Jesse White (actor)


Jesse White was an American actor who was best known for his portrayal as "Ol' Lonely" the repairman in Maytag television commercials from 1967 to 1988.

Life and career

White was born in Buffalo, New York, to Jewish parents, and was raised in Akron, Ohio. He made his first amateur appearance in local stage productions at the age of 14. Though aspiring to be an actor, he worked at many different jobs during the 1930s, including selling beauty supplies and lingerie. After moving to Cleveland, Ohio, White began a career in vaudeville and burlesque, traveling widely before landing a role on Broadway. In 1942, White made his Broadway debut in The Moon Is Down, followed by a successful performance in the role of a sanitarium orderly in the popular play Harvey. He later reprised his role in the 1950 film version and the 1972 television movie.
In 1947, White made his film debut in a small part in Kiss of Death. During the 1950s, he began landing roles on television shows, including appearances in Danny Thomas's Make Room for Daddy and Peter Lawford's Dear Phoebe. In 1954, he landed a semi-regular role as Cagey Calhoun on Private Secretary, starring Ann Sothern. The role led to another semi-regular part as the deceitful Oscar Pudney on CBS's The Ann Sothern Show in 1960. In 1955, he played Colonel Willoughby Oglethorpe on The Lone Ranger.
White guest-starred on Four Star Playhouse and NBC's The Bob Cummings Show. He appeared in roles in The Bad Seed ; Designing Woman, with Lauren Bacall; CBS's Mr. Adams and Eve, with Ida Lupino and Howard Duff; and Marjorie Morningstar, with Natalie Wood and Gene Kelly.
On October 2, 1958, White portrayed the fast-talking, presumably dishonest, used-car salesman San Fernando Harry in the segment "The New Car" of the ABC sitcom The Real McCoys, starring Walter Brennan.
From 1958 to 1965, White made five guest appearances on Perry Mason: as murderer Luke Hickey in "The Case of the Married Moonlighter," as bartender Cecil in "The case of the Melancholy Marksman", as murder victim Burt Renshaw in "The Case of the Polka Dot Pony," as Tony Cerro in "The Case of the Gambling Lady", and as murder victim Max Armstead in "The Case of the Fatal Fortune."
In the 1960s, White appeared on Tightrope, Oh! Those Bells, The Twilight Zone, The Dick Van Dyke Show; The Donna Reed Show; The Andy Griffith Show, The Roaring 20s, Mickey, The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, Green Acres,''The Munsters, The Addams Family, That Girl, and I Dream of Jeannie. In a memorable cameo, he played a frustrated airport tower controller in Stanley Kramer's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. In 1966, he accepted the role of Donelli in The Reluctant Astronaut, playing a curmudgeonly janitorial supervisor. During the summer of 1967, White appeared at Denver's Elitch Theatre in a production of The Odd Couple with Henry Morgan.
An advertising director who saw his performance on the film's release soon cast him in a television advertising campaign for the Maytag Corporation. White played the role of a lonely Maytag repairman, a man with nothing to do as a result of his company's dependable products. The campaign proved wildly successful, and the actor began a long-running and highly paid career as the ever-lonely Maytag repairman.
White continued appearing in both television and films during his many years as the Maytag repairman. His final film role was a small but pivotal role in the 1993 Joe Dante comedy Matinee starring John Goodman, and his last TV role was in "The Cadillac", an episode of Seinfeld in 1996. Seinfeld co-creator/star Jerry Seinfeld, who co-wrote the episode, had been a fan of White since his appearances on The Ann Sothern Show, and described having him on Seinfeld as a boyhood dream come true.
White was one of the voiceover actors for Stan Freberg Presents The United States of America: Volume One The Early Years and, 35 years later, he was featured on The Middle Years of the series. In addition to film and television work, White lent his voice to such cartoons as Jonny Quest and Garfield and Friends''.

Personal life

In 1942, White married Celia Cohn. The couple had two daughters, Carole Ita White and Janet Jonas.

Death

On January 9, 1997, White died from a heart attack following surgery, six days after his 80th birthday. When White was alive his birth year was reported as '1918', thus in his obituaries he is listed as having died at 79. He is interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Film

