Jack Whiting (born Albert Draper Whiting, Jr.; June 22, 1901 – February 15, 1961) was an American actor, singer and dancer whose career ran from the early 1920s through the late 1950s, playing leading men or major supporting figures.
He performed in 30+ musicals on
Broadway, including ''
Stepping Stones
Stepping stones or stepstones are sets of stones arranged to form an improvised causeway that allows a pedestrian to cross a natural watercourse such as a river; or a water feature in a garden where water is allowed to flow between stone steps. ...
'' (1923–1924), ''
Hold Everything!
''Hold Everything!'' is a musical comedy with lyrics by Lew Brown and B. G. de Sylva, music by Ray Henderson, and has an accompanying book by John McGowan and B. G. de Sylva.
Produced by Alex A. Aarons and Vinton Freedley, the Broadway producti ...
'' (1928–1929), ''
Take A Chance'' (1932–1933), ''
Hooray for What!'' (1937–1938), ''
Hold On to Your Hats
''Hold On To Your Hats'' is a musical comedy in two acts by Guy Bolton, Matt Brooks, and Eddie Davis, with lyrics by E. Y. Harburg and music by Burton Lane. The show was lavishly Mantle, Burns, Editor, "The Best Plays of 1940-1941", Dodd, Mea ...
'' (1940–1941), ''
Hazel Flagg
''Hazel Flagg'' is a 1953 musical, book by Ben Hecht, based on a story by James H. Street. The lyrics are by Bob Hilliard, and music by Jule Styne. The musical is based on the 1937 screwball comedy film '' Nothing Sacred'', the primary screenwrit ...
'' (1953) and ''
The Golden Apple'' (1954). As a dancer, his talent was likened to
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history.
Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...
's and
Gene Kelly's. He starred in London's
West End
West End most commonly refers to:
* West End of London, an area of central London, England
* West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England
West End may also refer to:
Pl ...
premieres of ''
Anything Goes
''Anything Goes'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap ...
'' (1935–1936) and ''
On Your Toes'' (1937), and recorded medleys from these shows while in England. As a singer, he enjoyed great success with a few hit songs, such as "
You're the Cream in My Coffee" (1928), "
I've Got Five Dollars" (1931), and "Every Street's A Boulevard In Old New York" (1953).
Whiting acted in theatre plays like ''
Aren't We All?'' (1923), ''
Design for Living'' (1943), ''The Overtons'' (1945), and ''A Girl Can Tell'' (1953), and toured nationally with ''
Arsenic and Old Lace'' (1941–1942 with
Erich von Stroheim, 1943 with
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established ...
, and 1944 with
Bela Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in '' ...
), and with the musicals ''
The Red Mill'' (1947), ''
High Button Shoes'' (1948–1949, 1950), and ''
Gay Divorce'' (1950).
Whiting also starred in a handful of films during the 1930s, including the British musical ''
Sailing Along'' (1938) with
Jessie Matthews
Jessie Margaret Matthews (11 March 1907 – 19 August 1981) was an English actress, dancer and singer of the 1920s and 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period.
After a string of hit stage musicals and films in the mid-1930s, Ma ...
, and the American comedy ''
Give Me a Sailor'' (1938) with
Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...
and
Betty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer.
Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reig ...
. He featured in a dozen popular television shows in the 1950s, as his career drew to a close. In 1953, he won the 10th Annual
Donaldson Award for Best Musical Supporting Performance in ''Hazell Flagg'', and came second in 1954, for his role in ''The Golden Apple''.
Early life
Whiting was born on June 22, 1901 in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, where he worked as a
stenographer before going on the vaudeville stage as a young amateur actor with the
Mask and Wig Club at the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universit ...
, and developing a career as a singer and dancer, often portraying a smiling, blond leading man or a major supporting character.
Career
1922–1930: Early Broadway musicals, "You're the Cream in My Coffee"
Whiting’s debut on Broadway was in the 1922 edition of ''
Ziegfeld Follies
The ''Ziegfeld Follies'' was a series of elaborate theatrical revue productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 to 1931, with renewals in 1934 and 1936. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as '' The Ziegfeld Follies of the ...
'', in which he sang "
Flappers" with the Connor Twins (sisters Thelma and Velma) during a dance by
Jimmy Nervo
Jimmy may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy
* ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma
* ''Jimmy'' (2013 f ...
. His career took off and he featured in many musicals where, as stated by Broadway chronicler Thomas Hischak: "he played the all-American boy who gets the all-American girl". In September 1922, he joined the cast of ''
Orange Blossoms'', to play one of the eight "Gentlemen in the case" with whom he sang three songs: "On the Riviera", "Orange Blossoms" and "Let's Not Get Married" (all by
Victor Herbert
Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, cellist and conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and conductor, he is bes ...
and
Buddy DeSylva
George Gard "Buddy" DeSylva (January 27, 1895 – July 11, 1950) was an American songwriter, film producer and record executive. He wrote or co-wrote many popular songs and, along with Johnny Mercer and Glenn Wallichs, he co-founded Capitol Rec ...
). The following April, he appeared as Bruce in ''Cinders'', again in a group of nine gentlemen singing "I'm Simply Mad about the Boys", "You and I", "The Argentine Arago", and "Cinders" (all by
Rudolf Friml and
Edward Clark).
