Martin Gabel

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Martin Gabel (born June 19, 1912 in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , † May 22, 1986 in New York City , New York ) was an American actor , director and film producer .

Life

Gabel first attended Lehigh University , where he studied English . But then he turned to acting and moved to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts . He played in the theater in the 1930s and made his Broadway debut in 1934 in The Sky's the Limit at the Fulton Theater . Gabel was one of the founding members of the Mercury Theater, founded by Orson Welles and John Houseman , and starred in their productions of Julius Caesar and Danton's Death . In 1939 he was one of the fundraisers to finance the theater production of Life with Father, which saw 3,224 performances from 1939 to 1947 and was then made into a film with William Powell and Elizabeth Taylor . From 1940 he also worked as a director and producer on Broadway and with The Survivors he brought on stage in 1948, a piece written with Peter Viertel and Irwin Shaw . He also acted as a radio announcer for Orson Welles The Mercury Theater on the Air .

In 1947 he began his film career as a director, but the drama Letters from the Beyond, based on the novella Aspern's estate by Henry James with Robert Cummings and Susan Hayward in the leading roles, was to remain his only directorial work. In the same year he produced the drama Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman with Walter Wanger with Susan Hayward and Lee Bowman in the leading roles. This was his only feature film as a producer, in 1954 he also produced an episode of the television series The Comeback Story .

From 1951 he also appeared in film and television; the most famous films with his participation include Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie and Billy Wilder's extra sheet . In addition to his film career, however, he continued to appear on Broadway until the late 1970s and was awarded the 1961 Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor for Big Fish, Little Fish . In 1981 he received his only nomination for filmmaking, but that year the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor went to Scatman Crothers for The Shining . He was a frequent guest on the hit game show What's My Line? , in which he appeared 114 times. Here he was surpassed by his wife Arlene Francis , who made 779 appearances on the show.

Gabel was married to actress Arlene Francis from 1946 until his death. The marriage had a son, Peter Gabel.

Filmography (selection)

As a director

As an actor (selection)

Broadway (selection)

Martin Gabel (Cassius) and Orson Welles (Brutus) in the Broadway production of Julius Caesar , 1937

Awards

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Gabel, Martin
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American actor, director, and film producer
DATE OF BIRTH June 19, 1912
PLACE OF BIRTH Philadelphia , Pennsylvania
DATE OF DEATH May 22, 1986
Place of death New York City , New York