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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Holly Fulger to Joanna McClelland Glass
Ben Gazzara Biography (1930-)
Original name, Biagio Anthony Gazzara; born August 28, 1930, in New York, NY;son of Antonio (a laborer) and Angelina (maiden name, Cusumano) Gazzara; married Louise Erickson, 1952 (divorced, 1956 [some sources cite married in 1951and divorced in 1957]); married Janice Rule (an actress), November 25, 1961(divorced, 1979); married Elke Krivat (a costume jeweler; some sources cite surname as Kriwat or Stuckmann), 1982; children: (second marriage) Elizabeth (a film editor); (third marriage) Danja. Addresses: Agent: Stone Manners Talent and Literary Agency, 6500 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Los Angeles, CA90048; Cunningham/Escott/Dipene and Associates, 10635 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 140, Los Angeles, CA 90025.; Manager: Parseghian/Planco Management, 23 East 22nd St., Suite 3, New York, NY 10010.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Actor, director
- Birth Details
- August 28, 1930
- New York, New York, United States
Famous Works
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CREDITS
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Stage Appearances
- Micah, Jezebel's Husband, Pocono Playhouse, PA, 1952
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Day of Grace, Westport, CT, 1953
- Jocko de Paris, End as a Man, Vanderbilt Theatre, New York City, 1953, then Lyceum Theatre, New York City, 1953-54
- Brick, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Morosco Theatre, New York City, 1955-56
- Johnny Pope, A Hatful of Rain, Lyceum Theatre, 1955-56, then Plymouth Theatre, New York City, 1956
- Joy, The Night Circus, John Golden Theatre, New York City, 1958, later produced in 1959
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Epitaph for George Dillon, Playhouse in the Park, Philadelphia, PA, 1959
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Two for the Seesaw, 1960
- Edmund Darrell, Strange Interlude, Martin Beck Theatre and HudsonTheatre, both New York City, 1963
- Gaston, Traveller without Luggage, American National Theatre and Academy, New York City, 1964
- Erie Smith, Hughie, First Chicago Center, Chicago, IL, c. 1975, also produced with Duet as Hughie/Duet, John Golden Theatre, 1975
- Leonard Pelican, Duet, produced with Hughie as Hughie/Duet, John Golden Theatre, 1975
- George, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Music Box Theatre, New York City, 1976
- Eric Dawson, Shimada, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1992
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Chinese Coffee, New York City, 1994
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The Unexpected Man, Roundabout Theater's Gramercy on East, New York City, 2000
- Lawrence "Yogi" Berra, Nobody Don't Like Yogi (solo show), Bay Street Theatre, Sag Harbor, Long Island, NY, 2003, Lamb's Theatre, New York City, 2003-2004
- Appeared in Dance of Death and Thornhill.
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Major Tours
- Micah, Jezebel's Husband, summer tour, 1952
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Film Appearances
- Card player, I'll Cry Tomorrow, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1955
- Sergeant Jocko de Paris, The Strange One (also known as End asa Man), Columbia, 1957
- Lieutenant Frederick Manion, Anatomy of a Murder (also known as Anatomy of Murder), Columbia, 1959
- Lello, Joyful Laughter (also known as Laugh for Joy,
ThePassionate Thief, and Risate di gioia), Embassy, 1960
- Dr. David Coleman, The Young Doctors (also known as No Deadly Machine), United Artists, 1961
- John Resko, Convicts Four (also known as Reprieve), AlliedArtists, 1961
- Roger Bannon, A Rage to Live, United Artists, 1964
- Captain Stubbs, Conquered City (also known as The Captive City and La citta prigioniera), American International Pictures, 1965
- Card player, If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, United Artists, 1969
