Everett H. Sloane (October 1, 1909 – August 6, 1965) was an American

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

who worked in radio, theatre, films, and television.

Early life

Sloane was born in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

on October 1, 1909, to Nathaniel I. Sloane and Rose (Gerstein) Sloane.Ancestry.com, ''California, Death Index, 1940–1996'' atabase online Provo, Utah. US: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2000. Retrieved December 30, 2014. Aged seven, he played Puck in a production of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

'' at Manhattan's Public School 46, and decided to become an actor. He completed two years at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

, and left in 1927 to join Jasper Deeter's

Hedgerow Theatre Hedgerow Theatre is a theatre company founded in 1923. It is based in Rose Valley, Pennsylvania, United States near Philadelphia. It was "for many years the only true U. S. professional repertory theater." The building is a contributing stru ...

repertory company. He made his New York stage debut in 1928. Sloane took a Wall Street job as a stockbroker's runner, but when his salary was cut in half after the stock market crash of 1929, he began to supplement his income with radio work. He became the sleuth's assistant on WOR's ''Impossible Detective Mysteries'', played the

title character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...

's sidekick, Denny, in '' Bulldog Drummond'' and went on to perform in thousands of radio programs. Sloane married Lillian (Luba) Herman, a stage and radio actress, on January 4, 1933, in Manhattan.

Career

Sloane made his Broadway debut in 1935, playing Rosetti the agent in

George Abbott George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, playwright, screenwriter, film director and producer whose career spanned eight decades. He received numerous honors including six Tony Awards, the ...

's hit comedy, ''Boy Meets Girl''. Sloane was a member of the repertory company that presented the radio news dramatization series ''

The March of Time ''The March of Time'' is an American newsreel series sponsored by Time Inc. and shown in movie theaters from 1935 to 1951. It was based on a radio news series broadcast from 1931 to 1945 that was produced by advertising agency Batten, Barton, ...

''. "It was like a stock company, whose members were the aristocrats of this relatively new profession of radio acting," wrote fellow actor Joseph Julian. At that time Julian had to content himself with being an indistinguishable voice in crowd scenes, envying this "hallowed circle" that included Sloane, Kenny Delmar,

Arlene Francis Arlene Francis (born Arline Francis Kazanjian; October 20, 1907 – May 31, 2001) was an American game show panelist, actress, radio and television talk show host. She is best known for her long-running role as a panelist on the television game ...

, Gary Merrill,

Agnes Moorehead Agnes Robertson Moorehead (December 6, 1900April 30, 1974) was an American actress. In a career spanning five decades, her credits included work in radio, stage, film, and television.Obituary '' Variety'', May 8, 1974, page 286. Moorehead was th ...

Jeanette Nolan Jeanette Nolan (December 30, 1911 – June 5, 1998) was an American actress. Nominated for four Emmy Awards, she had roles in the television series '' The Virginian'' (1962–1971) and '' Dirty Sally'' (1974) and in films such as ''Macbeth'' ...

, Paul Stewart,

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

Richard Widmark Richard Weedt Widmark (December 26, 1914March 24, 2008) was an American film, stage, and television actor and producer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, ''Kiss of Death (1947 film ...

Art Carney Arthur William Matthew Carney (November 4, 1918 – November 9, 2003) was an American actor and comedian. A recipient of an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe Award, and six Primetime Emmy Awards, he was best kn ...

, Ray Collins,

Pedro de Cordoba Pedro de Cordoba (September 28, 1881 – September 16, 1950) was an American actor. Biography De Cordoba was born in New York City to parents who were French and Cuban in origin. He was a classically trained theatre actor who confessed h ...

, Ted de Corsia, Juano Hernandez, Nancy Kelly, John McIntire, Jack Smart, and Dwight Weist. ''The March of Time'' was one of radio's most popular shows. Sloane's radio work led him to be hired by Orson Welles to become part of his Mercury Theatre. Sloane recorded one program with ''

The Mercury Theatre on the Air ''The Mercury Theatre on the Air'' is a radio series of live radio dramas created and hosted by Orson Welles. The weekly hour-long show presented classic literary works performed by Welles's celebrated Mercury Theatre repertory company, with mus ...

'' and became a regular player when the show was picked up by a sponsor and became '' The Campbell Playhouse''. Sloane moved with the rest of the company to Los Angeles to continue recording the show after Welles signed his contract with

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the major film studios, "Big Five" film studios of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's Clas ...

