| Jack Warden | |
|---|---|
Warden (left) as Mike Haines in N.Y.P.D., 1968, |
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| Born | John Warden Lebzelter September 18, 1920 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | July 19, 2006 (aged 85) New York, New York, U.S. |
| Other names | Jack Lebzelter Jack Warden Lebzelter Johnny Costello |
| Years active | 1950–2000 |
| Spouse | Vanda Dupre (1958–2006) |
Jack Warden (September 18, 1920 – July 19, 2006) was an American character actor.
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Warden was born John Warden Lebzelter[1] in Newark, New Jersey,[2] the son of Laura M. (née Costello) and John Warden Lebzelter, who was an engineer and technician.[3] He was of Irish and Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry.[4] Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, he was expelled from high school for fighting and eventually fought as a professional boxer under the name Johnny Costello. He had 13 welterweight bouts but earned little money.[5]
Warden worked as a nightclub bouncer, tugboat deckhand and lifeguard before joining the United States Navy in 1938. He was stationed in China for three years with the Yangtze River Patrol.[5]
In 1941, he joined the United States Merchant Marine but, quickly tiring of the long convoy runs, he switched to the United States Army in 1942 where he served as a paratrooper in the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, with the elite 101st Airborne Division during World War II.
In 1944, on the eve of the D-Day invasion (during which many of his friends died), Staff Sergeant (Lebzelter) Warden shattered his leg by landing in a tree during a night-time practice jump in England. After almost eight months in the hospital (during which time he read a Clifford Odets play and decided to become an actor after the end of the war), he was sent back to the United States. Ironically in That Kind of Woman Warden played a paratrooper from the 101st's rivals: the 82nd Airborne Division.[6][7]
After leaving the military with the rank of master sergeant, he moved to New York City and pursued an acting career on the G.I. Bill. He joined the company of the Dallas Alley Theater and performed on stage for five years. In 1948 he made his television debut on The Philco Television Playhouse and Studio One. He made an uncredited film debut in 1951 in You're in the Navy Now, a movie which also featured the film debuts of Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson.[2]
Warden had his first credited film role in The Man with My Face in 1951, and in 1952 he began a three-year role in the television series Mr. Peepers. After a role as a sympathetic corporal in From Here to Eternity, Warden's breakthrough film role was his performance as Juror No. 7, a salesman who wants a quick decision in a murder case, in 12 Angry Men.
Warden guest starred on many television series over the years, including two 1960 episodes of Barton MacLane's The Outlaws on NBC, The Fugitive, and thereafter on Marilyn Maxwell's Bus Stop on ABC. He received a supporting actor Emmy Award for his performance as Chicago Bears coach George Halas in Brian's Song, and was twice nominated for his starring role in the 1980s comedy series, Crazy Like a Fox.
Warden was nominated for Academy Awards as Best Supporting Actor for his performances in Shampoo and Heaven Can Wait. He also had notable roles in such films as All the President's Men, ...And Justice for All and Being There, Used Cars (in which he played a celebrated dual role in 1980), The Verdict, Problem Child and its sequel, as well as While You Were Sleeping, Guilty as Sin and the Norm Macdonald comedy Dirty Work.[6]
Warden appeared in over one hundred movies, typically playing gruff cops, sports coaches, trusted friends and similar roles, during a career which spanned six decades. His last film was 2000's The Replacements, opposite Gene Hackman and Keanu Reeves.
Warden married French actress Vanda Dupre in 1958 and had one son, Christopher. Although they separated in the 1970s, they never divorced.[8]
After retiring from acting in 2000, Warden suffered from declining health in his last years. On July 19, 2006, he died of heart and kidney failure in a New York hospital at the age of 85.[9]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | The Asphalt Jungle | Bit Role | Uncredited |
| 1951 | The Man with My Face | Walt Davis | |
| 1953 | From Here to Eternity | Corporal Buckley | |
| 1957 | Edge of the City | Charles Malik | Alternative title: A Man Is Ten Feet Tall |
| 1957 | The Bachelor Party | Eddie Watkins, the Bachelor | |
| 1957 | 12 Angry Men | Juror No. 7 | |
| 1958 | Run Silent, Run Deep | Yeoman 1st Class Mueller | |
| 1958 | Darby's Rangers | Master Sergeant Saul Rosen | |
| 1959 | The Sound and the Fury | Ben Compson | |
| 1959 | That Kind of Woman | George Kelly | |
| 1960 | Wake Me When It's Over | Dave "Doc" Farrington | |
| 1962 | Escape from Zahrain | Huston | |
| 1963 | Donovan's Reef | Doctor William Dedham | |
| 1964 | The Thin Red Line | First Sergeant Welsh | |
