George David Givot (February 18, 1903 – June 7, 1984) was a Russian Empire-born American comedian and actor on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

and in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

, movies, television and radio. He was known for speaking in a comedic fake Greek

dialect The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety of a language that is ...

and was styled the "Greek Ambassador of Good Will". His best known movie role may be as the voice of Tony in the Disney film ''

Lady and the Tramp ''Lady and the Tramp'' is a 1955 American animated musical romance film produced by Walt Disney and released by Buena Vista Film Distribution. The 15th Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and ...

'' (1955).

Early life

Givot stated that he actually did not know who his parents are; he was adopted by a French family when he was three. According to official documents, he was born on 18 February 1903 in Ekaterinoslav (now

Dnipro, Ukraine Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper R ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...

, to Walf Givistinsky - later William Wolf Givot(1875–1955) and Sofya—later Sarah—Givistinsky (née Garber) (1875–1930). According to the 1910 census, the family emigrated to the US in 1906 and settled in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest ...

. They later moved to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, where Givot went to high school and college. His night school journalism instructor became fed up with the class clown and sent him to see the man in charge of the midnight to 3 am broadcasts at a radio station, who hired him.

Paul Ash Paul Robert Ash (February 11, 1891, Germany — July 13, 1958, Manhattan, New York) was a German orchestra leader, composer, vaudeville personality, and recording artist, who emigrated to the United States. He recorded several hit songs: "Rememb' ...

heard Givot perform and gave him his start in vaudeville.

Dialect comedian

Givot was one of the earliest, perhaps ''the'' earliest, of the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

dialect comedians, working in vaudeville, nightclubs, film and radio from the 1920s on. He had learned some Greek working in a Greek candy store in Omaha as a

soda jerk Soda jerk (or soda jerker) is an American term used to refer to a person — typically a young man — who would operate the soda fountain in a drugstore, preparing and serving soda drinks and ice cream sodas. The drinks were made by mixing fl ...

. In 1949, ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' magazine reviewer Bill Smith panned his performance in one East Side venue ("saw him take the prize for dullness"), but praised him for the same routines in "

Billy Rose Billy Rose (born William Samuel Rosenberg; September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. For years both before and after World War II, Billy Rose was a major force in entertainment, with ...

's mauve decade nitery":

Givot's act is made up of tolerable singing and corn. The latter, dressed up with his Greek dialect, takes on a certain kind of freshness. That, plus Givot's appearance and salesmanship, won him yocks upon yocks. ... Givot is a natural with his Greek malaprops and situation gags.

In 1926, 16-year-old student Helen Britt was taken into custody for trying to

blackmail Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...

the vaudeville entertainer, but was released when police were satisfied she was just joking.

Broadway

When

Mae West Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...

wrote the play ''The Constant Sinner'', she wanted to cast African-American

Lorenzo Tucker Lorenzo Tucker (June 27, 1907 – August 19, 1986), known as the "Black Valentino," was an American stage and screen actor who played the romantic lead in the early black films of Oscar Micheaux. Acting career Born in Philadelphia, Tucker st ...

as her character's black lover. This would have been extremely controversial in the segregation-era United States of the 1930s, so she reluctantly agreed to have Givot perform in

blackface Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person. In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...

instead. The producers insisted that Givot remove his wig at the end of every performance to show the audience he was white. ''The Constant Sinner'' ran on Broadway for 64 performances from September to November 1931. George and

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 2 ...

were hired to showcase English

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Br ...

star

Jack Buchanan Walter John Buchanan (2 April 1891 – 20 October 1957) was a Scottish theatre and film actor, singer, dancer, producer and director. He was known for three decades as the embodiment of the debonair man-about-town in the tradition of George G ...

in ''

Pardon My English ''Pardon My English'' is a musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Morrie Ryskind, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. Set in 1933 Dresden, the farcical plot satirizes the Prohibition era. Production history Producers Alex ...

