Jack Gilford

Jack Gilford, originally Jacob Aaron Gellman, was an American Broadway, film, and television actor celebrated for his unique blend of Yiddish theater, vaudeville, and burlesque styles. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Save the Tiger in 1973. In 1938, Gilford served as the master of ceremonies at Café Society, the first integrated nightclub in downtown New York. He won numerous industry awards and was nominated for several Tony Awards, including for best supporting actor in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum in 1963, and Cabaret in 1966. Gilford's career was derailed during the 1950s due to McCarthyism, but he made a comeback in the 1962 Broadway musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He found further success through roles on Broadway, in film, and on television. **

Gilford met actress and producer Madeline Lee at progressive political meetings during the late 1940s, marrying her in 1949. The couple raised three children together and remained married for 40 years until Gilford's death in 1990. After a year-long battle with stomach cancer, Gilford died at his home in Manhattan at the age of 81. In 2008, the play Finks, based on the Gilfords' experiences with HUAC and the Hollywood blacklist, premiered off-Broadway, epitomizing the legacy of Jack Gilford and his compelling life story.