Jack Carson


John Elmer Carson, known as Jack Carson, was a Canadian-born American film actor. Carson often played the role of comedic friend in films of the 1940s and 1950s, including The Strawberry Blonde with James Cagney and Arsenic and Old Lace with Cary Grant. He appeared in such dramas as Mildred Pierce, A Star Is Born, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He worked for RKO and MGM, but most of his notable work was for Warner Bros.

Early years

Carson was born on October 27, 1910, in Carman, Manitoba, to Elmer and Elsa Carson. He was the younger brother of actor Robert Carson. His father was an executive with an insurance company. In 1914, the family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which he reportedly regarded as his hometown. He attended high school at Hartford School and St. John's Military Academy. At Carleton College he acquired a taste for acting. Carson became a U.S. citizen on June 6, 1949.
Because of his size—6 ft 2 in and 220 lb —Carson's first stage appearance was as Hercules. During a performance, he tripped and took half the set with him. Dave Willock, a college friend, thought it was so funny he persuaded Carson to team with him in a vaudeville act—Willock and Carson—and a new career was born with "a very successful comedy team that played large and small vaudeville theatres everywhere in North America".
After the act with Willock broke up, Carson teamed with dancer Betty Alice Lindy for appearances in theaters on the Orpheum Circuit.

Radio

Radio was another source of employment for the team, starting with a 1938 appearance on the Kraft Music Hall when Bing Crosby hosted the show. In 1942–1943, he was host of The Camel Comedy Caravan, and in the next season he starred in The New Jack Carson Show, which debuted on June 2, 1943. Charles Foster wrote about the show in Once Upon a Time in Paradise: Canadians in the Golden Age of Hollywood: "It broke audience records regularly during the four years it was on the air. Hollywood's biggest stars... lined up to do guest spots on the show."
In 1947–1948, he starred in The Sealtest Village Store.
In 1949, as part of the show, Jack Carson's radio program toured, with Jack Carson, Marion Hutton, and Robert Alda. notably, in Chicago, and supporting John Loves Mary in New York City.

Film career

His success in radio led to the start of a lucrative film career. During the 1930s, as vaudeville declined from increased competition from radio and the movies, Willock and Carson sought work in Hollywood. Carson initially landed bit roles at RKO Radio Pictures in films such as Bringing Up Baby, starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn.
An early standout role for Carson was as a mock-drunk, undercover G-Man opposite Richard Cromwell in Universal Pictures's anti-Nazi action drama titled Enemy Agent. This led to contract-player status with Warner Brothers. While there, he was teamed with Dennis Morgan in a number of popular films known as the "Two Guys" movies, supposedly to compete with Paramount's popular Bing Crosby – Bob Hope Road to … pictures.
Most of his work at Warner Brothers was limited to light comedy work with Morgan, and later Doris Day. He also did work for Columbia Pictures, starring in a slapstick comedy, The Good Humor Man in 1950, co-starring his future wife, Lola Albright.
Critics generally agree that Carson's best work was in Mildred Pierce, where he played the perpetually scheming Wally Fay opposite Joan Crawford in the title role. Also in 1945, he played the role of Harold Pierson, the second husband of Louise Randall, played by Rosalind Russell, in Roughly Speaking. Another role which won accolades for him was as publicist Matt Libby in A Star is Born. One of his later film roles was as Cooper "Gooper" Pollitt in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Television

From 1950 to 1951, Carson was one of four alternating weekly hosts of the comedy-variety show Four Star Revue. The second season was his last with the show, when it was renamed All Star Revue.
Carson had his own variety program, The Jack Carson Show, from 1954 to 1955, and was the announcer on the television version of Strike It Rich.
His TV appearances, extending into the early 1960s, included The Jane Wyman Show in 1955; The Guy Mitchell Show, and The Polly Bergen Show in 1957; Alcoa Theatre and Bonanza in 1959; Thriller in 1960; The Twilight Zone in 1961; and in perhaps his last TV appearance, Alfred Hitchcock Presents on June 5, 1962.
His TV pilot, Kentucky Kid, was under consideration as a potential series for NBC, but was shelved when Carson became ill with stomach cancer. Carson would have played a veterinarian who raises horses and who has an adopted Chinese child. The series was revived by NBC as Kentucky Jones starring Dennis Weaver in the Carson role.

Legacy

On February 8, 1960, Carson received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the television and radio industry. The television star is located at 1560 Vine Street, the radio star at 6361 Hollywood Boulevard.
In 1983, after his death, Carson was inducted into the Wisconsin Performing Artists Hall of Fame along with Dennis Morgan.

Personal life

Carson and Elizabeth Lindy married in 1938 and divorced in 1939. He was married to Kay St. Germain from 1941 to 1950. He and Lola Albright were married from 1952 to 1958. Carson was married from 1961 until his death to Sandra Jolley, former wife of actor Forrest Tucker and daughter of actor I. Stanford Jolley. Carson had a romantic relationship with Doris Day in 1950–51, but she left him for Marty Melcher, who became her third husband.
On August 26, 1962, while rehearsing the play Critic's Choice in Andover, New Jersey, Carson collapsed on stage. An early diagnosis deemed it a stomach disorder, but two months later, stomach cancer was discovered while he was undergoing an unrelated operation. He died in Encino, California, on January 2, 1963, at the age of 52. Dick Powell, whom Carson had known for years, died on the same date, also from cancer. Carson was entombed in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California.
Carson's elder brother, Robert Carson, was also a character actor.