. In 1941, Sloane played Mr. Bernstein in Welles' first movie, ''

Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by, produced by and starring Orson Welles and co-written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz. It was Welles's List of directorial debuts, first feature film. ...

''. After filming had wrapped, Sloane returned to New York to perform (together with fellow ''Kane'' stars Ray Collins and Paul Stewart) in Mercury Theatre's last play, Richard Wright's '' Native Son'', which had 114 performances from March to June 1941. Although he did not appear in Welles's second film, ''

The Magnificent Ambersons ''The Magnificent Ambersons'' is a 1918 novel by Booth Tarkington, the second in his ''Growth'' trilogy after '' The Turmoil'' (1915) and before ''The Midlander'' (1923, retitled ''National Avenue'' in 1927). It won the Pulitzer Prize for fict ...

'', in 1943, he joined fellow Mercury Theatre alumni Welles,

Joseph Cotten Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr. (May 15, 1905 – February 6, 1994) was an American film, stage, radio and television actor. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original stage productions of '' The Philadelphia Story'' (1939) an ...

, Agnes Moorehead, and Ruth Warrick in '' Journey into Fear''. In 1947, Sloane also starred as villainous lawyer Arthur Bannister in '' The Lady from Shanghai'', produced and directed by Welles, who also starred. He played an assassin in

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

-era Italy opposite Welles'

Cesare Borgia Cesare Borgia (13 September 1475 – 12 March 1507) was a Cardinal (Catholic Church)#Cardinal_deacons, cardinal deacon and later an Italians, Italian ''condottieri, condottiero''. He was the illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI of the Aragonese ...

in '' Prince of Foxes'' (1949). Sloane portrayed a doctor for

paraplegic Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek () "half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neura ...

World War II veterans in 1950's '' The Men'' with

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''

(in his film debut). Sloane's

Broadway theater Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), many of the extant or closed Broadway venues use or used the spelling ''Theatr ...

career ended in 1960 with '' From A to Z'', a

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

for which he wrote several songs. In between, he acted in plays such as '' Native Son'' (1941), ''A Bell for Adano'' (1944), and ''

Room Service Room service or in-room dining is a hotel service enabling guests to choose items of food and drink for delivery to their hotel room for consumption. Room service is organized as a subdivision within the food and beverage department of high-end ...

'' (1953), and directed the

melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

''The Dancer'' (1946). In the 1940s, Sloane was a frequent guest star on the radio theater series ''

Inner Sanctum Mystery ''Inner Sanctum Mystery'', also known as ''Inner Sanctum'', is a popular old-time radio program that aired from January 7, 1941, to October 5, 1952. It was created by producer Himan Brown and was based on the imprint (trade name), imprint given t ...

'' and ''

The Shadow The Shadow is a fictional character created by American magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by Gibs ...

'' (as comic relief Shrevie, the cab driver, among other roles), and was in '' The Mysterious Traveler'' episode "Survival of the Fittest" with Kermit Murdock. Sloane co-starred with

Tony Curtis Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor with a career that spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 films, in roles co ...

and

Piper Laurie Piper Laurie (born Rosetta Jacobs; January 22, 1932 – October 14, 2023) was an American actress. She is known for her roles in the films '' The Hustler'' (1961), '' Carrie'' (1976), and '' Children of a Lesser God'' (1986), and the miniseries ...

in Universal's 1951 ''The Prince Who Was a Thief'' as a thief who adopts a baby and raises the child as his own. In 1953, he starred as Captain Frank Kennelly in the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

radio crime drama '' 21st Precinct''. In 1957, he co-starred in the ninth episode of ''Suspicion'' co-starring

Audie Murphy Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor, and songwriter. He was widely celebrated as the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II, and has been described as the most highly decorated enli ...

and

Jack Warden Jack Warden (born John Warden Lebzelter Jr.; September 18, 1920July 19, 2006) was an American actor who worked in film and television. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Shampoo (film), Shampoo'' (1975) and '' ...

. In 1958, he played

Walter Brennan Walter Andrew Brennan (July 25, 1894 – September 21, 1974) was an American actor and singer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for ''Come and Get It (1936 film), Come and Get It'' (1936), ''Kentucky (film), Kentucky'' (19 ...

's role in a remake of '' To Have and Have Not'' called '' The Gun Runners''. Sloane also worked extensively on television. In 1950, for example, he portrayed

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks ...

in '' The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse's ''production "The Life of Vincent Van Gogh". Later, in November 1955, he starred in the ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'' episode "Our Cook's a Treasure". He appeared on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

anthology series An anthology series is a written series, radio, television, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a different ca ...

