Jack Chakrin (June 24, 1922 – June 28, 2015), known by his stage name Jack Carter, was an American comedian, actor and television presenter.

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

-born, Carter had a long-running comedy act similar to fellow rapid-paced contemporaries Milton Berle and

Morey Amsterdam Moritz "Morey" Amsterdam (December 14, 1908 – October 28, 1996) was an American actor, comedian, writer and producer. He played Buddy Sorrell on CBS's ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' from 1961 to 1966. Early life Amsterdam was born in Chicago ...

Life and career

Carter was born in

Brighton Beach, Brooklyn Brighton Beach is a neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, within the greater Coney Island area along the Atlantic Ocean coastline. Brighton Beach is bounded by Coney Island proper at Ocean Parkway to ...

, New York, in 1922 to a Jewish family. Carter served in the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. He hosted an early television variety program called ''

Cavalcade of Stars ''The Jackie Gleason Show'' is the name of a series of American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970, in various forms. ''Cavalcade of Stars'' Gleason's first variety series, which aired on the DuMo ...

'' on the DuMont Network. He was lured to NBC to host his own program titled ''The Jack Carter Show''. Carter recommended

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

take his place as host of ''Cavalcade of Stars'', though DuMont did not hire Gleason until the network's choice,

Jerry Lester Jerry Lester (born Lester J. Goldberg; February 16, 1910 – March 23, 1995) was an American comedian, singer and performer on radio, television and the stage, knows for playing the father of the main characters, Mike Firpo, in the comedy ...

, also jumped to NBC. ''The Jack Carter Show'' appeared under the banner of the ''Saturday Night Revue'', NBC's -hour Saturday night programming slot. Carter hosted his show for one hour each week followed by the 90-minute ''

Your Show of Shows ''Your Show of Shows'' is a live 90-minute variety show that was broadcast weekly in the United States on NBC from February 25, 1950, through June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca. Other featured performers were Carl Reiner, Howa ...

'' starring

Sid Caesar Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor, comedian and writer. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: ''Your Show of Shows'' (1950� ...

Imogene Coca Imogene Coca (born Emogeane Coca; November 18, 1908 – June 2, 2001) was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on ''Your Show of Shows''. Starting out in vaudeville as a child acrobat, she studied ballet and wishe ...

Carl Reiner Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, stand-up comedian, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned seven decades. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, ...

, and

Howard Morris Howard Jerome Morris (September 4, 1919 – May 21, 2005) was an American actor, comedian, and director. He was best known for his role in ''The Andy Griffith Show'' as Ernest T. Bass, and as "Uncle Goopy" in a celebrated comedy sketch on Sid Ca ...

. Carter remained friends with Sid Caesar his entire life and delivered the eulogy at his funeral. His only major

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 ...

appearance was opposite

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director. At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...

in the 1956 musical '' Mr. Wonderful''. He earlier replaced

Phil Silvers Phil Silvers (born Phillip Silver; May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a professional entertainer spanned nearly sixty years. Silvers achieved major popu ...

in the Broadway show '' Top Banana''. He was a frequent guest on ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night M ...

'' during the 1960s and early 1970s, and was known for his impression of

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television personality, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New Yor ...

. He appeared as himself (along with his then-wife

Paula Stewart Paula Stewart (born Dorothy Paula Zürndorfer, April 9, 1929) is an American stage, film and television actress mostly known for performing in bit parts and supporting roles. Early years Stewart's father was Dr. Walter Zürndorfer and her moth ...

) in the comedy series '' The Joey Bishop Show''. In the late 1960s, he was the host of a game-show pilot called ''Second Guessers''. The pilot did not sell. He was also a frequent panelist on the television game show ''

Match Game ''Match Game'' is an American television panel game show that premiered on NBC in 1962 and has been revived several times over the course of the last six decades. The game features contestants trying to match answers given by celebrity panelis ...

'' during the 1973–1974 season and again during the early 1980s. In 1975, he appeared as a guest star on the quiz show ''$10,000 Pyramid'' with contestant Liz Hogan Schultz, and appeared as the ill-fated mayor in the cult horror film ''

Alligator An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additiona ...

