Veteran Actor Eli Wallach Dies
Eli Wallach, a gravelly voiced character actor who appeared
alongside such giants as Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits, Clint
Eastwood in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Al Pacino in The Godfather: Part
III, died Tuesday, his daughter Katherine told The New York Times. He was 98.
A recognizable screen presence since the 1950s, Wallach had
beginnings that were anything but star-studded. He was born Dec. 7, 1915, and
grew up Jewish in a mostly Italian Brooklyn neighborhood.
His immigrant Polish parents pushed him to become a teacher
– he received his master's in education from the College of the City of New
York – but the acting bug bit him. He studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in
Manhattan, where one of his classmates was Tony Randall.
After two years of Army service during World War II, Wallach
debuted on Broadway in 1945 and won a Tony Award for Tennessee Williams's 1951
The Rose Tattoo. Williams also wrote the script for Wallach's movie debut, the
1956 Baby Doll, costarring Carroll Baker and Karl Malden and directed by Elia
Kazan.
Oddly, Wallach often played Mexican bandits in movies, most
memorably in 1960's The Magnificent Seven, in which his ornery character
threatened Steve McQueen and Yul Brynner.
Wallach also graced TV with various roles, both on dramatic
specials and such series as 77 Sunset Strip and the role of Mr. Freeze on the original Batman series.
Honored with a special Oscar in 2010, Wallach noted in his
acceptance speech, "As an actor I've played more bandits, thieves, warlords,
molesters and Mafiosi than you could shake a stick at." But, he noted, as
a civilian his hobbies included quietly collecting antique clocks and watching
tennis.
He also said that he had recently received a letter from the
Pope, who told Wallach his favorite movie was The Magnificent Seven.
Two years before his Oscar, when he was honored in New York,
one of his costars, Kate Winslet, told the crowd, who included Wallach and his
longtime wife (since 1948), the actress Anne Jackson, "Eli Wallach is my
very own Sexiest Man Alive! The truth is, Annie, if I had been around 60 years
ago, you would have had some tough competition!"
Jackson, 87, survives Wallach, as do their three grown
children: Peter, a film animator, and daughters Roberta and Katherine, both
actors like their parents.
At the 2008 tribute, Winslet also went on to say, "He's
always smiling, always chatting, always concentrating, and always telling
stories. … He could go take after take after take."
And he never seemed to quit. "There were days, I must
confess, when I'd worry about him getting tired. But not Eli," said
Winslet. "I'd say to him, 'Eli, please, would you go home now ... We've
been here for 20 hours and it's nearly midnight and you've done your closeup!'
But he'd look at me, almost offended, and say, 'Oh no … I'm not going home. Not
when I'm playing with you!' "
Filmography
Film
Year Title Role Notes
Ref.
1956 Baby Doll Silva Vacarro
1958 The Lineup Dancer
1960 Seven Thieves
Pancho
1960 The
Magnificent Seven Calvera
1961 The Misfits Guido
1962 Hemingway's
Adventures of a Young Man John
1962 How the West
Was Won Charlie Gant
1963 The Victors Sgt. Craig
1963 Act One Warren Stone
1964 The
Moon-Spinners Stratos
1964 Kisses for My
President Raphael Valdez Jr.
1965 Lord Jim The General
1965 Genghis Khan The Shah of Khwarezm
1966 The Poppy Is
Also a Flower 'Happy' Locarno
1966 How to Steal
a Million Davis Leland
1966 The Good, the
Bad and the Ugly Tuco
1967 The Tiger
Makes Out Ben Harris Also producer
1968 How to Save a
Marriage and Ruin Your Life Harry
Hunter
1968 A Lovely Way
to Die Tennessee Fredericks
1968 Ace High Cacopoulos
1969 The Brain Frankie Scannapieco
1969 Mackenna's
Gold Ben Baker
1970 Zig Zag Mario Gambretti
1970 The
Adventures of Gerard Napoleon
1970 The Angel
Levine Delicatessen Clerk
1970 The People
Next Door Arthur Mason
1971 Romance of a
Horsethief Kifke
1971 Long Live
Your Death Max Lozoya Credited as Ely Wallach
1973 Stateline
Motel Joe
1973 Cinderella
Liberty Lynn Forshay
1974 Crazy Joe Don Vittorio
1975 Shoot
First... Ask Questions Later Sheriff
Edward Gideon a.k.a. Black Jack
1975 L'chaim: to
Life
1975 Eye of the
Cat Cesare
1976 Independence Benjamin Franklin Short film
1976 Plot of Fear Pietro Riccio
1977 The Sentinel Detective Gatz
1977 Nasty Habits Monsignor
1977 The Domino
Principle General Reser
