Jack Warden

Jack Warden
Warden in the 1950s
Born	John Warden Lebzelter Jr. (1920-09-18)September 18, 1920 Newark, New Jersey,U.S.
Died	July 19, 2006(2006-07-19)(aged 85) New York City,U.S.
Other names	Johnny Costello
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1945–2000
Spouse	Vanda Dupre ​ (m.1958)​
Children	1

Jack Warden(bornJohn Warden Lebzelter Jr.;September 18, 1920 – July 19, 2006) was an Americancharacter actorof film and television. He was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting ActorforShampoo(1975) andHeaven Can Wait(1978). He received aBAFTAnomination forShampoo,and won aPrimetime Emmy Awardfor his performance inBrian's Song(1971).

Early life

Warden was born inNewark, New Jersey,the son of Laura M. (néeCostello) and John Warden Lebzelter, who was an engineer and technician. He was ofPennsylvania Dutch(German) and Irish ancestry.Raised inLouisville, Kentucky,he was expelled from high school for fighting and eventually fought as a professionalboxerunder the name Johnny Costello. He fought in 13 bouts as awelterweight,but earned little money.

Military service

Warden worked as a nightclub bouncer, tugboat deckhand, and lifeguard, before joining theUnited States Navyin 1938. He was stationed for three years in China with theYangtze Patrol.

He joined theUnited States Merchant Marinein 1941, but he quickly tired of the long convoy runs.

In 1942, he moved to theUnited States Army,where he served as a paratrooper in the501st Parachute Infantry Regiment,with the101st Airborne DivisioninWorld War II.

In 1944, on the eve of theD-Dayinvasion (in which many of his friends died), Warden, then a staff sergeant, shattered his leg when he landed in a tree during a night-time practice jump in England. He spent almost eight months in the hospital recuperating, during which time he read aClifford Odetsplay and decided to become an actor. Notably, Warden later portrayed a paratrooper from the 101st's rivals—the82nd Airborne Division—inThat Kind of Woman.

After leaving the army, he moved to New York City and studied acting on theG.I. Bill.

Career

Warden (left) as Mike Haines withFrank Converseas Det. Johnny Corso inABC'sN.Y.P.D.(1968)

He joined the company of the Theatre '47 of Dallas and moved there and performed on stage there for five years. In 1948, he made histelevisiondebut on theanthology seriesThe Philco Television Playhouseand also appeared on the seriesStudio One.His first film roles were uncredited bit parts in the 1950 filmsThe Asphalt JungleandSunset Boulevard,and he was also in the 1951 filmYou're in the Navy Now,which also featured the screen debuts ofLee MarvinandCharles Bronson. Warden appeared in his first credited film role in 1951 inThe Man with My Face.

From 1952 to 1955, he appeared in the television seriesMister PeeperswithWally Cox.In 1953, he was cast as a sympathetic corporal inFrom Here to Eternity.Warden's breakthrough film role was Juror No. 7, a salesman who wants a quick decision in a murder case, in12 Angry Men.

Warden guest-starred in manytelevision seriesover the years, such asMarilyn Maxwell'sABCdrama series,Bus Stop,and onDavid Janssen's ABC drama,The Fugitive.He received aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Seriesfor his performance asChicago BearscoachGeorge Halasin thetelevision movie,Brian's Song,and was twice nominated for his starring role in the 1980s comedy/drama seriesCrazy Like a Fox.

Warden was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actortwice: for his performances inShampooandHeaven Can Wait.He also had notable roles inBye Bye Braverman,The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing,All the President's Men,The White Buffalo,...And Justice for All,Being There,Used Cars(in which he played dual roles),The Verdict,Problem Childandits sequel,as well asWhile You Were Sleeping,Guilty as Sinand theNorm MacdonaldcomedyDirty Work.His final film wasThe Replacementsin 2000, oppositeGene HackmanandKeanu Reeves.

Personal life and death

Warden married French actress Vanda Dupre on October 10, 1958. They had one son, Christopher. Although they separated in the late 1970s, the couple never legally divorced.

