American character actor of gruff demeanor who played in dozens of
films through the Thirties and Forties. A native of New Jersey, he was
a wagon driver for his father's laundry business before joining a
vaudeville company. He played in stock and touring companies, then was
cast in the
Walter Huston production of 'Desire Under the Elms' on Broadway.
While working on the New York stage, he made a few appearances in films
shot on Long Island. In 1935 he came to Hollywood and appeared with
great frequency in supporting roles over the next decade and a half. In
the early 1950s, he was blacklisted for his political beliefs during
the Communist witch-hunts, and returned to the stage almost exclusively
thereafter. In 1976, he gained perhaps his greatest fame, as the title
character's libidinous grandfather on the
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976) TV series. But three
years later, he was beaten to death by robbers burgling his
apartment.
All in the Family(1971)as Clerk, Mr. Burkvist
Forever Fernwood(1977)as Raymond Larkin
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman(1976)as Raymond Larkin
The Jeffersons(1975)as Uncle Bertram
Compression(1995)as Self
Haunted Theaters of Hollywood(2016)as Self
Forgotten City of the Planet of the Apes(1980)as Human