In May 1923, Whiting appeared as Martin Steele with
Leslie Howard
Leslie Howard Steiner (3 April 18931 June 1943) was an English actor, director and producer.Obituary '' Variety'', 9 June 1943. He wrote many stories and articles for ''The New York Times'', ''The New Yorker'', and '' Vanity Fair'' and was one ...
in the Broadway staging of the
drawing room comedy ''
Aren't We All?'', which ran for 32 performances. In November, he played the role of Captain Paul in the musical comedy ''
Stepping Stones
Stepping stones or stepstones are sets of stones arranged to form an improvised causeway that allows a pedestrian to cross a natural watercourse such as a river; or a water feature in a garden where water is allowed to flow between stone steps. ...
'' (1923–1924), and sang "In Love With Love" alongside the other principal characters, plus two more songs with the rest of the Company: "Babbling Babette" and "Rose Potpourri Finale". ''Stepping Stones'' ran for 11 months and 281 performances, ending on October 4, 1924. Exactly one month later, he was playing Alfred Weatherby in ''Annie Dear'' (1924–1925), in which he joined other cast members to sing "The Only Girl" (by
Clifford Grey and
Sigmund Romberg
Sigmund Romberg (July 29, 1887 – November 9, 1951) was a Hungarian-born American composer. He is best known for his musicals and operettas, particularly '' The Student Prince'' (1924), '' The Desert Song'' (1926) and '' The New Moon'' (1928).
...
) and "Help, Help, Help" (by
Clare Kummer), and to dance in "A Comic Fantasy" (also by Kummer). In October and November 1925, he played Larry Patton in ''When You Smile'' and sang "One Little Girl" with the Girls in the cast, as well as "Gee, We Get Along" and "Oh, What a Girl", both with
Wynne Gibson (all songs by Phil Cook and Tom Johnstone). During the latter song, Whiting and Gibson also performed a
dumbshow duet to the orchestra's mock sounds of flute, horn and saxophone in musical conversation.
From March to May 1926, he played Tommy Lansing in ''Rainbow Rose'' and sang "Jealous" with Billy Tichenor and Dancers, "If You Were Someone Else and Someone Else Were Only Here" with Shirley Sherman and Ensemble, and "Let's Get Married" with Billy Tichenor (all songs by Owen Murphy and Harold Levey). In September, he played Billy Shannon in ''The Ramblers'', in which he sang "All Alone Monday" and "You Smiled at Me", both with
Marie Saxon
Marie Saxon (1904 - November 12, 1941) was an American actress in vaudeville and theatre, who briefly appeared in film.
Pauline Marie Landry was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Her family were entertainers; her mother was vaudeville comedienne ...
and Chorus, and reprised "All Alone Monday" with Saxon, Eleanor Dawn, Blaine Cordner and Chorus (all songs by
Bert Kalmar and
Harry Ruby). This show ran for 289 performances, closing on May 28, 1927. He played Robert Bennett in ''Yes, Yes, Yvette'' which opened on October 3, 1927 and closed on November 5, after only 40 performances. He sang "My Lady" (by Ben Jerome and
Frank Crumit) and "How'd You Like To?" (by
Irving Caesar
Irving Caesar (born Isidor Keiser, July 4, 1895 – December 18, 1996) was an American lyricist and theater composer who wrote lyrics for numerous song standards, including " Swanee", "Sometimes I'm Happy", " Crazy Rhythm", and " Tea for T ...
, and music by Stephen Jones), both with
Jeanette MacDonald
Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was an American singer and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier ('' The Love Parade'', '' Love Me Tonight'', '' The Merry Widow'' and '' ...
. Despite the show's short-lived run,
Charles Brackett nonetheless wrote in ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issue ...
'' that Whiting was "certainly the most promising ''jeune premier'' in his department."
In January 1928, he was Bob Martin in ''She’s My Baby'', in which he sang "You're All I Need" with
Irene Dunne
Irene Dunne (born Irene Marie Dunn; December 20, 1898 – September 4, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is best known for her comedic roles, though she performed in films of other genr ...
, "Camera Shoot" with
Beatrice Lillie
Beatrice Gladys Lillie, Lady Peel (29 May 1894 – 20 January 1989), known as Bea Lillie, was a Canadian-born British actress, singer and comedic performer.
She began to perform as a child with her mother and sister. She made her West End debut ...
and
Clifton Webb
Webb Parmelee Hollenbeck (November 19, 1889 – October 13, 1966), known professionally as Clifton Webb, was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He worked extensively and was known for his stage appearances in the plays of Noël Coward, in ...
, "Trio" with Webb and Nick Long Jr., and "Wasn't It Great?" with Long Jr., William McCarthy, Joan Clement,
Pearl Eaton
Pearl Eaton Levant (August 1, 1898 – September 10, 1958) was an American Broadway performer, actress, choreographer, and dance supervisor of the 1910s and 1920s.
Early life and career
Eaton was born in Washington, D.C., and was the daugh ...
, Phyllis Rae and Ensemble (all songs by
Lorenz Hart
Lorenz Milton Hart (May 2, 1895 – November 22, 1943) was an American lyricist and half of the Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. Some of his more famous lyrics include " Blue Moon", " The Lady Is a Tramp", "Manhattan", " Bewitched, ...
and
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most well-known American ...
). This show closed on March 3, after 71 performances. He played "Sonny Jim" Brooks in the highly successful ''
Hold Everything!
''Hold Everything!'' is a musical comedy with lyrics by Lew Brown and B. G. de Sylva, music by Ray Henderson, and has an accompanying book by John McGowan and B. G. de Sylva.
Produced by Alex A. Aarons and Vinton Freedley, the Broadway producti ...
