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.
[edit] Filmography
[edit] As an actor
- Lancer Spy (1937) ... Schratt
- Cornered (1945) ... Marcel Jarnac
- Saigon (1948) ... Lt. Keon
- The Loves of Carmen (1948) ... Dancaire
- Wake of the Red Witch (1948) ... Mayrant Ruysdaal Sidneye
- House of Strangers (1949) ... Joe Monetti
- Under My Skin (1950) ... Louis Bork
- D.O.A. (1950) ... Majak
- Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950) ... Keith 'Cherokee' Mandon
- South Sea Sinner (1950) ... Cognac
- Somerset Maugham TV Theatre (1951) (TV Series)
- Faith Baldwin Romance Theatre (1951) (TV Series)
- M (1951) ... Dan Langley
- The Magic Face (1951) ... Rudi Janus/Adolf Hitler
- The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951) ... Adolf Hitler
- Hoodlum Empire (1952) ... Nick Mansani
- The Tall Texan (1953) ... John Tinnen
- The Mask (1954) (TV Series)
- The Motorola Television Hour (1954) (TV Series) ... General Fox
- The Miami Story (1954) ... Tony Brill
- Center Stage (1954) (TV Series) ... Jubal Banks
- The United States Steel Hour (1954) (TV Series) (1954, 1956) ... Judge Brock (1954), Sidney West (1956)
- Studio One (1954) (TV Series) (1954, 1956) ... Joe Rundle
- General Electric Theater (1954) (TV Series) (1954-1955) ... Warner Johnson
- Kraft Television Theatre (1955) (TV Series)
- Crashout (1955) ... Pete Mendoza
- Robert Montgomery Presents (1955) (TV Series)
- The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955) ... Delphin Delmas
- Crossroads (1955) (TV Series)
- Hot Blood (1956) ... Marco Torino
- Playhouse 90 (1958) (TV Series) (1958-1959) ... Garvin (1958), Molotov (1958), Irving Werner (1959)
- The Last Angry Man (1959) ... Dr. Max Vogel
- A Month in the Country (1959) (TV) ... Ignaty Illyich Shpichelsky
- Play of the Week (1959) (TV Series) ... Ignaty Illyich
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1960) (TV Series) ... Sal Raimondi
- The Twilight Zone (1960) (TV Series) ... Arthur Castle (episode "The Man in the Bottle")
- The Untouchables (1960) (TV Series) (1960-1962) ... Gus Marco (1960), Emile Bouchard (1961), Charlie Zenko (1962)
- Naked City (1960) (TV Series) (1960-1962) ... Sean Wicklow (1960), Willard Manson (1961), Henri Tourelle (1961), Mr. Kovar (1962)
- The Islanders (1961) (TV Series) ... Frank Fellino
- The DuPont Show of the Month (1961) (TV Series)
- Straightaway (1961) (TV Series)
- Target: The Corruptors (1961) (TV Series) (1961-1962) ... Victor Cobalt (1961), Jonathan (1962)
- Ben Casey (1961) (TV Series) (1961, 1963) ... Dr. Michael Waldman (1961), Dr. Bowersox (1963)
- Route 66 (1962) (TV Series) ... Harry Wender
- 77 Sunset Strip (1963) (TV Series) ... Thomas Allen
- The Three Sisters (1966/I) ... Chebutykin
- Cast a Giant Shadow (1966) ... Jacob Zion
- The Sunshine Patriot (1968) (TV) ... Imre Hyneck
- The Brotherhood (1968) ... Dominick Bertolo
- Mission: Impossible (1970) (TV Series) ... Leo Vorka
- The Name of the Game (1970) (TV Series) ... Marc Osborne
- The Psychiatrist: God Bless the Children]] (1970) (TV) ... Dr. Bernard Altman
- The Psychiatrist (1971) (TV Series) ... Dr. Bernard Altman
- Hawaii Five-O (1972) (TV Series) (1972, 1974) ... Dominick Vashon (1972), Charles Ogden (1974)
- Search (1973) (TV Series) ... Vollmar
- Chelsea D.H.O. (1973) (TV) ... Dr. Levine, M.E.
- Hec Ramsey (1973) (TV Series) ... Victor Bordon
- Crazy Joe (1974) ... Falco
- The Streets of San Francisco (1974) (TV Series) ... Victor
- The Man in the Glass Booth (1975) ... Presiding Judge
- Murph the Surf (1975) ... Max 'The Eye'
- Mean Johnny Barrows (1976)
- Voyage of the Damned (1976) ... Prof. Weiler
- Absence of Malice (1981) ... Uncle Santos Malderone
[edit] As himself
[edit] External links