''. When Buchanan was unable to convincingly play half of his double role (the lower-class German thug Golo Schmidt), he was replaced by Givot. Givot and Josephine Huston introduced the Gershwin song "

Isn't It a Pity? "Isn't It a Pity?" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, written for the unsuccessful 1933 musical ''Pardon My English''. It was introduced by George Givot and Josephine Huston. Notable recordings *Victor Arden - Ph ...

" in the 1933 Broadway musical. ''Pardon My English'' was a flop and soon closed. He had much better success as one of the stars of the 1944

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...

musical ''

Mexican Hayride ''Mexican Hayride'' is a 1948 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film is based on Cole Porter's Broadway musical '' Mexican Hayride'' starring Bobby Clark. No songs from the stage musical were used in the film. Plot Joe ...

''. Here he met his future second wife, co-star Dorothy Durkee.

Al Hirschfeld Albert Hirschfeld (June 21, 1903 – January 20, 2003) was an American caricaturist best known for his black and white portraits of celebrities and Broadway stars. Personal life Al Hirschfeld was born in 1903 in a two-story duplex at 1313 Carr ...

drew a caricature of Givot and others in the cast.

Film

Givot appeared in a number of Big V Comedies, comedy shorts produced by Warner Bros. and

Vitaphone Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one ...

in the 1930s. With the 1934 short '' Roast-Beef and Movies'', MGM tried to create its own version of

the Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appeared ...

, with Givot as the

Moe Howard Moses Harry Horwitz (June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975), known professionally as Moe Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He is best known as the leader of The Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television ...

-like leader, and

Curly Howard Jerome Lester Horwitz (; October 22, 1903 – January 18, 1952), known professionally as Curly Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He was best known as a member of the American comedy team the Three Stooges, which also featured his elder ...

—an actual Stooge—in the role normally played by

Larry Fine Louis Feinberg (October 5, 1902 – January 24, 1975), known professionally as Larry Fine, was an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is best known as a member of the comedy act the Three Stooges. Early life Fine was born to a Russian Je ...

. Givot played supporting roles not only in comedies and musicals, but also in dramas, from his debut in '' The Chief'' (1933) to the war movie '' China Gate'' (1957). Givot did star in the 1942 musical ''

Flying with Music ''Flying with Music'' is a 1942 American musical film directed by George Archainbaud and written by Louis S. Kaye and M. Coates Webster. The film stars Marjorie Woodworth, George Givot, William Marshall, Edward Gargan, Jerry Bergen and Norma Va ...

''. As the voice of Tony in the animated Disney film ''

'' (1955), he sang "

Bella Notte "Bella Notte" (Italian for "Beautiful Night") is a song for the 1955 animated motion picture ''Lady and the Tramp'' from Walt Disney Productions. The music is by Sonny Burke and the lyrics are by Peggy Lee. The song was performed in the film by ...

Television

Givot was the original host of the '' Bonnie Maid Versa-Tile Varieties'' television series, which began airing in 1949 at 9 pm on Fridays on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

. The September 10, 1949, ''Billboard'' issue gave him a moderately good review:

The veteran comic handled his emcee chores with the ease of vast experience and moved the standard vaude format along at a bright, brisk pace. His jokes and "Greek ambassador" routine were pretty stale, but his warm, show-wise personality televised well, and he undoubtedly helped imbue the show's talented but largely untried acts with a professional air.

Nonetheless, he was replaced after two months. He also appeared on ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...

'' twice in 1958, on May 11 and July 27.

Radio

Givot had his own radio show at different times. He was one of the panelists on '' Stop Me If You've Heard This One'' when it was revived in 1947. The April 20, 1946, issue of ''Billboard'' referred to him as a "one-time radio biggie".

Personal life

He married actress Maryon Curtis in 1937. According to his

advance man A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a company, a brand, or public figure – especially a celebrity – or for a work such as a book, film, or album. Publicists are public relations specialists who ...