'', which opened on October 10, 1928 and closed nearly a year later, after 409 performances. Whiting sang "Footwork", the highly popular "
You're the Cream in My Coffee" with
Ona Munson, "Too Good To Be True", and "To Know You Is to Love You" with Munson (all songs by
Ray Henderson
Ray Henderson (born Raymond Brost; December 1, 1896 – December 31, 1970) was an American songwriter.
Early life
Born in Buffalo, New York, United States, Henderson moved to New York City and became a popular composer in Tin Pan Alley. He was o ...
,
Lew Brown
Lew Brown (born Louis Brownstein; December 10, 1893 – February 5, 1958) was a lyricist for popular songs in the United States. During World War I and the Roaring Twenties, he wrote lyrics for several of the top Tin Pan Alley composers, espe ...
and Buddy DeSylva). Whiting then immediately joined the cast of ''Heads Up!'', which opened on November 11, 1929 and ran for 144 performances until March 15, 1930. He played the role of Lieutenant Jack Mason, and sang "Why Do You Suppose?" and "It Must be Heaven", both with Barbara Newberry, and "A Ship Without a Sail" (all songs by Hart and Rodgers).
1930–1935: Early films, more Broadway musicals, "I've Got Five Dollars"
In 1930, Whiting turned to acting in three musical comedy films in succession. In June of that year, he joined the cast of ''
College Lovers'', in which he starred in the role of Frank Taylor alongside
Marian Nixon
Marian Nixon (born Marja Nissinen; October 20, 1904 – February 13, 1983) was an American film actress. Sometimes credited as Marion Nixon, she appeared in more than 70 films.
Career
Born in Superior, Wisconsin, to parents of Finnish descent, N ...
. He was Jerry Brooks in ''
Top Speed'' with
Joe E. Brown and
Bernice Claire, and A. J. Smith in ''
The Life of the Party'' with
Winnie Lightner and
Irene Delroy
Josephine Lucille Sanders (July 21, 1900 – June 14, 1985), known by her stage name Irene Delroy, was an American stage actress.
Early years
Born Josephine Lucille Sanders, Delroy was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Sanders of Bloomington, I ...
. The following year, he starred opposite Irene Delroy again, this time in the role of Jack Ames in ''
Men of the Sky'', a spy drama film with songs.
On February 10, 1931, Whiting opened Rodgers and Hart's ''
America's Sweetheart'' in the role of Michael Perry, singing three songs with
Ann Sothern
Ann Sothern (born Harriette Arlene Lake; January 22, 1909 – March 15, 2001) was an American actress who worked on stage, radio, film, and television, in a career that spanned nearly six decades. Sothern began her career in the late 1920 ...
(): "
I've Got Five Dollars", "We'll Be the Same", and "Hello Folks! Goodbye Folks!", as well as "How About It?" with
Inez Courtney. On February 13, Whiting also recorded the first two of these songs for
Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916.
History
From 1916
Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing prod ...
. The ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' said: "Jack Whiting of the blonde hair and baritone voice and Harriette Lake are a personable pair of musical comedy bandmasters. 'I've Got Five Dollars' is far more romantic than it sounds. It is the pet melody of Jack Whiting and H.L. the inevitable love interest." The show closed on June 6, 1931, after 135 performances.
He played three roles in ''
Take A Chance'': Kenneth Raleigh, Ronald in scene "Blackmail", and Daniel Boone in scene "Daniel Boone's Defense". The show opened on November 26, 1932 and closed on July 1, 1933 after 243 performances. He sang "So Do I" and "I Long To Belong To You", both with
June Knight
June Knight (born Margaret Rose Valliquietto; January 22, 1913 – June 16, 1987) was an American theatre and film actress and singer.
Early years
Knight was born in Los Angeles in 1913. Sickly throughout the first years of her life, sh ...
, "Tickled Pink" with the Girls, and "Turn Out the Light" with
Sid Silvers
Sid Silvers (January 16, 1901 in Brooklyn, New York – August 20, 1976 in Brooklyn) was an American actor, comedian, lyricist, and writer.
Silvers began his career in vaudeville in the early 1920s as a comedy partner of Phil Baker. As part of ...
,
Jack Haley
John Joseph Haley Jr. (August 10, 1897 – June 6, 1979) was an American actor, comedian, dancer, radio host, singer and vaudevillian. He was best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and his farmhand counterpart Hickory in the 1939 Metro-G ...
, June Knight and the Girls (all by
Nacio Herb Brown
Ignacio Herbert "Nacio Herb" Brown (February 22, 1896 – September 28, 1964) was an American writer of popular songs, movie scores and Broadway theatre music in the 1920s through the early 1950s. Amongst his most enduring work is the scor ...
,
Richard A. Whiting
Richard Armstrong Whiting (November 12, 1891 – February 19, 1938) was an American composer of popular songs, including the standards "Hooray for Hollywood", "Ain't We Got Fun?" and "On the Good Ship Lollipop". He also wrote lyrics occasiona ...
and Buddy DeSylva),
In December 13, 1934, he featured as himself in
Harry Akst and
Lew Brown
Lew Brown (born Louis Brownstein; December 10, 1893 – February 5, 1958) was a lyricist for popular songs in the United States. During World War I and the Roaring Twenties, he wrote lyrics for several of the top Tin Pan Alley composers, espe ...
's ''
Calling All Stars Calling All Stars may refer to:
* Calling All Stars (1934 musical), a 1934 Broadway musical
* Calling All Stars (1937 musical), a 1937 British musical film
{{disambiguation ...
