Joseph Henry Ploski (April 16, 1904 – May 17, 1993) was a Polish-born American film and television actor. He was known for his appearance in the 1953 film ''

Stalag 17 ''Stalag 17'' is a 1953 American war film directed by Billy Wilder. It 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 ...

'', starring

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

, Don Taylor, and

Otto Preminger Otto Ludwig Preminger ( ; ; 5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian Americans, Austrian-American film and theatre director, film producer, and actor. He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the the ...

Life and career

Ploski was born in Poland. Initially working as a mess-hall cook in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, saving his money to attend at a

drama school A drama school, stage school, or theatre school is an undergraduate and/or graduate school or Academic department, department at a college or university, or a free-standing institution (such as the drama section at the Juilliard School) that ...

. He performed in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

Hollywood, California Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...

, and was a

straight man The straight man (or straight woman in the case of female characters), also known as a "comedic foil", is a stock character in a comedy performance, especially a double act, sketch comedy, or farce. When a comedy partner behaves eccentrically ...

for

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

Joe E. Lewis. He made his Broadway debut in 1932, appearing in the Broadway play ''The Great Magoo'', playing Dummy Nolan. He worked in New York with

Imogene Coca Imogene Coca (born Emogeane Coca; November 18, 1908 – June 2, 2001) was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on ''Your Show of Shows''. Starting out in vaudeville as a child acrobat, she studied ballet and pursu ...

and

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; ; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer, and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and rapid-fire novelty songs. Kaye starred ...

. Ploski began his screen career in 1936, appearing in the film '' Lady Be Careful''. He then appeared in the films '' There Goes My Heart'' and '' Romance in the Dark''. Over the years, he appeared in over 200 films including '' Dr. Broadway'', ''

The Dark Corner ''The Dark Corner'' is a 1946 American crime film noir directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Lucille Ball, Clifton Webb, William Bendix and Mark Stevens.. The film was not a commercial success but has since been described as a "Grade A exampl ...

'', '' The Reckless Moment'', and '' Experiment Alcatraz'', ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical theater, musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Run ...

'', ''

The Court Jester ''The Court Jester'' is a 1955 American historical musical comedy film starring Danny Kaye, Glynis Johns, Basil Rathbone, Angela Lansbury and Cecil Parker. The film was written, produced, and directed by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama for ...

'', ''

The Buster Keaton Story ''The Buster Keaton Story'' is a 1957 American biographical drama film directed by Sidney Sheldon and written by Sidney Sheldon and Robert Smith, following the life of Buster Keaton. The film stars Donald O'Connor, Ann Blyth, Rhonda Fleming, Pete ...

'', '' Jailhouse Rock'', ''

Never Steal Anything Small ''Never Steal Anything Small'' is a 1959 American CinemaScope comedy-drama musical film directed by Charles Lederer and starring James Cagney and Shirley Jones. It is based on the play ''The Devil's Hornpipe'' by Maxwell Anderson and Rouben Mamo ...

'', ''

The Rat Race ''The Rat Race'' is a 1960 American drama film adapted from the play of the same name by Garson Kanin. Directed by Robert Mulligan, it stars Tony Curtis and Debbie Reynolds as struggling young entertainment professionals in New York City. Filmi ...

'', ''

To Kill a Mockingbird ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a 1960 Southern Gothic novel by American author Harper Lee. It became instantly successful after its release; in the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' ...

'', '' Seven Days in May'' and ''

Divorce American Style ''Divorce American Style'' is a 1967 American satirical comedy film directed by Bud Yorkin and starring Dick Van Dyke, Debbie Reynolds, Jason Robards, Jean Simmons, and Van Johnson. Norman Lear produced the film and wrote the screenplay, based ...

''. He also appeared in numerous television programs including ''

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 ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series starring Dale Robertson in 201 episodes that aired from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until i ...

'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

'', '' The Fugitive'', ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American private detective crime drama television series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each epis ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', and ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and four short stories, all of which involve a ...

