Joe Silver (September 28, 1922 – February 27, 1989) was an American stage, television, film and radio actor. His distinctive deep voice was once described as "the lowest voice in show business; so low that when he speaks, he unties your shoelaces."
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Biography
He was born on September 28, 1922, in Chicago. He was raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin and attended Green Bay East High School and the University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
.Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...
as a supporting actor for playing nine different roles in ''Lenny'' (1971).[
In 1947, he made the first of more than 1,000 appearances on television,][ as a panelist on '' What's It Worth''. Two years later, he became a member of the cast of the CBS educational children's television show '' Mr. I. Magination''. In 1950, he appeared on the short-lived variety show '' Joey Faye's Frolics''. He was featured on '']The Red Buttons Show
''The Red Buttons Show'' premiered on the CBS television network on October 14, 1952, and ran for two years on that network, then moved to NBC for the final 1954–55 season.
The series finished #11 for the 1952–1953 season in the Nielsen ratin ...
'' in the 1950s, and was the second Captain Jet, host of the children's show ''Space Funnies'' in the late 1950s. He played the husband of star Lee Grant
Lee Grant (born Lyova Haskell Rosenthal; October 31, during the mid-1920s) is an American actress, documentarian, and director. In a career spanning over seven decades, she won an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Directors Guil ...
's character on '' Fay'' in the 1975-1976 season.
His film credits include ''Diary of a Bachelor
A diary is a written or audiovisual memorable record, with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. Diaries have traditionally been handwritten but are now also often digital. ...
'' (1964), ''Move
Move or The Move may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Move (company), an American online real estate company
* Move (electronics store), a defunct Australian electronics retailer
* Daihatsu Move, a Japanese car
* PlayStation Move, a motion ...
'' (1970), ''Rhinoceros
A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
'' (1974), '' The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' (1974), '' Shivers'' (1975), ''Rabid
Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. It was historically referred to as hydrophobia ("fear of water") because its victims panic when offered liquids to drink. Early symptoms can include fever and abn ...
'' (1977), '' You Light Up My Life'' (1977), '' Crash'' (1978), ''Boardwalk
A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway typically built with wooden planks, which functions as a type of low water bridge or small viaduct that enables pedestrians to ...
'' (1979), '' Deathtrap'' (1982), ''Almost You
''Almost You'' is a 1984 American romantic comedy film directed by Adam Brooks and starring Brooke Adams and Griffin Dunne. It won the Special Jury Prize at the 1985 Sundance Film Festival.
''Almost You'' was Brooks' first film as director. Th ...
'' (1985) and ''Switching Channels
''Switching Channels'' is a 1988 American comedy film that is a cable television newsroom-based retelling of newspaper-based 1928 play '' The Front Page'', the 1931 film of the same name, and the 1940 film ''His Girl Friday''. It stars Kathleen ...
'' (1988). He also provided the voice of the ox in the 1970 Christmas special '' The Night the Animals Talked'' and as The Creep in the horror anthology film ''Creepshow 2
''Creepshow 2'' is a 1987 American comedy horror anthology film directed by Michael Gornick, and the sequel to '' Creepshow''. Gornick was previously the cinematographer of the first film, and the screenplay was written by George A. Romero who w ...
'' (1987). He also provided the speaking and singing voices of the Greedy in '' Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure'' (1977).
Silver's last performance was in the musical ''Legs Diamond''. While suffering from liver cancer, Silver died in Manhattan after suffering a heart attack at the age of 66 on February 27, 1989.[ He was survived by his actress wife Chevi Colton, their son Christopher, their daughter Jennifer, and three grandchildren.]
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Silver, Joe
1922 births
1989 deaths
American male film actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
Male actors from Chicago
Male actors from New York City
20th-century American male actors
Deaths from liver cancer in New York (state)
Green Bay East High School alumni
University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni