Jack Kruschen
Jacob "Jack" Kruschen 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
Kruschen was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His acting in an operetta produced at Hollywood High School brought him to the attention of CBS.
Career
Radio
Kruschen began working at a radio station in Los Angeles when he was 16. During World War II, he served in the Army, assigned to the Armed Forces Radio Service. Following the war, he resumed working on network programs, including Broadway Is My Beat, and Pete Kelly's Blues, as well as frequent episodic roles on anthology series, westerns and crime dramas.
He also performed on Escape; Dragnet; Gunsmoke ; Full House; Crime Classics; Frontier Gentleman; Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar; Nightbeat and ''Suspense.''
Film
Kruschen received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Dr. Dreyfuss in Billy Wilder's The Apartment. That same year, the ever-prolific Kruschen also appeared in the films
The Bellboy, Studs Lonigan, Seven Ways from Sundown, Where the Boys Are, and The Last Voyage, as Chief Engineer Pringle.
Kruschen's film debut came in Red, Hot, and Blue. His other films included George Pal's The War of the Worlds ; 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 ; Abbott and Costello Go to Mars; Lover Come Back; McLintock! ; Follow That Dream ; 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. 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. He was seen in twelve episodes of NBC's Dragnet as well as the ABC/Disney series, Zorro. He also appeared in a color episode of Adventures of Superman. He had a recurring role across three seasons on Bonanza. He also played Clyde Bailey in "The Retired Gun" and Sammy in "One Went to Denver".
In 1969, Kruschen co-starred with Stefanie Powers in an unsold ABC sitcom pilot, Holly Golighty, adapted from Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's. The husky, mustachioed Kruschen seemed to specialize in playing benevolent ethnic paternal figures. His roles included Sam Markowitz on Busting Loose, fireman Mike Woiski on Emergency!, Morris Sheinfeld on E/R, Tully on Hong Kong, and Jay Burrage on The Rifleman. He also appeared on Columbo (The Most Dangerous Match, 1973), Barney Miller, The Odd Couple, The Incredible Hulk, and, in later years, Murphy Brown and Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
He appeared in the recurring role of "Grandpa Papadopolis" on Webster series, 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". He also appeared as Kitty's grandfather, Fred Avery, on the CBC sitcom Material World from 1990–1993.
His final on-screen appearance was in the 1997 film 'Til There Was You as "Mr. Katz".
Death
Kruschen died at his residence in Kelowna, British Columbia, on April 2, 2002, according to a British Columbia Registration of Death. He had been in ill health for some time. Cause of death is given as a heart attack following years of Type 2 diabetes. He was 80. Though he died on April 2, his death was not widely reported to the media until mid-late May.
Complete filmography
Red, Hot and Blue as SteveWomen from Headquarters as SamWhere Danger Lives as Cosey – Ambulance Driver No Way Out as Undetermined Minor Role Gambling House as Burly Italian Immigrant Cuban Fireball as LeftyThe Lemon Drop Kid as Muscleman Comin' Round the Mountain as Gangster in Night ClubThe People Against O'Hara as Detective Meet Danny Wilson as Drunken Heckler Confidence Girl as Detective Sergeant QuinnJust Across the Street as Bit Part Shadow in the Sky as Intern The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima as Sidonio Tropical Heat Wave as Stickey LangleyThe War of the Worlds as SalvatoreAbbott and Costello Go to Mars as HarryMa and Pa Kettle on Vacation as Jacques Amien Fast Company as Doc – Poker Player A Blueprint for Murder as Det.ective Lt. Harold Y. ColeThe Long, Long Trailer as Mechanic Money from Home as Short BoyThe Great Diamond Robbery as Cafe Counterman It Should Happen to You as Joe Tennessee Champ as AndrewsUntamed Heiress as LouiePrince of Players as Rabble-Rouser Carolina Cannonball as HogarDial Red O as Lloyd LavalleSoldier of Fortune as Austin StokerThe Night Holds Terror as Detective PopeThe Benny Goodman Story as Murph PodolskyThe Steel Jungle as Truckdriver HelperOutside the Law as Agent Phil SchwartzJulie as Det. MaceBadlands of Montana as Cavalry SergeantReform School Girls as Mr. HorvathHear Me Good as Gaffer Cry Terror! as F.B.I. Agent Charles PopeFräulein as Sgt. GrischaThe Decks Ran Red as Alex ColeThe Buccaneer as HansThe Man Who Understood Women as Mickey The Jayhawkers! as Cattleman Beloved Infidel as Darby Forsythe – Beach Bum The Angry Red Planet as CWO Sam JacobsThe Gazebo as Taxi Driver The Last Voyage as Chief Engineer PringleThe Apartment as Dr. DreyfussThe Bellboy as Jack E. Mulcher, President of Paramount Pictures Studs Lonigan as Charlie the GreekSeven Ways from Sundown as BeekerWhere the Boys Are as Max – Cafe Counterman The Ladies Man as Graduation Emcee ProfessorLover Come Back as Doctor Linus TylerFollow That Dream as CarmineCape Fear as Attorney Dave GraftonConvicts 4 as Resko's