Birthday: 1914-02-26
Deathday: 1986-05-03
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
Gender: Male
Owned By: Unowned
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Robert Alda (February 26, 1914 – May 3, 1986) was an American theatrical and film actor and father of actors Alan and Antony Alda. A singer and dancer, Alda was featured in a number of Broadway productions before moving 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).
Alda, an American of Italian descent, was born Alphonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo in New York, New York, the son of Frances (née Tumillo) and Antonio D'Abruzzo, a barber born in Sant'Agata de' Goti, Benevento, Campania, Italy. He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York in 1930. He began as a singer and dancer in vaudeville after winning a talent contest, and moved on to burlesque.
Alda is known for portraying George Gershwin in the biopic Rhapsody in Blue (1945) as well as the talent agent in the Douglas Sirk classic Imitation of Life (1959). He was very successful on Broadway, starring in Guys and Dolls (1950), for which he won a Tony Award, and in What Makes Sammy Run? (1964). He was also the host of the short-lived DuMont TV version of the game show What's Your Bid? (May–June 1953).
Alda's first wife, and mother of actor Alan Alda, Joan Browne, was a homemaker and former beauty pageant winner. Alda was married to his second wife, Flora Marino, an Italian actress whom he met in Rome, until his death.
Alda made two guest appearances with his son Alan on M*A*S*H, in the episodes "The Consultant" (January 1975) and "Lend a Hand" (February 1980). The latter episode also featured Antony Alda (1956–2009), his younger son by his second wife.
Alda appeared in an episode of The Feather and Father Gang in 1977.
Alda died on May 3, 1986, aged 72, after a long illness following a stroke.
Year | Title | Character | |
---|---|---|---|
1980-02-08 | Lucy Moves to NBC | Mr. Luder | |
1979-02-07 | Express to Terror | Dr. Dan Lewis | |
1978-12-21 | Spider-Man Strikes Back | Mr. White | |
1978-10-25 | The Squeeze | Captain Donati | |
1978-03-14 | Perfect Gentlemen | Ed Martin | |
1978-01-02 | Fame | Concierge | |
1978-01-01 | Every Girl Should Have One | Adam Becker | |
1976-10-01 | Bittersweet Love | Ben | |
1976-07-26 | Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood | Richard Entwhistle | |
1976-02-18 | I Will, I Will...For Now | Dr. Magnus | |
1976-01-01 | Holiday Hookers | Client | |
1975-04-19 | Last Hours Before Morning | Theo 'Lucky' English | |
1975-04-02 | The House of Exorcism | Father Michael | |
1975-02-21 | Cagliostro | Pope Clement XIII | |
1973-04-07 | The Serpent | Polygraph interrogator | |
1969-11-07 | The Girl Who Knew Too Much | Kenneth Allandice | |
1967-09-20 | All Woman | Wally | |
1962-09-08 | Totò e Peppino divisi a Berlino | Lo Bianco | |
1962-02-23 | Musketeers of the Sea | Vice Governatore Gomez | |
1961-11-01 | Force of Impulse | Warren Reese | |
1961-09-13 | The Devil's Hand | Rick Turner | |
1960-12-23 | Revenge of the Barbarians | Ataulf | |
1960-12-07 | Cleopatra's Daughter | Inuni, Pharaoh's Architect | |
1960-02-11 | Un militare e mezzo | Roy Harrison | |
1959-06-26 | Imitation of Life | Allen Loomis | |
1955-10-21 | Beautiful But Dangerous | Maestro Doria | |
1955-01-01 | Assignment Abroad | Major Bill Morgan | |
1951-07-01 | Two Gals and a Guy | Deke Oliver | |
1951-01-10 | Mister Universe | Fingers Maroni | |
1950-06-23 | Tarzan and the Slave Girl | Neil | |
1950-01-15 | Hollywood Varieties | Master of Ceremonies | |
1949-04-02 | Homicide | Andy | |
1948-03-27 | April Showers | Billy Shay | |
1947-02-22 | Nora Prentiss | Phil Dinardo, Cafe Owner | |
1947-02-08 | The Beast with Five Fingers | Bruce Conrad [Conrad Ryler in on-screen end credits] | |
1946-12-26 | The Man I Love | Nicky Toresca | |
1946-09-28 | Cloak and Dagger | Pinkie | |
1946-03-09 | Cinderella Jones | Tommy Coles | |
1945-06-27 | Rhapsody in Blue | George Gershwin |