey Fox'' (1928) *''Red Dust'' (1928) *''S. S. Glencairn'' (1929) *''Fiesta'' (1929) *''Sailors of Cattaro'' (1934) *''Black Pit'' (1935) *''Paths of Glory'' (1935) *''Hell Freezes Over'' (1935) *''Star Spangled'' (1936) *'' You Can't Take It with You'' (1936) *''Good Hunting'' (1938) *''Silk Stockings'' (1955)

Complete filmography

*''The Lunatic'' (1927) *'' Yes, My Darling Daughter'' (1939) as Dock Worker (uncredited) *''

Maisie Maisie Ravier is a fictional character, the leading character of ten films (1939–1947) and the radio show '' The Adventures of Maisie'' (broadcast 1945–1947, 1949–1953). She was played by actress Ann Sothern (1909–2001). Eight of the te ...

'' (1939) as Rico *'' They All Come Out'' (1939) as "Sloppy Joe" *''

The Roaring Twenties ''The Roaring Twenties'' is a 1939 American crime thriller film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring James Cagney, Priscilla Lane, Humphrey Bogart, and Gladys George. The film, spanning the periods between 1919 and 1933, was written by Je ...

'' (1939) as Soldier in American Army Barracks (uncredited) *''

Ninotchka ''Ninotchka'' is a 1939 American romantic comedy film made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by producer and director Ernst Lubitsch and starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas. It was written by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Walter Reisch, based ...

'' (1939) as Soviet Visa Official (uncredited) *''

Balalaika The balalaika (russian: link=no, балала́йка, ) is a Russian stringed musical instrument with a characteristic triangular wooden, hollow body, fretted neck and three strings. Two strings are usually tuned to the same note and the thir ...

'' (1939) as Slaski *''

The Hunchback of Notre Dame ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story ...

'' (1939) as Beggar *''

Music in My Heart ''Music in My Heart'' is a 1940 Columbia Pictures romantic musical starring Tony Martin and Rita Hayworth. Hayworth's first musical for the studio, the film was recognized with an Academy Award nomination for the song, "It's a Blue World", perfo ...

'' (1940) as Sascha *'' Saturday's Children'' (1940) as Herbert Smith *'' Torrid Zone'' (1940) as Rosie La Mata *'' The Man Who Talked Too Much'' (1940) as Slug "Canvasback" McNutt *'' They Drive by Night'' (1940) as George Rondolos *'' River's End'' (1940) as Andrew "Andy" Dijon *''The Baron and the Rose'' (1940, Short) as Henry Stiegel *'' Calling All Husbands'' (1940) as Oscar Armstrong *''

City for Conquest ''City for Conquest'' is a 1940 American epic drama film directed by Anatole Litvak and starring James Cagney, Ann Sheridan and Arthur Kennedy. The picture is based on the 1936 novel of the same name by Aben Kandel. The supporting cast features ...

'' (1940) as Pinky *'' East of the River'' (1940) as Tony Scaduto *'' South of Suez'' (1940) as Eli Snedeker *'' The Strawberry Blonde'' (1941) as Nicholas Pappalas *'' Affectionately Yours'' (1941) as Pasha *'' Out of the Fog'' (1941) as Igor Propotkin *''

'' (1941) as Private Michael T. "Pusher" Ross *''

The Bride Came C.O.D. ''The Bride Came C.O.D.'' is a 1941 American screwball romantic comedy starring James Cagney as an airplane pilot and Bette Davis as a runaway heiress, and directed by William Keighley. Although the film was publicized as the first screen pairin ...

'' (1941) as Peewee Defoe *'' The Tanks Are Coming'' (1941, Short) as Malowski *'' Captains of the Clouds'' (1942) as Blimp Lebec (bush pilot) *''

'' (1942) as Dietz *''

Juke Girl ''Juke Girl'' is a 1942 American drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt, written by A. I. Bezzerides, and starring Ann Sheridan and Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Richard Whorf, George Tobias, Gene Lockhart, Alan Hale Sr., Howard ...

'' (1942) as Nick Garcos *''

Wings for the Eagle ''Wings for the Eagle'' (aka ''Shadow of Their Wings'') is a 1942 American drama film starring Ann Sheridan, Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson and George Tobias, directed by Lloyd Bacon. It tells the story of workers at a Lockheed aircraft assembly p ...

'' (1942) as Jake Hanso *''

My Sister Eileen ''My Sister Eileen'' is a series of autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney, originally published in ''The New Yorker'', which eventually inspired many other works: her 1938 book ''My Sister Eileen'', a play, a musical, a radio play (an ...

