James Komack

James Komack (August 3, 1924 – December 24, 1997) was an American actor, writer and film producer. Komack was in the original cast of the Broadway musical Damn Yankees and also in the film version; in both productions, he was one of the baseball players who perform the song "(You Gotta Have) Heart". Komack also appeared in Frank Capra's film A Hole in the Head, as Julius Manetta, inept son of Mario (Edward G. Robinson) and Sophie (Thelma Ritter).

In December 1960, Komack appeared as Dr. Franklin in the episode "Emergency" of CBS's anthology series, The DuPont Show with June Allyson; his co-stars were Robert F. Simon and Robert Vaughn. Komack was the guiding force behind such television hits as The Courtship of Eddie's Father, in which he also appeared as Norman Tinker, Me and Maxx, whose title character was inspired by and named after his daughter, Chico and the Man, and Welcome Back, Kotter. Komack is credited with discovering and launching the careers of John Travolta and Freddie Prinze. Early in his career, Komack worked as a stand up comedian and also appeared as a regular in the series Hennesey. He also made a record album of his routine, James Komack at the Waldorf. He also recorded an album on RCA Victor in 1957 of music, not a comedy album, titled Inside Me, under the orchestra direction of Dennis Farnon, RCA LPM-1501. He was director of the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "A Piece of the Action".

Komack was widely believed to be the illegitimate son of Milton Berle. In his autobiography, Berle describes an encounter with the producer of a hit 1970s' show, and got pitched for a role in another series (probably "The Man" in Chico and the Man). Berle said he didn't know the guy already had a hit show and was probably trying to hustle him to get a leg up as a producer. He wrote that it wasn't until later that he learned that this was the illegitimate son whom he had pined for ever since he'd had an affair with a would-be movie starlet back in the 1920s. By the time he came around, the role was cast.

Komack died Christmas Eve 1997 from heart failure.