'' in 1980. Starting in the 1970s, Carter was on more than ten ''

Dean Martin Celebrity Roast ''The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast'' is a series of television specials hosted by entertainer Dean Martin and airing from 1974 to 1984. For a series of 54 specials and shows, Martin and his friends would "roast" a celebrity. The roasts were patter ...

s'' for some popular television stars and sports personalities. In 1981, he starred as Fagin in the stage performance of '' Oliver!'' at the Birmingham Theater in (

Birmingham, Michigan Birmingham is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Detroit located along the Woodward Corridor ( M-1). As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,103. History The area comprising what is now the ...

) alongside

Shani Wallis Shani Wallis (born 14 April 1933) is a British actress and singer, who has worked in theatre, film, and television in both her native United Kingdom and in the United States. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she is perhaps best ...

as Nancy. He made appearances on many television series, including '' Diagnosis: Unknown'', ''

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Product ...

'', ''

Combat! ''Combat!'' is an American television drama series that originally aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. The exclamation point in ''Combat!'' was depicted on-screen as a stylized bayonet. The show covered the grim lives of a squad of American so ...

'',''

The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...

'', '' Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'', ''

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 investiga ...

'', ''

Cannon A cannon is a large- caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder ...

'', '' The Wild Wild West'', ''

Tales of Tomorrow ''Tales of Tomorrow'' is an American anthology science fiction series that was performed and broadcast live on ABC from 1951 to 1953. The series covered such stories as ''Frankenstein'' starring Lon Chaney Jr., '' 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' ...

'', ''

The Kallikaks ''The Kallikaks'' is an American sitcom television series starring David Huddleston which centers around a family from Appalachia that moves to California to run a decrepit gasoline station. The show aired from August 3 to August 31, 1977 on NB ...

'', ''

Password A password, sometimes called a passcode (for example in Apple devices), is secret data, typically a string of characters, usually used to confirm a user's identity. Traditionally, passwords were expected to be memorized, but the large number of ...

'', ''

$weepstake$ ''Sweepstakes'', stylized as ''$weepstake$'', is an American anthology television series that aired in the United States on NBC during the 1978-79 television season. It depicts the lives of people who hope to win a large amount of money in a s ...

'', ''

The Ren and Stimpy Show ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'' (also known as ''Ren & Stimpy'') is an American animated television series created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi. Originally produced by Spümcø for Nickelodeon, the series aired from August 11, 1991, to Dece ...

'', '' 7th Heaven'', ''

Diagnosis Murder ''Diagnosis: Murder'' is an American action-comedy-mystery-medical crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son Steve, a homicide detective played by Van Dyk ...

'', ''The Road West'', '' Sanford and Son'', ''

Tattletales ''Tattletales'' is an American game show produced by Goodson- Todman Productions in association with Fremantle. The program had two runs on the CBS daytime schedule between February 1974 and June 1984. It was hosted by Bert Convy, with severa ...

'', ''

Monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

'', ''

Rules of Engagement Rules of engagement (ROE) are the internal rules or directives afforded military forces (including individuals) that define the circumstances, conditions, degree, and manner in which the use of force, or actions which might be construed as pro ...

'', ''

Living Single ''Living Single'' is an American television sitcom created by Yvette Lee Bowser that aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 22, 1993, to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who shared personal and profes ...

'', '' iCarly'', '' Desperate Housewives'', and '' Shameless'' and voice work on ''

King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It aired its original non-syndicated run from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, and centers on the Hills, an Am ...

''. His last round of work included a cameo on ''

New Girl ''New Girl'' is an American television sitcom created by Elizabeth Meriwether and produced by 20th Television for Fox that originally aired from September 20, 2011, to May 15, 2018. The series revolves around a kooky teacher, Jessica Day ( Zoo ...

'' and a voice on '' Family Guy''. He was a guest on

Norm Macdonald Norman Gene MacdonaldThe capitalization of Norm Macdonald's surname has been inconsistently reported in publications such as ''TV Guide''. Books that discuss him, such as ''Shales'' (2003) and Crawford' (2000), as well as other sources such as ...

