Joseph Edward Bromberg (born Josef Bromberger, December 25, 1903 – December 6, 1951) was a Hungarian-born 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 ...

in motion picture and stage productions dating mostly from the 1930s and 1940s. Professionally, Bromberg's most outstanding attribute was his facility with sensitive character roles; in his motion pictures he could take a standard, undistinguished supporting part and make it unforgettably sympathetic. In ''

Hollywood Cavalcade ''Hollywood Cavalcade'' is a 1939 American film featuring Alice Faye as a young performer making her way in the early days of Hollywood, from slapstick silent pictures through the transition from silent to sound. Famous directors and actors fr ...

'' he portrays

Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, repertory theatre, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 19 ...

's friend who knows he will never get the girl; in ''

Three Sons ''Three Sons'' is a 1939 American drama film directed by Jack Hively using a screenplay by John Twist, based on the novel, ''Sweepings'' by Lester Cohen. Produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures, and released on October 13, 1939, it is a r ...

'' he is the lowly business associate who longs to be given a partnership; in '' Easy to Look At'' he is the once-great couturier now reduced to night watchman. In private life, shortly before his death, Bromberg made a defiant appearance before the

House Un-American Activities Committee The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative United States Congressional committee, committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 19 ...

. Bromberg is considered a victim of

red-baiting Red-baiting, also known as ''reductio ad Stalinum'' () and red-tagging ( in the Philippines), is an intention to discredit the validity of a political opponent and the opponent's logical argument by accusing, denouncing, attacking, or persecuting ...

and a casualty of the

Hollywood Blacklist The Hollywood blacklist was the mid-20th century banning of suspected Communists from working in the United States entertainment industry. The blacklisting, blacklist began at the onset of the Cold War and Red Scare#Second Red Scare (1947–1957 ...

. His was one of the "names" named by director

Elia Kazan Elias Kazantzoglou (, ; September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003), known as Elia Kazan ( ), was a Greek-American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one of the most honored and inf ...

in the director's second appearance before HUAC.

Early years

Born to a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family in Temesvár,

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

(now

Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

), Bromberg was 11 months old when his parents, Herman and Josephine Roth Bromberger, emigrated with him to the United States, traveling second class on the S/S ''Graf Waldersee'', sailing on March 18, 1905 from Cuxhaven, Germany, and arriving at the Port of New York on March 31. They settled in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Bromberg's interest in theatricals began while attending

Stuyvesant High School Stuyvesant High School ( ) is a co-ed, State school, public, college-preparatory, Specialized high schools in New York City, specialized high school in Manhattan, New York City. The school, commonly called "Stuy" ( ) by its students, faculty, a ...

, where he was coached by director of drama and future Broadway producer Gustav Blum. ''Variety'' reported that in high school, as "J. Edward Bromberger", he "played such weighty roles as

Jean Valjean Jean Valjean () is the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables''. The story depicts the character's struggle to lead a normal life and redeem himself after serving a 19-year-long prison sentence for stealing bread to feed his ...

in ''Les Miserables''. With Bromberg as nucleus, the school presented plays which many colleges of the period found tough to do. Odd angle, for a high school, is that Bromberg was starred in several showcases, and a number of Broadway producers were invited to o.o. once over", or appraisethe fledgling." After graduating from Stuyvesant, he attended

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

for two years and then went to work to help pay for acting lessons with the

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

n coach Leo Bulgakov, who had trained with

Konstantin Stanislavski Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavski ( rus, Константин Сергеевич Станиславский, p=kənstɐnʲˈtʲin sʲɪrˈɡʲejɪvʲɪtɕ stənʲɪˈslafskʲɪj, links=yes; ; 7 August 1938) was a seminal Russian and Sovie ...

Career

By virtue of his physique, the short, somewhat rotund actor was destined to play secondary roles. Bromberg made his stage debut at the Greenwich Village Playhouse and in 1926 made his first appearance in a

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

play, ''Princess Turandot''. The following year, Bromberg married Goldie Doberman, with whom he had two sons and a daughter. Occasionally credited as J.E. Bromberg''''' and Joseph Bromberg, he performed secondary roles in 35 Broadway productions and 53 motion pictures until 1951. For two decades, Bromberg was highly regarded in the New York theatrical world and was a founding member of the

Civic Repertory Theatre The Fourteenth Street Theatre was a theatre located at 107 West 14th Street just west of Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City.Berg, J.C. (9 January 2011)The Fourteenth Street Theater, ''nycvintageimages.com'' History It was designed by A ...

(1928–1930) and of the Group Theatre (1931–1940). Bromberg made his screen debut in 1936 under contract to

Twentieth Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film production and distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Com ...

