Howard Mann Explained

Howard Mann
Birth Name:Howard Mendelsohn
Birth Date:June 20, 1923
Birth Place:New York City, New York, U.S.
Death Date:September 18, 2008 (aged 85)
Death Place:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education:City College of New York
Occupation:Actor, comedian

Howard Mann (June 20, 1923  - September 18, 2008) was an American actor and comedian. Mann appeared on television, film and commercials during his 40-year-long career in the entertainment industry. Some of his most recent roles in the 2000s included Pushing Daisies and The Starter Wife.[1] Despite his dozens of film and television credits in his resume, Mann wrote that he had "probably been turned down more times than a blanket," in a guest column in the Los Angeles Times in 2006.[2]

Early life

Mann was born Howard Mendelsohn in 1923 in New York City. He graduated from the City College of New York and studied acting and comedy with Zero Mostel, Herbert Berghof, and William Hickey.

Career

Mann began his career in entertainment as a comedian after being laid off from his job as an advertising copywriter. Mann began performing in the Jewish entertainers circuit in resorts in New York's Borscht Belt region in the Catskill Mountains. His dozens of television appearances included Laverne & Shirley, Alice, Moonlighting and Murder, She Wrote. His film credits included Mr. Saturday Night in 1992 and the in 1981. Mann also appeared on the Merv Griffin Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. On stage, Mann toured the United States in a one-man show, in which he played George Washington, in 1976 in honor of the United States Bicentennial. He later portrayed the role of Oscar Madison in an off Broadway production of The Odd Couple. Beginning in the 1980s, Mann created and performed an original rap routine for senior citizens living in the San Fernando Valley.

Personal life

Mann died of cancer on September 18, 2008, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 85. He was survived by his longtime girlfriend and companion, Bea Mitz.

Filmography

Film

!Year!Title!Role!Notes
1961Blast of SilenceBody Guard
1980Wholly Moses!High Priest
1981Going Ape!Jules Cohen
1981History of the World, Part IDisciple
1982O'Hara's WifeMoving man
1982They Call Me Bruce?Joe The Finger
1992Mr. Saturday NightStage Manager
2001The Medicine ShowMr. Melanoma
2003Malibu's Most WantedUncle Louie

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1959, 1963Naked CityOfficer Dorkin / Comptometer2 episodes
1963, 1964The DefendersPolice Sargeant / Patrolman Burke
1966HawkCop #1Episode: "The Shivering Pigeon"
1978Laverne & ShirleyThe Grand BassEpisode: "Playing the Roxy"
1978Watch Your MouthMr. WelshEpisode: "Mary and Melvin"
1979Salvage 1Kramer3 episodes
1979The Misadventures of Sheriff LoboHenchmanEpisode: "The Mob Comes to Orly"
1980AliceCustomer / Trucker3 episodes
1981Barney MillerLou CarlisleEpisode: "Lady and the Bomb"
1981Crazy TimesMr. CandostaTelevision film
1983Inspector PerezDr. Mirakin
1983American PlayhouseThomasEpisode: "Wings"
1983HappyCouncilman BradyTelevision film
1984The JeffersonsTorqovichEpisode: "The Command Post"
1984Murder, She WroteNew Holvang CabbieEpisode: "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes"
1985SpaceLawyer / TycoonEpisode: "Part III"
1985, 1987MoonlightingGas Station Cashier / Man on Elevator2 episodes
1986Cagney & LaceyPaddyEpisode: "DWI"
1986HunterSideEpisode: "Fagin 1986"
1988HoopermanMan at MorgueEpisode: "The Naked and the Dead"
1988WebsterGalileoEpisode: "Heaven"
1993The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirMr. Gorodetsky2 episodes
1997Crisis CenterMort FishmanEpisode: "It's a Family Affair"
1998SeinfeldWillie, Sr.Episode: "The Dealership"
2000BeckerFredEpisode: "The Film Critic"
2001Sabrina the Teenage WitchHarvey, the Profit ProphetEpisode: "Making the Grade"
2001ProvidenceWebsterEpisode: "The Honeymoon's Over"
2001Spin CityAnthony DeMattEpisode: "Chinatown"
2002The West WingSenior CitizenEpisode: "Election Night"
2002The Bernie Mac ShowMelEpisode: "The Sweet Life"
2003Marty GainesEpisode: "Bunk"
2003Malcolm in the MiddleElderly ManEpisode: "Day Care"
2004Without a TraceGarden Center ManagerEpisode: "Shadows"
2006I Did Not Know ThatThomas 'The Schnoz' LipinskiTelevision film
2007Pushing DaisiesElderly ManEpisode: "The Fun in Funeral"
2008The Starter WifeKarl3 episodes

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Comic, actor Howard Mann dies. . 2008-10-13 . 2008-10-14.
  2. News: 2008-09-23 . Passings Howard Mann, Actor did a rap routine on aging . . dead . 2008-10-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080929091256/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/valley/la-me-passings23-2008sep23%2C0%2C4847539.story . September 29, 2008.