, Givot planned to retire and become a "gentleman farmer ... on his estate in Tarzana, Calif.", but marital problems drained his finances, forcing him to continue working. The couple divorced in 1941. On December 1, 1945, he married Dorothy Durkee. The two had become acquainted when they both starred in the musical ''Mexican Hayride''; in fact, Durkee's character had chased Givot's. According to newspaper

gossip columnist A gossip columnist is someone who writes a gossip column in a newspaper or magazine, especially a gossip magazine. Gossip columns are material written in a light, informal style, which relates the gossip columnist's opinions about the personal l ...

Hedda Hopper Hedda Hopper (born Elda Furry; May 2, 1885February 1, 1966) was an American gossip columnist and actress. At the height of her influence in the 1940s, her readership was 35 million. A strong supporter of the House Un-American Activities Committ ...

, notorious gangster

Bugsy Siegel Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (February 28, 1906 – June 20, 1947) was an American mobster who was a driving force behind the development of the Las Vegas Strip. Siegel was not only influential within the Jewish Mob, but along with his childhood fri ...

was a friend of Givot's and once inadvertently saved his life. Siegel persuaded the comedian to stay an extra day in Chicago; the plane he was going to take crashed, with the loss of 17 lives.

Death

George Givot died of a heart attack on June 7, 1984, in

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by lan ...

. He was interred in California.

Broadway credits

* ''Earl Carroll's Sketch Book'' (1929–1930) * ''The Constant Sinner'' (1931) * ''Americana'' (1932 revival) * ''

'' (1933) * ''

'' (1944–1945) * '' Do Re Mi'' (1960–1962)

Complete filmography

* ''

Nothing Ever Happens "Nothing Ever Happens" is a song by the Scottish rock band Del Amitri. Released as a single on 1 January 1990, it reached #11 in the UK Singles Chart and was the band's biggest hit in the UK; and was also a top-10 hit in Ireland, peaking at #4. I ...

'' (1933 short) - Chef (uncredited) * ''Gobs of Fun'' (1933 short) - Greek Sailor * '' The Chief'' (1933) - Greek Clothing Merchant * ''Howd' Ya Like That?'' (1934 short) - Greek Sailor * ''

Roast Beef and Movies ''Roast-Beef and Movies'' is a short subject starring George Givot, Curly Howard (billed as "Jerry Howard"), Bobby Callahan, and the Albertina Rasch Dancers, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) on February 10, 1934. The music is by Dimitri T ...

'' (1934 short) - Gus Parkyurkarkus * ''Ed Sullivan's Headliners'' (1934 short) - Greek Restaurant Owner * '' Hollywood Party'' (1934) - Liondora, aka Grand Royal Duke * ''

Riffraff Riff Raff, Riffraff, or Riff-Raff, a term for the common people but with negative connotations, may refer to: In music * Riff Raff (rapper), from Texas * Riff Raff (band), a UK progressive rock band * Riff Raff, a band formed by Billy Bragg * ' ...

'' (1936) - Markis * ''

Paddy O'Day ''Paddy O'Day'' is a 1936 American comedy-drama film directed by Lewis Seiler and released by 20th Century Fox. It stars Jane Withers, Pinky Tomlin, and Rita Hayworth (credited as Rita Cansino). The story follows the adventures of a plucky Iri ...

'' (1936) - Mischa Petrovitch * ''The White Hope'' (1936 short) - George * '' Thin Ice'' (1937) - Alex * ''

Step Lively, Jeeves! ''Step Lively, Jeeves!'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Eugene Forde, written by Frank Fenton and Lynn Root, and starring Arthur Treacher as P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves alongside Patricia Ellis, Robert Kent, Alan Dinehart, George Gi ...

'' (1937) - Prince Boris Caminov * '' The Hit Parade'' (1937) - Herman * '' Wake Up and Live'' (1937) - Manager * ''

Conquest Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, ...

'' (1937) - Constant (uncredited) * ''

45 Fathers ''45 Fathers'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by James Tinling, written by Frances Hyland and Albert Ray, and starring Jane Withers, Thomas Beck, Louise Henry, Richard Carle, Nella Walker and Andrew Tombes. It was released on November ...

