Men Of Character Character Actors
Jack Kruschen
The Unsinkable Molly Brown/ Christmas Morgan
The Apartment/ Dr. Dreyfuss
The Last Voyagr/ Chief Engineer Pringle
The Angry Red Planet/ CWO Sam Jacobs
Per Quinlan's Character Stars:
Canadian actor of burly build with chubby face, black ( later gray) hair and equally bushy brows. Mostly in comic supporting parts, such as eccentric , explosive professors, he was also a sturdy and sometimes stern dramatic player when the occasion demanded. Nominated for a best supporting actor Academy Award in The Apartment. Started acting on radio at age 16.
He was born Jack Joseph Krusche in 1922 at Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada .
Kruschen began his radio career while still in high school. During the 1940's he was a staple of West Coast radio drama.
Some of his radio roles were for programs made especially for the Armed Services radio Service.for entertaining those on active duty in the military.
His recurring roles on radio were as Sgt. Muggavan ( Broadway Is My Beat) and Red ( Pete Kelly's Blues).
Other series on radio that he was heard on were Escape, Dragnet, Gunsmoke, Crime Classics, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, Nightbeat and Suspense.
Mr. Kruschen made his film debut in 1949 in the film Red, Hot And Blue
Some of the film roles of Jack Kruschen were:
Red, Hot And Blue (1949) as Steve
Women From Headquarters (1950) as Sam
Where Danger Lives (1950) as Cosey - Ambulance Driver
Gambling House (1950) as Burly Italian Immigrant
Cuban Fireball (1951) as Lefty
Comin' Round The Mountain (1951) as Gangster In Night Club
The People Against O'Hara (1951) as Detective
Confidence Girl (1952) as Detective Sgt. Quinn
The Miracle Of Our Lady Of Fatima (1952) as Sidonio
Tropical Heat Wave (1952) as Stickey Langley
The War Of The Worlds (1953) as Salvatore
Abbott & Costello Go To Mars (1953) as Harry
Ma & Pa Kettle On Vacation (1953) as Jacques Amien
Fast Company (1953) as Doc -Poker Player
A Blueprint For Murder (1953) as Det. Lt. Harold Cole
Money From Home (1953) as Short Boy
It Should Happen To You (1954) as Joe
Tennessee Champ (1954) as Andrews
Untamed Heiress (1954) as Louie
Carolina Cannonball (1955) as Hogar
Dial Red O (1955) as Lloyd Lavalle
Soldier Of Fortune (1955) as Austin Stoker
The Night Holds Terror (1955) as Detective Pope
The Benny Goodman Story (1956) as Murph Padolsky
The Steel Jungle (1956) as Truck Driver Helper
Outside The Law (1956) as Agent Phil Schwartz
Julie (1956) as Detective Mace
Badlands Of Montana (1957) as Cavalry Sergeant
Reform School Girl (1957) as Mr. Horvath
Cry Terror! (1958) as FBI Agent Charles Pope
Fraulein (1958) as Sgt. Grischa
The Decks Ran Red (1958) as Alex Cole
The Buccaneer (1958) as Hans
The Man Who Understood Women ( 1959) as Mickey
The jayhawkers! (1959) as Cattleman
Beloved Infidel (1959) as Darby Forsythe - Beach Bum
The Angry Red Planet (1959) as CWO Sam Jacobs
The Gazebo (1959) as Taxi Driver
The Last Voyage (1960) as Chief Engineer Pringle
The Apartment (1960) as Dr. Dreyfuss
The Bell Boy (1960) as Jack E. Mulcher
Studs Lonigan (1960) as Charlie The Greek
Seven Ways From Sundown (1960) as Beeker
Where The Boys Are (1960) as Max - Cafe Counterman
The Ladies Man (1961) as Graduation Emcee Professor
Lover Come Back (1961) as Dr. Linus Tyler
Follow That Dream (1962) as Carmine
Cape Fear (1962) as Atty. Dave Grafton
Convicts 4 (1962) as Resko's Father
McLintock! (1963) as Jake Birnbaum
The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) as Christmas Morgan
Dear Brigette (1965) as Dr. Volker
Harlow (1965) as Louis B. Mayer
The Happening (1967) as Inspector
Caprice (1967) as Matthew Cutter
Istanbul Express (1968-TV) as Capt. Granicek
The Million Dollar Duck (1971) as Dr. Gottlieb
Deadly Harvest (1972-TV) as Vartanian
