John McGiver
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| John McGiver | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 5 1913 New York City, New York, United States |
| Died | September 9 1975 (aged 61) West Fulton, New York, United States |
John Irwin McGiver (November 5, 1913, New York City – September 9, 1975, West Fulton, New York) was an American character actor who made more than a hundred appearances in television and motion pictures over a two-decade span from 1955 to 1975.
The owl-faced actor was known for his performances as the religious fanatic Mr. O'Daniel in the film Midnight Cowboy; as the kindly Tiffany's salesman in Breakfast at Tiffany's; and as the ill-fated, but honorable Senator Jordan in the original film version of The Manchurian Candidate. He also appeared on many TV shows, as well as in the first of a popular series of commercials for the American Express charge card ("Do you know me?").
McGiver was born the son of Irish immigrants.[1] He received a B.A. in English from Fordham University in 1938 and master's degrees from Columbia University and Catholic University.[2] He was an English teacher before he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and served in the U.S. Army's 7th Armored Division in Europe during World War II.[3] His stage career also began before the war, when he was an actor-director in New York's Irish Repertory Theater.[4] He continued to teach English and speech at Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx, working occasionally in off-Broadway plays, until 1955, when he became a full time actor.[5]
He lived with his wife Ruth, whom he married in 1947, and ten children in West Fulton, New York until his death due to heart attack in 1975, aged 61.
Contents |
[edit] Partial Filmography
- Love in the Afternoon (1957) with Gary Cooper
- I Married a Woman (1958)
- The Gazebo (1960) with Glenn Ford
- Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) with Audrey Hepburn
- Something's Got to Give (1962; aborted Marilyn Monroe film)
- Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962) with James Stewart
- The Manchurian Candidate (1962) with Laurence Harvey
- Period of Adjustment (1962) with Tony Franciosa
- Who's Got the Action? (1962) with Dean Martin
- Take Her, She's Mine (1963) with James Stewart
- Man's Favorite Sport? (1964)
- A Global Affair (1964) with Bob Hope
- Mr White's Christmas (1965) Episode from The Rogues
- Marriage on the Rocks (1965) with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin
- The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) with Doris Day
- The Spirit Is Willing (1967) with Sid Caesar
- Fitzwilly (1967) with Dick Van Dyke
- Midnight Cowboy (1969) with Jon Voight
- Lawman (1971) with Burt Lancaster
- Mame (1974) with Lucille Ball
- The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) with Don Knotts
[edit] Television series
McGiver was a regular performer on:
- McKeever & the Colonel, 1962–1963
- Many Happy Returns, 1964–1965 (lead role)
- Mr. Terrific, 1967
- The Jimmy Stewart Show, 1971–1972
[edit] Stage
Broadway theatre includes:
- Drink to Me Only, 1958
- A Thurber Carnival, 1960
- The Front Page, 1969–1970
[edit] References
- ^ U.S. Census, Jan. 1, 1920, State of New York, County of New York, enumeration district 681, p. 15A, family 319.
- ^ "John McGiver, Actor, 62, Dies; Did TV, Film Character Roles", New York Times, Sept. 10, 1975, p. 48.
- ^ National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 [database on-line], Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.
- ^ "War Provided Background For C.U. Play", The Washington Post, June 8, 1947, p. L2.
- ^ "John M'Giver — Teacher Who Took a Chance", New York Times, June 1, 1958, p. X9.
[edit] External links
- John McGiver at the Internet Movie Databasede:John McGiver
