Actor, Theatrical Director. Born Józef Bulow in the former Wilno, Poland (now Vilnius, Lithuania), at an early age he became a leading actor with Poland’s famed Vilnia Troupe. During this time he met and married the Troupe founder’s daughter, Luba, also a leading actress. They emigrated to the U.S. in 1926, when Maurice Schwartz’s Yiddish Art Theater was looking for a replacement for actor Muni Weisenfreund (who would later change his name to Paul Muni). Over the next decade, Buloff directed and acted in many Yiddish theatre productions, primarily in New York City and Chicago, earning critical success, but few monetary gains. It wasn’t until 1936, after making the transition from a declining Yiddish theatre movement to the American stage in the Broadway comedy “Don’t Look Now” that he began to get noticed. In “Call Me Ziggy” (1937), New York Times drama critic Brooks Atkinson said of him, “If it were not for the rich comic acting of Joseph Buloff, ‘Call Me Ziggy’ would be courteously ushered into the large hall of the undistinguished.” His career turning point came in 1941, when he replaced Morris Carnovsky in the featured role of Mr. Appopolous, the landlord in the hit comedy “My Sister Eileen”. Buloff also made his American film debut that same year in “Let’s Make Music”. He is probably best known for the next opportunity to come his way: in 1943 he originated the role of Ali Hakim, the Persian peddler, in the Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!”, staying with the hit show for the next 3 years. 1951 brought him what was probably his greatest artistic success, playing Willie Loman in his own translation to Yiddish from English of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman”. Actor and critic George Ross raved, “What one feels most strikingly is that the Yiddish play is really the original and the Broadway production was merely Arthur Miller’s translation into English…Particularly in the character of Willy Loman, whom Buloff acts as well as translates brilliantly.” Later years brought more success on Broadway directing Helen Hayes in the comedy “Mrs. McThing” in 1952 and replacing Walter Matthau in “Once More With Feeling” in 1958. In Hollywood he was acclaimed for film roles in “Somebody Up There Likes Me” (1956) and “Silk Stockings” (1957). His final Broadway appearance, at the age of 80, was in a revival of Arthur Miller’s “The Price” (1979). His last film role was as ‘Joe Volski’ in Warren Beatty’s “Reds” (1981). (bio by: TomDuse)