'' (1942) as Appopolous *''

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

'' (1943) as Asst. Crew Chief Weinberg *'' Mission to Moscow'' (1943) as Freddie *'' This Is the Army'' (1943) as Maxie Twardofsky *'' Thank Your Lucky Stars'' (1943) as Himself *'' Passage to Marseille'' (1944) as Petit *'' Between Two Worlds'' (1944) as Pete Musick *''

Make Your Own Bed ''Make Your Own Bed'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Peter Godfrey and written by Francis Swann, Edmund Joseph and Richard Weil. The film stars Jack Carson, Jane Wyman, Irene Manning, Alan Hale, Sr., George Tobias and Robert S ...

'' (1944) as Boris Fenilise *'' Objective, Burma!'' (1945) as Cpl. Gabby Gordon *'' Mildred Pierce'' (1945) as Mr. Chris (uncredited) *'' Her Kind of Man'' (1946) as Joe Marino *'' Nobody Lives Forever'' (1946) as Al Doyle *''

Gallant Bess ''Gallant Bess'' is a 1947 dramatic film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is loosely based on the true story of U.S. Navy warrant officer Arthur Parker, who rescued an injured filly during World War II.Based on personal knowledge of the auth ...

'' (1946) as Lug Johnson *''

Sinbad the Sailor Sinbad the Sailor (; ar, سندباد البحري, Sindibādu al-Bahriyy; fa, سُنباد بحری, Sonbād-e Bahri or Sindbad) is a fictional mariner and the hero of a story-cycle of Persian origin. He is described as hailing from Baghd ...

'' (1947) as Abbu *'' My Wild Irish Rose'' (1947) as Nick Popoli *''

The Judge Steps Out ''The Judge Steps Out'' is a 1948 American comedy film directed by Boris Ingster and written by Ingster and Alexander Knox. The film stars Knox and Ann Sothern, along with George Tobias, Sharyn Moffett, Florence Bates, Frieda Inescort and Myrna ...

'' (1948) as Mike *''

Adventures of Casanova ''Adventures of Casanova'' is a 1948 American-Mexican historical adventure film directed by Roberto Gavaldón and starring Arturo de Córdova Lucille Bremer and Turhan Bey. It portrays a fictional version of the story of Casanova, and was intended ...

'' (1948) as Jacopo *'' The Set-Up'' (1949) as Tiny *'' Everybody Does It'' (1949) as Rossi *'' Southside 1-1000'' (1950) as Reggie *'' Rawhide'' (1951) as Gratz *''

The Mark of the Renegade ''Mark of the Renegade'' is a 1951 American Adventure Western film directed by Hugo Fregonese starring Ricardo Montalbán and Cyd Charisse.Blottner p.157 The film is based on the novel ''Don Renegade'' by Johnston McCulley, and is set in Mexican ...

'' (1951) as Captain Bardoso *'' The Magic Carpet'' (1951) as Razi *'' Ten Tall Men'' (1951) as Londos * '' Desert Pursuit'' (1952) as Ghazili *'' The Glenn Miller Story'' (1953) as Si Schribman *''

The Seven Little Foys ''The Seven Little Foys'' is a Technicolor in VistaVision 1955 comedy film directed by Melville Shavelson starring Bob Hope as Eddie Foy. One highlight of the film is an energetic tabletop dance showdown sequence with Bob Hope as Eddie Foy a ...

'' (1954) as Barney Green *'' The Tattered Dress'' (1957) as Billy Giles *''

Silk Stockings ''Silk Stockings'' is a musical with a book by George S. Kaufman, Leueen MacGrath, and Abe Burrows and music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The musical is loosely based on the Melchior Lengyel story ''Ninotchka'' and the 1939 film adaptation it i ...

'' (1957) as Vassili Markovitch *'' Marjorie Morningstar'' (1958) as Maxwell Greech *'' Hudson's Bay'' (1959-1960) as series regular Pierre Falcon *'' A New Kind of Love'' (1963) as Joe Bergner *'' Bullet for a Badman'' (1964) as Diggs *''

Nightmare in the Sun ''Nightmare in the Sun'' is a 1965 film drama directed by Marc Lawrence, and written by George Fass and Fanya Foss, about a murderous affair. Derek starred along with Ursula Andress and Aldo Ray. Smaller roles in the film featured Sammy Davis, ...

'' (1965) as Gideon *'' The Glass Bottom Boat'' (1966) as Mr. Fenimore *'' The Phynx'' (1970) as Markevitch *''

Tora! Tora! Tora! ''Tora! Tora! Tora!'' ( ja, トラ・トラ・トラ！) is a 1970 epic war film that dramatizes the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The film was produced by Elmo Williams and directed by Richard Fleischer, Toshio Masuda and Kinji ...

'' (1970) as Captain on Flight Line at Hickam Field (uncredited)

References

External links

*
George Tobias
at

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of ...

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tobias, George 1901 births 1980 deaths American male film actors American male television actors American male stage actors American people of Russian-Jewish descent Jewish American male actors Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from bladder cancer Male actors from New York City Male actors from Los Angeles 20th-century American male actors California Democrats New York (state) Democrats 20th-century American Jews