George Jessel (actor)
George Jessel | |
|---|---|
 Jesselc.1926 | |
| Born | George Albert Jessel April 3, 1898 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | May 23, 1981(aged 83) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery,Culver City, California,U.S. |
| Other names | Georgie Jessel |
| Years active | 1909–1981 |
| Spouses | Florence Courtney
(m.1923;div.1932) |
| Children | 2 |
| Signature | |
 | |
George Albert "Georgie" Jessel(April 3, 1898 – May 23, 1981) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, andfilm producer.He was famous in his lifetime as a multitalented comedic entertainer, achieving a level of recognition that transcended his limited roles in movies. He was widely known by his nickname, the "ToastmasterGeneral of the United States, "for his frequent role as themaster of ceremoniesat political and entertainment gatherings. Jessel originated the title role in the stage production ofThe Jazz Singer.[1]
Early years
[edit]Jessel was born toJewishparents,[2]Joseph and Charlotte "Lottie" (née Schwarz)[3]Jessel, on 118th Street inHarlem,New York City.[4]By age 10, he was appearing invaudevilleand on Broadway to support his family after the death of his father, who was aplaywright.[1][5][4]
His mother, who worked as a ticket seller at theImperial Theater,helped him form The Imperial Trio, a harmony group of ushers to entertain patrons of the theater, withWalter Winchelland Jack Wiener, using the stage names Leonard, Lawrence and McKinley, in their early teens (such usher-singer groups were common). At age 11, he was a partner ofEddie Cantorin a kid sketch and performed with him on stage until he outgrew the role at age 16. He later partnered with Lou Edwards and then became a solo performer.[6][3]
Career
[edit]Vaudeville
[edit]His most famous comedyskitwas called "Hello Mama" or "Phone Call from Mama," which portrayed a one-sided telephone conversation. In 1919 he produced his own solo show,George Jessel's Troubles.
Jessel co-wrote the lyrics for a hit tune, "Oh How I Laugh When I Think How I Cried About You," and he performed in several successful comedy stage shows in the early 1920s. In 1921 he recorded a hit single, "The Toastmaster." He sometimes appeared inblackfacein his vaudeville shows.
Film and broadcasting
[edit]Jessel appeared in his first motion picture, the silent movieThe Other Man's Wife(1919). In 1924, he appeared in a brief comedy sketch in a short film made in theDeForestPhonofilmsound-on-film process.[7]
In 1925, he emerged as one of the most popular leading men on Broadway with the starring role in the stage production ofThe Jazz Singer.The success of the show promptedWarner Bros.—after their success withDon Juan(1926) with music and sound effects only—to adaptThe Jazz Singeras the first "talkie"with dialogue and to cast Jessel in the lead role. However, the studio refused his salary demands, so Jessel turned down the movie role, which was eventually played byAl Jolson.According to Jessel during an interview around 1980, Warner Bros. still owed Jessel money for earlier roles and lacked enough funds to produce this movie with a leading star. Jolson, the biographical inspiration for the movie, became the movie's main financial backer.
Jessel's next movie role was inPrivate Izzy Murphy(1926). Whereas Jolson's film career skyrocketed after the 1927 release ofThe Jazz Singer,Jessel remained in smaller movie roles, often intended for audiences fond of Jewish and other "ethnic" humor.[5]He was elected toThe Lambs Theatre Clubin 1942.[8]
In the mid-1940s, he began producing musicals for20th Century Fox,producing 24 films in all in a career that lasted through the 1950s and 1960s. At the same time he became known as a host on the banquet circuit, famous for his good-natured wit aimed at his fellow celebrities. In 1946, he was one of the founding members of the California branch of theFriars Club.(A recording exists of an example of his "blue" work in front of a stag audience, although it was actually recorded at aroasthosted by the Friars' rival, the Masquers Club.) He also traveled widely overseas with theUSOentertaining troops. As he grew older, he wrote eulogies for many of his contemporaries in Hollywood. He wrote three volumes of memoirs,So Help Me(1943),This Way, Miss(1955), andThe World I Lived In(1975).
Jessel produced a number of Hollywood films, includingThe Dolly Sisters(1945),Nightmare Alley(1947),Golden Girl(1951) andThe I Don't Care Girl(1953).
