Robert Alda

Robert Alda (born Alfonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo; February 26, 1914 – May 3, 1986) was an Italian-American theatrical and film actor, a singer, and a dancer. He was the father of actors Alan and Antony Alda. Alda was featured in a number of Broadway productions, then moved to Italy during the early 1960s. He appeared in many European films over the next two decades, occasionally returning to the U.S. for film appearances such as The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1969).

Robert Alda
Alda in 1976
Born	Alfonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo (1914-02-26)February 26, 1914 New York City, U.S.
Died	May 3, 1986(1986-05-03) (aged 72) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, U.S.
Occupations	Actor singer dancer
Years active	1935–1984
Spouses	Joan Browne ​ ​ (m. 1932; div. 1946)​ Flora Marino ​ ​ (m. 1955)​
Children	Alan Alda Antony Alda (1956–2009)

Early life

Alda, an American of Italian descent, was born Alfonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo in New York City, the son of Frances (née Tumillo) and Antonio D'Abruzzo, a barber born in Sant'Agata de' Goti, Benevento, Campania, Italy.^{[citation needed]} (D'Abruzzo is a toponymic surname.) He graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York in 1930.^{[citation needed]}

Career

He began his performing career as a singer and dancer in vaudeville after winning a talent contest, and moved on to burlesque.^[1]

Alda is known for portraying George Gershwin in the biographical film Rhapsody in Blue (1945) as well as the talent agent in the Douglas Sirk classic Imitation of Life (1959). On Broadway, he originated the role of Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls (1950), for which he won a Tony Award, and starred in What Makes Sammy Run? (1964). He was also the host of the DuMont TV version of the game show What's Your Bid? (May–June 1953).

Alda made two guest appearances with his son Alan on M*A*S*H, in the episodes "The Consultant" (January 1975) and "Lend a Hand" (February 1980). The latter episode also featured Antony Alda (1956–2009), his younger son by his second wife.

Alda appeared in an episode of The Feather and Father Gang in 1977.

Personal life

Alda's first wife, and mother of actor Alan Alda, Joan Browne, was a homemaker and former beauty pageant winner. They divorced in 1946.^[2] Alda was married to his second wife and mother of Antony, Flora Marino, an Italian actress whom he met in Rome, until his death.^{[citation needed]}

Death

Alda died on May 3, 1986, aged 72, after a long illness following a stroke.^[3]

 

Window Card Poster from 1950 original Broadway production of Guys and Dolls

He is buried in the Garden of Ascension lot 9101 Forest Lawn Cemetery, Glendale, California.^[4]

Theater credits

• Guys and Dolls (1950–1953)
• Harbor Lights (1956)
• Roger the Sixth (1957)
• Can-Can (1963)
• What Makes Sammy Run? (1964–1965)
• Riverwind (1966)
• My Daughter, Your Son (1969)
• The Front Page (1969–1970)
• Follies (1973)
• The Sunshine Boys (1974-1975)

Selected filmography

 

Alda in the trailer for Rhapsody in Blue in 1945

• Rhapsody in Blue (1945) as George Gershwin
• Cinderella Jones (1946) as Tommy Coles
• Cloak and Dagger (1946) as Pinkie
• The Beast with Five Fingers (1946) as Conrad Ryler
• The Man I Love (1947) as Nicky Toresca
• Nora Prentiss (1947) as Phil Dinardo, Cafe Owner
• Bungalow 13 (1948)
• April Showers (1948) as Billy Shay
• Homicide (1949) as Andy
• Hollywood Varieties (1950) as Master of Ceremonies
• Tarzan and the Slave Girl (1950) as Neil
• Mister Universe (1951) as Fingers Maroni
• Two Gals and a Guy (1951) as Deke Oliver
• Beautiful But Dangerous (1955) as Maestro Doria
• Assignment Abroad (1955) as Major Bill Morgan
• Imitation of Life (1959) as Allen Loomis
• The Millionaire (TV series) episode "The Julia Conrad Story" (1959) as Gilbert Patterson, with co-star Ellen Drew
• Un militare e mezzo (1960) as Roy Harrison
• Cleopatra's Daughter (1960) as Inuni—Pharaoh's Architect
• Revenge of the Barbarians (1960) as Ataulf
• The Devil's Hand (1961) as Rick Turner
• Force of Impulse (1961) as Warren Reese
• Toto and Peppino Divided in Berlin (1962) as the judge
• Musketeers of the Sea (1962) as Vice Governatore Gomez
• That Woman (1966) as Wally
• The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1969) as Kenneth Allardice
• Night Flight from Moscow (1973) as Polygraph interrogator
• M*A*S*H (1975–1980, TV series) as Dr Anthony Borelli
• Cagliostro (1975) as Pope Clement XIII
• The House of Exorcism (1975) as Father Michael
• Natale in casa d'appuntamento (1976)
• I Will, I Will... for Now (1976) as Dr Magnus
• Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976) as Richard Entwhistle
• Bittersweet Love (1976) as Ben Peterson
• The Rip-Off (1978) as Captain Donati
• The Rockford Files (1978, TV series) as Cy Margulies
• Every Girl Should Have One (1978) as Adam Becker
• Spider-Man Strikes Back (1978) as Mr. White
• Supertrain (1979, TV series) as Dan Lewis
• Days of Our Lives (1981–82) as Stuart Whyland
• Amanda's (1983, TV series) as Mr Gordon (final appearance)

See also

•   Biography portal

References

1. Strait, Raymond (1983). Alan Alda: A Biography. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 7–9. ISBN 0-312-01703-0.
2. Alda, Alan. "Alan Alda TV Legends Interview, Part I (13:25–14:30)". Archive of American Television. Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
3. "The Lewiston Journal - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
4. Wilson, Scott (August 19, 2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed. McFarland. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-4766-2599-7. Retrieved January 22, 2021.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robert Alda.

• Robert Alda at the Internet Broadway Database  
• Robert Alda at IMDb
• Robert Alda at AllMovie
• Robert Alda at Find a Grave