John Marley

American actor (1907–1984)

This article is about the American actor. For the mining engineer and geologist, see John Marley (mining engineer).

John Marley

Marley from a poster promoting Faces (1968)

Born|

Mortimer Leon Marlieb

(1907-10-17)October 17, 1907

New York City, U.S.

Died| May 22, 1984(1984-05-22) (aged 76)

Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Resting place| Cedar Park Cemetery
Alma mater| City College of New York
Occupation| Actor
Years active| 1947-1984
Spouses|

* Stanja Lowe

(m. 1951; div. 1971)​

* Sandra Marley

(m. 1975)​

Children| 4[1]

John Marley (born Mortimer Leon Marlieb;[2][3] October 17, 1907 – May 22, 1984) was an American actor and theatre director.[4] He won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor at the 29th Venice International Film Festival for his performance in John Cassavetes' Faces (1968), and was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for his role in Love Story (1970).[5] He was also known to film audiences for his role as Jack Woltz—the defiant film mogul who awakens to find the severed head of his prized thoroughbred horse in his bed—in The Godfather (1972).[5]

## Early years

[edit]

Marley was born in Harlem in New York City to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents.[6] He dropped out of the City College of New York, turning to a career in acting.[1] He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II.[1]

## Career

[edit]

### Film and television

[edit]

Marley was a prolific actor, appearing in nearly 250 films and television series during a career spanning over 45 years. He had roles in TV series that included The Web, Peter Gunn, Johnny Staccato, Bourbon Street Beat, Perry Mason, Rawhide, The Untouchables, Sea Hunt, 77 Sunset Strip, The Lloyd Bridges Show, Dr. Kildare, The Outer Limits, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, The Wild Wild West, Mannix, Bonanza, Ironside, The Name of the Game, The F.B.I., Cannon, McCloud, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Baretta, Barnaby Jones, and Hawaii Five-0.

He was cast as George Campbell in the 1961 episode "Jerkwater" of the series The Rebel, starring Nick Adams.

In 1962 he played the role of murderer Matthew Owen in the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Angry Astronaut." He also showed his acting prowess in a supporting but important role of Charlie Rondell in an episode of The Virginian (1968), titled "The Crooked Path."

Marley also played in two other movies where he attained notoriety. One was the cult movie The Car, where he played a sheriff of a small town that was victimized by a mysterious, black automobile.

The second movie was titled Framed, where he played mob boss Sal Viccarone, who befriended a gambler while they were both in prison.

One of Marley's more notable roles, albeit short, was that of film producer Jack Woltz in The Godfather. Marley later spoofed that role in an episode of SCTV Network. He played Max Berns, a film producer who was a caring father figure to Burt Reynolds in the stuntman tribute Hooper.[7]

In the late 1970s, he appeared in the third season of the popular television series The Incredible Hulk as D.W. Banner, the father of David Banner in the episode titled "Homecoming".

### Stage

[edit]

Marley's Broadway credits include The Investigation (1966), Sing Till Tomorrow (1953), The Strong Are Lonely (1953), Skipper Next to God (1947),[8] and Johnny Doodle (1942).[1] Elsewhere on stage, Marley appeared in the world premiere production of Edna St. Vincent Millay's poetry drama, Conversation At Midnight in 1961 in Los Angeles, in an ensemble cast which included James Coburn, Jack Albertson and Eduard Franz. The production was directed by Robert Gist and produced by Worley Thorne and Susan Davis.

He also directed Little Theater productions in several cities.[4]

## Personal life and death

[edit]

Marley was twice married. He and his first wife, the actress Stanja Lowe, had three children.[4]

In 1984, Marley died at age 76 following open-heart surgery.[9] He is interred at Cedar Park Cemetery in Emerson, New Jersey.[10]

## Filmography

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1942 | Native Land | Thug With Crowbar | Uncredited
1947 | Kiss of Death | Prisoner in Spinning Mill
1948 | The Naked City | Managing Editor
1950 | Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town | Second Cab Driver
1951 | The Mob | Tony |
1952 | My Six Convicts | Knotty Johnson |
1953 | The Joe Louis Story | Mannie Seamon |
1955 | The Square Jungle | Tommy Dillon, referee |
1956 | Time Table | Bobik |
1958 | I Want to Live! | Father Devers |
1960 | Pay or Die | D. Caputo, ragman |
Sea Hunt |  | Season 3, Episode 31
1961 | Sea Hunt |  | Season 4, Episode 28
1962 | The Twilight Zone - Kick the Can | Mr. Cox |
1963 | A Child Is Waiting | Holland |
The Wheeler Dealers | Achilles Dimitros |
America, America | Garabet |
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Mr. Mike Chambers | Season 1 Episode 26: "An Out for Oscar"
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Detective Ed Singer | Season 1 Episode 32: "Death of a Cop"
1964 | The Twilight Zone - The Old Man in the Cave | Jason |
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Tony Hardeman | Season 2 Episode 30: "The Second Verdict"
1965 | Nightmare in the Sun | Hogan, gas station owner |
Cat Ballou | Frankie Ballou |
The Lollipop Cover | George |
1967 | The Wild Wild West | King Stefan IX | Episode: "The Night of the Wolf"
1968 | Faces | Richard Forst |
In Enemy Country | Rausch |
1970 | A Man Called Sledge | Old Man |
Love Story | Phil Cavalleri | nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Hawaii Five-O | Dr. Gregorios Lemira | "The Second Shot"
1971 | Clay Pigeon | Police Captain |
The Sheriff | Kinsella |
1972 | The Dead Are Alive | Nikos Samarakis |
The Godfather | Jack Woltz |
1973 | Jory | Roy Starr |
Blade | Tommy Blade |
1974 | Deathdream | Charles Brooks |
1975 | Framed | Sal Viccarrone |
Kolchak: The Night Stalker | Captain Maurice Molnar | Episode: "Primal Scream"
1976 | W.C. Fields and Me | Studio Head Bannerman |
1977 | The Car | Sheriff Everett Peck |
Hawaii Five-O | Noah | "Tread the King's Shadow"
Vengeance | Jesus |
The Greatest | Dr. Ferdie Pacheco |
The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover | Dave Hindley |
1978 | Greatest Heroes of the Bible | Moses |
It Lives Again | Mr. Mallory |
Hooper | Max Berns |
1980 | Tribute | Lou Daniels |
1981 | Threshold | Edgar Fine |
The Amateur | Molton |
SCTV | Leonard Bernstein | parody of his role in The Godfather but with his character as Leonard Bernstein instead of Jack Woltz
1982 | Mother Lode | Elijah |
1983 | Utilities | Roy Blue |
1983 | Hardcastle and McCormick | Joe Cadillac, "retired" Mafia boss | Season 1 Episode 3: "Man in a Glass House"
1986 | On the Edge | Elmo Glidden |