In the early 1950s, he performed on the radio inThe George Jessel Show,which became atelevision series of the same namefrom 1953 to 1954.[9]
He guest-starred on NBC'sThe Jimmy Durante Show.In 1968, he starred inHere Come the Stars,a syndicated variety show. However, his attempt to extend his career was undermined by a perception that his style of comedy was outdated, as well as by his outspoken support of theAmerican entry into the Vietnam Warand of conservative political causes.[6]He often crossed the era's stereotypical political lines with its support for thecivil rights movementand criticism ofracismandanti-Semitism.[1]His outspoken political opinions were, at times, the source of scandal.[10]
In 1971, while being interviewed byEdwin NewmanonThe Today ShowonNBC,he repeatedly referred toThe New York TimesasPravda(the house organ of theCommunist Party of the Soviet Union), and the interview was cut short.[10][11]
Later film roles included acameoas himself inValley of the Dolls(1967),The Busy Body(1967) oppositeSid Caesar,and the controversial musicalCan Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?(1969) directed by and starringAnthony Newley.He made additional cameos in other all-star films such asThe Phynx(1970) andWon Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood(1976).[citation needed]
Personal life
[edit]
In the 1930s, his personal life kept him in the public eye as much as his movies. On May 2, 1930, Jessel married Florence Courtney in Chicago. She divorced him on October 24, 1932, on the grounds of cruelty.[12]On April 23, 1934, Jessel marriedsilentmovie starNorma Talmadge,causing a scandal because Talmadge was married at the time that they started their affair, and she obtained aMexican divorceonly ten days earlier.[13]After their divorce on August 11, 1939, he caused another scandal by breaking into her house with a pistol and firing shots at her current lover. In 1940, he married a 16-year old showgirl,Lois Andrews,when he was 42. They had a daughter, Jerrilyn, before divorcing in 1942.[10]In his 1975 autobiography,The World I Lived In,Jessel claimed he had affairs with actressesPola Negri,Helen MorganandLupe Vélez.
In 1961, actress Joan Tyler[14]filed a paternity suit against Jessel claiming he was the father of her daughter Christine. Jessel later admitted he was Christine's father and settled the suit out of court. As part of the terms of the settlement, Jessel agreed to pay Tyler $500 a month in child support (equivalent to $5,036 in 2023).[10]
In 1964, Jessel reportedly sexually groped an adultShirley Temple.According to Temple, he invited her to his office under the guise of discussing a recent role. During their meeting, Jessel put an arm around Temple while taking off his pants. He then grabbed the 35 year-old Temple's breasts. She fought off his attempts by kicking him in the groin.[15]
Death
[edit]On May 23, 1981, Jessel died of a heart attack at theUniversity of California at Los Angeles Medical Centerat the age of 83.[1]He was interred in theHillside Memorial Park CemeteryinCulver City, California.[16]
Honors and awards
[edit]In 1969, theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Scienceshonored him for his charity work by awarding him theJean Hersholt Humanitarian Award,a SpecialAcademy Award.For his contribution to the motion picture industry, George Jessel has a star on theHollywood Walk of Fameat 1777 Vine Street in Los Angeles.
Filmography
[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | The Other Man's Wife | Davy Simon | Lost film |
| 1926 | Private Izzy Murphy | Isadore "Izzy" Murphy / Patrick Murphy | Lostfilm |
| 1927 | Sailor Izzy Murphy | Izzy Murphy | Lostfilm |
| 1927 | Ginsberg the Great | Johnny Ginsberg | Lostfilm |
| 1928 | George Washington Cohen[17] | George Washington Cohen | Lostfilm |
| 1929 | Lucky Boy | Georgie Jessel | |
| 1929 | Happy Days | Minstrel show performer #4 | |
| 1929 | Love, Live and Laugh | Luigi | |
| 1943 | Stage Door Canteen | Himself | |
| 1944 | Four Jills in a Jeep | Master of ceremonies | |
| 1953 | Yesterday and Today | Narrator | Voice |
| 1953 | The I Don't Care Girl | Himself | Uncredited |
| 1957 | Beau James | Himself | |
| 1959 | Juke Box Rhythm | Himself | |
| 1967 | The Busy Body | Mr. Fessel | |
| 1967 | Valley of the Dolls | MC Grammy Awards | |
| 1969 | Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? | The Presence | |
| 1970 | The Phynx | Himself | |
| 1976 | Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood | Awards Announcer | |
| 1981 | Reds | Himself - Witness | |
| 2018 | The Other Side of the Wind | Himself | Final film role; filmed between 1970 and 1976 |
References
[edit]- ^abcd"George Jessel, Comedian And Toastmaster, Dies At 83".The New York Times.May 25, 1981.RetrievedJanuary 1,2015.