. The versatile actor played a wide variety of roles ranging from a ruthless New York newspaper editor (in '' Charlie Chan on Broadway'') to a despotic Arabian sheik (in '' Mr. Moto Takes a Chance'') to the Alcade of Los Angeles (opposite

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James (193 ...

in ''

The Mark of Zorro ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

''). Although he spoke with no trace of an accent, he was often called upon to play humble immigrants of various nationalities. When

Warner Oland Warner Oland (born Johan Verner Ölund; October 3, 1879 – August 6, 1938) was a Swedish-American actor. His career included time on Broadway and numerous film appearances. He is most remembered for playing several Chinese and Chinese-American ...

, the actor who played

Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu Police Department, Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan ...

, died in 1938, Fox considered Bromberg as a replacement, but the role ultimately went to

Sidney Toler Sidney Toler (born Hooper G. Toler Jr., April 28, 1874 – February 12, 1947) was an American actor, playwright, and theatre director. The second non-Asian actor to play the role of Charlie Chan on screen, he is best remembered for his portrayal ...

. Fox began loaning Bromberg to other studios in 1939 and finally dropped him from the roster in 1941. He kept working for various producers, including a stint at

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

in the mid-1940s; his employment there came to an abrupt halt when a change in management did away with all low-budget productions. Only occasionally was J. Edward Bromberg given leading roles. He played a homespun detective in '' Fair Warning'' (1937), Fox's attempt to create an "American" counterpart to its Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto series. "This one rates way ahead of about 75 percent of the more pretentious murder mystery films," raved ''Film Daily''; "the audience interest is with the very human detective J. Edward Bromberg, and his casual way of unraveling two murders and a poisoning." In Republic's ''

The Devil Pays Off ''The Devil Pays Off'' is a 1941 American spy thriller film directed by John H. Auer and starring J. Edward Bromberg, Osa Massen and William Wright. It was produced and distributed by Republic Pictures.Fetrow p.115 The film was nominated fo ...

'' (1941) Bromberg played, as reported by ''Film Bulletin'', "the role of a ruthless but fear-ridden shipping magnate with a quiet intensity that is enormously effective."

PRC China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the second-most populous country after India, representing 17.4% of the world population. China spans the e ...

's ''

The Missing Corpse ''The Missing Corpse'' is a 1945 American comedy mystery film directed by Albert Herman. Plot summary The publisher of The Tribune newspaper, Henry Kruger, who is used to ordering his staff around, finds that he is ignored by everyone in his ow ...

'' (1945) top-billed Bromberg as a victim of circumstance who finds a corpse in the trunk of his car. "Cast names include some of the best of our standard Hollywood trouping names, all delivering ably under the pace-setting of Bromberg," noted ''Box Office Digest''.

Blacklisting

In September 1950, the anti-communist magazine ''

Red Channels ''Red Channels: The Report of Communist Influence in Radio and Television'' was an anti-Communist document published in the United States at the start of the 1950s. Issued by the right-wing journal ''Counterattack'' on June 22, 1950, the pamphle ...

'' accused Bromberg of being a member of the American Communist Party. Subpoenaed to testify before the

House Committee on Un-American Activities The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloyalty an ...

in June 1951, Bromberg refused to answer any questions in accordance with his Fifth Amendment rights. Bromberg refused to tell the Committee whether or not he was a member of the Communist Party. He also declined to pledge his support in defense of the United States if ever there were a war with the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. Bromberg attacked the Committee for holding hearings "in the nature of witch hunts." As the result of his defiant testimony before the committee, Bromberg was

blacklisted Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list; if people are on a blacklist, then they are considere ...

from working in Hollywood. He suffered enormous stress from the ordeal; friends, such as

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 ...

, noted that he aged considerably in a very short time. Bromberg and seven other Group Theater members were named by

as Communist Party members in testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee. According to Kazan in his 1988 autobiography ''A Life'', the Group Theatre Communist Party cell he belonged to in the Group Theatre met in Bromberg's dressing room. Members of the cell included

Clifford Odets Clifford Odets (July 18, 1906 – August 14, 1963) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and actor. In the mid-1930s, he was widely seen as the potential successor to Nobel Prize–winning playwright Eugene O'Neill, as O'Neill began to withd ...

and

Paula Strasberg Paula Strasberg (born Pearl Miller; March 8, 1909 – April 29, 1966) was an American stage actress. She became actor and teacher Lee Strasberg's second wife and mother of actors John and Susan Strasberg, as well as Marilyn Monroe's acting coach ...