Warden's health declined in his later years, which resulted in his retirement from acting in 2000. He lived for the rest of his life in Manhattan, New York City, with his girlfriend, Marucha Hinds. He died of heart and kidney failure in a New York City hospital on July 19, 2006, at the age of 85.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1950	The Asphalt Jungle	Bit Role	Uncredited
	Sunset Boulevard	Party Guest	Uncredited
1951	You're in the Navy Now	Tommy Morse	Uncredited
	The Frogmen	Crew Member	Uncredited
	The Man with My Face	Walt Davis
1952	Red Ball Express	Undetermined Role	Uncredited
1953	From Here to Eternity	Corporal Buckley
1957	Edge of the City	Charles Malik	Alternate title:A Man Is Ten Feet Tall
	The Bachelor Party	Eddie Watkins, the Bachelor
	12 Angry Men	Juror #7
1958	Darby's Rangers	Master Sergeant Saul Rosen
	Run Silent, Run Deep	Yeoman 1st Class "Kraut" Mueller
1959	The Sound and the Fury	Ben Compson
	That Kind of Woman	George Kelly
1960	Wake Me When It's Over	Dave "Doc" Farrington
1961	The Lawbreakers	Captain/Acting Police Commissioner Matthew Gower	Film adaptation ofThe Asphalt Jungletelevision episode "The Lady and the Lawyer"
1962	Escape from Zahrain	Huston
1963	Donovan's Reef	Doctor William Dedham
1964	The Thin Red Line	First Sergeant Welsh
1966	Blindfold	General Prat
1968	Bye Bye Braverman	Barnet Weinstein
1971	The Sporting Club	Earl Olive
	Summertree	Herb
	Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?	Dr. Solomon F. Moses
	Welcome to the Club	General Strapp
1973	The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing	Dawes
1974	Billy Two Hats	Sherriff Henry Gifford
	The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz	Max
1975	Shampoo	Lester Karpf	Nominated –Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated –BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1976	All the President's Men	Harry M. Rosenfeld
1977	Raid on Entebbe	Lt. Gen. Mordechai Gur
	The White Buffalo	Charlie Zane
1978	Heaven Can Wait	Max Corkle	Nominated –Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
	Death on the Nile	Doctor Ludwig Bessner
1979	The Champ	Jackie
	Dreamer	Harry
	Beyond the Poseidon Adventure	Harold Meredith
	...And Justice for All	Judge Francis Rayford
	Being There	President "Bobby" of the United States
1980	Used Cars	Roy L. Fuchs, Luke Fuchs
1981	The Great Muppet Caper	Mike Tarkanian, the News Editor
	Carbon Copy	Nelson Longhurst
	Chu Chu and the Philly Flash	The Commander
	So Fine	Jack Fine
1982	The Verdict	Mickey Morrissey
1984	Crackers	Garvey
1985	The Aviator	Moravia
	Alice in Wonderland	Owl
1986	The Cosmic Eye	Rocko	Voice
1987	September	Lloyd
1988	Dead Solid Perfect	Hubert 'Bad Hair' Wimberly
	The Presidio	Sergeant Major Ross Maclure
1990	Everybody Wins	Judge Harry Murdoch
	Problem Child	"Big" Ben Healy
1991	Problem Child 2	"Big" Ben Healy
1992	Passed Away	Jack Scanlan
	Night and the City	Al Grossman
	Toys	Old General Zevo
1993	Guilty as Sin	Moe
1994	Bullets over Broadway	Julian Marx	Nominated – Awards Circuit Community Award for Best Cast Ensemble
1995	While You Were Sleeping	Saul
	Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead	Joe Heff
	Mighty Aphrodite	Tiresias
1996	Ed	Chubb
1997	The Island on Bird Street	Boruch
	The Volunteers	Richie
1998	Chairman of the Board	Armand McMillan
	Bulworth	Eddie Davers
	Dirty Work	'Pops' McKenna
1999	A Dog of Flanders	Jehan Daas
2000	The Replacements	Edward O'Neil

