J. Carrol Naish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
J. Carrol Naish
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Naish as Luigi Basco in the radio program Life with Luigi (1950)
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| Born |
Joseph Patrick Carrol Naish
January 21, 1896 New York City, U.S.
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| Died | January 24, 1973 (aged 77) La Jolla, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Calvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1926–1971 |
| Spouse(s) |
Gladys Heaney
(m. 1929) |
| Children | 1 |
Joseph Patrick Carrol Naish (born January 21, 1896 – died January 24, 1973) was an American actor. He was very busy in Hollywood, appearing in over 200 movies during the "Golden Age of Hollywood." This was a time when many classic films were made.
J. Carrol Naish was known for being a "dialect specialist." This means he was really good at speaking with different accents. Because of this, he played characters from many different countries and backgrounds. He acted as people from Southern Europe (especially Italy), Eastern Europe, Latin America, Native Americans, and even people from the Middle East and Asia. People sometimes called him "Hollywood's one-man U.N." because he could play so many different types of people. Even though he was Irish, he rarely played Irish characters. He once said that when an Irish role came up, no one thought of him!
Naish was nominated for an Oscar twice. These nominations were for his roles in the movies Sahara (1943) and A Medal for Benny (1945). For A Medal for Benny, he also won a Golden Globe. In 1960, he received a special honor: a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Early Life and Beginnings
J. Carrol Naish was born in New York City on January 21, 1896. He went to St. Cecilia's Academy in New York. Before he started making movies, he performed on stage in both Paris and New York.
His movie career really took off around 1930. This was when movies started having sound, and many stage actors were hired for these new "talking pictures."
A Busy Acting Career
Naish became a very active supporting actor, appearing in more than 200 films. He was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Giuseppe in the movie Sahara (1943). In this film, his character gives a powerful speech about freedom. He was nominated for another Oscar for playing the father in A Medal for Benny (1945). He won a Golden Globe for this role.
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He often played bad guys in movies. These roles included gangsters in many Paramount films. He also played mad scientists, like Dr. Daka in the Batman movie series. In this series, he was first going to play The Joker. But he was changed to a Japanese supervillain to fit the wartime story.
In the 1940s, Naish also appeared in several horror films. For example, he played Boris Karloff's assistant in House of Frankenstein (1944).
On the radio, Naish was the star of a popular show called Life with Luigi (1948–1953). He played Luigi Basco, an Italian immigrant. The radio show was so popular that it became a TV series, and Naish continued to play Luigi.
In 1955, Naish acted in a play on Broadway called A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller. He played the role of Alfieri.
Later, from 1957 to 1958, Naish played the main character in the TV series The New Adventures of Charlie Chan.
Through the 1960s, Naish mostly appeared as a guest star on television shows. His last movie role was in 1971. He came out of retirement to play a descendant of Dr. Frankenstein in the horror film Dracula vs. Frankenstein. This was the last movie for both Naish and his co-star, Lon Chaney Jr..
Personal Life
J. Carrol Naish was married to actress Gladys Heaney. They were married from 1929 until his death. They had one daughter named Elaine.
Death and Legacy
Naish moved to San Diego later in his life. He passed away from emphysema on January 24, 1973, in La Jolla, California. He was 77 years old. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles, California.
For all his work in television, J. Carrol Naish has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You can find it at 6145 Hollywood Boulevard.
Images for kids
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Three generations of Naishes in 1952. Seated is Patrick Naish; standing are his son, J. Carrol, and granddaughter, Elaine. Elaine Naish was an actress who often played supporting roles on Life With Luigi.
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J. Carrol Naish from a trailer for the film Hit the Deck (1955)
