Jay Lawrence (born Jay Storch; April 24, 1924June 18, 1987) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, and the younger brother of stand-up comedian and actor

Larry Storch Lawrence Samuel Storch (January 8, 1923 – July 8, 2022) was an American actor and comedian best known for his comic television roles, including voice-over work for cartoon shows such as Mr. Whoopee on ''Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales'' and hi ...

Early life

Lawrence was born in New York City to Alfred Storch, a realtor, and his wife, Sally (née Kupperman) Storch, a telephone operator. He and his brother Larry attended the same school as comedian and actor

Don Adams Donald James Yarmy (April 13, 1923 – September 25, 2005), known professionally as Don Adams, was an American actor. In his five decades on television, he was best known as Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) in the television situation comedy ''Ge ...

, who remained lifelong friends with him and Storch.

Career

Lawrence first got his start in show business alongside his more famous brother Larry as a stand-up comic in New York City in the 1940 while in his teens. A well in-demand television actor in Hollywood, Lawrence's acting career spanned from 1950 to 1979, and he appeared in dramatic, variety show and sitcom projects such as ''

The Colgate Comedy Hour ''The Colgate Comedy Hour'' was an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show featured many notable comedians and entertainers of the era as guest stars. Many of the scripts of the series ...

'' (1950), the original TV '' Dragnet'' program in 2 appearances in 1955 and 1959, ''

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...

'' (1968), and ''

Mayberry R.F.D. ''Mayberry R.F.D.'' (abbreviation for Rural Free Delivery) is an American television series produced as a spin-off continuation of ''The Andy Griffith Show''. When star Andy Griffith decided to leave his series, most of the supporting character ...

'' (1968). In the early 1960s, he fronted for and performed at a then-popular New York nightclub (The Crystal Room) on East 54th Street in Manhattan.

Film and voice over projects

In addition to his work in television, Lawrence also appeared in nine film projects, also lending his voice to the 1974 adult-themed animated feature-length project ''

The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat ''The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat'' is a 1974 American adult animated anthology black comedy film directed by Robert Taylor as a sequel to Ralph Bakshi's ''Fritz the Cat'' (1972), adapted from the comic strip by Robert Crumb, neither of whom had ...

''. He also appeared as a voice actor on the ABC-TV animated Saturday morning cartoon ''

Hong Kong Phooey ''Hong Kong Phooey'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and originally broadcast on ABC. The original episodes aired from September 7 to December 21, 1974, and then in repeats until 1976. The show wa ...

'' (1976). Also as a film actor, Jay Lawrence performed in movies such as ''The Big Chase'' (1954), in which he portrayed Jim Bellows, ''Train Ride to Hollywood'' (1975), and ''

The Halliday Brand ''The Halliday Brand'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and starring Joseph Cotten. The film's sets were designed by the art director David S. Garber. It was shot partly at the Corriganville Movie Ranch. Plot Clay ...

'' (1957), and a prominent supporting role as Sgt. Bagradian who gave brilliant, dead-on impressions of leading film actors in the critically acclaimed

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holl ...

directed war/German POW prison camp dramedy ''

Stalag 17 ''Stalag 17'' is a 1953 American war film which tells the story of a group of American airmen confined with 40,000 prisoners in a World War II German prisoner of war camp "somewhere on the Danube". Their compound holds 630 Sergeants representi ...

'' (1953). He was alongside actor

William Holden William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film ''Stalag 17'' (1953) ...

, who won an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

for his role for Best Actor in a drama film.

Death

Lawrence died on June 18, 1987, in Los Angeles. He is interred at the Italian Cemetery in

Colma, California Colma (Ohlone for "Springs") is a small incorporated List of municipalities in California, town in San Mateo County, California, on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 1,507 at the 2020 census. The town w ...

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lawrence, Jay 1924 births 1987 deaths American male film actors American male television actors American male voice actors Jewish American comedians Jewish American male actors Jewish American male comedians Male actors from New York City Radio personalities from Cleveland 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American male actors