John Marley (born Mortimer Marlieb, October 17, 1907 – May 22, 1984) was an American

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

who was known for his role as Phil Cavalleri in ''

Love Story Love Story or A Love Story may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres * Romance (love) ** Romance film ** Romance novel Films * ''Love Story'' (1925 film), German silent film * ''Love Story'' (1942 film), Italian drama film * ''Love ...

'' and as Jack Woltz—the defiant film mogul who awakens to find the severed head of his prized horse in his bed—in '' The Godfather'' (1972). He starred in John Cassavetes' feature '' Faces'' (1968) and appeared in '' The Glitter Dome'' (1984).

Early years

Marley was born in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...

in New York City to Russian-Jewish parents. He dropped out of the

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...

, turning instead to a career in acting.

Career

Military service

Marley served in the United States Army Signal Corps during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

Film and television

Marley was a prolific character actor, appearing in nearly 250 films and television series during a career spanning over forty-five years. Some of the TV series he made an appearance in have included ''

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'', '' Peter Gunn'', '' Johnny Staccato'', '' Bourbon Street Beat'', '' Perry Mason'', '' Rawhide'', '' The Untouchables'', '' Sea Hunt'', '' 77 Sunset Strip'', '' The Lloyd Bridges Show'', '' Dr. Kildare'', '' The Outer Limits'', '' The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'', '' The Twilight Zone'', '' Gunsmoke'', '' The Wild Wild West'', '' Mannix'', '' Bonanza'', '' Ironside'', '' The Name of the Game'', ''

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'', ''

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'', '' McCloud'', '' Kolchak: The Night Stalker'', '' Baretta'', '' Barnaby Jones'', and '' Hawaii Five-0''. He was cast as George Campbell in the 1961 episode "Jerkwater" of the ABC western series, '' The Rebel'', starring Nick Adams. In 1962 he played the role of murderer Matthew Owen in the '' Perry Mason'' episode, "The Case of the Angry Astronaut." He also showed his acting prowess in a supporting but important role of Charlie Rondell in an episode of '' The Virginian'' (1968), "The Crooked Path." Marley also played in two other movies where he attained notoriety. One was the cult movie "The Car," where he played a sheriff of a small town that was victimized by a mysterious black automobile. The second movie was titled "Framed," where he played mob boss Sal Viccarone, who befriended a gambler while they were both in prison. One of Marley's most notable roles, albeit short, was that of film producer Jack Woltz in '' The Godfather''. Marley later spoofed that role in an episode of

SCTV Network ''Second City Television'', commonly shortened to ''SCTV'' and later known as ''SCTV Network'' and ''SCTV Channel'', is a Canadian television sketch comedy show that ran intermittently between 1976 and 1984. It was created as an offshoot from T ...

. He played Max Berns, a film producer who was a caring father figure to Burt Reynolds in the stuntman tribute, '' Hooper''. In the late 70's, he appeared in the third season of the popular television series, '' The Incredible Hulk'' as D.W. Banner, the father of the main character, David Banner, in the "Homecoming" episode.

Stage

Marley's Broadway credits include ''The Investigation'' (1966), ''Sing Till Tomorrow'' (1953), ''The Strong Are Lonely'' (1953), ''Skipper Next to God'' (1947), and ''Johnny Doodle'' (1942). Elsewhere on stage, Marley appeared in the world premiere production of Edna St. Vincent Millay's poetry drama, ''Conversation At Midnight'' in 1961 in Los Angeles, in an ensemble cast which included James Coburn, Jack Albertson and Eduard Franz. The production was directed by Robert Gist and produced by Worley Thorne and Susan Davis. He also directed Little Theater productions in several cities.

Personal life

Marley was twice married. His first wife, the actress Stanja Lowe bore him three children.

Death

In 1984, Marley died at age 76 following open-heart surgery.Obituary '' Variety'', May 30, 1984. He is interred at Cedar Park Cemetery, in

Emerson, New Jersey Emerson is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, a suburb in the New York City metropolitan area. Emerson is the most southern town in an area of the county referred to as the Pascack Valley. As of the 2010 United States Cens ...

Recognition

In 1968, Marley won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

for his work in ''Faces''. In 1970, he was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

as Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in ''

'' but lost to

John Mills Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portray ...

, who won for '' Ryan's Daughter''. He was also nominated for a 1971

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting role in Any Motion Picture for his work in ''Love Story''.

Filmography

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Marley, John 1907 births 1984 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors American people of Russian-Jewish descent Burials at Cedar Park Cemetery (Emerson, New Jersey) City College of New York alumni Male actors from Los Angeles Male actors from New York City People from Harlem Volpi Cup for Best Actor winners