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Johnny Silver
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Johnny Silver (born John Silverman; April 16, 1918 – February 1, 2003) was an American actor and singer, best known for playing Benny Southstreet in the musical film Guys and Dolls.
Key Information
Career
[edit]Born in East Chicago, Indiana, Silver's performing arts career started early. He sang as a child, and subsequently expanded to acting. His early career involved performing with actor John Raitt at L.A. City College[1] as well as radio work.[2] He also worked as a burlesque comic.[3]
During World War II, Silver was tasked with finding entertainment for the troops,[4] and as a result, he met singer Mario Lanza.[2][3] Silver helped Lanza secure a part in a play written by Peter Lind Hayes and Frank Loesser, On the Beam,[4] and together they performed a number of variety acts for the troops.[2][1][3]
Following the war, Silver moved to New York, and his big break came when he was cast as Benny Southstreet in Loesser's Broadway musical, Guys and Dolls, in 1950.[1] He reprised the role for the film adaptation five years later.[5]
Over the next 40 years, Silver worked prolifically as a character actor in film and on television. His film credits include Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963), The Great Race (1965), Lepke (1975), History of the World, Part I (1981) and Spaceballs (1987). Among his dozens of television credits, he appeared in seven episodes of Make Room for Daddy, 15 episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show, six episodes of Mannix and five episodes of The Odd Couple. He also played the parts of Dr Blinky and Ludicrous Lion in H.R. Pufnstuf (Walker Edmiston provided the voices). His final television role was in 1995 in an episode of Seinfeld.
He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his performance in the 1967 episode of Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Free of Charge.[1]
Personal life and death
[edit]Silver was married to actress Gloria Manos from 1954 until her death in 1993. The couple had two daughters, Stephanie and Jennie.
Silver died of heart and kidney failure on February 1, 2003, at the age of 84.[1]
Partial filmography
[edit]Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Guys and Dolls | Benny Southstreet | |
| 1957 | Public Pigeon No. One | Marvin | Uncredited |
| 1963 | Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? | Charlie | |
| 1965 | The Great Race | Baker | Uncredited |
| 1968 | The Thomas Crown Affair | Bert | Uncredited |
| 1968 | How Sweet It Is! | Zipper Man | |
| 1970 | Pufnstuf | Dr Blinky/Ludicrous Lion | |
| 1972 | Hammer | Tiny | |
| 1975 | Lepke | Schwartz | |
| 1981 | History of the World, Part I | Small Liar – The Roman Empire | |
| 1987 | Spaceballs | Caddy | |
| 1991 | Shakes the Clown | Clown Tailor |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | NBC Television Opera Theatre | Various | 3 episodes |
| 1954 | The Lone Wolf | Johnny Fr'Instance | Episode: “Skid Row” |
| 1956 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Fenton Shanks | Season 1 Episode 19: "The Derelicts" |
| 1957 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Jerry the Bartender | Season 2 Episode 24: "The Cream of the Jest" |
| 1957 | The Millionaire | Frankie | Episode: “The Chris Daniels Story” |
| 1957 | Leave it to Beaver | Man on Bridge | Episode: “The Clubhouse” |
| 1955–57 | The Jack Benny Program | Various | 3 episodes |
| 1957 | Date with the Angels | Mr Carter | Episode: “A Day at the Track” |
| 1958 | Bat Masterson | Drummer | Episode: “Double Trouble in Trinidad” |
| 1959 | Bachelor Father | Charlie | Episode: “Bentley's Economy Wave” |
| 1959 | World of Giants | Chick Crescent | Episode: “Off Beat” |
| 1959–60 | The Untouchables | Various | 2 episodes |
| 1960 | M Squad | J.C. Grevy | Episode: “Needle in a Haystack” |
| 1956–61 | Make Room for Daddy | Various | 7 episodes |
| 1963 | The Andy Griffith Show | Prothro Hanson | Episode: “The Great Filling Station Robbery” |
| 1964 | Burke's Law | Various | 2 episodes |
| 1964 | The Rogues | Boots Rafferty | Episode: “The Personal Touch” |
| 1964 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Ben | Season 3 Episode 10: "Memo from Purgatory" |
| 1961–65 | The Joey Bishop Show | Various | 5 episodes |
| 1963–65 | The Dick Van Dyke Show | Various | 15 episodes |
| 1964–66 | The Munsters | Various | 2 episodes |
| 1966 | Bonanza | Snowden | Episode: “Horse of a Different Hue” |
| 1966 | The F.B.I. | Various | 2 episodes |
| 1966–67 | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | Various | 2 episodes |
| 1968 | Good Morning World | John | Episode: “Pot Luckless” |
| 1966–68 | That Girl | Various | 3 episodes |
| 1968 | Get Smart | Jojo | Episode: “The Secret of Sam Vittorio” |
| 1969–70 | H.R. Pufnstuf | Dr Blinky/Ludicrous Lion | 17 episodes |
| 1970 | The Name of the Game | Various | 2 episodes |
| 1971 | Sarge | Freddy | Episode: “The Silent Target” |
| 1971 | What's a Nice Girl Like You...? | Louis | TV movie |
| 1962–72 | My Three Sons | Various | 4 episodes |
| 1971–72 | Here's Lucy | Various | 2 episodes |
| 1967–72 | Ironside | Various | 4 episodes |
| 1970–72 | McCloud | Various | 2 episodes |
| 1973 | Maude | Various | 2 episodes (one of which was uncredited) |
| 1969–74 | Mannix | Various | 6 episodes |
| 1970–75 | The Odd Couple | Various | 5 episodes (one of which was uncredited) |
| 1973–75 | Adam-12 | Various | 2 episodes |
| 1973–75 | The Streets of San Francisco | Various | 2 episodes |