- Sergeant Angelo, The Bridge at Remagen, United Artists, 1969
- Harry, Husbands, Columbia, 1970
- Narrator, King: A Filmed Record ... Montgomery to Memphis (documentary), Maron Films, 1970
- Commander Adrian Blake (U.S. Navy), The Neptune Factor (also knownas The Neptune Disaster and An Underwater Odyssey), TwentiethCentury-Fox, 1973
- Al Capone (title role), Capone (also known as Al Capone), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1974
- Cosmo Vitelli, Killing of a Chinese Bookie (also known as The Killing of a Chinese Bookie), Faces, 1976
- Morris Troper, Voyage of the Damned, Avco-Embassy, 1976
- Clifford Baumgartner, High Velocity, First Asian, 1977
- Joseph Coppola, Afyon oppio (also known as Action Heroine,
The Sicilian Connection, and La filiere), Joseph Green, 1977
- Manny Victor (the director), Opening Night, Faces, 1977
- Jack Flowers, Saint Jack, New World, 1979
- Rhys Williams, Bloodline (also known as Sidney Sheldon's "Bloodline" and Blutspur), Paramount, 1979
- John Russo, They All Laughed, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1980
- Charles Serking, Tales of Ordinary Madness (also known as Contede la folie ordinaire and Storie di ordinaria follia), Fred Baker, 1981
- Major Frank Hallsworth, Inchon (also known as Inchon! and Oh, Inchon!), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1981
- Dino Romani, The Girl from Trieste (also known as La ragazza diTrieste), Golden Era, 1982
- Amnesiac, Uno scandalo perbene (also known as A Lovely Scandal and A Proper Scandal), 1984
- Alberto, La donna delle meraviglie (also known as Woman of Wonders), 1985
- Paul Riviere, Champagne amer (also known as Secret Obsession,
Tattooed Memory, and La memoire tatouee), 1985
- The professor, Il camorrista (also known as The Professor),1985
- Antonio Morelli, My Dearest Son (also known as Figlio mio infinitamente caro), 1987
- Ben Norrell, Quicker Than the Eye (also known as Supertrickand Schneller als das Auge), Condor Productions/Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen/Crocodile Productions, 1987
- Title role, Don Bosco, 1988
- Brad Wesley, Road House (also known as Roadhouse), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1989
- John, Beyond the Ocean (also known as Oltre l'oceano), 1990
- Marcelo Rondi, Forever (also known as Per sempre), 1992
- Pharaoh Amenophis III, Nefertiti, figlia del sole (also known as Nefertiti: Daughter of the Sun), 1992
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People across the Way, 1993
- Moshe, Swallows Never Die in Jerusalem (also known as Les hirondelles ne meurent pas a Jerusalem), Alma Films/Baba Films, 1994
- Amos, Banditi, 1995
- Central Intelligence Agency chief Dick Althorp, The Zone (also known as The Dogfighters), LIVE Home Video, 1996
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Una donna in fuga, 1996
- Farmer, Farmer and Chase, Arrow Releasing, 1997
- Jimmy Brown, Buffalo '66, Lion's Gate Films/Muse Productions, 1997
- March, Vicious Circles, Trimark Pictures, 1997
- Mr. Klein, The Spanish Prisoner, Sony Pictures Classics, 1997
- Vice president Saxon, Shadow Conspiracy (also known as The Shadow Program), Buena Vista, 1997
- The arranger, Shark in a Bottle, 1998
- Flavio, Illuminata, Artisan Entertainment/Overseas FilmGroup, 1998
- Jackie Treehorn, The Big Lebowski, Gramercy Pictures, 1998
- John Sage, Too Tired to Die, Phaedra Cinema/Dream Search Entertainment/Black Swan Productions, 1998
- Lenny Jordan, Happiness, Good Machine, 1998
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Poor Liza, 1998
- Andrew Wallace (Thomas Crown's lawyer), The Thomas Crown Affair, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1999
- Luigi, Summer of Sam, Buena Vista, 1999
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Paradise Cove, 1999
- Bartossa, Jack of Hearts, 2000
- Himself, A Constant Forge: The Life and Art of John Cassavetes (documentary; also known as A Constant Forge), The Criterion Collection,2000
- District attorney Bernard Salman, The List (also known as La liste), Moonstone Entertainment/York Entertainment, 2000
