Robert Alda (born Alfonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo; February 26, 1914 – May 3, 1986) was an American theatrical and film actor. He was the father of actors

Alan Alan may refer to: People *Alan (surname), an English and Kurdish surname * Alan (given name), an English given name ** List of people with given name Alan ''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.'' * ...

and Antony Alda. Alda was featured in a number of Broadway productions, then moved to Italy during the early 1960s. He appeared in many European films over the next two decades, occasionally returning to the U.S. for film appearances such as '' The Girl Who Knew Too Much'' (1969).

Career

He began his performing career as a singer and dancer 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 ...

after winning a talent contest, and moved on to

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

. In 1949, as part of the Jack Carson's radio program, Alda toured with Jack Carson and Marion Hutton. Alda is known for portraying

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular music, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swan ...

in the biographical film '' Rhapsody in Blue'' (1945) as well as the talent agent in the

Douglas Sirk Douglas Sirk (born Hans Detlef Sierck; 26 April 1897 – 14 January 1987) was a German film director best known for his work in Hollywood (film industry), Hollywood melodramas of the 1950s. However, he also directed comedies, westerns, and war f ...

classic '' Imitation of Life'' (1959). On Broadway, he originated the role of Sky Masterson in ''

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 ...

'' (1950), for which he won a

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 ...

, and starred in '' What Makes Sammy Run?'' (1964). He was also the host of the DuMont TV version of the game show '' What's Your Bid?'' (May–June 1953). In the mid-1950s, Alda starred as espionage agent Colonel Bill Morgan in the syndicated TV series ''Secret Files USA'', the episodes of which were based on stories from American intelligence services. He was host of the TV game show '' Can Do'' in 1956. His son Alan said "He was very famous but he hardly made much money because that was at a time when Warner had those seven-year contracts." Alda made two guest appearances with Alan on '' M*A*S*H'', in the episodes " The Consultant" (January 1975) and, also with his younger son Antony Alda, " Lend a Hand" (February 1980). Alda appeared in an episode of '' The Feather & Father Gang'' in 1977.

Personal life

Alda's first wife, and mother of actor

Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner and a three-time Tony Award nominee, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pier ...

, Joan Browne, was a homemaker and former beauty pageant winner. They divorced in 1946.

Death

Alda died on May 3, 1986, aged 72, two years after suffering a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

from which he never fully recovered. He is buried in the Garden of Ascension lot 9101 Forest Lawn Cemetery,

Glendale, California Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, Glendale ha ...

Theater credits

* ''

'' (1950–1953) * ''Harbor Lights'' (1956) * ''Roger the Sixth'' (1957) * ''

Can-Can The can-can (also spelled cancan as in the original French /kɑ̃kɑ̃/) is a high-energy, physically demanding dance that became a popular music-hall dance in the 1840s, continuing in popularity in French cabaret to this day. Originally dance ...

'' (1963) * '' What Makes Sammy Run?'' (1964–1965) * ''Riverwind'' (1966) * ''My Daughter, Your Son'' (1969) * '' The Front Page'' (1969–1970) * '' Follies'' (1973) * '' The Sunshine Boys'' (1974–1975)

Selected filmography

* '' Rhapsody in Blue'' (1945) as George Gershwin * '' Cinderella Jones'' (1946) as Tommy Coles * ''

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) as Pinkie * '' The Beast with Five Fingers'' (1946) as Bruce Conrad * '' The Man I Love'' (1947) as Nicky Toresca * '' Nora Prentiss'' (1947) as Phil Dinardo, Cafe Owner * '' Bungalow 13'' (1948) * '' April Showers'' (1948) as Billy Shay * ''

Homicide Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...

'' (1949) as Andy * '' Hollywood Varieties'' (1950) as Master of Ceremonies * '' Tarzan and the Slave Girl'' (1950) as Neil * '' Mister Universe'' (1951) as Fingers Maroni * '' Two Gals and a Guy'' (1951) as Deke Oliver * '' Beautiful But Dangerous'' (1955) as Maestro Doria * ''Assignment Abroad'' (1955) as Major Bill Morgan * ''

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 ...

'' (1959) (Season 4 Episode 14: "The Morning After") as Ben Nelson * '' Imitation of Life'' (1959) as Allen Loomis * ''

The Millionaire (TV series) ''The Millionaire'' is an American anthology television series, anthology series that aired on CBS from 1955 to 1960. It was originally sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive. The series, produced by Don Fedderson and Fred Henry, explored the ways that ...

'' episode "The Julia Conrad Story" (1959) as Gilbert Patterson, with co-star Ellen Drew * ''Un militare e mezzo'' (1960) as Roy Harrison * ''

Cleopatra's Daughter ''Cleopatra's Daughter'' () is a 1960 list of historical drama films, historical drama film set in Ancient Egypt, Egypt during the reign of the pharaoh Khufu (r. 2589-2566 BC). The film stars Debra Paget and was directed by Fernando Cerchio. For ...

'' (1960) as Inuni, Pharaoh's Architect * '' Revenge of the Barbarians'' (1960) as Ataulf * '' The Devil's Hand'' (1961) as Rick Turner * '' Force of Impulse'' (1961) as Warren Reese * '' Toto and Peppino Divided in Berlin'' (1962) as the Judge * '' Musketeers of the Sea'' (1962) as Vice Governatore Gomez * ''All Woman'' (1966) as Wally * '' The Girl Who Knew Too Much'' (1969) as Kenneth Allardice * '' Night Flight from Moscow'' (1973) as Polygraph Interrogator * '' M*A*S*H'' (1975–1980, TV series) as Dr Anthony Borelli * '' Cagliostro'' (1975) as Pope Clement XIII * '' The House of Exorcism'' (1975) as Father Michael * ''Natale in casa d'appuntamento'' (1976) * '' I Will, I Will... for Now'' (1976) as Dr. Magnus * '' Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood'' (1976) as Richard Entwhistle * '' Bittersweet Love'' (1976) as Ben Peterson * '' The Rip-Off'' (1978) as Captain Donati * ''

The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner, aired on NBC from September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator Jim Rockford, with Noah Beery Jr. in th ...

'' (1978, TV series) as Cy Margulies * ''

Every Girl Should Have One ''Every Girl Should Have One'' is a 1978 whodunit independent film. In Brazil, the film is known as ''O Que Toda Mulher Tem''. Its tagline was "a 14 Karat Caper". The film had a printed film format of 35 mm. Plot A diamond theft takes plac ...

'' (1978) as Adam Becker * ''

Spider-Man Strikes Back ''Spider-Man Strikes Back'' is a 1978 American superhero film that had a theatrical release abroad, a composite of the two-parter episode "Deadly Dust" of the contemporary television show ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', released on 8 May 1978. It was ...

'' (1978) as Mr. White * '' Supertrain'' (1979, TV series) as Dan Lewis * ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that aired on the network NBC from November 8, 1965, to September 9, 2022; the soap has streamed n ...

'' (1981–82) as Stuart Whyland * ''

Amanda's ''Amanda's'' (also known as ''Amanda's by the Sea'') is an American sitcom television series based on the 1970s British sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'' that aired on ABC from February 10 to May 26, 1983. The series starred Bea Arthur as Amanda Cartwrig ...

'' (1983, TV series) as Mr. Gordon (final appearance)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Alda, Robert 1914 births 1986 deaths 20th-century American male actors American burlesque performers American vaudeville performers American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors American people of Italian descent Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Donaldson Award winners Male actors from New York City Stuyvesant High School alumni Tony Award winners Warner Bros. contract players