FatherMcLintock! as Jake BirnbaumThe Unsinkable Molly Brown as Christmas MorganDear Brigitte as Doctor VolkerHarlow as Louis B. MayerThe Happening as InspectorCaprice as Matthew CutterIstanbul Express as Captain GranicekmHolly Golightly The Million Dollar Duck as Doctor GottliebDeadly Harvest Freebie and the Bean as Red MeyersThe Log of the Black Pearl The Whiz Kid and the Carnival Caper Guardian of the Wilderness as MaddenThe November Plan Satan's Cheerleaders as BillyIncredible Rocky Mountain Race The Time Machine Once Upon a Starry Night Sunburn as GelaCheaters The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Under the Rainbow as LouieLegend of the Wild Money to Burn as PopsDark Mirror Deadly Intentions Penny Ante: The Motion Picture as Isadore PerlmanThe American Clock Hart to Hart: Home Is Where the Hart Is 'Til There Was You as Mr. Katz
Partial television credits
Dragnet – 12 episodes Terry and the Pirates – episode "Macao Gold" as Chopstick JoeCraig Kennedy, Criminologist – "The Big Shakedown" as Jack BrownTreasury Men in Action – "Case of the Swindler's Gold" as MiguelThe Adventures of Jim Bowie – "The Birth of the Blade" as Louis, and "Jackson's Assassination" as FrostGunsmoke – "Spring Term" as JedCrusader – "A Deal in Diamonds" as LeonAdventures of Superman – "Tomb of Zaharan" as First Airport RobberZorro – "The Man with the Whip" and "The Cross of the Andes" as Jose MordanteTrackdown – "The Kid" as Milo YorkThe Rifleman – "One Went to Denver" as Sammy, "The Retired Gun" as Clyde Bailey, "Baranca" as Doc Burrage, "Trail of Hate" as Doc BurrageBat Masterson – "The Inner Circle" as Patch Finley, "The Desert Ship" as Ben TarkoWanted: Dead or Alive – "The Empty Cell" as Hunt Willis, "Railroaded" as Sheriff Pig WellsThe Rough Riders – "Ransom of Rita Renee" as TullyThe D.A.'s Man – "Guns for Hire" as Leo MullerSugarfoot – "The Desperadoes" as Sam BoltThe Detectives – "Twelve Hours to Live" as Fred Hambrough, "Secret Assignment" as JonesyThe Westerner – "Going Home" as RigdonRichard Diamond, Private Detective – "The Lovely Fraud" as Max SchillingDeath Valley Days – "Eagle in the Rocks" as Manuel GarciaBlack Saddle – "The Apprentice" as Ben WinklemanRawhide – "Canliss" as BarkeepI Spy – "Lisa" as Aram KanjarianThe Red Skelton Show – "The Bum Who Came in from the Cold" as Dr. ShnorbaThe John Forsythe Show – "Engagement, Italian Style" as ConstantinoBatman – "Zelda the Great" and "A Death Worse Than Fate" as Eivol EkdalBonanza – "Big Shadow on the Land", "The Deed and the Dilemma" and "The Sound of Drums" as Giorgio RossiI Spy – "The Medarra Block" as IsaacThe Mike Douglas Show as HimselfIronside – "The Macabre Mr. Micawber as McKay, "Memory of an Ice Cream Stick" as BuschDaniel Boone – "Sweet Molly Malone" as HermanHawaii Five-O – "For a Million... Why Not?" as BlumbergEmergency! – "The Wedsworth-Townsend Act" as State Assemblyman Michael WolskiThe Magician – "Ovation for Murder" as Albie AllikolosColumbo – "The Most Dangerous Match " as Tomlin DudekAssignment: Vienna – "So Long, Charlie" as OrloffMcCloud – "Shivaree on Delancy Street" as SelditzThe Rockford Files – "Gearjammers, Part 2" as John KoenigMovin' On – "Living It Up!" as Mr. NashEllery Queen – "The Adventure of the Judas Tree" as Gunther StarrWalt Disney's Wonderful World of Color – "The Whiz Kid and the Carnival Caper: Parts 1 & 2" as Abner DebneyThe Life and Times of Grizzly Adams – Home of the Hawk as Metcalf, "Once Upon a Starry Night" as Frost-bite FoleyBusting Loose – 12 episodes as Sam MarkowitzBarney Miller – "Burial" as Julius WittenourThe Incredible Hulk – "Terror in Times Square" as Norman AbramsTrapper John, M.D. – "Deadly Exposure" as Nicholas BulgariAlice – "Mel, the Magi" as Santa ClausBarney Miller – "The DNA Story" as Rudolph KamenVega$ – "Vendetta" as CarloLittle House on the Prairie – "Gambini the Great" as Rudolpho 'The Great' GambiniTrapper John, M.D. – "Cooperative Care" as Marvin KrakowskyCHiPs – "Home Fires Burning" as Frank HigginsAlice – "Carrie Chickens Out" as Benny ConwayThe Devlin Connection – "Brian and Nick" as Max SalkallNo Soap, Radio – 5 episodes as Skit PerformerHart to Hart – "Hart and Sole" as Harry FultermanBarney Miller – "Examination Day" as Benjamin DiamondMatt Houston – "The Crying Clown" as Jonas Van Poolen, "Company Secrets" as ReelsZorro and Son – "Zorro and Son" as Commandante La BreaThe A-Team – "The Out-of-Towners" as Bernie ShatzmanHill Street Blues – "Fuched Again" as Isadore FagenbaumWebster – 18 episodes as 'Papa' PapadapolisToo Close for Comfort – "Reconcilable Differences" as Dr. Axel SchreiberRemington Steele – "Springtime for Steele" as Buddy BrokawMagnum, P.I. – "Laura" as Doheny's partner and speaker at the retirementFull House – "Greek Week" and "The Last Dance" as Iorgos 'Papouli' KatsopolisMaterial World – 8 episodes as Fred AveryMatlock – "The Nightmare" as Judge Ogilvie/Bus RepairmanMurder, She Wrote – "Tainted Lady" as Dr. John LoganThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – "Home Is Where the Heart Attack Is" as Mr. MelvilleLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman – "Madame Ex" as Captain KeeneEmpty Nest – "What's a Mother to Do?" as Heshy