- Ellicott Winslowe, Believe, Avalanche Home Entertainment, 2000
- Frank, Blue Moon, Castle Hill Productions/Curb Entertainment, 2000
- Gino Minetti, Very Mean Men, Miracle Entertainment, 2000
- Jim, Undertaker's Paradise (also known as Ein todsicheres Geschaft), 2000
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Home Sweet Hoboken, Allied Entertainment Group, 2000
- L'avvocato Scalzi, Nella terra di nessuno, 2001
- Himself, Quien es Alejandro Chomski? (documentary; also known as Who Is Alejandro Chomski?), 2002
- Don Jose, Schubert, Viriato Films, 2002
- Himself, Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (documentary; also known as Broadway,
Broadway: The Golden Age,and Broadway: The Movie), Dada Films, 2003
- Himself, Dogville Confessions (documentary), 2003
- Jack McKay, Dogville (also known as U--Der Film "Dogville" erzaehlt in neun Kapiteln und einem Prolog.), Lions Gate Films, 2003
- Solomos, L'ospite segreto (also known as The Secret Guest),2003
- General Secretov, ... And Quiet Flows the Don, Madison Motion Pictures, 2004
- Ben, "5th arrondissement," Paris, je t'aime, Celsius Entertainment, 2005
- Himself, Wiseguys and Beyond: Italian Americans and the Movies (documentary), Pacific Street Films, 2005
- Vince, Victor in December, Wild Bear Films, 2005
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Film Director
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Beyond the Ocean (also known as Oltre l'oceano), 1990
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Television Appearances
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Series
- Detective sergeant Nick Anderson, Arrest and Trial, ABC, 1963-64
- Paul Bryan, Run for Your Life, NBC, 1965-68
- Narrator, PaleoWorld (also known as Paleoworld), The Learning Channel, beginning c. 1994
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Miniseries
- Abe Cady, QB VII, ABC, 1974
- Anson "Kip" Roberts, The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald, ABC, 1977
- Nick Pierson, An Early Frost, NBC, 1985
- Gus Bailey, People Like Us, 1990
- Joseph "J. B. Bananas" Bonanno, Love, Honor and Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage, NBC, 1993
- Gregorio Kos, Il tesoro di damasco, [Italy], 1998
- Padre Guelfi, Angelo nero, [Italy], 1998
- Colonel Marshall, Tre stelle, [Italy], 1999
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Movies
- Fred, Carol for Another Christmas, ABC, 1964
- Doremus Connelly, When Michael Calls (also known as Shattered Silence), ABC, 1972
- Eddie Rico, The Family Rico, CBS, 1972
- Major general Joe Barrett, Fireball Forward, ABC, 1972
- Steven Graves, Pursuit (also known as Binary), ABC, 1972
- Nick Baron, Maneater, ABC, 1973
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You'll Never See Me Again, 1973
- George Werner, The Death of Richie (also known as Richie),NBC, 1977
- Detective Joe DeFalco, A Question of Honor, CBS, 1982
- Porter Holloway, A Letter to Three Wives, NBC, 1985
- Henry Cardell, Down Payment on Murder (also known as Downpayment on Murder), NBC, 1987
- Mike Zeller (some sources cite Mike Zella), Control (also known asMind Control,
Controle, and Il giorno prima), HBO, 1987
- Grant Sanders, Lies before Kisses, 1991
- John, Les gens d'en face (also known as The Window over the Way,
Els de dewart,
Else de devant, and Los de enfrente), 1992
- Ira Gold, Blindsided, 1993
- Charlie Duke, Parallel Lives, Showtime, 1994
- Papa, Fatal Vows: The Alexandra O'Hara Story, 1994
- Warden, Convict Cowboy, 1995
- Lieutenant Jack "Jigsaw" Lasky, Scene of the Crime (also known asLady Killer and Ladykiller), Showtime, 1996
- Frank, Stag, HBO, 1997
- Joe Buddha, Valentine's Day (also known as Protector), HBO,1998
- Raphael de Pietro, Never Love a Thief (also known as Sherwood'sTravels), PAX TV, c. 1998
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Un bacio nel buio, 1999
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Piovuto dal cielo, 2000
- Coach George Halas, "Brian's Song," The Wonderful World of Disney,ABC, 2001