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1952	Tales of Tomorrow	Steve	1 episode
	Mister Peepers	Chicago Cabbie	1 episode
1953	The Campbell Playhouse		1 episode
	Man Against Crime	Deck Hand	2 episodes
1954–1955	Kraft Television Theatre	Various roles	2 episodes
	Studio One	Various roles	3 episodes
1955	Justice	Two roles	"Flight from Fear" and "Save Me Now"
1956	The Alcoa Hour	Frank Doran	1 episode
	Climax!	Lieutenant Ravenna	"Flame-Out in T-6"
1958–1959	Playhouse 90	Various roles	3 episodes
1959	Five Fingers	Fitzgerald	"The Moment of Truth"
	Bonanza	Mike Wilson	"The Paiute War"
1959–1960	The Twilight Zone	James A. Corry Mouth McGarry	"The Lonely" "The Mighty Casey"
	The Untouchables	Larry Halloran Otto Frick	The George 'Bugs' Moran Story The Otto Frick Story
1960	Outlaws		2 episodes
1961	Route 66	Adam Darcy	The Clover Throne
	Checkmate	Farrell	"Between Two Guns"
	Bus Stop	Joe Harrison	"Accessory by Consent"
	The Asphalt Jungle	Deputy Police Commissioner Matthew Gower	13 episodes
1962	Naked City	Cornelius Daggett	"Face of the Enemy"
	Naked City	Steve Lollo	"The King of Venus Will Take Care of You"
	Naked City	Sam Langen	"The Spectre of the Rose Street Gang"
	Target: The Corruptors	Jerry Skala	"The Organizers, Parts 1 and 2"
	Tales of Wells Fargo	Brad Axton	"The Traveler"
	Route 66	Sandor Biro	"Feat of Strength"
	Going My Way	Carl Wiczinski	"Not Good Enough for Mary"
1963	Route 66	Major Barbon	"Two Strangers and an Old Enemy"
	77 Sunset Strip	Max Eames	"Flight 307"
1964	Breaking Point	Carlo Scotti	"No Squares in My Family Circle"
	The Great Adventure	Latham	1 episode
	Bewitched	Rex Barker	"It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog"
1965	The Virginian	John Conway	"Shadows of the Past"
	Dr. Kildare	Ernie Duffy	1 episode
1966	The Wackiest Ship in the Army	Major Simon Butcher	29 episodes
1967	The Fugitive	Alex Patton	"Concrete Evidence"
	The Invaders	Barney Cahill	1 episode
1967–1969	N.Y.P.D.	Lieutenant Mike Haines	49 episodes
1971	The Face of Fear	Lieutenant George Coy	Television film
	Brian's Song	George Halas	ABC Movie of the Week Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama
1972	What's a Nice Girl Like You...?	Lieutenant Burton	ABC Movie of the Week
	Lieutenant Schuster's Wife	Captain Patrick Lonergan	Television film
1973	Wheeler and Murdoch	Sam Wheeler	Television film
1974	The Godchild	Sergeant Dobbs	Television film
1975	Journey from Darkness	Fred Hartman	Television film
1976	Jigsaw John	"Jigsaw" John St. John	15 episodes
1979–1980	The Bad News Bears	Morris Buttermaker	23 episodes
1983	Hobson's Choice	Henry Horatio Hobson	Television film
1984	Helen Keller: The Miracle Continues	Mark Twain	Television film
1984–1986	Crazy Like a Fox	Harrison "Harry" Fox Sr.	35 episodes Nominated –Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series(1985–1986)
1985	A.D.	Nerva	Television miniseries
1987	Hoover vs. the Kennedys: The Second Civil War	J. Edgar Hoover	Television film
1988	Police Story: The Watch Commander	Joe Wilson	Television film
1989	Knight & Daye	Hank Knight	1 episode
1990	Judgment	Claude Fortier	Television film
1995	Problem Child 3: Junior in Love	Big Ben	Television film
1997	Ink	Timothy Logan	1 episode
1999	The Norm Show	Harry	1 episode

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Film	Result	Ref.
1975	Academy Awards	Best Supporting Actor	Shampoo	Nominated
1978			Heaven Can Wait	Nominated
1994	Awards Circuit Community Awards	Best Cast Ensemble	Bullets Over Broadway	Nominated
1975	British Academy Film Awards	Best Actor in a Supporting Role	Shampoo	Nominated
1972	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama	Brian's Song	Won
1985		Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series	Crazy Like a Fox	Nominated
1986				Nominated

External links

• Jack WardenatIMDb
• Jack Wardenat theTCM Movie Database
• Jack Wardenat theInternet Broadway Database
• Jack Wardenat theInternet Off-Broadway Database
• Cinema2000 obituary(in Portuguese)