Jay Adler

Jay Adler
Adler, c. 1935
Born(1896-08-04)August 4, 1896
New York City, U.S.
DiedSeptember 24, 1978(1978-09-24) (aged 82)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1933–1976
Parents
Relatives

Jay Adler (August 4, 1896 – September 24, 1978) was an American actor in theater, television, and film.[1][2]

Early life

Born in New York City, he was the eldest son of actors Jacob[3] and Sara Adler, and the brother of five actor siblings,[4] including stage actor Luther and drama coach Stella.[5] The Adlers were a Jewish-American acting dynasty in New York City's Yiddish Theater District and they played a significant role in theater from the late 19th century to the 1950s. Stella Adler became the most influential member of their family.

Career

Adler's Broadway credits included Cafe Crown (1942), Blind Alley (1940, 1935), Prelude (1936), and Man Bites Dog (1933).[4]

In 1934, Adler joined with Harry Thomashefsky and Boris Bernardi to form the Theater Mart Group, "a cooperative group of players and staff connected with the stage", in New York City.[6] Plans called for production of plays like those done by the city's Group Theatre.[6]

During a long acting career of minor character roles, Jay Adler appeared in more than 40 films and 37 television series between 1938 and 1976, accumulating more than 130 total performing credits.

He appeared in The Big Combo (1955), Stanley Kubrick's The Killing (1956) and Jerry Lewis' The Family Jewels (1965).

In 1961, Adler appeared both in the episode "The Lady and the Lawyer" of the television series The Asphalt Jungle and in The Lawbreakers, a theatrical film version of the episode. In 1962, he appeared in the episode "To Climb Steep Hills" of the adventure drama television series Straightaway.

Politics

A lifelong Democrat, he and his siblings, supported Adlai Stevenson during the 1952 presidential election.[7]

Death

Jay Adler died at age 81 in Woodland Hills, California and was buried in the Mount Carmel Cemetery in Glendale, Queens, New York City, New York near to his parents.[8]

Partial filmography

References

  1. ^ Turner Classic Movies
  2. ^ Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 10. ISBN 9781476625997. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Jay Adler Joins 'My Six Convicts'". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. October 17, 1951. p. 18. Retrieved November 11, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ a b "Jay Adler". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on 12 November 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  5. ^ "Jay Adler Performs as Broadway Agent". The Los Angeles Times. California, Los Angeles. December 25, 1956. p. Part IV - 8. Retrieved November 11, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ^ a b "Theater Group Formed". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. New York, Brooklyn. March 15, 1934. p. 27. Retrieved November 11, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ Motion Picture and Television Magazine, November 1952, page 33, Ideal Publishers
  8. ^ Wilson, Scott (19 August 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-4766-2599-7. Retrieved January 17, 2021.