'' The Joseph Cotten Show,'' also known as ''On Trial'', in the 1956 episode "Law Is for the Lovers", with co-star

Inger Stevens Inger Stevens (born Ingrid Stensland; October 18, 1934 – April 30, 1970) was a Swedish-born American film, stage, and Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe–winning television actress. Early life Inger Stevens was born in Stockholm, Swede ...

. Sloane performed renditions of passages from ''

The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' () is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with Jay Gatsby, a mysterious mi ...

'' on the

program devoted to F. Scott Fitzgerald in August 1955, part of the "Biography in Sound" series on great American authors. Sloane appeared in

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

's ''

Zorro Zorro ( or , Spanish for "fox") is a fictional character created in 1919 by American Pulp magazine, pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo de Los Ángeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashin ...

'' series in 1957–1958 as Andres Felipe Basilio, in the "Man from Spain" episodes. He also appeared in a few episodes of ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

'' and an episode in''

Rawhide Rawhide may refer to: *Rawhide (material), a hide or animal skin that has not been tanned * Whip made from rawhide Entertainment * ''Rawhide'' (1926 film), a Western directed by Richard Thorpe * ''Rawhide'' (1938 film), a Western starring baseball ...

''.

On March 7, 1959, he guest-starred in an episode of NBC's '' Cimarron City'' titled "The Ratman", appearing alongside the show's star, John Smith. Later that same year, Sloane appeared as a guest in "Stage Stop", the premiere episode of John Smith's second NBC Western series, '' Laramie''. He played the vengeful, grieving father Tate Bradley on "Wanted: Dead or Alive" S2 E10 "Reckless" which aired 11/6/1959. In 1961, Sloane appeared in an episode of '' The Asphalt Jungle''. In the early 1960s, he voiced the

of ''

The Dick Tracy Show ''The Dick Tracy Show'' is an American animated television series based on Chester Gould's Dick Tracy, comic strip crime fighter. The series was produced from 1961 to 1962 by United Productions of America, UPA. In the show, Chief of Detectives ...

'' in 130 cartoons. Beginning in 1964, he provided character voices for the animated TV series '' Jonny Quest''. He also starred in the ABC sci-fi television series ''

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' is a 1961 American science fiction disaster film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, and starring Walter Pidgeon and Robert Sterling. The supporting cast includes Peter Lorre, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden ...

'', in the episode "Hot Line". He wrote the unused lyrics to "The Fishin' Hole", the theme song for ''

The Andy Griffith Show ''The Andy Griffith Show '' is an American sitcom television series that was aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color. The series ...

''. Sloane guest-starred on the show in 1962, playing Jubal Foster in the episode "The Keeper of the Flame". He starred in both the film and television versions of

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his Anthology series, anthology television series ''The Twilight Zone (1 ...

's ''

Patterns A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated li ...

'', and in the first season of ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

'' in the episode "The Fever" . He guest starred as a San Francisco attorney in the 1962 '' Perry Mason'' episode "The Case of the Poison Pen Pal". In 1963, he guest-starred on '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'' in the episode "I'm No Henry Walden" as writer Henry Walden. That same year he starred in the episode "Quint's Trail" on the TV Western Series ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'' (S9E7) as Cyrus Neff, a concerned father taking his family to Oregon for a new life after his daughter killed a man for forcibly taking her.

Death

Sloane committed suicide at age 55 on August 6, 1965; he took an overdose of

barbiturate Barbiturates are a class of depressant, depressant drugs that are chemically derived from barbituric acid. They are effective when used medication, medically as anxiolytics, hypnotics, and anticonvulsants, but have physical and psychological a ...

s because he feared he was going blind as a result of

glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can lead to damage of the optic nerve. The optic nerve transmits visual information from the eye to the brain. Glaucoma may cause vision loss if left untreated. It has been called the "silent thief of ...

. Sloane's cremated remains are interred at

Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery is a cemetery, located at 1831 West Washington Boulevard in the West Adams, Los Angeles, West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles, southwest of Downtown Los Angeles, Downtown. History Located in the West Adams, Los Angeles ...

in Los Angeles. Citizen-Kane-Cotten-Welles-Sloane-Sanford

Film & Television

* ''

'' (1941) – Mr. Bernstein * '' Journey into Fear'' (1943) – Kopeikin * '' The Lady from Shanghai'' (1947) – Arthur Bannister * '' Jigsaw'' (1949) – Sam the Milkman (uncredited, cameo appearance) * '' Prince of Foxes'' (1949) – Mario Belli * ''

The Philco Television Playhouse ''The Philco Television Playhouse'' is an American television anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the ...

