Howard Mann

American actor

Howard Mann

Born|

Howard Mendelsohn

June 20, 1923

New York City, New York, U.S.

Died| September 18, 2008 (aged 85)

Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Education| City College of New York
Occupation(s)| 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

[edit]

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.[2]

## Career

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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 History of the World: Part I 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.[2]

## Personal life

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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.[2]

## Filmography

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### Film

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Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1961  | Blast of Silence | Body Guard  |
1980  | Wholly Moses! | High Priest  |
1981  | Going Ape! | Jules Cohen  |
1981  | History of the World, Part I | Disciple  |
1982  | O'Hara's Wife | Moving man  |
1982  | They Call Me Bruce? | Joe The Finger  |
1992  | Mr. Saturday Night | Stage Manager  |
2001  | The Medicine Show | Mr. Melanoma  |
2003  | Malibu's Most Wanted | Uncle Louie  |

### Television

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1959, 1963  | Naked City | Officer Dorkin / Comptometer  | 2 episodes
1963, 1964  | The Defenders | Police Sargeant / Patrolman Burke
1966  | Hawk | Cop #1  | Episode: "The Shivering Pigeon"
1978  | Laverne & Shirley | The Grand Bass  | Episode: "Playing the Roxy"
1978  | Watch Your Mouth | Mr. Welsh  | Episode: "Mary and Melvin"
1979  | Salvage 1 | Kramer  | 3 episodes
1979  | The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo | Henchman  | Episode: "The Mob Comes to Orly"
1980  | Alice | Customer / Trucker  | 3 episodes
1981  | Barney Miller | Lou Carlisle  | Episode: "Lady and the Bomb"
1981  | Crazy Times | Mr. Candosta  | Television film
1983  | Inspector Perez | Dr. Mirakin
1983  | American Playhouse | Thomas  | Episode: "Wings"
1983  | Happy | Councilman Brady  | Television film
1984  | The Jeffersons | Torqovich  | Episode: "The Command Post"
1984  | Murder, She Wrote | New Holvang Cabbie  | Episode: "The Murder of Sherlock Holmes"
1985  | Space | Lawyer / Tycoon  | Episode: "Part III"
1985, 1987  | Moonlighting | Gas Station Cashier / Man on Elevator  | 2 episodes
1986  | Cagney & Lacey | Paddy  | Episode: "DWI"
1986  | Hunter | Side  | Episode: "Fagin 1986"
1988  | Hooperman | Man at Morgue  | Episode: "The Naked and the Dead"
1988  | Webster | Galileo | Episode: "Heaven"
1993  | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Mr. Gorodetsky  | 2 episodes
1997  | Crisis Center | Mort Fishman  | Episode: "It's a Family Affair"
1998  | Seinfeld | Willie, Sr.  | Episode: "The Dealership"
2000  | Becker | Fred  | Episode: "The Film Critic"
2001  | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | Harvey, the Profit Prophet  | Episode: "Making the Grade"
2001  | Providence | Webster  | Episode: "The Honeymoon's Over"
2001  | Spin City | Anthony DeMatt  | Episode: "Chinatown"
2002  | The West Wing | Senior Citizen  | Episode: "Election Night"
2002  | The Bernie Mac Show | Mel  | Episode: "The Sweet Life"
2003  | CSI: Miami | Marty Gaines  | Episode: "Bunk"
2003  | Malcolm in the Middle | Elderly Man  | Episode: "Day Care"
2004  | Without a Trace | Garden Center Manager  | Episode: "Shadows"
2006  | I Did Not Know That | Thomas 'The Schnoz' Lipinski  | Television film
2007  | Pushing Daisies | Elderly Man  | Episode: "The Fun in Funeral"
2008  | The Starter Wife | Karl  | 3 episodes

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Comic, actor Howard Mann dies". Variety. 2008-10-13. Retrieved 2008-10-14.
2. ^ a b c d "Passings Howard Mann, Actor did a rap routine on aging". Los Angeles Times. 2008-09-23. Archived from the original on September 29, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-14.

## External links

[edit]

* Variety Magazine: Comic, actor Howard Mann dies
* Howard Mann at IMDb

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* United States