'', singing three songs with
Mitzi Mayfair
Mitzi Mayfair (born Juanita Emylyn Pique; June 6, 1914 – May 1976) was an American dancer and stage and film actress.
Life and career
Born in Fulton, Kentucky, she grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1936, she told a '' Harvard Crimson ...
: "Thinking Out Loud", "I Don't Want To Be President", and "I'd Like To Dunk You In My Coffee", as well as "If It's Love" with
Ella Logan,
Martha Raye
Martha Raye (born Margy Reed; August 27, 1916 – October 19, 1994), nicknamed The Big Mouth, was an American comic actress and singer who performed in movies, and later on television. She also acted in plays, including Broadway.
She was honored ...
,
Judy Canova, plus Boys and Girls. The show closed on January 12, 1935, after 36 performances.
1935–1937: Musicals in London West End, ''Sailing Along''
In early 1935, Whiting and his wife Beth travelled to London to join her son,
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr., (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best known for starring in such films as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), ''Gunga Din'' (1939) a ...
, for the celebrations of
George V's silver jubilee, which took place on May 6. During their break in England, Whiting was offered the lead role of Billy Crocker in
C. B. Cochran's London production of
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 ...
's ''
Anything Goes
''Anything Goes'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap ...
'', which opened on June 14. He sang "
I Get a Kick Out of You
"I Get a Kick Out of You" is a song by Cole Porter, which was first sung in the 1934 Broadway musical '' Anything Goes'', and then in the 1936 film version. Originally sung by Ethel Merman, it has been covered by dozens of prominent performers, ...
" and "
You're the Top
"You're the Top" is a Cole Porter song from the 1934 musical '' Anything Goes''. It is about a man and a woman who take turns complimenting each other. The best-selling version was Paul Whiteman's Victor single, which made the top five.
It was th ...
" with
Jeanne Aubert, "
All Through the Night" with
Adele Dixon, and "
Anything Goes
''Anything Goes'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap ...
" with the Entire Company. The show closed on January 18, 1936, after 261 performances.
In May 1936, he starred in the London production of ''Rise and Shine'' by Harry Graham &
Desmond Carter and
Robert Stolz, in which he played Jack Harding, with
Binnie Hale as Anne. One of the show's songs was "I'm Building Up to an Awful Letdown", written by Fred Astaire and
Johnny Mercer
John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallich ...
. On May 8, ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ...
'' commented that while the piece had every possible element of a spectacular musical, it lacked "the impact of a unifying and selective personality." The show was considered a flop and closed on June 13, 1936, after 44 performances.
Still in London, the premiere of ''
On Your Toes'' took place on February 5, 1937, and when Whiting joined the others in the company for the traditional first night celebrations at the
Savoy Grill, "he was once again cheered to the rafters". In the lead role of Phil Dolan III, "Junior", he sang the title song, and "
There's a Small Hotel" with
Vera Zorina. The show ran for 123 performances and closed on May 29, 1937. Just over a week earlier, on May 21, Whiting and the cast's other main characters appeared in a viewing of excerpts from the same show, televised by the BBC as part of the British series ''
Theatre Parade''. Whiting, backed by the New Mayfair Orchestra, also recorded two medleys from the show: one comprised "There's a Small Hotel", "
Glad to Be Unhappy
"Glad to Be Unhappy" is a popular song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It was introduced in their 1936 musical ''On Your Toes'', sung by Doris Carson and David Morris, although it was not popular at the time, as there was ...
", "Quiet Night", and a reprise of "There's a Small Hotel"; the other "It's Got to Be Love", "On Your Toes", "The Heart Is Quicker Than the Eye", and "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" from the musical ballet
of the same name. All of Whiting's recording from ''On Your Toes'' are included in the collection ''Jack Whiting & Jessie Matthews'', along with two songs from the 1935 production of ''Anything Goes'': "All Through the Night" sung by Whiting, and "You're the Top" by Whiting and Jeanne Aubert.
Whiting also starred with
Jessie Matthews
Jessie Margaret Matthews (11 March 1907 – 19 August 1981) was an English actress, dancer and singer of the 1920s and 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period.
After a string of hit stage musicals and films in the mid-1930s, Ma ...
in the British film ''
Sailing Along'', shot at
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London.
The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to ...
from August to December 1937. Playing the part of a Broadway star named Dicky Randall, he sang and danced solo to "Souvenir of Love", and with Matthews to "Your Heart Skips a Beat", two songs written by
Arthur Johnston and
Maurice Sigler
Maurice Sigler (November 30, 1901 – February 6, 1961) was an American banjoist and songwriter.
Sigler was born in New York City but moved to Birmingham, Alabama at an early age, and received his musical tuition there. In the 1920s, Sigle ...
. The contemporary ''
Monthly Film Bulletin
''The Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991, when it merged with ''Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with a ...
'' stated that "Matthews sings adequately and dances superbly, but Whiting matches her in dancing ability and outshines her in singing and acting". For the final big dance number—"My River", which lasted seven minutes on screen—the camera followed Whiting and Matthews for nearly a mile, and the set was so large that it had to be built across two studios. Including rehearsals, the pair danced an estimated twenty miles to complete that single scene. The film opened at the
Gaumont Haymarket
The Odeon Haymarket was a cinema on Haymarket, London. Three cinemas occupied the site between 1925 and 1996, predecessors being Capitol Cinema (1925–1936) and Gaumont Haymarket (1937–1959). It became the Odeon Haymarket in 1962, before closin ...
on April 17, 1938, and was generally released on August 29, 1938.
