Jack Carter

Carter was born in New York City, New York, in 1922 to a Jewish family. Carter served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. He hosted an early television variety program called Cavalcade of Stars on the DuMont Network. He was lured 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. He remained friends with Sid Caesar his entire life, performing the eulogy at his funeral.

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 was known for his impression of Ed Sullivan. He appeared as himself (along with his then 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. In 1975, he appeared as a guest star on the quiz show “$10,000 Pyramid” with contestant Liz Hogan Schultz, and appeared as the ill-fated Mayor in the cult horror film Alligator in 1980.  He made appearances on many television series, including Diagnosis: Unknown, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Rockford Files, The Wild Wild West, The Kallikaks, 7th Heaven, The Road West, Sanford and Son, Tattletales, Monk, Desperate Housewives, and Shameless. His latest work includes a cameo on New Girl and a voice on Family Guy. He was a guest on Norm Macdonald’s video podcast, Norm Macdonald Live.  He died on June 28, 2015, at his home in Beverly Hills, California, of respiratory failure.