Freebie And The Bean (1974) as Red Meyers
The Log Of The Black Pearl (1975-TV) as Jocko Roper
The Whiz Kid And The Carnival Caper (1976-TV) as Abner Debney
Guardian Of The Wilderness (1976) as Madden
The November Plan (1977-TV) as Harry Kahn
Satan's Cheerleaders (1977) as Billy The Janitor
Incredible Rocky Mountain Race (1977-TV) as Jim Bridger
The Time Machine (1978-TV) as John Bedford
Sunburn (1979) as Gela
The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn (1981-TV) as Judge Thatcher
Under The Rainbow (1981) as Louie
Money To Burn (1983) as Pops
Dark Mirror (1984-TV) as Smithson
Deadly Intentions (1985-TV) as Alex Livanos
Penny Ante: The Motion Picture (1990) as Izzy Perlman
The American Clock (1993-TV) as Kapush
Hart To Hart: Home Is Where The Hart Is (1994-TV) as Mayor Walter Trout
'Til There Was You (1997) as Mr. Katz
Mr. Kruschen was very active on television appearing in such programs as Craig Kennedy Criminologist, Terry & The Pirates, Treasury Men In Action, Our Miss Brooks, Public Defender, Big Town, Damon Runyon Theater, It's A Great Life, Screen Directors Playhouse, The Loretta Young Show, Crusader, The Life Of Riley, The Count Of Monte Cristo, Gunsmoke, The Adventures Of Jim Bowie, Jane Wyman Presents The Fireside Theater, Climax, The Adventures Of Superman, Lux Video Theater, The Millionaire, The Court Of Last resort, Zorro, Oh Susannah, Trackdown, Sugarfoot, Rescue 8, The Rough Riders, Dragnet, The Lawless Years, Wanted Dead Or Alive, The Untouchables, Markham, Law Of The Plainsman, Goodyear Theater, Bat Masterson, Tightrope, Black Saddle, Death Valley Days, Richard Diamond Private Detective, The Rifleman, Hong Kong, The Westerner, The Detectives, Michael Shayne, The Dick Powell Theater, Naked City, Cain's Hundred, Mister Ed, Route 66, Alcoa Premiere, Rawhide, Batman, The John Forsythe Show, The Red Skelton Hour, I Spy, Bonanza, Ironside, Daniel Boone, Nanny & The Professor, Hawaii Five-O, Love American Style, Emergency, Colombo, Marcus Welby MD, The Magician, McCloud, Medical Center, The Rockford Files, Bronk, Walt Disney's Wonderful World Of Color, Ellery Queen, Movin' On, Busting Loose, The Incredible Hulk, Switch, The Life And Times Of Grizzly Adams, Vegas, CHiPS, Alice, Little House On The Prairie, Trapper John MD, Barney Miller, Hart To Hart, The Devlin Connection, Silver Spoons, The New Odd Couple, The A Team, Tucker's Witch, E/R, Hill Street Blues, The Fall Guy, Remington Steele, Matt Houston, Hotel, Magnum PI, Rags To Riches, Webster, Mom PI, Murder She Wrote, Matlock, Love & War, The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, Empty Nest, Full House, Lois & Clark-The New Adventures Of Superman and Murphy Brown among others.
Mr. Kruschen was nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film The Apartment.
He also appeared on stage as Maurice Pulvermacher in the original 1962 Broadway production of I Can Get It For Your Wholesale with new singer and actress at that time Barbra Streisand.
Kruschen was married three times. His first wife was Marjorie Ultman and the marriage lasted from 1947 until 1961 at which time the couple were divorced. His second wife was Violet Mooring and the marriage lasted from 1962 until 1978 at which time Ms. Mooring passed away. His final marriage was to Mary Pender and the marriage lasted from 1979 until his death. Kruschen had two children from his first marriage.
Jack Kruschen passed away in 2002 at age 80 from natural causes while on vacation. He had been in ill health for some time.
I always enjoyed this actor especially the films The Last Voyage, The Angry Red Planet, The War Of The Worlds, Badlands Of Montana, The Decks Ran Red, The Buccaneer, The Apartment, Seven Ways From Sundown, Cape Fear and McLintock!.
Louie The Movie Buff