1977 The Deep Adam Coffin
1978 Circle of
Iron Man-in-Oil
1978 Girlfriends Rabbi Gold
1978 Little Italy Gerolamo Giarra Credited as Ely Wallach
1978 Movie Movie Vince Marlow / Pop
1979 Firepower Sal Hyman
1979 Winter Kills Joe Diamond
1979 Guri
1980 The Hunter Ritchie Blumenthal
1981 The
Salamander General
Leporello
1984 Sam's Son Sam Orowitz
1986 Tough Guys Leon B. Little
1987 Nuts Dr. Herbert A. Morrison
1990 The Two Jakes
Cotton Weinberger
1990 The Godfather
Part III Don Altobello
1992 Article 99 Sam Abrams
1992 Mistress George Lieberhof
1992 Night and the
City Peck
1994 Honey Sweet
Love... Don Siro
1995 Elia Kazan: A
Director's Journey Narrator Documentary
1995 Two Much Sheldon
1996 The Associate
Donald Fallon
1996 Larry's Visit
Short film
1998 The Devil's
Twilight Brooklyn Shopkeeper Short film
1999 Uninvited Alan Strasser
2000 Keeping the
Faith Rabbi Ben Lewis
2002 Monday Night
Mayhem
2002 Advice and
Dissent The Rebbe Short film
2003 Mystic River Mr. Loonie - Liquor Store Owner Uncredited
2003 The Root
2004 King of the
Corner Sol Spivak
2004 The Easter
Egg Adventure Narrator Voice
2005 A Taste of
Jupiter Arturo
2005 The Moon and
the Son: An Imagined Conversation Father
Voice; short film
2006 The Hoax Noah Dietrich
2006 The Holiday Arthur Abbott
2006 Pola Negri:
Life is a Dream in Cinema Himself Documentary
2007 Mama's Boy Seymour Warburton
2008 Liszt For
President Joe Nightingale
2008 The Toe
Tactic Maestro
2008 New York, I
Love You Abe Segment: "Joshua Marston"
2009 Tickling Leo Emil Pikler
2010 The Ghost
Writer Old Man
2010 Wall Street:
Money Never Sleeps Julius
Steinhardt
2015 The Train Andre Short film; posthumous release
Television
Year Title Role Notes
Ref.
1949–1955 The
Philco Television Playhouse Nacho
4 episodes
1951 Lights Out Episode:
"Rappaccini's Daughter"
1952 Studio One Peter Hendon 2 episodes
1952 The Web Episode:
"Deadlock"
1956 The Kaiser
Aluminum Hour Cristof Episode: "A Fragile Affair"
1957 The Seven
Lively Arts Ad Francis Episode: "The World of Nick
Adams"
1958 Climax! Albert Anastasia Episode: "Albert Anastasia, His Life &
Death"
1958 Suspicion Episode: "The
Death of Paul Dane"
1958 Westinghouse
Desilu Playhouse Raymond
Perez Episode: "My
Father, The Fool"
1958 Shirley
Temple's Storybook Theater Simon Episode: "The Emperor's New Clothes"
1958 Playhouse 90 Rafael / Poskrebyshev 4 episodes
1959 The Dupont
Show of the Month Sancho
Panza / Cervantes' Manservant Episode:
"I, Don Quixote"
1960 Play of the
Week Johnny Horton Episode: "Lullaby"
1960–1962 Naked
City Georgie / Detective Bane 2 episodes
1962 The Dick
Powell Show Manny Jacobs Episode: "Tomorrow, the Man"
1962 Outlaws Sheriff Ned Devers Episode: "A Bit of Glory"
1967 CBS Playhouse
Douglas Lambert Episode: "Dear Friends"
1967 Batman Mr. Freeze 2 episodes
1971 The Young
Lawyers James Johnson Scott Episode: "Legal Maneuver"
1974 Great
Performances Leo Episode: "Paradise Lost"
1974 Orson Welles
Great Mysteries Fuzzy Episode: "Compliments of the
Season"
1975 Kojak Lee Curtin Episode:
"A Question of Answers"
1977 Seventh
Avenue Gus Farber Mini-series (2 episodes)
1980 The Pride of
Jesse Hallam Sal Galucci
1981 Tales of the
Unexpected Gerry Williams Episode: "Shatterproof"
1985 Christopher
Columbus Father Hernando De Talavera Miniseries
1985–1986 Our
Family Honor Vincent Danzig 13 episodes
1986 American
Playhouse Mr. Prince Episode: "Rocket to the
Moon"
1987 Highway to
Heaven Gene Malloy / Tim Charles 2 episodes
1987 Worlds Beyond
Charles Episode:
"The Black Tomb"
1988 Murder, She
Wrote Salvatore Gambini Episode: "A Very Good Year for
Murder "
1989 Alfred
Hitchcock Presents Yosef
Kandinsky Episode:
"Kandinsky's Vault"
1989 CBS
Schoolbreak Special Ira
Abrams Episode: "A Matter of
Conscience"
1991 L.A. Law Judge Adam Biel Episode: "There Goes the
Judge"
1992 Law &
Order Simon Vilanis Episode: "The Working Stiff"
1993 Tribeca Joe Episode:
"Stepping Back"
2001 100 Center
Street Joe Franlangelo Episode: "Kids: Part
1"
2002 The Education
of Max Bickford Jay Bickford, Max's
Father 3 episodes
2003 Veritas: The
Quest Rabbi Episode: "The Name of God"
2003 Whoopi Norman Episode: "American Woman"
2003 ER Mr. Langston Episode: "A Boy Falling Out of the Sky"
2005 Stroker and
Hoop Narrator Episode: "I Saw Stroker
Killing Santa"
2006 Studio 60 on
the Sunset Strip Eli Weinraub Episode: "The Wrap Party"
2009 Nurse Jackie Bernard Zimberg Episode: "Chicken Soup"
Television films
Year Title Role Notes
Ref.