1937–1944: Return to Broadway, ''Give Me a Sailor'', national tours
Whiting resumed working in the US in late 1937 and joined
Yip Harburg
Edgar Yipsel Harburg (born Isidore Hochberg; April 8, 1896 – March 5, 1981) was an American popular song lyricist and librettist who worked with many well-known composers. He wrote the lyrics to the standards "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" ( ...
and
Harold Arlen
Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck; February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film ...
's ''
Hooray for What!'', which ran from December 1, 1937 until May 21, 1938, for a very successful 200 performances. In the role of Breezy Cunningham, he sang five songs with
June Clyde: "God's Country" (plus dancers), "I've Got Romantic on You", "Napoleon's a Pastry", "
Down With Love" (plus
Vivian Vance and Ensemble), and "In the Shade of the New Apple Tree" (plus
Ralph Blane
Ralph Blane (July 26, 1914 – November 13, 1995) was an American composer, lyricist, and performer.
Life and career
Blane was born Ralph Uriah Hunsecker in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. He attended Tulsa Central High School. He studied singing with ...
,
Hugh Martin
Hugh Martin (August 11, 1914 – March 11, 2011) was an American musical theater and film composer, arranger, vocal coach, and playwright. He was best known for his score for the 1944 MGM musical '' Meet Me in St. Louis'', in which Judy Ga ...
, and dancers). During the opening night in New York, Whiting became ill with a cold and a temperature of 102 degrees, and was replaced by
Roy Roberts
Roy Roberts (born Roy Barnes Jones, March 19, 1906 – May 28, 1975) was an American character actor. Over his more than 40-year career, he appeared in more than nine hundred productions on stage and screen.
Life and career
Born in Tamp ...
. From mid-April until early June 1938, Whiting also joined the cast of ''
Give Me a Sailor'', a
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...
directed by
Elliott Nugent
Elliott Nugent (September 20, 1896 – August 9, 1980) was an American actor, playwright, writer, and film director.
Biography
Nugent was born in Dover, Ohio, the son of actor J.C. Nugent. He successfully made the transition from silent film ...
in which he starred alongside
Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...
,
Martha Raye
Martha Raye (born Margy Reed; August 27, 1916 – October 19, 1994), nicknamed The Big Mouth, was an American comic actress and singer who performed in movies, and later on television. She also acted in plays, including Broadway.
She was honored ...
and
Betty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer.
Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reig ...
.
On November 17, 1939, he returned to Broadway to play Johnny Graham in
Jerome Kern
Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...
and
Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in the musical theater for almost 40 years. He won eight ...
's ''
Very Warm for May'', singing "Heaven In My Arms" with
Frances Mercer and
Hollace Shaw (also with dancers), "Scottische Scena" with
Grace McDonald, and "All In Fun" with Mercer. The show closed on January 6, 1940, after 59 performances. On June 4, 1940, he joined ''Walk With Music'' in the role of Wing D'Hautville and sang "Even If I Say It Myself" with Alice Dudley and Kenneth Stock, "Walk with Music" with
Kitty Carlisle and Ensemble, "Break It Up, Cinderella" with
Mitzi Green and Ensemble, "Smile for the Press" and "Friends of the Family" with Carlisle and
Art Jarrett, "Today I Am a Glamour Girl" with Carlisle, Green, Jarrett,
Betty Lawford and Marty May (all songs by
Johnny Mercer
John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallich ...
and
Hoagy Carmichael
Hoagland Howard Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s, and was among the firs ...
). The show closed on July 20, 1940 after 55 performances. On September 11, 1940, Whiting played the role of Pete in ''
Hold On to Your Hats
''Hold On To Your Hats'' is a musical comedy in two acts by Guy Bolton, Matt Brooks, and Eddie Davis, with lyrics by E. Y. Harburg and music by Burton Lane. The show was lavishly Mantle, Burns, Editor, "The Best Plays of 1940-1941", Dodd, Mea ...
'' and sang two songs with Eunice Healey and others: "The World Is in My Arms" and "Don't Let It Get You Down" (all songs by
E. Y. Harburg and
Burton Lane). It ran for 158 performances and closed on February 1, 1941.
Later in 1941, Whiting joined the 1941–1942 national roadshow of the play ''
Arsenic and Old Lace'', which travelled to 57 cities in about 18 months. He shared the role of Mortimer Brewster with
Clinton Sundberg
Clinton Charles Sundberg (December 7, 1903 (some sources say 1906) – December 14, 1987) was an American character actor in film and stage.
Early years
Sundberg was born in Appleton, Minnesota. He graduated from Hamline University in St. Pau ...
alongside
Erich von Stroheim's Jonathan Brewster. On October 14, 1942, he returned to a musical theatre role by playing Damon Dillingham in ''
Beat the Band'', which ran for 67 performances and closed on December 12, 1942. In this, he performed two songs with Susan Miller: "Keep It Casual" and "Let's Comb Beaches", as well as "Proud of You", "America Loves a Band", "Steam Is on the Beam", "Every Other Heartbeat", and "The Four Freedoms—Calypso" (all songs by
George Marion Jr. and
Johnny Green). On July 6, 1943, he joined Kitty Carlisle and Philip Huston for eight performances of
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combina ...
's comedy play ''
Design for Living'' at the
Hanna Theatre in
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
, where "critics and public alike cheered the superb performance of Coward's entertaining work". On September 17–18, 1943, Whiting was again playing his role of Mortimer Brewster—at the Playhouse in
Wilmington, DE—as part of another tour of ''Arsenic and Old Lace'', with
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established ...
as Jonathan Brewster. In January 1944, he joined yet another tour of the same play throughout the Midwest and East Coast, this time with
Bela Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in '' ...
as Jonathan Brewster, for a run of 80 performances that lasted until June 1944.