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

Year  | Award  | Category  | Work  | Result

|
|
|
|

1968 | Venice Film Festival | Best Actor | Faces[11] | Won
1971 | Academy Award | Best Supporting Actor | Love Story[12] | Nominated
1971 | Golden Globe Award | Best Supporting Actor | Love Story[13] | Nominated
1981 | Genie Award | Best Supporting Actor | Tribute | Nominated

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Pareles, Jon (May 24, 1984). "John Marley, Actor, An Oscar Nominee and Venice Winner". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
2. ^ "Marley, John". American National Biography Online. Oxford University Press. February 2000. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
3. ^ "Mortimer Marlieb". www.myheritage.com. Retrieved 2023-05-29.
4. ^ a b c Corday, Barbara (January 12, 1971). "They're Saying His Name in Same Breath With 'Oscar'". Valley News. California, Van Nuys. p. 22. Retrieved August 26, 2017 - via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ a b Pareles, Jon (May 24, 1984). "JOHN MARLEY, ACTOR, AN OSCAR NOMINEE AND VENICE WINNER". The New York Times.
6. ^ "Marley, John". American National Biography Online. Oxford University Press. February 2000. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
7. ^ Pareles, Jon (May 24, 1984). "JOHN MARLEY, ACTOR, AN OSCAR NOMINEE AND VENICE WINNER". The New York Times.
8. ^ "("John Marley" search results)". Playbill Vault. Playbill. Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
9. ^ Obituary Variety, May 30, 1984.
10. ^ Resting Places
11. ^ "Volpi Cup for Best Actor". Carnival of Venice. 19 April 2010. Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
12. ^ "("John Marley" search results)". Academy Awards Database. Retrieved 26 August 2017.[permanent dead link]
13. ^ "John Marley". Golden Globe Awards. Archived from the original on 26 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.

## External links

[edit]

* Biography portal
* New York City portal
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* California portal
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* Television portal

* John Marley at IMDb
* John Marley at the TCM Movie Database
* John Marley at AllMovie
* John Marley at the Internet Broadway Database
* John Marley at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
* John Marley at Find a Grave

* v
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Volpi Cup for Best Actor

1932–68|

* Wallace Beery (1934)
* Pierre Blanchar (1935)
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* John Mills (1960)
* Toshiro Mifune (1961)
* Burt Lancaster (1962)
* Albert Finney (1963)
* Tom Courtenay (1964)
* Toshiro Mifune (1965)
* Jacques Perrin (1966)
* Ljubiša Samardžić (1967)
* John Marley (1968)

1983–2000|

* Guy Boyd / George Dzundza / David Alan Grier / Mitchell Lichtenstein / Matthew Modine / Michael Wright (1983)
* Naseeruddin Shah (1984)
* Gérard Depardieu (1985)
* Carlo Delle Piane (1986)
* Hugh Grant / James Wilby (1987)
* Don Ameche / Joe Mantegna (1988)
* Marcello Mastroianni / Massimo Troisi (1989)
* Oleg Borisov (1990)
* River Phoenix (1991)
* Jack Lemmon (1992)
* Fabrizio Bentivoglio / Marcello Mastroianni (1993)
* Xia Yu / Roberto Citran (1994)
* Götz George / Ian Hart (1995)
* Liam Neeson / Chris Penn (1996)
* Wesley Snipes (1997)
* Sean Penn (1998)
* Jim Broadbent (1999)
* Javier Bardem (2000)

2001–present|

* Luigi Lo Cascio (2001)
* Stefano Accorsi (2002)
* Sean Penn (2003)
* Javier Bardem (2004)
* David Strathairn (2005)
* Ben Affleck (2006)
* Brad Pitt (2007)
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* Michael Fassbender (2011)
* Philip Seymour Hoffman / Joaquin Phoenix (2012)
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* Adam Driver (2014)
* Fabrice Luchini (2015)
* Oscar Martínez (2016)
* Kamel El Basha (2017)
* Willem Dafoe (2018)
* Luca Marinelli (2019)
* Pierfrancesco Favino (2020)
* John Arcilla (2021)
* Colin Farrell (2022)
* Peter Sarsgaard (2023)
* Vincent Lindon (2024)

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*[m.]: married
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