Jack Chakrin (born June 24, 1923), known by his professional name of Jack Carter, is a Jewish-American comedian, actor and host. Brooklyn-born Carter had a long-running comedy act similar to fellow rapid-paced contemporaries Milton Berle and Morey Amsterdam. Carter is, arguably, the most prolific stand-up comedian in television history.
Carter was the host of an early television variety program called Cavalcade of Stars on the DuMont Network. He was lured away to NBC to host his own program titled The Jack Carter Show. Carter recommended Jackie Gleason take his place as host of Cavalcade of Stars. The Jack Carter Show appeared under the banner of the Saturday Night Revue, NBC's two and a half hour Saturday night programming slot. Carter hosted his show for one hour each week followed by the ninety minute Your Show of Shows starring Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris.
His only major Broadway appearance was opposite Sammy Davis, Jr. in the 1956 musical Mr. Wonderful. He had previously replaced Phil Silvers in the Broadway show Top Banana.
He was a frequent guest on The Ed Sullivan Show during the 1960s and early 1970s, and could do a fair Sullivan impression. He appeared as himself (along with his first wife Paula Stewart) in the comedy series The Joey Bishop Show. In the late 1960s, he was the host of a game show pilot called Second Guessers. The pilot did not sell. He was also a frequent panelist on the television game show Match Game during the 1973-74 season and again during the early 1980s. He has also made appearances on television shows, including Diagnosis: Unknown, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Rockford Files, 7th Heaven, The Road West, Sanford and Son, and Tattletales, with his third wife Roxanne. He played himself as host of a hotel talent show in the 1964 Elvis Presley movie, Viva Las Vegas and voiced the aging cartoon producer Wilbur Cobb on The Ren and Stimpy Show.
He was cast as Arthur Spooner in the pilot episode of the CBS sitcom The King of Queens, but was replaced by Jerry Stiller before the series started regular production.
Now in his late 80s, he is still performing on television. In 2009, Carter appeared on Monk, Desperate Housewives, and the movie The Great Buck Howard. He also appeared in the iCarly episodes, "iGot a Hot Room" and "iStart a Fan War" in 2010. He can be seen in the Showtime series Shameless as Stan, the racist old bar owner. Latest work include a cameo on New Girl and a voice on Family Guy.
Famous quotes containing the words jack and/or carter:
“Just we two
Darby and Joan, who used to be Jack and Jill.”
—Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960)
“Spindly branches of buttercups were secreted among gleaming stems still moist at the roots from last night’s rain that had washed and refreshed the entire wood, had dowered it in poignant transparency, the unique, inconsolable quality of rainy countries, as if all was glimpsed through tears.”
—Angela Carter (1940–1992)