Trivia

Wrote the lyrics to the theme song of The Andy Griffith Show (1960), however, they were not used in favor of composer / conductor Earl Hagen whistling the theme song, who had also composed the music.

Apparent suicide with bartiturates in Brentwood because he was afraid he was going blind.

According to Ken Dennis' in-depth article on Sloane in Films of the Golden Age, #80, Spring 2015, Sloane's deep depression over his eyesight led him to disappear from his home on August 4, 1965, propelling his family to file a missing person's report. Sloane reportedly went to a drug store in the San Fernando Valley and purchased 25 barbiturate tablets. He returned home on the evening of August 6 and was found dead the following morning in his bedroom. He left two letters - according to the Pittsburgh Press, one letter to his wife and other to his manager.

He and Rita Hayworth, who played his wife in the film, were memorialized in the glass-shattering mirror maze finale in the Orson Welles' La dama de Shangai (1947).

His last work was on an episode of TV's "Honey West" starring Anne Francis. It was aired posthumously.

Early in his career, he was a Wall Street stockbroker's "runner" working at $17 a week but progressed to assistant to the managing partner at $140 a week. The stock market crash ended that working avenue.

In his film debut as Bernstein, the general manager of Kane's publishing interest in El Ciudadano Kane (1941), Sloane was required to age several decades.

Despite his many collaborations with Orson Welles, who gave him his first film role, he walked off Welles's film of "Othello", perhaps because there were so many delays during the filming. He had been cast as Iago, and was replaced by Micheal MacLiammoir. Welles never forgave him for this, and continued to make disparaging remarks about him even after his death.

He began his film career as a member of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre in no less than "Citizen Kane" (1941). His final feature film roles were in two Jerry Lewis comedies, "The Patsy" (1964) and "The Disorderly Orderly" (1964), directed by Frank Tashlin. He remained in very heavy demand for television roles up until his passing in 1965.

In between co-starring with Orson Welles in Citizen Kane and The Lady from Shanghai, he appeared in Welles' production Journey Into Fear, and later had a role in Prince of Foxes, which featured Welles.

Received a Hollywood Walk of Fame honor on February 8, 1960, located at 6254 Hollywood Boulevard.

In a radio career running nearly 20 years, he became familiar as Sammy in the popular comedy serial "The Goldbergs" and played assorted villains on the "Crime Doctor" series.

Shared his birthday with his El Ciudadano Kane (1941) co-star George Coulouris.

Eldest of three children born to Jewish parents. Father Nathaniel Isadore Sloane was born in New York City was an insurance broker and cotton merchant. His mother, Rose Gerstein, was from Boston.

Relocating to Los Angeles in the early 50s after extensive Broadway work, Sloane tended to play distinguished, intelligent, hawkish-nosed types on film and TV -- military high rankers, crime bosses, business executives, physicians, justices, agents and managers.

Made his professional debut in a Gerhart Hauptmann play at the Cherry Lane Theatre in Greenwich Village. With his short, red-haired, bespectacled, Harpo Marx-like presence, he initially did not receive impressive reviews.

Attended Manhattan's Public School N. 46 where he played Puck in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at age 7.

Played Capt. Kennelly in episodes 1 - 109 and 135 of the CBS radio series 21st Precinct (1953 - 1956).

During a discussion of actors who committed suicide in the movie The Wonder Boys, Tobey Maguire (conversing with Michael Douglas) said of Everett Sloane, "He was good.".

Graduated from Townsend Harris Hall High School in New York. Briefly attended University of Pennsylvania but left in 1927 to join a stock company run by Jasper Deeter.

Directed only once -- a Broadway show entitled "The Dancer" in 1946. Produced by George Abbott, it ran only 5 performances.