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Luther Adler

 
American Theater Guide: Luther Adler
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Adler, Luther (1903–84), actor. The son of Jacob Adler, he was born in New York, where he made his earliest appearance in Yiddish theatre, then acted with the Provincetown Players. His Broadway debut was as Leon Kantor, the young violinist with a self‐sacrificing mother, in Humoresque (1923). His other memorable performances include Sam, the law student, in Street Scene (1929); Don Fernando in Night Over Taos (1932); the vicious, ambitious Sam Ginsburg in Success Story (1932); Julian Vardaman, the radical professor, opposite Katharine Cornell in Alien Corn (1933); Dr. Gordon, the steadfast, middle‐aged physician, in Men in White (1933); and Moe Axelrod, the crippled war veteran, in Awake and Sing! (1935). His most important role may well have been Joe Bonaparte, who abandons a promising career as a violinist to make money as a fighter, in Golden Boy (1937). Many of his later assignments were as replacements to original stars, such as Joseph Schildkraut in Uncle Harry and Zero Mostel in Fiddler on the Roof.

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Actor: Luther Adler
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Home > Library > Entertainment & Arts > Actors
  • Born: 1903 in New York City, New York
  • Died: 1984 12
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '40s-'70s
  • Major Genres: Drama, Crime
  • Career Highlights: M, The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing, The Magic Face
  • First Major Screen Credit: The Loves of Carmen (1948)

Biography

Born in New York City on May 4, 1903, Luther Adler was the product of a well-known Yiddish theatre family. His stage debut came at the age of five when he appeared in Schmendrick. Although primarily a stage actor, Adler's film credits contain character portrayals that are both potent and noteworthy, as evidenced in the 1951 film The Magic Face, where he plays an impersonator who murders Hitler and then takes his place. Here Adler shines in what would otherwise be an average picture. His first movie role came in 1937 with Lancer Spy and continued over the next four decades, with credits in some two dozen films. His sister Stella is well-known as an acting teacher, and his brother Jay starred in occasional films until his death in 1978. Adler was married to Sylvia Sidney from 1938 to 1947. Other memorable films include: D.O.A. (1950); The Desert Fox (1951); The Last Angry Man (1959); Voyage of the Damned (1976). ~ All Movie Guide
Wikipedia: Luther Adler
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Luther Adler

in D.O.A. (1950)
Born Lutha Adler
4 May 1903
New York, New York USA
Died December 8, 1984 (aged 81)
Kutztown, Pennsylvania USA
Spouse(s) Silvia Sidney (1938-1946)
Julia Roche (?-?)

Luther Adler (May 4, 1903 – December 8, 1984) was an American actor best known for his work in theatre, but who also worked in film and television. He also directed plays on Broadway.

Born Lutha Adler in New York, New York, Adler was one of six children born to Russian Jewish actors Sara and Jacob P. Adler. His siblings also worked in theatre; his sister Stella Adler achieved fame as an actress and drama teacher.

Adler made his first acting appearance on Broadway in 1921 and appeared in several productions before joining The Group Theatre in 1931. He played opposite Katharine Cornell in Alien Corn (1933), his sister Stella in Gold Eagle Guy (1934), Awake and Sing! and Paradise Lost (both 1935), and Frances Farmer in Golden Boy (1937). He also appeared in the anti-war musical Johnny Johnson (1936). By the early 1940s he was also directing but his first production They Should Have Stood in Bed closed after only eleven performances in 1942. His next directorial venture, A Flag is Born, ran for 120 performances in 1946 and featured newcomer Marlon Brando in one of the major roles. In 1965, when Zero Mostel left the Broadway cast of Fiddler on the Roof during a contract dispute, Adler took over the role of Tevye. The glowing reviews Adler received may have hastened Mostel's return to the "Fiddler" cast.

From 1937 Adler appeared also in films, though they were never his highest priority. His credits include D.O.A. (1950) M (1951), Voyage of the Damned (1976) and Absence of Malice (1981). He also acted frequently on television, in such series as General Electric Theater, Kraft Television Theater Robert Montgomery Presents, The Twilight Zone, The Untouchables, Ben Casey, 77 Sunset Strip, Mission: Impossible, Hawaii Five-O , The Streets of San Francisco and Naked City.

Adler was married to actress Sylvia Sidney from 1938 until 1947, and father of Sidney's only child, her son Jacob, who predeceased her.

He died in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, and was buried in Mount Carmel Cemetery, Glendale, New York, next to several of his relatives, including his older sister Stella.

Contents

Filmography

As an actor

As himself

  • The Making of 'Absence of Malice (1982) (TV)

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American Theater Guide. The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. Copyright © 2004 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Actor. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Luther Adler".  Read more