1945–1958: Post-war years on Broadway, national tours, television
On February 6, 1945, Whiting played Jack Overton in ''The Overtons'', a non-musical play which ran until July 7, for a total of 175 performances across three New York theatres. The following year, he played Con Kidder in replacement of
Michael O'Shea in ''
The Red Mill'' (1945–1947) at least once on February 18, 1946, for an unknown period. After the Broadway run ended on January 4, 1947, Whiting reprised the role full-time during the play's national tour in 1947. In that role, he sang "Whistle It", "(Always) Go While the Goin' Is Good", "Good-a-bye, John", and "
The Streets of New York (In Old New York)". He then embarked on another national tour by joining ''
High Button Shoes'' (1948–1949), which opened in Boston (April 14, 1948), and ran for at least 16 shows throughout the Midwest and Great Plains, including Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, Los Angeles (August 15, 1949), and closing in Kansas City (December 31, 1949), although the show ran again for two weeks the following year (from June 12 through June 25, 1950) at the
State Fair Auditorium in
Dallas, TX
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County wi ...
. Playing the leading role of Henry "Papa" Longstreet, he sang "Get Away for a Day in the Country" with Andy Sanders as Stevie Longstreet, "Papa, Won't You Dance with Me?" and "I Still Get Jealous" with
Audrey Meadows as Sara Longstreet, and "He Tried to Make a Dollar" with the entire company.
After the 1950 rerun of ''High Button Shoes'', Whiting joined
Herbert Kenwith
Herbert Kenwith (July 14, 1917 – January 30, 2008) was an American television writer, director and producer.
Born in New Jersey. He directed several dozen episodes of many American television series, working often with Norman Lear. They includ ...
's fourth summer season, playing the lead role of Guy Holden in
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 ...
and
Dwight Taylor's musical play ''
Gay Divorce''—advertised under the title of the 1934 film, ''The Gay Divorcee''. The musical ran for four weeks, opening on July 17 in
East Hampton, NY
The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York. At the time of the 2020 United States census, it had a tot ...
, and closing on August 19 in
Stockbridge, MA, after 28 performances; other cast members included
Carol Stone and
Lenore Lonergan
Lenore Lonergan (June 2, 1928 in Toledo, Ohio – August 31, 1987) was a stage and film actress during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.
Biography
She came from a long line of actors; her paternal grandfather, Lester Lonergan, was an Irish-b ...
. The following year, Whiting played the role of Benjamin Tauber in ''Springtime Folly'', a non-musical comedy play in three acts which ran for less than two weeks at the end of February 1951. He returned to the musical stage in May 1952, playing three roles (The Chief Justice, Guide, and Senator from Massachusetts) in George and Ira Gershwin's ''
Of Thee I Sing'', which opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre and ran for 72 performances until July 5. Whiting sang "(Entrance of) The Supreme Court Justices" with Male Ensemble, and "The (Senatorial) Roll Call" with
Paul Hartman,
Donald Foster,
Howard Freeman, Mort Marshall and Male Ensemble. This 1952 revival was recorded by
Capitol
A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity.
Specific capitols include:
* United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
* Numerou ...
(LP S-350).
In 1953, Whiting played the Mayor of New York in the very successful ''
Hazel Flagg
''Hazel Flagg'' is a 1953 musical, book by Ben Hecht, based on a story by James H. Street. The lyrics are by Bob Hilliard, and music by Jule Styne. The musical is based on the 1937 screwball comedy film '' Nothing Sacred'', the primary screenwrit ...
'', which opened on February 11 and ran for 190 performances before closing on September 19. He sang
Jule Styne
Jule Styne (; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer best known for a series of Broadway musicals, including several famous frequently-revived shows that also became ...
and
Bob Hilliard
Bob Hilliard (born Hilliard Goldsmith; January 28, 1918 – February 1, 1971) was an American lyricist. He wrote the words for the songs: " Alice in Wonderland", "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning", " Any Day Now", " Dear Hearts and Gent ...
's "Every Street's A Boulevard In Old New York" to great critical acclaim, and Robert Coleman in the ''
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its masthead was simply ''The Mirror''. It had an average daily print ci ...
'' wrote that "Jack Whiting had the audience blistering their palms" for encores of that song. Shortly after the opening, his name was placed above the title. He also sang "Everybody Loves to Take a Bow" with
Benay Venuta
Benay Venuta (born Benvenuta Rose Crooke, January 27, 1910 – September 1, 1995) was an American actress, singer and dancer.
Early life
Born in San Francisco, Venuta was a graduate of Hollywood High School. She attended finishing school in G ...
. On June 20, Whiting won the 10th Annual
Donaldson Award for Best Musical Supporting Performance in ''Hazell Flagg''. The cast recording was released by
RCA Victor
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Ar ...
(LP # 1010). On October 29, he was J. G. in ''A Girl Can Tell'', a comedy play in three acts which ran for 60 performances, until December 19.
The following year, he played the role of Hector Charybdis, Mayor of Rhododendron and one of "The Heroes" in ''
The Golden Apple'', a light-hearted adaptation of Homer's ''
Iliad
The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Odys ...
'' and ''
Odyssey
The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major Ancient Greek literature, ancient Greek Epic poetry, epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by moder ...