George Jessel, the vaudeville comedian and actor who became known as thetoastmaster general of the United States,died of a heart attack last night while at the University of California at Los Angeles Medical Center for tests. He was 83 years old.
- ^Cones, John (April 1, 2015).Motion Picture Biographies: The Hollywood Spin on Historical Figures.Algora Publishing. p. 32.ISBN978-1628941166.
- ^ab"1072 Simpson St., Bronx, New York, New York".New York State Census.1915.His occupation is listed as "performer" and living with his grandparents, Simon and Caroline Schwarz, his aunt Mary Schwarz, and his mother Lottie Jessel.
- ^ab"Meet G. Jessel".The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.January 1, 1929. p. 31.RetrievedJanuary 5,2018– viaNewspapers.com.
- ^abSlide, Anthony (2012).The Encyclopedia of Vaudeville.University Press of Mississippi. pp. 269–272.ISBN9781617032509.
- ^abCullen, Frank; Hackman, Florence; McNeilly, Donald (2007).Vaudeville, Old and New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America.Psychology Press. pp. 566–68.ISBN9780415938532.
- ^"George Jessel".SilentEra.RetrievedDecember 6,2019.
- ^"The Lambs".the-lambs.org.The Lambs, Inc.November 6, 2015. (Member Roster, 'J'). Archived fromthe originalon May 31, 2022.RetrievedDecember 21,2021.
- ^Marsh, Earle; Brooks, Tim (June 24, 2009).The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network and Cable Television Shows, 1946– Present.Random House. p. 237.ISBN978-0307483201.
- ^abcdSmith, J. Y. (May 26, 1981)."George Jessel, Comedian and 'Toastmaster General,' Is Dead at 83".The Washington Post.RetrievedNovember 28,2016.
- ^Green, Abel(August 4, 1971). "Jessel Was To Announce Show Biz Retirement On NBC-TV 'Today' But Edwin Newman Hastened It".Variety.p. 2.
- ^"Mrs. George Jessel Gets Divorce".The New York Times.October 25, 1932.RetrievedDecember 6,2019.
- ^"Norma Talmadge".SilentEra.RetrievedDecember 6,2019.
- ^"Joan Tyler (1933-2000), Actress, known for Back from Eternity (1956) and The First Traveling Saleslady (1956)".IMDb.January 3, 2020.RetrievedJanuary 3,2020.
- ^Smith, J. Y. (July 19, 2017)."The Studio Torture and Abuse of Shirley Temple; Chased Around Desk by Selznick; Kicked George Jessel in the Groin".The Washington Post.RetrievedApril 18,2021.
- ^Bahn, Paul (April 14, 2014).The Archaeology of Hollywood: Traces of the Golden Age.Rowman & Littlefield.ISBN978-0759123793.
- ^"George Washington Cohen".December 20, 1928 – via IMDb.
External links
[edit]
Media related toGeorge Jesselat Wikimedia Commons- George JesselatIMDb
- George Jesselat theInternet Broadway Database
- George Jesselinterviewed byMike WallaceonThe Mike Wallace InterviewSeptember 14, 1957
- 1898 births
- 1981 deaths
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American singer-songwriters
- Film producers from New York (state)
- American male comedians
- American male film actors
- American male musical theatre actors
- American male silent film actors
- American male singer-songwriters
- American male stage actors
- American male television actors
- 20th-century American memoirists
- Burials at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
- Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award winners
- Jewish American male actors
- Jewish American musicians
- Jewish American comedians
- Jewish male comedians
- Male actors from the Bronx
- Masters of ceremonies
- Singer-songwriters from New York (state)
- American vaudeville performers
- Comedians from the Bronx
- American male non-fiction writers
- 20th-century American comedians
- 20th-century American male singers
- 20th-century American Jews
- Members of The Lambs Club