'' TV Series (1950 season episode "Life of Vincent van Gogh") –

* '' The Men'' (1950) – Dr. Brock * '' The Enforcer'' (1951) – Albert Mendoza * '' Bird of Paradise'' (1951) – The Akua * ''

Sirocco Sirocco ( ) or scirocco is a Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and can reach hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe, especially during the summer season. Names ''Sirocco'' derives from '' šurūq'' (), verbal noun o ...

'' (1951) – General LaSalle * '' The Prince Who Was a Thief'' (1951) – Yussef * '' The Desert Fox'' (1951) – General Wilhelm Burgdorf * '' The Blue Veil'' (1951) – District Attorney * '' The Sellout'' (1952) – Nelson S. Tarsson * '' Way of a Gaucho'' (1952) – Falcon * ''

'' (1955) (Season 1 Episode 8: "Our Cook's A Treasure") – Ralph Montgomery * ''

The Big Knife ''The Big Knife'' is a 1955 American melodrama film directed and produced by Robert Aldrich from a screenplay by James Poe based on the 1949 play by Clifford Odets. The film stars Jack Palance, Ida Lupino, Wendell Corey, Jean Hagen, Rod S ...

'' (1955) – Nat Danziger * ''

'' (1956) – Mr. Ramsey * '' Somebody Up There Likes Me'' (1956) – Irving Cohen * '' Lust for Life'' (1956) – Dr. Gachet * '' Studio One'' (1956) (Season 9 Episode 9: "Rachel") –

Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician, businessman, lawyer, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805 d ...

King, Joe D. (December 10, 1956)
"Looking and Listening; Array of Musicians on Program Tonight"
'' Evening Express''. p. 24. Retrieved February 4, 2025. * ''

'' (1956) (Season 1 Episode 22: "Place Of Shadows") – Father Vincente * '' Massacre at Sand Creek'' (1956, TV Movie) – Colonel John Templeton * '' Marjorie Morningstar'' (1958) – Arnold Morgenstern * '' The Gun Runners'' (1958) – Harvey * ''

'' (1959) (Season 4 Episode 27: "The Waxwork") – Mr. Marriner, the chief sculptor of wax figures * '' Home from the Hill'' (1960) – Albert Halstead * ''

'' (1960 season one episode " The Fever") – Franklin Gibbs * '' Route 66 '' (1960 season one episode "Black November") – Mr. Garth * ''

(TV Series)'' : (1960) (season 1 episode 22 "Blood on the Land") : Jeb Drummond * ''The Million Dollar Incident'' (1961, TV Movie) – Bannister * '' By Love Possessed'' (1961) – Dr. Reggie Shaw * '' Brushfire!'' (1962) – Chevern McCase * ''The Lady and the Stock Exchange'' (1962, documentary short) * ''

'' (1962) - Jubal Foster * '' Perry Mason (1962) - "The Case of the Poison Pen Pal" * '' The Man from the Diners' Club'' (1963) – Mr. Martindale * The Dick Van Dyke Show (1964) - Henry Walden * '' The Patsy'' (1964) – Caryl Fergusson * ''Ready for the People'' (1964, TV Movie) – Paul Boyer * '' The Disorderly Orderly'' (1964) – Mr. Tuffington * ''

'' (1965) (S10E29) Episode 8: "20 Miles From Dodge") – Mr. Follansbee * ''

(TV Series)'' : (1965) (season 6 episode 24 "Right Is the Fourth R") : Colonel Scott * ''Hercules and the Princess of Troy'' (Sept. 1965, TV Movie) – Narrator (released posthumously)

Radio appearances

References

External links

* *
Everett Sloane
at

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcas ...

Sloane on ''The Andy Griffith Show''

Literature on Everett Sloane
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sloane, Everett 1909 births 1965 deaths 1965 suicides 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male radio actors American male stage actors American male television actors American male voice actors American theatre directors Barbiturates-related deaths Burials at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery Drug-related suicides in California Jewish American male actors Male actors from Manhattan RKO Pictures contract players 20th-century American Jews