Paul Reed (born Sidney Kahn; June 16, 1909 April 2, 2007) was an American actor, known for his trademark "slow burn", which he made famous in his role as

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Paul Block on ''

Car 54, Where Are You? ''Car 54, Where Are You?'' is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1961 to April 1963. Filmed in black and white, the series starred Joe E. Ross as Gunther Toody and Fred Gwynne as Francis Muldoon, two mismatched New York City Po ...

''.

Biography

Reed was born in

Highland Falls, New York Highland Falls, formerly named Buttermilk Falls, is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 3,684 at the 2020 census. The village was founded in 1906. It is part of the Kiryas Joel– Poughkeepsie– Newbu ...

to a

Russian-Jewish The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest po ...

family. Orphaned at an early age and reunited with his family two years later in New York City, Reed started working Vaudeville Houses as a chewing gum peddler. In 1919, a performer carried him onto the stage and this began a career that would last until 1998. Reed was a performer and a singer on WOR Radio 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 ...

in the 1930s. He appeared in numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway Productions from 1940 to 1972, including several

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...

works and long runs with ''

Up in Central Park ''Up in Central Park'' is a Broadway musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and music by Sigmund Romberg. The musical, originally called "Central Park" before Broadway (see image of sheet music), was ...

'', ''

Guys & 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 Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical theatre, musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns a confidence trick, con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and ...

'', '' How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', ''

Here's Love ''Here's Love'' is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson. An adaptation of the film '' Miracle on 34th Street'', the show is currently licensed under the film's name as ''Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical''. The musical, ...

'' and '' Promises, Promises''. In 1956, his comedic talents came forward as a foil for

Sid Caesar Isaac Sidney Caesar (September 8, 1922 – February 12, 2014) was an American comic actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he was best known for two pioneering 1950s live television series: ''Your Show of Shows'' (1950–1954) ...

in ''

Caesar's Hour ''Caesar's Hour'' is a live, hour-long American sketch-comedy television program that aired on NBC from 1954 until 1957. The program starred, among others, Sid Caesar, Nanette Fabray, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris, Janet Blair, and Milt Kamen ...

''. In 1958, he would appear on '' Sergeant Bilko'' with future ''

'' star Joe E. Ross. In 1961, Reed was cast in the

Nat Hiken Nathan Hiken (June 23, 1914 – December 7, 1968) was an American radio and television writer, producer, and songwriter who rose to prominence in the 1950s. Early years Hiken was born on June 23, 1914, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Jewish p ...

situation comedy ''Car 54, Where Are You?'' as the beleaguered Captain Paul Block of the 53rd Precinct in the Bronx. Reed, a master of timing, was the perfect foil for the antics of the wacky police officers of the 53rd. His trademark on the show was the slow burn in which his reaction would go from restrained anger until he reached his boiling point and would explode. The show ended its run on September 8, 1963, after 60 episodes. During the 1964–1965 season, Reed portrayed business executive Damon Burkhardt in '' The Cara Williams Show''. He continued to work on Broadway and in sitcoms through the 1960s, appearing in various episodes of ''

Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typi ...

'', ''

The Donna Reed Show ''The Donna Reed Show'' is an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the middle-class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz co-stars as her Pediatrics, pediatrician husband Dr. Alex Stone, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage childr ...

'', ''

Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor backwoods family ...

'' and ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy sitcom television series created by Sidney Sheldon and starring Barbara Eden as a beautiful but guileless 2,000-year-old Jinn, genie and Larry Hagman as an astronaut with whom s ...

''. In 1965, he appeared with former ''Car 54, Where Are You?'' co-stars

Fred Gwynne Frederick Hubbard Gwynne (July 10, 1926 – July 2, 1993) was an American actor, artist and author, who is widely known for his roles in the 1960s television sitcoms '' Car 54, Where Are You?'' (as Francis Muldoon) and '' The Munsters'' (as Herm ...

and Al Lewis in an episode of ''

The Munsters ''The Munsters'' is an American sitcom about the home life of a family of benign monsters that aired from 1964 to 1966 on CBS. The series stars Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster (Frankenstein's monster),Episodes referring to the fact that Herman is ...

''. In later years, Reed was a staple in television commercials until the 1990s. A book about his life and career titled ''You Grew Up'', written by Paul Reed Jr. was released in 2010 and is available through Bear Manor Media. Reed died on April 2, 2007, at age 97 in Greenwich, Connecticut. He was survived by his wife, June MacLaren Reed, son, Paul, Jr. daughter-in-law Leslie and granddaughter. He is buried in Pemaquid, Maine.

Partial filmography

*'' The Phenix City Story'' (1955) - Policeman (uncredited) *''Ride to Hangman's Tree'' (1967) - Corbett *'' Fitzwilly'' (1967) - Prettikin *'' Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady?'' (1968) - Pa Webb (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Paul 1909 births 2007 deaths Male actors from New York City American people of Russian-Jewish descent American male film actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors