Jack Kruschen

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Jack Kruschen
Jack Kruschen 1977.JPG
Kruschen in 1976
Born
Jacob Kruschen

(1922-03-20)March 20, 1922
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
DiedApril 2, 2002(2002-04-02) (aged 80)
Chandler, Arizona, U.S.
Years active1949–1997
Spouse(s)
Marjorie Ullman
​
​
(m. 1947; div. 1961)​

Violet Rafaella Mooring
​
​
(m. 1962; died 1978)​

Mary Pender
​
​
(m. 1979)​
Children2
Military career
Allegiance United States
Service/branchFlag of the United States Army with border.png United States Army
UnitAmerican Forces Network logo.png Armed Forces Radio Service
Battles/warsWorld War II

Jacob "Jack" Kruschen (March 20, 1922 – April 2, 2002) was a Canadian character actor who worked primarily in American film, television and radio. Kruschen was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dr. Dreyfuss in the 1960 comedy-drama The Apartment.

Early life[]

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba,[1] as Jacob Kruschen, to Moses (aka Maurice and Morris) Kruschen and Sophie (née Bogushevsky) Kruschen, both of Russian Jewish descent, Kruschen and his family migrated to New York City in the early 1920s, and then to California. His sister, Miriam, was born in New York City in 1927.[citation needed] His acting in an operetta produced at Hollywood High School brought him to the attention of CBS.[1]

Career[]

Radio[]

Kruschen began working at a station in Los Angeles when he was 16[2] and in high school. During the 1940s, he became a staple of American West Coast radio drama.[citation needed] During World War II, he served in the Army, assigned to the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS).[3] Following the war, he resumed working on network programs,[1] including Broadway Is My Beat (as Mugovin, a detective),[4] and Pete Kelly's Blues (as club owner George Lupo),[4]:269​ as well as frequent episodic roles on anthology series, westerns and crime dramas.

He also performed on Escape, Dragnet, Gunsmoke (usually as law-abiding locals), Crime Classics, Frontier Gentleman, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, Nightbeat and Suspense.

Films[]

Front row, from left to right: Jack Kruschen, John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara and Chill Wills in McLintock!

Kruschen received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Dr. Dreyfuss in Billy Wilder's The Apartment.[5]

Kruschen's film debut came in Red, Hot, and Blue.[6] His other films included George Pal's The War of the Worlds (as Salvatore, one of the first three victims, a role he reprised on the Lux Radio Theater adaptation), in Cecil B. DeMille's final film, The Buccaneer, as astronaut Sam Jacobs in the 1959 cult classic The Angry Red Planet, The Unsinkable Molly Brown (as saloon owner Christmas Morgan), Abbott and Costello Go to Mars, Lover Come Back, McLintock! (with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara), Follow That Dream (with Elvis Presley), Cape Fear, starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, and Money to Burn with Eve McVeagh.

Stage[]

Kruschen appeared as Maurice Pulvermacher in the original 1962 Broadway production of I Can Get It for You Wholesale.[7] In 1969, he co-starred in the London staging of the musical drama Promises, Promises, reprising his film role in this show based on The Apartment.

Television[]

Kruschen was performing on television as early as 1939, appearing in dramas on Don Lee's experimental television station in Los Angeles, where he was seen on some two hundred television sets with three-inch screens. Thereafter, Kruschen's television career included guest villain Eivol Ekdol, a villainous magicians' craftsman on Batman (episodes 9 and 10). He was seen in twelve episodes of NBC's Dragnet (portraying a pedophile in one infamous episode) as well as the ABC/Desilu series, Zorro. He had a recurring role across three seasons on Bonanza (Italian grapegrower Giorgio Rossi). He also played Clyde Bailey in "The Retired Gun" (episode 17) and Sammy in "One Went to Denver" (episode 25).

In 1969, Kruschen co-starred with Stefanie Powers in an unsold ABC sitcom pilot, Holly Golighty,[8]:467​ adapted from Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's. The husky, mustachioed Kruschen seemed to specialize in playing benevolent ethnic paternal figures.[citation needed] His roles included Sam Markowitz on Busting Loose,[8] fireman Mike Woiski on Emergency!,[8]:306​ Morris Sheinfeld on E/R,[8]:310​ Tully on Hong Kong,[8]:474​ and Jay Burrage on The Rifleman.[8]:895​ He also appeared on Columbo (The Most Dangerous Match, 1973), Barney Miller, Odd Couple (TV series), The Incredible Hulk, and, in later years, Murphy Brown, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

He appeared in the recurring role of "Grandpa Papadopolis" on Webster series (1985–87), and in the early 1990s, as another Greek grandfather and as Pam and Jesse's grandfather, Iorgos "Papouli" Katsopolis on Full House, appearing in only two episodes before his character is killed off in the episode, "The Last Dance".