. In 1951, Bromberg sought work in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

but died on December 6, during his fourth week of working in the

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

play ''The Biggest Thief in Town''. He was 47. ''Motion Picture Herald'' cited the cause of death as "natural causes."''Motion Picture Herald'', Dec. 15, 1951, p. 43.

Broadway roles

* ''Princess Turandot'' (1926) - Tartaglia and as Ishmael * ''

House of Connelly ''The House of Connelly'' is a 1931 Broadway two-act drama written by Paul Green, produced by the Group Theatre in association with The Theatre Guild and staged by Lee Strasberg and Cheryl Crawford. It ran for 91 performances from September 28 ...

'' (1931) - Duffy * '' Night Over Taos'' (1932) - Pablo Montoya * ''

Both Your Houses ''Both Your Houses'' is a 1933 play written by American playwright Maxwell Anderson. It was produced by the Theatre Guild and staged by Worthington Miner with scenic design by Arthur P. Segal. It opened at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Royale Th ...

'' (1933) - Wingblatt * '' Men in White'' (1933) - Dr. Hochberg * '' Gold Eagle Guy'' (1934) - Guy Button * '' Awake and Sing!'' (1935) - Uncle Morty * ''Jacobowsky and the Colonel'' (1945) - Szabuniewicz * ''

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 ...

'' (1949) - Marcus Hoff

Filmography

* '' Under Two Flags'' (1936) - Col, Ferol (film debut) * ''

Sins of Man ''Sins of Man'' is a 1936 American period drama film directed by Otto Brower and starring Jean Hersholt, Don Ameche and Allen Jenkins. It was produced and released by 20th Century Fox. It is based on the 1930 novel ''Job'' by Joseph Roth. Plot ...

'' (1936) - Anton Engel * '' The Crime of Dr. Forbes'' (1936) - Dr. Eric Godfrey * ''

Girls' Dormitory ''Girls' Dormitory'' is a 1936 American romance film directed by Irving Cummings based upon the 1934 play ''Mature'' by Ladislas Fodor, and adapted for the screen by Gene Markey. Plot Set in the fictional Montreaux School for Girls in Switzer ...

'' (1936) - Dr. Spindler * '' Star for a Night'' (1936) - Doctor Spelimeyer * ''

Ladies in Love ''Ladies in Love'' is a 1936 American romantic comedy film based upon the play by Ladislaus Bus-Fekete. It was directed by Edward H. Griffith and stars Janet Gaynor, Constance Bennett and Loretta Young. The film revolves around three roommates ...

'' (1936) - Franz Brenner * '' Reunion'' (1936) - Charles Renard * ''

Stowaway A stowaway or clandestine traveller is a person who secretly boards a vehicle, such as a ship, an aircraft, a train, cargo truck or bus. Sometimes, the purpose is to get from one place to another without paying for transportation. In other c ...

'' (1936) - Judge Booth * '' Fair Warning'' (1937) - Matthew Jericho * '' Seventh Heaven'' (1937) - Aristide the Astrologer * '' That I May Live'' (1937) - Tex Shapiro * '' Charlie Chan on Broadway'' (1937) - Murdock * '' Second Honeymoon'' (1937) - Herbie * ''

The Baroness and the Butler ''The Baroness and the Butler'' is a 1938 American romantic comedy film directed by Walter Lang and starring William Powell and Annabella in her American English-language debut. The supporting cast includes Helen Westley, Joseph Schildkraut, ...

'' (1938) - Zorda * '' Sally, Irene and Mary'' (1938) - Pawnbroker * ''

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm ''Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'' is a classic American 1903 children's novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin that tells the story of Rebecca Rowena Randall and her aunts, one stern and one kind, in the fictional village of Riverboro, Maine. Rebecca's j ...

'' (1938) - Dr. Hill * '' Four Men and a Prayer'' (1938) - General Torres * '' One Wild Night'' (1938) - Norman * '' Mr. Moto Takes a Chance'' (1938) - Rajah Ali * '' I'll Give a Million'' (1938) - Editor * ''

Suez Suez (, , , ) is a Port#Seaport, seaport city with a population of about 800,000 in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez on the Red Sea, near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal. It is the capital and largest c ...

'' (1938) - Prince Said * ''

Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, Bank robbery, bank and Train robbery, train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the "Little Dixie (Missouri), Little Dixie" area of M ...

'' (1939) - Mr. Runyan * ''

Wife, Husband and Friend ''Wife, Husband and Friend'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Loretta Young, Warner Baxter and Binnie Barnes in the three title roles, respectively. The film, based on a script by Nunnally Johnson, tells the ...