| 1965 | Blindfold | General Prat | |
| 1968 | Bye Bye Braverman | Barnet Weinstein | |
| 1971 | Summertree | Herb | |
| 1971 | Welcome to the Club | General Strapp | |
| 1973 | The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing | Dawes | |
| 1974 | The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz | Max | |
| 1975 | Shampoo | Lester Carp | First Academy Award nomination |
| 1976 | All the President's Men | Harry M. Rosenfeld | |
| 1977 | The White Buffalo | Charlie Zane | |
| 1977 | Raid on Entebbe | Lt. Gen. Mordechai Gur | |
| 1978 | Death on the Nile | Doctor Ludwig Bessner | |
| 1978 | Heaven Can Wait | Max Corkle | Second Academy Award nomination |
| 1979 | The Champ | Jackie | |
| 1979 | Beyond the Poseidon Adventure | Harold Meredith | |
| 1979 | Being There | President "Bobby" of the United States | |
| 1979 | ...And Justice for All | Judge Francis Rayford | |
| 1980 | Used Cars | Roy L. Fuchs Luke Fuchs |
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| 1981 | The Great Muppet Caper | Mr. Tarkenian, the News Editor | |
| 1981 | Chu Chu and the Philly Flash | The Commander | |
| 1981 | Carbon Copy | Nelson Longhurst | |
| 1981 | So Fine | Jack Fine | |
| 1982 | The Verdict | Mickey Morrissey | |
| 1984 | Crackers | Garvey | |
| 1985 | The Aviator | Moravia | |
| 1986 | The Cosmic Eye | Rocko | Voice |
| 1987 | September | Lloyd | |
| 1988 | The Presidio | Sergeant Major Ross Maclure | |
| 1990 | Everybody Wins | Judge Harry Murdoch | |
| 1990 | Problem Child | "Big" Ben Healy | |
| 1991 | Problem Child 2 | "Big" Ben Healy | |
| 1992 | Passed Away | Jack Scanlan | |
| 1992 | Night and the City | Al Grossman | |
| 1992 | Toys | Old General Zevo | |
| 1993 | Guilty as Sin | Moe | |
| 1994 | Bullets Over Broadway | Julian Marx | |
| 1995 | Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead | Joe Heff | |
| 1995 | Mighty Aphrodite | Tiresias | |
| 1995 | While You Were Sleeping | Saul | |
| 1996 | Ed | Chubb | |
| 1997 | The Island on Bird Street | Boruch | |
| 1998 | Chairman of the Board | Armand McMillan | |
| 1998 | Dirty Work | Pops | |
| 1998 | Bulworth | Eddie Davers | |
| 1999 | A Dog of Flanders | Jehan Daas | |
| 2000 | The Replacements | Edward O'Neil |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Tales of Tomorrow | Steve | 1 episode |
| 1952 | Mr. Peepers | Chicago Cabbie | 1 episode |
| 1953 | The Campbell Playhouse | 1 episode | |
| 1953 | Man Against Crime | Deck Hand | 2 episodes |
| 1954-55 | Kraft Television Theatre | Various roles | 2 episodes |
| 1954-55 | 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 |
| 1956 | Climax! | Lieutenant Ravenna | 1 episode |
| 1958-59 | Playhouse 90 | Various roles | 3 episodes |
| 1959 | Five Fingers | Fitzgerald | "The Moment of Truth" |
| 1959-60 | Bonanza | Mike Wilson | 1 episode (The Paiute War) |
| 1959-60 | The Twilight Zone | James A. Corry Mouth McGarry |
"The Lonely" "The Mighty Casey" |
| 1960 | The Outlaws | 2 episodes | |
| 1961 | Route 66 | Adam Darcy | The Clover Throne |
| 1961 | Checkmate | Farrell | 1 episode |
| 1962 | Naked City | Cornelius Daggett | Face of the Enemy |
| 1962 | Naked City | Steve Lollo | The King of Venus Will Take Care of You |
| 1962 | Naked City | Sam Langen | The Spectre of the Rose Street Gang |
| 1962 | Target: The Corruptors! | Jerry Skala | 2 episodes |
| 1962 | Tales of Wells Fargo | Brad Axton | 1 episode |
| 1962 | Route 66 | Sandor Biro | Feat of Strength |
| 1963 | Route 66 | Major Barbon | Two Strangers and an Old Enemy |
| 1963 | 77 Sunset Strip | Max Eames | 1 episode |
| 1964 | Breaking Point | Carlo Scotti | "No Squares in My Family Circle" |
| 1964 | The Great Adventure | Latham | 1 episode |
| 1964 | Bewitched | Rex Barker | "It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog" |
| 1965 | 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" |
| 1967 | The Invaders | Barney Cahill | 1 episode |
| 1967-69 | N.Y.P.D. | Lieutenant Mike Haines | 49 episodes |
| 1971 | The Face of Fear | Lieutenant George Coy | Television film |
| 1971 | Brian's Song | George Halas | ABC Movie of the Week |
| 1972 | What's a Nice Girl Like You...? | Lieutenant Burton | ABC Movie of the Week |
| 1972 | 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 |
| 1979-80 | 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 |
| 1984-86 | Crazy Like a Fox | Harrison "Harry" Fox, Sr. | 35 episodes |
| 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 |
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film or series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Emmy Award | Won | Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama | Brian's Song |
| 1985 | Nominated | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Crazy Like a Fox | |
| 1986 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Crazy Like a Fox | ||
| 1976 | Academy Award | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Shampoo | |
| 1979 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Heaven Can Wait | ||
| 1976 | BAFTA Award | Best Supporting Actor | Shampoo |
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