1957 The Lark Dauphin
1958 The Gift of
the Magi Narrator
1958 Where Is Thy
Brother Dan
1971 The Typists Paul Cunningham
1972 A Cold
Night's Death Frank Enari
1973 Indict and
Convict DeWitt Foster
1976 20 Shades of
Pink
1978 The Pirate Ben Ezra
1980 Fugitive
Family
1981 Skokie Bert Silverman
1982 The Wall Mauritzi Apt
1982 The
Executioner's Song Uncle Vern Damico
1983 Anatomy of an
Illness Dr. William Hitzig
1985 Murder: By
Reason of Insanity Dr. Huffman
1985 Embassy Joe Verga
1986 Something In
Common Norman Voss
1987 The
Impossible Spy Yacov
1990 Vendetta:
Secrets of a Mafia Bride Frank
Latella Aka Bride of Violence
1992 Legacy of
Lies Moses Resnick
1992 Teamster
Boss: The Jackie Presser Story Bill
Presser
1993 Vendetta 2 Frank Latella Aka Bride of Violence 2
1998 Naked City:
Justice with a Bullet Deluca
2000 The Bookfair
Murders Erich Schmidt
2002 Monday Night
Mayhem Leonard Goldenson
Documentaries
Year Title Role Notes
Ref.
1987 Hollywood
Uncensored Himself
1989 Funny Himself
2002 Cinerama Adventure
Himself
2003 Broadway: The
Golden Age Himself
2007 Constantine's
Sword Piero Terracina (voice)
2007 The War Reader Miniseries (1 episode "When Things Get Tough")
2009 The National
Parks: America's Best Idea Reader Miniseries (3 episodes)
2014 The
Roosevelts Reader Miniseries (2 episodes)
Theatre
Year Title Role Venue
1945 Skydrift Crew Chief Broadway; November 1945
1946 King Henry
VIII Cromwell Broadway; November 1946 - February 1947
1946 What Every
Woman Knows Ensemble Broadway; November 1946 - February
1947
1946 Androcles and
the Lion Spintho Broadway; December 1946 - February 1947
1946 This Property
Is Condemned Equity
Library Theatre
1947 Yellow Jack Busch Broadway;
February 1947 - March 1947
1947 Alice in
Wonderland Duck, Two of Spades,
Other voices Broadway; April
1947 - June 1947
1947 Antony and
Cleopatra Diomedes Broadway; November 1947 - March 1948
1948 Mister
Roberts Stefanowski - Replacement February 1948 - January 1951
1950 The Lady from
the Sea Ballested August 1950
1951 The Rose
Tattoo Alvaro Mangiacavallo
February 1951 - October 1951
1953 Camino Real Kilroy March
1953 - May 1953
1953 The Teahouse
of the August Moon Sakini -
Replacement October 1953 - March 1956
1954 Mademoiselle
Colombe Julien January 1954 - February 1954
1956 Major Barbara
Bill Walker October 1956 - May 1957
1958 The Chairs
and The Lesson Old Man January 1958
1958 The Cold Wind
and the Warm Willie December 1958 - March 1959
1961 Rhinoceros Berrenger January 1961 - August 1961
1964 Luv Milt Manville November 1964 - January 1967
1968 Staircase Charles Dyer January 1968 - March 1968
1972 Promenade,
All! Ollie H / Wesley April 1972 - May 1972
1973 The Waltz of
the Toreadors General St. Pé September 1973 - November 1973
1974 Saturday
Sunday Monday Peppino November 1974
1976 The House of
Blue Leaves
1978 The Diary of
Anne Frank Otto Frank
1982 Twice Around
the Park Leon Rose / Gus Frazier November 1982 - February 1983
1984 Nest of the
Wood Grouse Public
Theater
1989 Cafe Crown David Cole Public Theater; February 1989 - March 1989
1992 The Price Gregory Solomon June 1992 - July 1992
1994 The Flowering
Peach Noah March 1994 - April 1994
1996 Visiting Mr.
Green Mr. Green Union Square Theatre; June 1996 - July
1996
2000 Down the
Garden Paths
Radio appearances
Year Program Episode/source Ref.
1953 Best Plays The Rose Tattoo
Wallach read out
Stephen King's novel Insomnia for Hodder & Stoughton Audio.
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