'' (1937) - Prof. Bellini * ''

Beg, Borrow or Steal ''Beg, Borrow or Steal'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Wilhelm Thiele and written by Leonard Lee, Harry Ruskin and Marion Parsonnet. The film stars Frank Morgan, Florence Rice, John Beal, Janet Beecher, Herman Bing and Erik Rho ...

'' (1937) - Izmanov * ''

Hollywood Cavalcade ''Hollywood Cavalcade'' is a 1939 American film featuring Alice Faye as a young performer making her way in the early days of Hollywood, from slapstick silent pictures through the transition from silent to sound. Production In the wake of Alic ...

'' (1939) - Englishman * '' Young as You Feel'' (1940) - Boris Mousilvitch * '' Fiesta'' (1941) - Fernando Gómez * ''

'' (1942) - Harry Bernard * '' Road to Morocco'' (1942) - Neb Jolla * ''Two Saplings'' (1943 short) * ''

The Leather Burners ''The Leather Burners'' is a 1943 American Western film directed by Joseph Henabery and written by Jo Pagano. The film stars William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Jay Kirby, Victor Jory, George Givot and Ellanora Needles. The film was released on May 28 ...

'' (1943) - Sam Bucktoe * '' Du Barry Was a Lady'' (1943) - Cheezy / Count de Roquefort * '' Behind the Rising Sun'' (1943) - Boris * '' Government Girl'' (1943) - Count Bodinsky (uncredited) * '' The Falcon and the Co-eds'' (1943) - Dr. Anatole Graelich * ''

'' (1947) - Rues * ''

Captain Pirate ''Captain Pirate'' is a 1952 American adventure film directed by Ralph Murphy and starring Louis Hayward. The swashbuckler was based on the 1931 Rafael Sabatini novel '' Captain Blood Returns''. This was the final film directed by Murphy. Plot C ...

'' (1952) - Tomas Velasquez * '' April in Paris'' (1952) - François * ''Lost in a Turkish Bath'' (1953 short) - Bertram Fairweather * ''

Three Sailors and a Girl ''Three Sailors and a Girl'' is a 1953 Technicolor musical film made by Warner Bros. It was directed by Roy Del Ruth and written by Devery Freeman and Roland Kibbee, based on the George S. Kaufman play '' The Butter and Egg Man''. Ray Heindorf w ...

'' (1953) - Emilio Rossi * ''

The Racers ''The Racers'' is a 1955 film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Kirk Douglas and Bella Darvi. The film is based on the book by Hans Ruesch entitled ''The Racer'', based on the life of Rudolf Caracciola.Automobile Quarterly 2005 "In 1953, 2 ...

'' (1955) - Baron (uncredited) * ''

'' (1955) - Tony (voice) * '' Ain't Misbehavin''' (1955) - Greek Boatman * '' The Benny Goodman Story'' (1956) - Jake Primo * ''

Miracle in the Rain ''Miracle in the Rain'' is a United States home front during World War II-themed novella by veteran screenwriter Ben Hecht, published in the April 3, 1943 issue of ''The Saturday Evening Post'' weekly magazine then, within six months, issued in b ...

'' (1956) - Headwaiter * '' The Girl Can't Help It'' (1956) - Lucas (uncredited) * '' China Gate'' (1957) - Cpl. Pigalle

References

External links

* *
Photograph of Givot and unknown woman
in the

Durham Museum The Durham Museum (formerly known as the Durham Western Heritage Museum) is located at 801 South 10th Street in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. The museum is dedicated to preserving and displaying the history of the United States' western region. The ...

photo archive {{DEFAULTSORT:Givot, George 1903 births 1984 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male comedians 20th-century American comedians American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male stage actors American male television actors American male voice actors American radio personalities Vaudeville performers 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers Male actors from Omaha, Nebraska Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States