Selected filmography

  • You Only Live Once – Attendant in First Gas Station
  • Too Many Wives – Hodges
  • It Could Happen to You – Truck Driver
  • On Again-Off Again – Cop
  • Reported Missing – Logantown Airport Radioman
  • Music for Madame – Assistant Director
  • Stage Door – Mr. Milbanks
  • Stand-In – Tom Potts
  • A Damsel in Distress – Bit Role
  • High Flyers – Dave Hanlon
  • Quick Money – Coach Woodford
  • She's Got Everything – Ransome
  • Crashing Hollywood – Dickson
  • Everybody's Doing It – Detective Lieutenant
  • Bringing Up Baby – Circus Roustabout
  • Night Spot – Shallen
  • Maid's Night Out – Rollercoaster Ride Attendant
  • Condemned Women – Plainclothes Policeman
  • This Marriage Business – 'Candid' Perry
  • Go Chase Yourself – Warren Miles
  • Law of the Underworld – Johnny
  • Vivacious Lady – Charlie, Waiter Captain
  • The Saint in New York – Red Jenks
  • Having Wonderful Time – Emil Beatty
  • Carefree – Connors
  • Mr. Doodle Kicks Off – Football Player Rochet
  • The Kid from Texas – Stanley Brown
  • Fifth Avenue Girl – Minnesota, a Sailor
  • The Escape – Chet Warren
  • Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – Sweeney Farrell, Newsman
  • Legion of Lost Flyers – Larry Barrigan
  • Destry Rides Again – Jack Tyndall
  • The Honeymoon's Over – Tom Donroy
  • City of Chance – Narration – Prologue
  • Parole Fixer – George Mattison
  • I Take This Woman – Joe
  • Young as You Feel – Norcross
  • Shooting High – Gabby Cross
  • Enemy Agent – Ralph
  • Typhoon – Mate
  • Alias the Deacon – Sullivan
  • Girl in 313 – Police Lieutenant Pat O'Farrell
  • Queen of the Mob – FBI Agent Ross Waring
  • Lucky Partners – Freddie
  • Sandy Gets Her Man – Policeman Tom Garrity
  • Love Thy Neighbor – Policeman
  • Mr. & Mrs. Smith – Chuck Benson
  • The Strawberry Blonde – Hugo Barnstead
  • Love Crazy – Ward Willoughby
  • The Bride Came C.O.D. – Allen Brice
  • Navy Blues – 'Buttons' Johnson
  • Blues in the Night – Leo Powell
  • The Male Animal – Joe Ferguson
  • Larceny, Inc. – Jeff Randolph
  • Wings for the Eagle – Brad Maple
  • Gentleman Jim – Walter Lowrie
  • The Hard Way – Albert Runkel
  • Thank Your Lucky Stars – Himself
  • Princess O'Rourke – Dave Campbell
  • Shine On, Harvest Moon – The Great Georgetti
  • Make Your Own Bed – Jerry Curtis
  • The Doughgirls – Arthur Halstead
  • Arsenic and Old Lace – Officer Patrick O'Hara
  • Hollywood Canteen – Himself
  • Roughly Speaking – Harold C. Pierson
  • Mildred Pierce – Wally Fay
  • One More Tomorrow – Patrick 'Pat' Regan
  • Two Guys from Milwaukee – Buzz Williams
  • The Time, the Place and the Girl – Jeff Howard
  • Love and Learn – Jingles Collins
  • April Showers – Joe Tyme
  • Romance on the High Seas – Peter Virgil
  • Two Guys from Texas – Danny Foster
  • John Loves Mary – Fred Taylor
  • My Dream Is Yours – Doug Blake
  • It's a Great Feeling – Himself
  • The Good Humor Man – Biff Jones
  • Bright Leaf – Chris Malley / Dr. Monaco
  • Mr. Universe – Jeff Clayton
  • The Groom Wore Spurs – Ben Castle
  • Dangerous When Wet – Windy Weebe
  • Red Garters – Jason Carberry
  • A Star Is Born – Matt Libby
  • Phffft – Charlie Nelson
  • Ain't Misbehavin' – Hal North
  • The Bottom of the Bottle – Hal Breckinridge
  • Magnificent Roughnecks – Bix Decker
  • The Tattered Dress – Sheriff Nick Hoak
  • The Tarnished Angels – Jiggs
  • Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – Gooper Pollitt
  • Rally Round the Flag, Boys! – Captain Hoxie
  • The Bramble Bush – Bert Mosley
  • New Comedy Showcase - Johnny Martin
  • The Big Bankroll – Timothy W. 'Big Tim' O'Brien
  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Frankie Fane
  • Sammy the Way Out Seal – Harold Sylvester