His final on-screen appearance was in the 1997 film 'Til There Was You as "Mr. Katz".

Personal life and death[]

Kruschen was married to Marjorie Ullman from January 1947 to 1961, to Violet Rafaella Mooring from 1962 to 1978 (her death), and to Mary Pender from July 23, 1979, until his death.[citation needed]

Kruschen died on April 2, 2002,[1] in Chandler, Arizona, while vacationing. He had been in ill health for some time. He was 80. Though he died on April 2, his death was not widely reported to the media until late May 2002.

Complete filmography[]

Partial television credits[]

For TV movies, see above.
  • Dragnet - 12 episodes (1951-1959)
  • Terry and the Pirates - episode "Macao Gold" (1952) as Chopstick Joe
  • Craig Kennedy, Criminologist- "The Big Shakedown" (1952) as Jack Brown
  • Treasury Men in Action - "Case of the Swindler's Gold" (1955) as Miguel
  • The Adventures of Jim Bowie - "The Birth of the Blade" (1956) as Louis, and "Jackson's Assassination" (1957) as Frost
  • Gunsmoke - "Spring Term" (1956) as Jed
  • Crusader - "A Deal in Diamonds" (1956) as Leon
  • Adventures of Superman - "Tomb of Zaharan" (1957) as First Airport Robber
  • Zorro - "The Man with the Whip" and "The Cross of the Andes" (1958) as Jose Mordante
  • Trackdown - "The Kid" (1958) as Milo York
  • The Rifleman - "One Went to Denver" (1959) as Sammy, "The Retired Gun" (1959) as Clyde Bailey, "Baranca" (1960) as Doc Burrage, "Trail of Hate" (1960) as Doc Burrage
  • Bat Masterson - "The Inner Circle" (1959) as Patch Finley, "The Desert Ship" (1959) as Ben Tarko
  • Wanted: Dead or Alive - "The Empty Cell" (1959) as Hunt Willis, "Railroaded" (1959) as Sheriff Pig Wells
  • The Rough Riders - "Ransom of Rita Renee" (1959) as Tully
  • The D.A.'s Man - "Guns for Hire" (1959) as Leo Muller
  • Sugarfoot - "The Desperadoes" (1959) as Sam Bolt
  • The Detectives - "Twelve Hours to Live" (1960) as Fred Hambrough, "Secret Assignment" (1961) as Jonesy
  • The Westerner - "Going Home" (1960) as Rigdon
  • Richard Diamond, Private Detective - "The Lovely Fraud" (1960) as Max Schilling
  • Death Valley Days - "Eagle in the Rocks" (1960) as Manuel Garcia
  • Black Saddle - "The Apprentice" (1960) as Ben Winkleman
  • Rawhide - "Canliss" (1964) as Barkeep
  • I Spy - "Lisa" (1966) as Aram Kanjarian
  • The Red Skelton Show - "The Bum Who Came in from the Cold" (1966) as Dr. Shnorba
  • The John Forsythe Show - "Engagement, Italian Style" (1966) as Constantino
  • Batman - "Zelda the Great" (1966) and "A Death Worse Than Fate" (1966) as Eivol Ekdal
  • Bonanza - "Big Shadow on the Land" (1966), "The Deed and the Dilemma" (1967) and "The Sound of Drums" (1968) as Giorgio Rossi
  • I Spy - "The Medarra Block" (1967) as Isaac
  • The Mike Douglas Show (1967) as Himself
  • Ironside - "The Macabre Mr. Micawber (1968) as McKay, "Memory of an Ice Cream Stick" (1968) as Busch
  • Daniel Boone - "Sweet Molly Malone" (1969) as Herman
  • Hawaii Five-O - "For a Million... Why Not?" (1971) as Blumberg
  • Emergency! - "The Wedsworth-Townsend Act" (1972) as State Assemblyman Michael Wolski
  • The Magician - "Ovation for Murder" (1973) as Albie Allikolos
  • Columbo - "The Most Dangerous Match (1973)" as Tomlin Dudek
  • Assignment: Vienna - "So Long, Charlie" (1973) as Orloff
  • McCloud - "Shivaree on Delancy Street" (1974) as Selditz
  • The Rockford Files - "Gearjammers, Part 2" (1975) as John Koenig
  • Movin' On - "Living It Up!" (1976) as Mr. Nash
