Howard Da Silva
HOWARD DA SILVA appeared in a number of Broadway musicals, including the role of Larry Foreman in the legendary first production of Marc Blitzstein's musical, The Cradle Will Rock (1937). Later, he costarred in the original 1943 stage production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, playing the role of the psychopathic Jud Fry. He was the easy going Ben who controlled Tammany Hall in the Pulitzer winning musical Fiorello . In 1969 he originated the role of Benjamin Franklin in the musical 1776 and played him in the 1972 film version as well. Da Silva appeared in over 60 motion pictures. Some of his memorable roles include playing Ray Milland's bartender in The Lost Weekend (1945) and the half-blind criminal Chicamaw 'One-Eye' Mobley in They Live by Night (1949). He also released an album on Monitor Records of political songs and ballads, entitled, Politics and Poker. In the 1950s, after being blacklisted as a result of the investigations into alleged communist influence in the movie industry by the House Committee on Un-American Activities and unable to find movie or TV work, Da Silva returned to the stage. He was nominated for the 1960 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as Ben Marino in Fiorello! (1959). Da Silva was nominated for the British BAFTA Film Award for Best Foreign Actor for his performance as "Dr. Swinford" in David and Lisa (1962). He was the narrator for the U.S. released versions of the British TV program Doctor Who. Da Silva portrayed Soviet Premier Khrushchev in the 1974 television docudrama The Missiles of October. He won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Special for his role as Eddie in Verna: U.S.O. Girl (1978) with Sissy Spacek. Da Silva also played Meyer Wolfsheim in The Great Gatsby (1974), Franklin D. Roosevelt in The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1983), Louis B. Mayer in Mommie Dearest (1981), Angelo Dokakis in Garbo Talks (1984), Da Silva also appeared as a voice actor in 26 episodes of a 1970s old-time radio revival show called The CBS Radio Mystery Theater between July 1974 and February 1977. Howard Da Silva died of lymphoma at the age of 76 in Ossining, New York in 1986. Bio as of September, 2009. American Theatre Wing programs, interviews and/or credits include: SDCF Masters of the Stage (audio) Howard DaSilva and Alfred Drake - January, 1985 - Listen Now. Internet Broadway Database Listing (IBDB.com)