's video podcast, ''

Norm Macdonald Live ''Norm Macdonald Live'' was a weekly audio and video podcast hosted by Canadian stand-up comedian, writer and actor Norm Macdonald. The Comedy Store's Adam Eget (b. 1979) served as the show's co-host, with former '' Late Show with David Letterma ...

'' in 2014. Carter died on June 28, 2015, four days after his 93rd birthday, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, of

respiratory failure Respiratory failure results from inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, meaning that the arterial oxygen, carbon dioxide, or both cannot be kept at normal levels. A drop in the oxygen carried in the blood is known as hypoxemia; a rise ...

Selected filmography

*''

It Happened to Jane ''It Happened to Jane'' is a 1959 American romantic comedy film starring Doris Day, Jack Lemmon, and Ernie Kovacs, directed by Richard Quine, and written by Norman Katkov and Max Wilk. The film was co-produced by Quine and Day's husband at th ...

'' (1959) - Stenographer (uncredited) *''

The Horizontal Lieutenant ''The Horizontal Lieutenant'' is a 1962 American romantic comedy war film, based on the 1961 novel ''The Bottletop Affair'' by Gordon Cotler who was a Japanese interpreter for US Army Intelligence during World War II. It is a military comedy abou ...

'' (1962) - Lt. Billy Monk *''

Viva Las Vegas ''Viva Las Vegas'' is a 1964 American musical film directed by George Sidney and starring Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret. The film is regarded by fans and film critics as one of Presley's best films, and it is noted for the on-screen chemistry be ...

'' (1964) - Casino Performer (uncredited) *''

The Extraordinary Seaman ''The Extraordinary Seaman'' is a 1969 American comedy war film directed by John Frankenheimer and starring David Niven, Faye Dunaway, Alan Alda, Mickey Rooney, and Jack Carter. Apart from his participation in the documentaries ''That's Enterta ...

'' (1969) - Chief Gunners Mate Orville Toole *''

The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler ''The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler'' is a 1971 science fiction film directed by Bob Wynn and starring Leslie Nielsen, Bradford Dillman and Angie Dickinson. This was one of the earliest films to depict medical exploitation of cloning, even thou ...

'' (1971) - Dwight Chiles *'' Hustle'' (1975) - Herbie Dalitz *''

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 lar ...

'' (1976) - Male Journalist *''

The Amazing Dobermans ''The Amazing Dobermans'' (re-titled ''Lucky'' for its 1978 re-release) is a 1976 American crime comedy film starring Fred Astaire, James Franciscus and Barbara Eden. It is the second and final sequel in a trilogy of ''Doberman Gang'' films that in ...

'' (1976) - Solly Kramer *''

The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington ''The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington'' is a 1977 American comedy film directed by William A. Levey. It was the sequel to '' The Happy Hooker'', which was released in 1975. Joey Heatherton replaced Lynn Redgrave as the lead character of Xaviera ...

'' (1977) - Senator Caruso *'' Record City'' (1978) - Manny *''

The Glove The Glove was a 1983 English musical collaboration and recording project by the Cure's Robert Smith and Siouxsie and the Banshees' Steven Severin. They released one studio album, '' Blue Sunshine'', in 1983 as part of Severin's solo deal wi ...

'' (1979) - Walter Stratton *''

'' (1980) - Mayor *''

The Octagon The Octagon may refer to: *The Octagon, Christchurch, a former church in the central city of Christchurch, New Zealand *The Octagon, Dunedin, the city centre of Dunedin, New Zealand *The Octagon (Egypt), the headquarters of the Egyptian Ministry of ...

'' (1980) - Sharkey *''Separate Ways'' (1981) - Barney Brodsky *''

History of the World, Part I ''History of the World, Part I'' is a 1981 American comedy film written, produced, and directed by Mel Brooks. Brooks also stars in the film, playing five roles: Moses, Comicus the stand-up philosopher, Tomás de Torquemada, King Louis XVI, an ...