''. His final credit was in the 1970 film ''

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial Aviation, air transport. They usually consist of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surf ...

''.

Death

Ploski died on May 17, 1993, in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, at the age of 89.

Selected Filmography

* '' Lady Be Careful'' as Chowoski (uncredited) * ''

'' (1953) as German Guard - Volleyball Player * ''

'' (1956) (Season 1 Episode 31: "How to Die for Nothing") as Townsman (uncredited) * ''

M Squad ''M Squad'' is an American crime drama television series that ran from 1957 to 1960 on NBC. It was produced by Lee Marvin's Latimer Productions and Revue Studios. Its main sponsor was the Pall Mall cigarette brand; Lee Marvin, the program's ...

'' (1957) (Season 1 Episode 6: "Street of Fear") as News Vendor * ''

'' (1957-1962) (5 episodes) **(Season 1 Episode 3: "The John Cameron Story") (1957) as Wagon Train Member (uncredited) **(Season 2 Episode 8: "The Millie Davis Story") (1958) as Miner (uncredited) **(Season 4 Episode 33: "The Eleanor Culhane Story") (1961) as Townsman (uncredited) **(Season 5 Episode 21: "The Daniel Clay Story") (1962) as Wagon Train Member (uncredited) **(Season 6 Episode 5: "The John Augustus Story") (1962) as Bartender (uncredited) * ''

'' (1958) (Season 1 Episode 9: "Iron Curtain Caper") as Bartender (uncredited) * ''

'' (1958-1965) (5 episodes) **(Season 2 Episode 6: "The Case of the Buried Clock") (1958) as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited) **(Season 2 Episode 25: "The Case of the Petulant Partner") (1959) as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited) **(Season 3 Episode 6: "The Case of Paul Drake's Dilemma") (1959) as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited) **(Season 5 Episode 24: "The Case of the Melancholy Marksman") (1962) as Diner Proprietor (uncredited) **(Season 9 Episode 2: "The Case of the Fatal Fortune") (1965) as Courtroom Spectator (uncredited) * ''

Li'l Abner ''Li'l Abner'' was a satirical American comic strip that appeared in multiple newspapers in the United States, Canada, and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbillies living in the impoverished fictional mountain village of Dogpatch, ...

'' (1959) as Hairless Joe * ''

'' (1960) (Season 1 Episode 20: "Elegy") as Beauty Contest Guest (uncredited) * ''

'' (1960) (3 episodes) **(Season 4 Episode 31: "Dead Man's Street") as Townsman (uncredited) **(Season 4 Episode 32: "Threat of Death") as Townsman (uncredited) **(Season 5 Episode 9: "The Killing of Johnny Lash") as Barfly (uncredited) * ''

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 ...

'' (1962) (2 episodes) **(Season 7 Episode 17: "The Faith of Aaron Menefee") as Meeting Guest (uncredited) **(Season 7 Episode 39: "The Sorcerer's Apprentice") as Show Spectator (uncredited) * ''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''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 a ...

'' (1964) (Season 2 Episode 17: "The Jar") as Townsman (uncredited) * '' The Fugitive'' (1964) (2 episodes) **(Season 1 Episode 24: "Flight from the Final Demon") as Customer in Locker Room (uncredited) **(Season 1 Episode 27: "Never Stop Running") as Diner Counterman (uncredited) * ''

'' (1964-1968) (2 episodes) **(Season 6 Episode 11: "A Man to Admire") (1964) as Townsman (uncredited) **(Season 9 Episode 30: "The Arrival of Eddie") (1968) as Shopkeeper (uncredited) * '' McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force'' (1965) as Russian Seaman * '' Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine'' (1965) as Cook * ''

'' (1970) as Diner Patron (uncredited)

References

External links

* *
Rotten Tomatoes profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ploski, Joe 1904 births 1993 deaths Polish emigrants to the United States Polish male film actors Polish male television actors 20th-century Polish male actors American male film actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors American bakers American vaudeville performers Polish vaudeville performers American male comedians 20th-century American comedians