On June 28, television pioneering comedian Jack Carter died of respiratory failure in his residence in Beverly Hills, Calif. According to a family spokesperson, the known Broadway star turned 93 just four days before he passed away on Sunday.
Jack Carter, a Brooklyn-born comedian, actor and host had a long-running comedy career that spanned over a half-century in television, nightclubs, on movies and on stage. Hoping to become a dramatic actor, Jack Carter joined a stock company after high school. However, his talent at amusing others directed him toward comedy, Economic Times has learned.
Before becoming a legend in the entertainment industry, Jack Carter was drafted and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during the World War II. He then toured with the cast of Irving Berlin's show, "This Is the Army," along with other entertainment companies. And back in his civilian life in 1947, he made his Broadway debut in a musical about soldiers returning from war, entitled "Call Me Mister."
When network television was starting in 1948, Jack Carter was lured by several TV network giants. On the same year, Carter starred in a series of variety shows on ABC. Two years later, visionary NBC programmer Pat Weaver offered him a scheduled two-hour programming called, "Saturday Revue." Eventually, "The Jack Carter Show," which was a standup routine that poked fun at the day's news, was created, Nola.com reported.
Legendary comedian Jack Carter, who had started his career as a dramatic stage actor, also returned to the theater from time to time. He performed regularly in nightclubs and appeared in films. He also made almost three dozen movies, including Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas," "The Horizontal Lieutenant," "The Extraordinary Seaman" and "The Funny Farm," just to name a few.
Throughout his career in entertainment, Jack Carter remained the attacker, poking fun at members of the audience, disparaging politicians and celebrities.
"I'm one of the last entertainers who really works when he's on," he said during his 1963 interview. "I work to win the audience. I see these other guys, and they just recite. The less you do, the less you offend, of course, and that's what they want on TV."
Meanwhile, after Carter's first marriage failed, he married actress Paula Stewart, Burt Bacharach's ex-wife in 1960. The couple eventually gave birth to a son, Michael. Unfortunately, the marriage ended 10 years later. And in 1992, the pioneering comic remarried his first wife, Roxanne.
Jack Carter is survived by his wife Roxanne, sons, Michael and Chase, daughter Wendy, and two grandchildren, Jake and Ava, according to Entertainment Weekly. Despite his death, Carter's exceptional contribution in the entertainment industry, as well as his talent and influence, will never be forgotten.
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