J. Edward Bromberg

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J. Edward Bromberg (born December 25, 1903 as Josef Bromberger in Timișoara , then Austria-Hungary , now Romania ; † December 6, 1951 in London , England ) was an American actor.

life and career

Career

J. Edward Bromberg, born as Josef Bromberger in what was then Austria-Hungary, emigrated to the United States with his family as a small child. After attending Stuyvesant High School , he worked as a clothes seller, candy maker and laundry clerk to finance his acting studies at the renowned Chekhov Art Theater in Moscow . His acting debut in the US in November 1926 at the Broadway -Stück Princess Turandot . In the following years he worked in the drama group of Eva Le Gallienne and was one of the founding members of the Group Theater . Until his death, he played major character roles on Broadway regularly. His notable theater appearances include Szabuniewicz in the world premiere of Franz Werfels Jacobowsky and the Colonel (1944) and a film mogul in Clifford Odets ' The Big Knife (1949) directed by Lee Strasberg .

His small, rather corpulent stature ensured that even in his younger years he often embodied men of middle to advanced age. He could play both sinister villains and personable characters, such as the main character's best friend (for example as Benvolio in a Broadway production of Romeo and Juliet ). Hollywood became aware of Bromberg, when he was in the with the Pulitzer Prize winning play Men in White by Sidney Kingsley occurred. He made his film debut in 1936 in Frank Lloyd's adventure film Unter Zwei Flags , in which he played a supporting role as an officer alongside Ronald Colman and Claudette Colbert . He made a total of 55 film appearances by 1950, often under production by 20th Century Fox . His more famous films include Jesse James, Man Without a Law (1939) and In the Sign of Zorro (1940) opposite Tyrone Power , as well as the role of a professor in Robert Siodmak's horror film Dracula's Son (1943). Usually used in supporting roles, he was given the lead role in the 1941 spy drama The Devil Pays Off, a dishonorable dismissed naval officer who wants to restore his honor.

Bromberg also worked as a theater director and acting teacher. Shortly before his death, he also appeared as an actor on television, which was just becoming popular.

McCarthy era and death

J. Edward Bromberg is a well-known example of the persecution of alleged communists within the film industry during the McCarthy era . In 1950 the anti-communist magazine Red Channels stated that Bromberg was a member of the US Communist Party . The following year, the director Edward Dmytryk referred to him in a statement as a communist. When Bromberg refused to testify before the Committee on Un-American Activities , he was blacklisted and could no longer appear in films. Ultimately, Bromberg moved to England , where he died of a heart attack only a little later at the age of only 47. The persecution stress that had affected his health in the preceding months is often blamed for his untimely death.

Bromberg left behind his wife Goldie Doberman, with whom he had been married since 1927, and three children. The funeral speech at Bromberg's funeral was held by actress Lee Grant , who was then blacklisted herself. Bromberg's son Conrad published the autobiographical piece Dream of a Blacklisted Actor about his father in 1986 .

Filmography (selection)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ J. Edward Bromberg at Find A Grave
  2. ↑ Broadway Actors in Films, 1894–2015 by Roy Liebman
  3. ↑ Review of Dream of a Blacklisted Actor in the New York Times on December 12, 1986
personal data
SURNAME Bromberg, J. Edward
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bromberger, Josef (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION US-American actor
DATE OF BIRTH December 25, 1903
PLACE OF BIRTH Timișoara , then Austria-Hungary , now Romania
DATE OF DEATH December 6, 1951
Place of death London , England , UK