Biografie

Hosted the very first televised Tony awards.

He was given a shot at hosting "The Texaco Star Theater" in the summer of 1948. Although it's known today as Texaco Star Theatre Starring Milton Berle (1948), NBC decided to test MCs throughout that summer. He rotated with Henny Youngman, Georgie Price, Harry Richman, Morey Amsterdam, and Peter Donald. After audience testing, Berle landed the permanent title in September 1948.

A Las Vegas comedian known for his fast and irreverent patter, he was once praised by Fred Allen as "one of the outstanding comedians of the century.".

Attended New Utrecht High School and served in the entertainment division of the Army Air Corps during WWII.

Made his Broadway debut in 1947 as the replacement for Jules Munshin in the musical revue "Call Me Mister," and continued to perform on stage. That included a stint replacing Phil Silvers during the 1951-52 Broadway run of the musical comedy "Top Banana" and appearing in the 1956-57 Broadway musical comedy "Mr. Wonderful," starring Sammy Davis Jr. Over the years he also appeared in regional productions of "Guys and Dolls," "Sugar" and "Mr. Wonderful," as well as playing Fagin in a touring company production of "Oliver." It was as a stand-up comedian, though, that he was best known. In his 1981 book "Funny People," comedian Steve Allen wrote that Carter "possesses a wildly inventive creativity, whether on-or-off stage". Whether it was a shouted insult, a woman with an unusual dress or a slow response by a lighting technician, Allen wrote, "Jack Carter can take it, add a whiff of magic dust to it, and make audiences roar with laughter." The vast majority of comedians are thrown by the unexpected, Allen added, but "Carter makes capital of the unexpected, particularly if it seems to put him at a disadvantage. He is a magnificent grouser, a brilliant complainer, a wizard of 'Why me?'" The grousing extended off stage as well. "Had I done a one-man show I'd have maintained my greatness," Carter complained in a 1992 interview with the "Los Angeles Times". "I can sing and dance--everything. But they only see you as brash." No one, he said, "is more bitter than I am. I get it before I even show up. 'He's not an actor' or 'He's vicious.' 'Cheap' is the big one. When they wanna get you they say, 'He's got the first dollar he ever made.'" Later in the same interview, he groused, "In the past 10 years I've neglected my life. I should have gotten out of [show business] long ago. I appreciate success, but I'm not built to play the game. My wife tells me, 'You're so angry! You're like an animal".

[on Al Kelly, an old-time comedian who specialized in "double talk"] We were entertaining horse people of America at The Waldorf. It was for horse owners. They hired him to double talk them and this crowd never knew that he was double talking. They had never seen that. He'd say, "You know, when your horse has the frayhayvem, you've got to pull him tight by the reins, otherwise he'll clebblelayem." They said, "My God, he's right. The little guy is right." He walked off and never got a laugh. He said, "What the hell is the matter with those people?" I said, "They believed you!"

[on Don Rickles] He does twenty minutes of insults and forty minutes of apologizing . . .

[on Buddy Hackett] A very angry man. He carried a gun. He was violent. He shot up a car in Vegas that parked in his spot. The Mafia wanted to kill him and I don't know who protected him. I think he shot himself in the end. He went out to the beach to die. They claimed he had a cold, but I don't think so. I think he shot himself.

[about Jules Podell, the manager of the famous Copacabana nightclub in New York City] Howard Keel worked the club and was bombing terribly. No business. Three weeks of death. He had never talked to Podell the whole time and he sat down at Podell's booth one time and he said, "Mr. Podell, before I close I certainly would like to say hello to ya." Podell said to him, "Mr. Keel, can you take some constructive criticism?" He said, "Sure." Podell said, "Go fuck yourself!"

[on Corbett Monica] I think everyone hated him because he would steal your act. He loved to steal. I once went to see [Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé] and he was working with them and I heard my jokes! One after another! "Who the hell is this Corbett Monica!?" Yeah, he was a real scumbag.