'' transposed to the United States during the first decade of the twentieth-century. It opened on April 20, 1954 and ran until August 7, for a total of 125 performances. Whiting sang "Hector's Song", four songs with The Heroes: "The Heroes Come Home", "It Was a Good Adventure", "Helen Is Always Willing" and "The Church Social"; "The Departure for Rhododendron" with The Company; "The Taking of Rhododendron" with
Stephen Douglass (Ulysses) and Jonathan Lucas (Paris); and "Scylla and Charybdis" with Dean Michener (who played both Menelaus and Scylla).
Brooks Atkinson
Justin Brooks Atkinson (November 28, 1894 – January 14, 1984) was an American theatre critic. He worked for ''The New York Times'' from 1922 to 1960. In his obituary, the ''Times'' called him "the theater's most influential reviewer of his ...
in the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' quipped that "Jack Whiting was now probably destined to play mayors for the remainder of his career", since he had "stopped the show" as New York's mayor in ''Hazell Flagg''. RCA Victor recorded a single LP of the show's musical highlights, released on LP #1014.
In 1956, he played the role of Jack in the musical ''Strip For Action'', which opened on March 17 at the
Shubert Theatre (New Haven, CT) and ran there for an unknown duration before relocating to the
Shubert Theatre (Philadelphia, PA) on March 27 until April 7, and then moved on to the
Nixon Theatre (Philadelphia, PA) on April 9, where it closed on April 14. He sang "Dame Crazy" with Yvonne Adair, "I Just Want to Be a Song and Dance Man", and "Good Old Days of Burlesque" with Adair,
Danny Dayton
Danny Dayton (born Daniel David Segall, November 20, 1923 – February 6, 1999) was an American actor and television director. Beginning in the 1950s, he played many roles in film and on TV. He had a recurring role as Hank Pivnik on '' Al ...
, Jessica James and Lilly Christine.
Whiting's final New York stage appearance was as agent Charlie Davenport at the
New York City Center
New York City Center (previously known as the Mecca Temple, City Center of Music and Drama,. The name "City Center for Music and Drama Inc." is the organizational parent of the New York City Ballet and, until 2011, the New York City Opera. and ...
's 1958 revival of ''
Annie Get Your Gun'', in which he opened Act I singing "Colonel Buffalo Bill" with Ensemble, and "
There's No Business Like Show Business" with
James Rennie,
David Atkinson and
Betty Jane Watson. The show ran for only 15 performances from February 19 to March 2.
On television, Whiting secured minor roles in drama series such as the ''
Armstrong Circle Theatre
''Armstrong Circle Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series which ran from June 6, 1950, to June 25, 1957, on NBC, and from October 2, 1957, to August 28, 1963, on CBS. It alternated weekly with '' The U.S. Steel Hour''. It f ...
'' (1952 and 1954), ''
Studio One Studio One or Studio 1 may refer to:
* Studio One (software), digital audio workstation software, developed by PreSonus
* ''Studio One'' (American TV series), a 1948–1958 American television anthology series
* ''Studio One'' (Emirati TV progra ...
'' (1955), ''
Star Stage'' (1955), and ''
The Alcoa Hour
''The Alcoa Hour'' is an American anthology television series that was aired live on NBC from 1955 to 1957. The series was sponsored by Alcoa.
Overview
Like the '' Philco Television Playhouse'' and ''Goodyear Television Playhouse'' that had p ...
'' (1955), as well as ''
The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial'' and ''
The Marge And Gower Champion Show'' (both 1957). He also performed in ''Paris in the Springtime'' (1956), a live telecast produced by
Max Liebman and starring
Dan Dailey,
Gale Sherwood and
Helen Gallagher, in which he reprised "Down With Love" from ''Hooray for What!''
Personal life
In early 1929, Anna Beth Fairbanks ( Sully;
Douglas Fairbanks
Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thi ...
's ex-wife; born June 20, 1888 ), attended a performance of ''Hold Everything!'', in which Whiting was the leading man. They met and became inseparable. They were witnesses at the June 3, 1929 wedding of her son
Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pic ...
, then got married themselves a few weeks later, on June 28, and moved into an apartment on
East 52nd Street.
In his 1988 autobiography, Fairbanks, Jr. wrote: "Jack was a handsome redhead, about twenty-seven or -eight years old, with a virile baritone that helped make 'You're the Cream in My Coffee' a successful song. (...) Jack was warm and friendly, and we hit it off handsomely. (...) I had a new stepfather – charming, gifted, and only eight or nine years older than I." Despite the difference in age between Whiting and his wife, he was devoted to her and remained so all his life.
Although Whiting was earning a good deal of money at the time ("for the theater, that is ..."), he was assisting his father—Albert Draper Whiting, Sr., a retired doctor—and mother, and Beth was helping her siblings, Gladys and William. For the rest of Whiting's life, he and Beth remained in regular, close contact with her son, who also extended financial support to them when Whiting was out of work, or when his jobs on Broadway were short-lived. When he was in New York, Whiting would frequent
The Lambs Club—which he had joined in 1926—where he and
John Hundley (and the other Lambs) periodically performed in sketches called "Lambs' Gambols"; as such, he featured among the stars lined up on the occasion of the big
World's Fair
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...
gambol performed at the
Imperial Theatre on April 23, 1939.
Death
Whiting died of acute
coronary thrombosis
Coronary thrombosis is defined as the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel of the heart. This blood clot may then restrict blood flow within the heart, leading to heart tissue damage, or a myocardial infarction, also known as a heart at ...
in his Manhattan apartment on Wednesday, February 15, 1961, while watching television with his wife Beth.