- Nick, Hysterical Blindness, HBO, 2002
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Specials
- Davidde, Cry Vengeance, NBC, 1961
- Narrator, The American Dream: The General (documentary; also knownas The General), CBS, 1974
- Narrator, The Life of Leonardo di Vinci, syndicated, 1974
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John Cassavetes (documentary), PBS, 1990
- Himself, Anything for John (documentary; also known as Cassavetes: Anything for John), Independent Film Channel, 1995
- Himself, Cassavetes: Claroscuro americano, 2001
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Episodic
- "Fresh as a Daisy," Danger, CBS, 1952
- "The Last Mile," Kraft Television Theatre, NBC, 1952
- "A Case of Escape," The Web, CBS, 1953
- Richard Elgin, Jr., "The Notebook Warrior," The U.S. Steel Hour, ABC, 1954
- "The Alibi Kid," Medallion Theatre, CBS, 1954
- "The First Hold Up," Danger, CBS, 1954
- "The Gunman," Danger, CBS, 1954
- "Positive Identification," Justice, NBC, 1954
- "The Timid Thief," Justice, NBC, 1954
- "Witness to Murder," Justice, NBC, 1954
- Stanley Carr, "The Troublemakers," Playhouse 90, CBS, 1957
- M. Paul, "The Violent Heart," Playhouse 90, CBS, 1958
- "Mooney's Kid Don't Cry" (also known as "Three Plays by Tennessee Williams: Moony's Kid Don't Cry"), Kraft Television Theatre, NBC, 1958
- "Body and Soul," DuPont Show of the Month, CBS, 1959
- Guest panelist, What's My Line?, CBS, 1959 (multiple episodes), 1960, 1961
- Sidney, "Free of Charge," Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater,NBC, 1967
- Himself, The Dick Cavett Show, ABC, 1970
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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, 1970, 1971 (multipleepisodes), 1973
- Captain Tom Wright, "The Freeway Killings," Police Story, NBC, 1987
- Himself, Howard Stern, E! Entertainment Television, 1996
- Stasi, "A New Life," Strangers, [Canada and France], 1996
- Himself, "Lee Strasberg: The Method Man," Biography (documentary),Arts and Entertainment, 1998
- Executive assistant district attorney, "Wrath," Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (also known as Law & Order: SVU and SpecialVictims Unit), NBC, 2001
- Himself, The Tony Danza Show, syndicated, 2005
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Pilots
- Paul Bryan, Rapture at Two-Forty, NBC, 1965, broadcast as an episode of Kraft Suspense Theatre
- Host, Hollywood's Most Sensational Mysteries, NBC, 1984
- Dom Diablo, The Notorious (also known as The Notorious 7),Fox, 1997
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The Webster Report, CBS, 2004
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Television Director
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Movies
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Columbo: A Friend in Deed (also known as "A Friend in Deed," Columbo), NBC, 1974
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Columbo: Troubled Waters (also known as "Troubled Waters," Columbo), NBC, 1975
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Episodic
- "The Killing Scene," Run for Your Life, NBC, 1968
- "Appointment in Palermo," The Name of the Game, NBC, 1971
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Radio Appearances
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Episodic
- Himself, The Howard Stern Radio Show, 1996
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WRITINGS
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Screenplays
- (With others) Beyond the Ocean (also known as Oltre l'oceano), 1990
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Nonfiction
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In the Moment: My Life as an Actor (autobiography), Carroll &Graf, 2004
Further Reference
OTHER SOURCES
Periodicals
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Detour, June/July, 1998
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Los Angeles Times, April 12, 1998
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Variety, September 13, 1999, p. 59
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