| 1974 | Kolchak: the Night Stalker | Pepe LaRue/Morris Shapiro | Episode: “The Spanish Moss Murders” |
| 1978 | Columbo | Tow Truck Driver | Episode: “The Conspirators” |
| 1979 | Delta House | Pizza Man | Episode: “The Blotto Who Came to Dinner” |
| 1980 | Barney Miller | Kingman | Episode: “Homicide Part 1” |
| 1981 | Evita Peron | Stage Manager | TV movie |
| 1984 | ABC Weekend Special | Leon | Episode: “Henry Hamilton Graduate Ghost” |
| 1984 | Alice | Shorty | Episode: “Undercover Mel” |
| 1985 | 1st & Ten | Tinoretto | Episode: “Super Bull Sunday” |
| 1986 | Matlock | Eddie Alonzo | Episode: “The Don Part 1” |
| 1986–88 | Cagney & Lacey | Various | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Seinfeld | Vendor #1 | Episode: “The Understudy” |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Johnny Silver". Variety. 18 February 2003. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
- ^ a b c Bret, David (2009). Mario Lanza: Sublime Serenade. Aurum Press. ISBN 9781781313442. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
- ^ a b c Mannering, Derek (1991). Mario Lanza: Singing to the Gods. Univ. Press of Mississippi. ISBN 9781496802668. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
- ^ a b Cesari, Armando (2004). Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy. Baskerville Publishers. ISBN 9781880909669. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
- ^ "Guys and Dolls". Variety. 2 November 1955. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
External links
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|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
Johnny Silver
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early life
Birth and family background
Johnny Silver was born John Silverman on April 16, 1918, in East Chicago, Indiana.[2] His early childhood included exposure to local entertainment, such as singing on a radio station in East Chicago, which foreshadowed his later career in performing arts.[2]Education and initial performances
Silver grew up in East Chicago, Indiana, and displayed vocal talent from a young age, which led to his debut on a local radio station during his youth in the late 1920s and 1930s.[2] These initial radio appearances marked his first steps into professional performance, though still at an amateur level, and helped hone his singing skills amid the vibrant local entertainment scene.[2] At age 14 in 1932, Silver moved with his family to the Los Angeles area, where he continued his education and pursued formal training in the arts.[2] He enrolled at Los Angeles City College, receiving scholarships for his singing abilities, and immersed himself in the school's theater program, studying acting while performing and directing in operas and musicals.[2] There, he collaborated with emerging talent such as John Raitt, participating in amateur theater productions that emphasized vocal performance and stagecraft.[2] These formative experiences at college provided Silver with essential training in voice and comedic timing, laying the foundation for his distinctive character actor style characterized by energetic, humorous delivery.[2] His involvement in youth radio and amateur theater during the 1930s not only built his confidence but also exposed him to diverse performance techniques, from solo singing to ensemble acting, shaping his versatile approach to entertainment.[2]Career
Stage and Broadway roles
Johnny Silver began his professional career in vaudeville and burlesque during the 1930s, performing song-and-dance routines that honed his skills as a comedian and singer.[2] These early engagements on the circuits provided him with experience in live entertainment, where he developed his improvisational abilities and audience rapport essential for later stage work. During World War II, Silver served in the U.S. Army Air Forces, where he organized and performed entertainment for troops stationed across various locations.[2] In 1944, while in the service, he met fellow soldier Alfredo Cocozza, who later became known as Mario Lanza; the two performed together informally, including at an empty Hollywood Bowl venue, fostering a friendship that continued postwar.[4] After their discharges, Silver mentored the aspiring tenor, introducing him to key contacts in the entertainment industry and aiding Lanza's entry into professional singing and acting circles.[4] Following the war, Silver relocated to New York City in pursuit of Broadway opportunities, appearing in several productions before securing his breakthrough role. He also directed productions and provided voice lessons to notable figures such as Ricardo Montalban.[2] In 1950, he was cast as Benny Southstreet, the wisecracking gambler sidekick to Nathan Detroit, in the original Broadway production of Guys and Dolls at the 46th Street Theatre.[5] His portrayal, marked by sharp comedic timing and energetic delivery in ensemble numbers like "Fugue for Tinhorns," contributed to the show's critical acclaim as a quintessential musical comedy, running for 1,200 performances.[6] Silver reprised Benny Southstreet in the 1953 London West End production of Guys and Dolls and briefly transitioned to film by repeating the role in the Hollywood adaptation in 1955.[2][7] He continued stage work into the 1950s and beyond. Throughout his career, Silver's background as a trained singer—evident from his youth and wartime performances—enriched his musical theater roles, allowing him to blend vocal precision with physical comedy for memorable character interpretations.[2]Film and television appearances