Stage Door Canteen as Jesse White Kiss of Death as Taxi Driver Gentleman's Agreement as Elevator Starter Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven as Customer Guilty Bystander as MasherHarvey as Marvin WilsonKatie Did It as Jim DillowayBedtime for Bonzo as BabcockFrancis Goes to the Races as Frank DamerCallaway Went Thataway as Georgie MarkhamDeath of a Salesman as StanleyThe Girl in White as Alec, Ambulance DriverMillion Dollar Mermaid as Doc CronnolGunsmoke, aka Roughshod, A Man's Country as ProfessorChamp for a Day as Willie FoltisForever Female as Willie WolfeWitness to Murder as Tubby OtisHell's Half Acre as Eddie VincentNot as a Stranger as Ben CosgroveThe Girl Rush as Ludwig – Pit BossThe Come On as J.J. McGonigleHe Laughed Last as Max LassiterBack from Eternity as Pete BoswickThe Bad Seed as Emory WagesDesigning Woman as Charlie ArnegGod Is My Partner as Louis 'The Lump' LumpkinJohnny Trouble as ParsonsCountry Music Holiday as Sonny MoonMarjorie Morningstar as Lou MichaelsonThe Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond as Leo "Butcher" BremerThe Big Night as WeggThree Blondes in His Life as Ed KellyA Fever in the Blood as Police Sgt. Michael 'Mickey' BeersThe Right Approach as Brian FreerTomboy and the Champ as Windy SkilesOn the Double as Corporal Joseph PraegerSail a Crooked Ship as McDonaldPeriod of Adjustment as Christmas Caroler It's Only Money as Pete FlintThe Yellow Canary as Ed ThornburgIt's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World as Radio tower operator at Rancho ConejoLooking for Love as Tiger ShayA House is Not a Home as RaffertyPajama Party as J. Sinister HulkDear Brigitte as Cliff Argyle – the BookieThe Ghost in the Invisible Bikini as J. Sinister HulkThe Reluctant Astronaut as DonelliThe Spirit Is Willing as Fess DorpleTogetherness as HenryBless the Beasts and the Children as Sid SheckerThe Brothers O'Toole as the MayorLas Vegas Lady as Big JakeReturn to Campus as Sports announcerNashville Girl as C.Y. OrdellWon Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood as Rudy's AgentThe Cat from Outer Space as Earnest ErnieMonster in the Closet as BenMatinee as Mr. Spector

Television

Make Room for Daddy The Loretta Young Show Dear Phoebe as Murray KragonTreasury Men in Action as Ronald TerniLux Video Theatre as SigmundThe Lone Ranger as Col. Willoughby J. OglethorpeJane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theatre as AlTV Reader's Digest Four Star Playhouse as Mr. SimpsonDamon Runyon Theater as Chesty CharlieCavalcade of America Private Secretary as Mickey Calhoun / 'Cagey' Calhoun / Mickey 'Cagey' CalhounClimax! as PhillyThe 20th Century Fox Hour as Doberman / George / George Kirby / Eddie HokeCircus Boy as Spike MarlinMr. Adams and Eve as DirectorThe Bob Cummings Show as H.R. Hap HendersonThe Real McCoys as San Fernando HarryWestinghouse Desilu Playhouse as Bartender / Barney SnyderThe Thin Man as Nitro NoonanThe Donna Reed Show as VanceThe Texan as Sheriff Weeb MartinLux Playhouse as Detective DrakeRichard Diamond, Private Detective as Walt ConlinThe David Niven Show as Paul ReisnerAlcoa Theatre as John BurkeTightrope as Pete Granger / Mike DavisMan with a Camera as Frankie BillingsThe Best of the Post as BennyThe Andy Griffith Show as Fred BooneWestinghouse Playhouse as Fred SanfordThe Ann Sothern Show as Oscar Pudney / SimpsonAngel as MaxThe Dick Van Dyke Show as BillGeneral Electric Theater as Mike / Joe MaskowitzThe Roaring 20s as Boots77 Sunset Strip as Marvin HeywoodCalvin and the Colonel as Sgt. Thomas The Twilight Zone as Harmon Cavender / Repair ManIchabod and Me as Lippy BourkeKing of Diamonds as Sig NorgePete and Gladys as MartinAdventures in Paradise as Frank CrayleCain's Hundred as RudyOh! Those Bells as AnklesNaked City as Harold SlateI'm Dickens, He's Fenster as HersheyBob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre as MarvinThe Jack Benny Program as Steve Burke / Talent Agent Weber / Mr. WeberBen Casey as Mr. BarringerBonanza as EskeyLinus the Lionhearted as Claudius Crow Jonny Quest as Pasha Peddler Mickey as SidThe Addams Family as Sgt. HaleyKraft Suspense Theatre as Emil GlueckThe Munsters as J. R. FinlaterPerry Mason as Max Armstead / Tony Cerro / Burt Renshaw / Cecil / Luke HickeyThe Wild Wild West as Governor LewisPlease Don't Eat the Daisies The Tammy Grimes Show as GusGreen Acres as Charlie / George WilkinsGomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. as Harry Krasna / The OwnerThe Beverly Hillbillies as Mr. Mortimer / H.H.H. JonesRango as GusI Dream of Jeannie as SamAccidental Family as Mr. FentonHawaii Five-O as Nat KellerThat Girl as Eddy Edwards / Hal Grissom / Phil Bender / Clinton HayworthThe Jackie Gleason Show as 'Swifty' Jenkins / Bob CosgroveLand of the Giants as Max ManfredThe Debbie Reynolds Show as Mayor KeiselbachDad, Can I Borrow the Car? Mannix as Sam WestlakeLove, American Style as Bailiff / Pun Jab The Wonderful World of Disney Here's Lucy as HickeyOf Thee I Sing as Matthew Fulton

Commercials

  • Maytag as Ol' Lonely the repairman

Theatre

Sons and Soldiers as The SalesmanMy Dear Public as Gus WagnerMrs. Kimball Presents as J. G. McGuireHelen Goes To Troy as Ajax 1stHarvey as Duane WilsonBorn Yesterday as Harry BrockThe Cradle Will Rock as DickRed Gloves as MarochekKelly as Stickpin Sidney CraneThe Front Page as The MayorHarvey as Duane Wilson