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John Elmer Carson (October 27, 1910 – January 2, 1963), known as Jack Carson, was a Canadian-born American film actor. Carson often played the role of comedic friend in films of the 1940s and 1950s, including The Strawberry Blonde (1941) with James Cagney and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) with Cary Grant. He appeared in such dramas as Mildred Pierce (1945), A Star Is Born (1954), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). He worked for RKO Pictures and MGM (where he was cast opposite Myrna Loy and William Powell in Love Crazy, 1941), but most of his notable work was for Warner Bros.
Because of his size—6 ft 2 in (1.9 m) and 220 lb (100 kg)—Carson's first stage appearance (in a collegiate production) was as Hercules. During a performance, he tripped and took half the set with him. Dave Willock, a college friend, thought it was so funny he persuaded Carson to team with him in a vaudeville act—Willock and Carson—and a new career was born with "a very successful comedy team that played large and small vaudeville theatres everywhere in North America".
After the act with Willock broke up, Carson teamed with dancer Betty Alice Lindy for appearances in theaters on the Orpheum Circuit.
In 1947–1948, he starred in The Sealtest Village Store.
In 1949, as part of the show, Jack Carson's radio program toured, with Jack Carson, Marion Hutton, and Robert Alda. notably, in Chicago, and supporting John Loves Mary in New York City.
An early standout role for Carson was as a mock-drunk, undercover G-Man opposite Richard Cromwell in Universal Pictures's anti-Nazi action drama titled Enemy Agent. This led to contract-player status with Warner Brothers. While there, he was teamed with Dennis Morgan in a number of popular films known as the "Two Guys" movies, supposedly to compete with Paramount's popular Bing Crosby – Bob Hope Road to … pictures.
Most of his work at Warner Brothers was limited to light comedy work with Morgan, and later Doris Day (who in her autobiography gave credit to Carson as one of her early Hollywood mentors). He also did work for Columbia Pictures, starring in a slapstick comedy, The Good Humor Man in 1950, co-starring his future wife, Lola Albright.
Critics generally agree that Carson's best work was in Mildred Pierce (1945), where he played the perpetually scheming Wally Fay opposite Joan Crawford in the title role. Also in 1945, he played the role of Harold Pierson, the second husband of Louise Randall, played by Rosalind Russell, in Roughly Speaking. Another role which won accolades for him was as publicist Matt Libby in A Star is Born (1954). One of his later film roles was as Cooper "Gooper" Pollitt in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958).
Carson had his own variety program, The Jack Carson Show, from 1954 to 1955,
His TV appearances, extending into the early 1960s, included Fireside Theatre in 1955; The Guy Mitchell Show, and The Polly Bergen Show in 1957; Alcoa Theatre and Bonanza (Season 1, Ep.9: "Mr. Henry Comstock") in 1959; Thriller ("The Big Blackout") in 1960; The Twilight Zone (Season 2, Ep. 14: "The Whole Truth") in 1961; and in perhaps his last TV appearance, Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Season 7, Ep. 35: "The Children of Alda Nuova") on June 5, 1962.
His TV pilot, Kentucky Kid, was under consideration as a potential series for NBC, but was shelved when Carson became ill with stomach cancer. Carson would have played a veterinarian who raises horses and who has an adopted Chinese child. The series was revived by NBC as Kentucky Jones starring Dennis Weaver in the Carson role.
In 1983, after his death, Carson was inducted into the Wisconsin Performing Artists Hall of Fame along with Dennis Morgan.
On August 26, 1962, while rehearsing the play Critic's Choice in Andover, New Jersey, Carson collapsed on stage. An early diagnosis deemed it a stomach disorder, but two months later, stomach cancer was discovered while he was undergoing an unrelated operation. He died in Encino, California, on January 2, 1963, at the age of 52. Dick Powell, whom Carson had known for years, died (aged 58) on the same date, also from cancer. Carson was entombed in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California.
Carson's elder brother, Robert Carson, was also a character actor.
Radio
Radio was another source of employment for the team, starting with a 1938 appearance on the Kraft Music Hall when Bing Crosby hosted the show. In 1942–1943, he was host of The Camel Comedy Caravan, (1999). 9780786445134, McFarland & Company, Inc.. ISBN 9780786445134 and in the next season he starred in The New Jack Carson Show, which debuted on June 2, 1943. Charles Foster wrote about the show in Once Upon a Time in Paradise: Canadians in the Golden Age of Hollywood: "It broke audience records regularly during the four years it was on the air. Hollywood's biggest stars ... lined up to do guest spots on the show."
Film career
His success in radio led to the start of a lucrative film career. During the 1930s, as vaudeville declined from increased competition from radio and the movies, Willock and Carson sought work in Hollywood. Carson initially landed bit roles at RKO Radio Pictures in films such as Bringing Up Baby (1938), starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn.
Television
From 1950 to 1951, Carson was one of four alternating weekly hosts of the comedy-variety show Four Star Revue. (The others were veterans Jimmy Durante and Ed Wynn, and up-and-coming young Danny Thomas.) The second season was his last with the show, when it was renamed All Star Revue.
(2025). 9780786464777, McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 9780786464777 and was the announcer on the television version of Strike It Rich.
Legacy
On February 8, 1960, Carson received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the television and radio industry. The television star is located at 1560 Vine Street, the radio star at 6361 Hollywood Boulevard.
Personal life
Carson and Elizabeth Lindy married in 1938 and divorced in 1939. He was married to Kay St. Germain from 1941 to 1950. He and Lola Albright were married from 1952 to 1958. Carson was married from 1961 until his death to Sandra Jolley, former wife of actor Forrest Tucker and daughter of actor I. Stanford Jolley. Carson had a romantic relationship with Doris Day in 1950–51, but she left him for Marty Melcher, who became her third husband.
Selected filmography
Radio appearances
His Girl Friday Easy Money Guest Jack Carson Analytical Hour
Notes
Further reading
External links
Categories: 1910 Births, 1963 Deaths, 20th-century American Male Actors, 20th-century Canadian Male Actors, Burials At Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Canadian Emigrants To The United States, Canadian Male Film Actors, Canadian Male Radio Actors, Canadian Male Stage Actors, Canadian Male Television Actors, Canadian Slapstick Comedians, Carleton College Alumni, Deaths From Stomach Cancer In California, Male Actors From Manitoba, Male Actors From Milwaukee, People From Carman, Manitoba, Warner Bros. Contract Players, Rko Pictures Contract Players, Metro-goldwyn-mayer Contract Players
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