Work
Musical theatre
In the table below, all theatres are located in New York, NY, except where indicated.
(*) In replacement of Michael O'Shea, at least once on February 18, 1946, for an unknown period.
Theatre
In the table below, all theatres are located in New York, NY, except where indicated.
Films
* ''
College Lovers'' (1930), as Frank Taylor
* ''
Top Speed'' (1930), as Gerald Brooks
* ''
The Life of the Party'' (1930), as the real Jerry "A.J." Smith
* ''
Men of the Sky'' (1931), as Jack Ames
* ''
Sailing Along'' (1938), as Dicky Randall
* ''
Give Me a Sailor'' (1938), as Walter Brewster
Selected recordings
* ''Anything Goes'' (Prism 938, 2003) – CD of 1935 original recording by London cast
* ''On Your Toes Medley'' (Pearl 114, 2001) – CD of 1937 original recording by London cast
* ''Very Warm for May'' (AEI 8, 1995) – CD of 1939 original recording by Broadway cast
* ''Of Thee I Sing'' (Angel 65025, 1994) – CD of 1952 original recording by Broadway cast
* ''Hazel Flagg'' (Masterworks Broadway RCA Victor 05097, 2009) – CD of 1953 original recording by Broadway cast
* ''The Golden Apple'' (RCA 09026-68934-2, 1997) – CD of 1954 original recording by Broadway cast
* ''Jack Whiting & Jessie Matthews'' (Monmouth Evergreen MES/7049, 1972) – Vinyl LP
Television
* ''
Theatre Parade'', in a BBC broadcast of excerpts from ''On Your Toes'', such as "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue", the "Princess Zenobia ballet", and others (May 21, 1937) – with Vera Zorina, Olive Blakeney, Marjorie Browne and Eddie Pola
* ''
Armstrong Circle Theatre
''Armstrong Circle Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series which ran from June 6, 1950, to June 25, 1957, on NBC, and from October 2, 1957, to August 28, 1963, on CBS. It alternated weekly with '' The U.S. Steel Hour''. It f ...
'', in "The Nothing Kid" (December 16, 1952)
* ''
Armstrong Circle Theatre
''Armstrong Circle Theatre'' is an American anthology drama television series which ran from June 6, 1950, to June 25, 1957, on NBC, and from October 2, 1957, to August 28, 1963, on CBS. It alternated weekly with '' The U.S. Steel Hour''. It f ...
'', in "The Pride of Jonathan Craig" (February 2, 1954)
* ''
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 ...
'', in a song-and-dance routine with Audrey Meadows (August 8, 1954)
* ''
Studio One Studio One or Studio 1 may refer to:
* Studio One (software), digital audio workstation software, developed by PreSonus
* ''Studio One'' (American TV series), a 1948–1958 American television anthology series
* ''Studio One'' (Emirati TV progra ...
'', as Tim O'Hara in "A Likely Story" (October 3, 1955)
* ''
Star Stage'', in "Trumpet Man" (October 21, 1955)
* ''
The Alcoa Hour
''The Alcoa Hour'' is an American anthology television series that was aired live on NBC from 1955 to 1957. The series was sponsored by Alcoa.
Overview
Like the '' Philco Television Playhouse'' and ''Goodyear Television Playhouse'' that had p ...
'', as J.G in "A Girl Can Tell" (November 13, 1955)
* ''
Max Liebman Presents: Paris in the Springtime'', as himself, singing "Down With Love" (January 21, 1956)
* ''
Arthur Godfrey and His Friends
''Arthur Godfrey and His Friends'' is an American television variety show hosted by Arthur Godfrey. The hour-long series aired on CBS Television from January 1949 to June 1957 (as ''The Arthur Godfrey Show'' after September 1956), then again as ...
'', as himself (February 27, 1957)
* ''
The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial'', as Hartford in "The Case of Double Trouble" (March 1, 1957)
* ''
The Marge And Gower Champion Show'', as Marge's father (March 31, 1957 – June 9, 1957)
* ''The Vic Damone Show'', as himself, singing "You're the Cream in My Coffee" (August 7, 1957)
Awards
* 1953: Won the 10th Annual
Donaldson Award (1952–1953) for Best Musical Supporting Performance in ''Hazell Flagg''.
* 1954: Runner-up (to
Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an internat ...
's win for ''
John Murray Anderson's Almanac
'' John Murray Anderson's Almanac'' is a musical revue, featuring the music of the songwriting team of Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, as well as other composers. It was conceived by John Murray Anderson.
Productions
'' John Murray Anderson's Alma ...
'') at the 11th Annual Donaldson Award (1953–1954) for Best Musical Supporting Performance in ''Golden Apple''.
Explanatory footnotes
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Jack Whiting Showsat playbill.com
Jack Whiting: The Life of the Partyat travsd.wordpress.com
at rickontheater.blogspot.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whiting, Jack
1901 births
1961 deaths
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American male singers
20th-century American singers
20th-century American dancers
American ballroom dancers
American crooners
American male child actors
American male dancers
American male musical theatre actors
American male stage actors
American male film actors
American male television actors
American tap dancers
Donaldson Award winners
Dancers from Pennsylvania
Male actors from Pennsylvania
Male actors from Philadelphia
Singers from Pennsylvania
Brunswick Records artists
Capitol Records artists
RCA Victor artists
Vaudeville performers
Members of The Lambs Club
Deaths from coronary thrombosis