Nick Cravat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nick Cravat
Nick Cravat (right) with Burt Lancaster, performing as Lang and Cravat with the Federal Theatre Project Circus (1935–38)
Born	Nicholas Cuccia January 10, 1912 New York City, U.S.
Died	January 29, 1994(1994-01-29) (aged 82) Woodland Hills, California, U.S.
Resting place	Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery
Occupation	Actor, stunt performer
Years active	1930–1977
Spouse(s)	Mae Ruth Simpkins Cuccia (?-1952; her death) Cecilia Brink
Children	2

William Shatner with Cravat as the gremlin in The Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" (1963)

Nicholas Cuccia (pronounced coo-cha; born January 10, 1912 – died January 29, 1994), known by his stage name Nick Cravat, was an American actor and stunt performer. He was famous for his acrobatic skills and for often playing characters who did not speak.

Early Life

Nicholas Cuccia was born in Manhattan, New York City. His family name, Cuccia, was Italian and could be hard for some people to say. Because of this, he chose a different name for his acting career: Cravat. He picked this name from a character he liked in a play.

His Acting Career

Nick Cravat and Burt Lancaster became friends when they were young at a summer camp in New York. They stayed friends for their whole lives. In the early 1930s, they created an amazing acrobatic act together. They called their act Lang and Cravat.

They performed in different circuses and in vaudeville. Vaudeville was a type of entertainment with many different acts, like comedy, music, and acrobatics. In 1939, Burt Lancaster hurt his hand, which meant they could no longer do their acrobatic act.

Later, Nick Cravat and Burt Lancaster worked together again in movies. Nick Cravat appeared in nine films with Lancaster. Some of these movies include The Flame and the Arrow (1950) and The Crimson Pirate (1952). He also appeared in Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) and The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977).

In many of his films, Nick Cravat played characters who could not speak. This was often because his strong Brooklyn accent might not have fit the time period or setting of the movie. He also played the scary "gremlin" on the airplane wing in a famous 1963 episode of The Twilight Zone called "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet".

His Family Life

Nick Cravat was married twice. His first wife was Mae Ruth Cuccia, also known as Arlene Cravat. He had two daughters from his second marriage to Cecilia Brink. Their names are Marcelina "Marcy" Cravat-Overway and Christina "Tina" Cravat.

His daughter, Marcy Cravat, is a filmmaker who makes movies about the environment. Her first film, Angel Azul, came out in 2014. It won 12 awards! This movie looked at problems facing coral reefs and how art can help raise awareness. Her second film, Dirt Rich, explores ways to help stop global warming by putting carbon back into the soil.

Later Life and Passing

Nick Cravat passed away on January 29, 1994, in Woodland Hills, California. He was 82 years old and died from lung cancer. He is buried at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood.

Movies and TV Shows

See also

In Spanish: Nick Cravat para niños