'' (1939) - Rossi * ''

'' (1939) - Abe Ullman * ''

'' (1939) - Dave Spingold * '' Strange Cargo'' (1940) - Flaubert * '' The Return of Frank James'' (1940) - George Runyan * ''

'' (1940) - Don Luis Quintero * ''

Dance Hall Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for Dance, dancing, but usually refers to a specific type of twentieth-century venue, with dance clubs (nightclubs) becoming more popular towards the end of the century. The palais de danse was a term ap ...

'' (1941) - Max Brandon * '' Hurricane Smith'' (1941) - 'Eggs' Bonelli * ''

'' (1941) - Arnold DeBrock * '' Pacific Blackout'' (1941) - Pickpocket * ''

Invisible Agent ''Invisible Agent'' is a 1942 American Action film, action and spy film directed by Edwin L. Marin with a screenplay written by Curt Siodmak. The invisible agent is played by Jon Hall (actor), Jon Hall, with Peter Lorre and Sir Cedric Hardwick ...

'' (1942) - Karl Heiser * '' Halfway to Shanghai'' (1942) - Major Vinpore * '' Life Begins at Eight-Thirty'' (1942) - Sid Gordon * ''

Reunion in France ''Reunion in France'' is a 1942 American war film distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Joan Crawford, John Wayne, and Philip Dorn in a story about a woman in occupied France who, learning her well-heeled lover has German connections, aids ...

'' (1942) - Durand * ''

Tennessee Johnson ''Tennessee Johnson'' is a 1942 American film about Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by William Dieterle. The screenplay was written by Milton Gunzburg, Alvin Meyers, John Bald ...

'' (1942) - Coke * ''

Lady of Burlesque ''Lady of Burlesque'' (also known as ''The G-String Murders'' and in the UK, ''Striptease Lady'') is a 1943 American musical comedy mystery film directed by William A. Wellman, produced by Hunt Stromberg, and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Mi ...

'' (1943) - S.B. Foss * '' Phantom of the Opera'' (1943) - Amiot * '' Son of Dracula'' (1943) - Professor Lazlo * ''

Chip Off the Old Block ''Chip Off the Old Block'' is 1944 American comedy musical film starring Donald O'Connor, Peggy Ryan, and Ann Blyth. It was Blyth's film debut. Plot The son of a strict Navy man, O'Connor falls in love with a girl from a performing family. In ...

'' (1944) - Blaney Wright * '' Voice in the Wind'' (1944) - Dr. Hoffman * ''

Salome, Where She Danced ''Salome, Where She Danced'' is a 1945 American Technicolor western (genre), Western drama film, directed by Charles Lamont and starring: Yvonne De Carlo, Rod Cameron (actor), Rod Cameron and Walter Slezak. The film follows the adventures of a da ...

'' (1945) - Prof. Max * ''

'' (1945) - Henry Kruger * '' Easy to Look At'' (1945) - Gustav * '' Pillow of Death'' (1945) - Julian Julian * ''

Tangier Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital city, capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Moroc ...

'' (1945) - Alec Rocco * '' The Walls Came Tumbling Down'' (1946) - Ernst Helms * ''

Cloak and Dagger "Cloak and dagger" was a fighting style common by the time of the Renaissance involving a knife hidden beneath a cloak. The term later came into use as a metaphor, referring to situations involving intrigue, secrecy, espionage, or mystery. Over ...

'' (1946) - Trenk * '' Queen of the Amazons'' (1947) - Gabby * '' Arch of Triumph'' (1948) - Hotel Manager at the Verdun * ''

A Song Is Born ''A Song Is Born'' (also known as ''That's Life''), starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo, is a 1948 Technicolor musical film remake of Howard Hawks' 1941 movie '' Ball of Fire'' with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. This version was also dir ...

'' (1948) - Dr. Elfini * '' I Shot Jesse James'' (1949) - Kane * ''

Guilty Bystander ''Guilty Bystander'' is a 1950 American crime drama film noir directed by Joseph Lerner, and starring Zachary Scott and Faye Emerson. The film was shot on location entirely in New York City. It also marked the last motion picture screen appea ...

'' (1950) - Varkas (final film)

References

External links

* *
Find a Grave

J. Edward Bromberg papers, 1924-1951
held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division,

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, is located at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, in the Lincoln Center complex on the Upper West Side in Manhattan, New York City. Situated between the Metropolitan O ...

Museum of the City of New York 1933 photo of J. Edward Bromberg (standing) with Grouip Theatre members
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bromberg, J. Edward 1903 births 1951 deaths Jews from New York (state) American Ashkenazi Jews Jewish Hungarian actors Emigrants from Austria-Hungary to the United States American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent Jewish American male actors American male stage actors American male film actors Hollywood blacklist Male actors from New York City 20th-century American male actors Stuyvesant High School alumni 20th-century American Jews