  • Ellery Queen - "The Adventure of the Judas Tree" (1976) as Gunther Starr
  • Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color - "The Whiz Kid and the Carnival Caper: Parts 1 & 2" (1976) as Abner Debney
  • The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams - Home of the Hawk (1977) as Metcalf, "Once Upon a Starry Night" (1978) as Frost-bite Foley
  • Busting Loose - 12 episodes (1977) as Sam Markowitz
  • Barney Miller - "Burial" (1977) as Julius Wittenour
  • The Incredible Hulk - "Terror in Times Square" (1978) as Norman Abrams
  • Trapper John, M.D. - "Deadly Exposure" (1979) as Nicholas Bulgari
  • Alice - "Mel, the Magi" (1979) as Santa Claus
  • Barney Miller - "The DNA Story" (1979) as Rudolph Kamen
  • Vega$ - "Vendetta" (1980) as Carlo
  • Little House on the Prairie - "Gambini the Great" (1981) as Rudolpho 'The Great' Gambini
  • Trapper John, M.D. - "Cooperative Care" (1981) as Marvin Krakowsky
  • CHiPs - "Home Fires Burning" (1981) as Frank Higgins
  • Alice - "Carrie Chickens Out" (1981) as Benny Conway
  • The Devlin Connection - "Brian and Nick" (1982) as Max Salkall
  • No Soap, Radio - 5 episodes (1982) as Skit Performer
  • Hart to Hart - "Hart and Sole" (1982) as Harry Fulterman
  • Barney Miller - "Examination Day" (1982) as Benjamin Diamond
  • Matt Houston - "The Crying Clown" (1983) as Jonas Van Poolen, "Company Secrets" (1985) as Reels
  • Zorro and Son - "Zorro and Son" (1983) as Commandante La Brea
  • The A-Team - "The Out-of-Towners" (1983) as Bernie Shatzman
  • Hill Street Blues - "Fuched Again" (1984) as Isadore Fagenbaum
  • Webster - 18 episodes (1984-1989) as 'Papa' Papadapolis
  • Too Close for Comfort - "Reconcilable Differences" (1985) as Dr. Axel Schreiber
  • Remington Steele - "Springtime for Steele" (1985) as Buddy Brokaw
  • Magnum, P.I. - "Laura" (1987) as Doheny's partner and speaker at the retirement
  • Full House - "Greek Week" (1990) and "The Last Dance" (1994) as Iorgos 'Papouli' Katsopolis
  • Material World - 8 episodes (1990-1991) as Fred Avery
  • Matlock - "The Nightmare" (1991) as Judge Ogilvie/Bus Repairman
  • Murder, She Wrote - "Tainted Lady" (1991) as Dr. John Logan
  • The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air - "Home Is Where the Heart Attack Is" (1993) as Mr. Melville
  • Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman - "Madame Ex" (1994) as Captain Keene
  • Empty Nest - "What's a Mother to Do?" (1994) as Heshy

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Lavietes, Stuart (May 23, 2002). "Jack Kruschen, 80, a Stalwart Of Radio, TV and the Movies". The New York Times. p. C 14. ProQuest 92412589. Retrieved January 11, 2021 – via ProQuest.
  2. ^ Schumach, Murray (December 29, 1961). "Film actor sings way to the stage". The New York Times. p. 15. ProQuest 115312672. Retrieved January 11, 2021 – via ProQuest.
  3. ^ Jack Kruschen, 80; ‘Apartment’ Neighbor. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.
  5. ^ "Jack Kruschen Proves Language Study Pays Off". The La Crosse Tribune. Wisconsin, La Crosse. March 26, 1967. p. 35. Retrieved January 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Scott, Vernon (May 19, 1977). "Jack Kruschen enjoys 'busting loose' around beach home". Valley News. California, Van Nuys. p. 51. Retrieved January 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Jack Kruschen". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.

External links[]

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