Johnny Silver made his film debut in the 1955 musical comedy Guys and Dolls, portraying the gambler Benny Southstreet alongside Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra, a role that built on his earlier stage performances and marked his entry into visual media.[8] Early in his screen career, he took on minor supporting parts in 1950s comedies, honing his skills as a character actor in lighthearted ensemble casts before gaining wider notice.[2] In later decades, Silver continued to excel in comedic supporting roles that showcased his timing and expressiveness, including the "Small Liar" in the Roman Empire segment of Mel Brooks's History of the World, Part I (1981), the caddy in the sci-fi parody Spaceballs (1987), and a minor part in Steven Spielberg's A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001).[9][10] These appearances highlighted his adaptability, spanning historical satire, space opera spoofs, and futuristic drama, often as quirky everyman figures amid high-profile ensembles. Silver's television work provided his most consistent visibility, with recurring roles that capitalized on his affable, wisecracking persona. He appeared in seven episodes of the sitcom Make Room for Daddy (also known as The Danny Thomas Show) during the 1950s, contributing to the family-oriented humor of the series.[11] His breakthrough came in the 1960s with fifteen guest spots on The Dick Van Dyke Show, frequently as a waiter delivering deadpan one-liners in the writers' room or diner scenes, enhancing the show's ensemble dynamic. For his dramatic turn as a taxi driver in the anthology episode "Free of Charge" of Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (1966), Silver earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, recognizing his range beyond comedy.[2] Spanning from 1955 to 2001, Silver's four-decade career in film and television often typecast him as the quick-witted sidekick or service worker, a niche he embraced while navigating shifts from live-action sitcoms to effects-driven blockbusters, maintaining steady work through character-driven contributions rather than leads.[12]Personal life and death
Marriage and family
Johnny Silver met actress Gloria Manos in 1946 while performing together at the Old Knickerbocker Music Hall in New York, connecting through their shared involvement in the entertainment industry.[2] They married on January 9, 1954, and remained together until Manos's death on July 6, 1993, after nearly four decades of marriage.[13] The couple relocated to California that same year, where they established their home and raised their two daughters, Stephanie Silver, an actress and singer, and Jennie Silver, a singer-songwriter.[14] Silver balanced his acting and performing career with family responsibilities in the Los Angeles area, maintaining a residence in Woodland Hills.[2] The family shared a strong connection to the performing arts, with Silver and Manos collaborating professionally early on, and their daughters later forming a singing duo known as The Silver Belles.[15]Illness and death
In his final years, Johnny Silver suffered from heart and kidney failure. He died on February 1, 2003, at the age of 84 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.[2] Silver was survived by his two daughters, Stephanie Silver, an actress and singer, and Jennie Silver, a singer-songwriter.[2] He was interred at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California.[16]Filmography
Film credits
Johnny Silver appeared in numerous films over his career, often in supporting or minor roles, including several uncredited parts in major productions. The following table presents a partial chronological list of his verified film credits, focusing on key appearances from 1955 to 2001.| Year | Film Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Guys and Dolls | Benny Southstreet |
| 1963 | Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? | Charlie |
| 1965 | The Great Race | Baker (uncredited)[17] |
| 1968 | The Thomas Crown Affair | Bert (uncredited)[18] |
| 1968 | Never a Dull Moment | Prop Man |
| 1975 | Lepke | Schwartz[19] |
| 1981 | History of the World, Part I | Small Liar - The Roman Empire[20] |
| 1987 | Spaceballs | Caddy |
| 1991 | Shakes the Clown | Clown Tailor[21] |
| 2001 | A.I. Artificial Intelligence | Man in Alley[22] |
Television credits
Johnny Silver appeared in numerous television series and specials throughout his career, often in guest and recurring roles as character actors. The following is a partial chronological list of his key television credits from the 1950s to the 1990s.[12]- 1956–1961: The Danny Thomas Show (also known as Make Room for Daddy), 7 episodes, various characters including cab driver.
- 1961–1966: The Dick Van Dyke Show, 15 episodes, various neighbors and guests such as counter man, waiter, and party guest.[23]
- 1966: Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, 1 episode ("Free of Charge"), Taxi Driver (Emmy-nominated).[2]
- 1968: Get Smart, 1 episode, Jojo.[3]
- 1969–1970: H.R. Pufnstuf, 17 episodes, Dr. Blinky / Ludicrous Lion (recurring).
- 1970: Love, American Style, 1 episode, various.[3]
- 1971: What's a Nice Girl Like You...? (TV movie), Louis/Waiter.[24]
- 1972: The Odd Couple, 1 episode, waiter.[12]
- 1975: Barney Miller, 1 episode, Mr. Siegel.[12]
- 1984: 1st & Ten, 1 episode, Tinoretto.[18]
- 1986: Matlock, 1 episode, Eddie Alonzo.[18]
- 1987: ALF, 1 episode, Mr. Rice.[12]
- 1991: Seinfeld, 1 episode, man in diner.[12]