'' (1981) - Rat Vendor (The French Revolution) *''

Heartbeeps ''Heartbeeps'' is a 1981 American romantic science fiction comedy film about two robots who fall in love and decide to strike out on their own. The film was directed by Allan Arkush, written by John Hill, and stars Andy Kaufman and Bernadette ...

'' (1981) - Catskil (voice) *''The Funny Farm'' (1983) - Philly Beekman *''

Hambone and Hillie ''Hambone and Hillie'' is a 1984 American comedy-drama film about a dog (Hambone) separated from his owner (Hillie). The dog treks from New York to Los Angeles, meeting a host of helpers along the way. It was directed by Roy Watts, and starred Li ...

'' (1983) - Lester Burns *''Love Scenes'' (1984) - Sidney *''The Trouble with Dick'' (1986) - Samsa *''W.A.R.: Women Against Rape'' (1987) - Frank Bower *''

Arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

'' (1989) - Announcer *''

Satan's Princess ''Satan's Princess'' is a 1990 film directed by Bert I. Gordon and starring Robert Forster and Lydie Denier. Plot The title character is the head of a modeling agency for women, and who has hired a runaway girl to help her. A police officer goes u ...

'' (1990) - Old Priest *''Cyber-C.H.I.C.'' (1990) - Dr. Burburagmus *'' Caged Fury'' (1990) - Mr. Castaglia *''Sexpot'' (1990) - Cal Farnsworth *''In the Heat of Passion'' (1992) - Stan *''

The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them ''The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them'' is a 1993 American romantic comedy film directed by Matthew Meshekoff and written by Noah Stern. The film stars Arye Gross, Courteney Cox, Kevin Pollak, Julie Brown, Mitchell Ryan and Mitzi McCal ...

'' (1992) - Rabbi *'' Burke's Law'' (1994) - Danny Duke *''Prima Donnas'' (1995) - Sen. Robertson *''Living Single'' (1996) - Ray *'' The Good Bad Guy'' (1997) - Honda Civic driver *''Always Say Goodbye'' (1997) - Jerry Feldman *''

October 22 Events Pre-1600 * 451 – The Chalcedonian Creed, regarding the divine and human nature of Jesus, is adopted by the Council of Chalcedon, an ecumenical council. * 794 – Emperor Kanmu relocates the Japanese capital to Heian-kyō (no ...

'' (1998) - Pawnbroker *''The Modern Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1998) - Young Guy *''

Play It to the Bone ''Play It to the Bone'' is a 1999 American sports comedy drama film, starring Antonio Banderas and Woody Harrelson, written and directed by Ron Shelton. It follows the adventures of two boxers and best friends who travel to Las Vegas in order t ...

'' (1999) - Dante Solomon *''One Last Ride'' (2004) - Sid *''

Cougar Club ''Cougar Club'' is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Christopher Duddy. The film details the attempts of two college graduates, Marshall Hogan III and Spence Holmes, to find direction in life. While working as interns for abusive divorce l ...

'' (2007) - Party Guest - Stan's Friend *''

The Great Buck Howard ''The Great Buck Howard'' is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by Sean McGinly that stars Colin Hanks and John Malkovich. Tom Hanks also appears as the father of his real-life son's character. The character Buck Howard is inspired by the m ...

'' (2008) - Himself *'' Let Go'' (2011) - Frosty *''

Mercy Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French ''merci'', from Medieval Latin ''merced-'', ''merces'', from Latin, "price paid, wages", from ''merc-'', ''merxi'' "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, relig ...

'' (2014) - Mr. Bello (final film role)

References

External links

*
Jack Carter interview, April 2011, Part One
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Jack 1922 births 2015 deaths People from Brighton Beach Male actors from New York City Jewish American comedians American male radio actors American male film actors American male television actors Jewish American male actors Male actors from Los Angeles Deaths from respiratory failure United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II Jewish American military personnel United States Army Air Forces soldiers Comedians from California Comedians from New York City 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians 21st-century American Jews

Life and career

See also

Selected filmography

References

External links