Dolph Sweet: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|American actor}} |
{{short description|American actor (1920–1985)}} |
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{{Infobox person |
{{Infobox person |
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| name = Dolph Sweet |
| name = Dolph Sweet |
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| birth_name = Adolphus Jean Sweet |
| birth_name = Adolphus Jean Sweet |
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|7|18}} |
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|7|18}} |
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| birth_place = [[New York City |
| birth_place = [[New York City]], U.S. |
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| death_date = {{death date and age|1985|5|8|1920|7|18}} |
| death_date = {{death date and age|1985|5|8|1920|7|18}} |
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| death_place = [[Tarzana, California]], U.S. |
| death_place = [[Tarzana, California]], U.S. |
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| occupation = [[Professor]], [[Actor]] |
| occupation = [[Professor]], [[Actor]] |
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| spouse = {{plainlist| |
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| spouse = Reba Gillespie<br>({{abbr|m.|married}} 19??; {{abbr|div.|divorced}} 1973)<br>{{marriage|Iris Braun|1974|1985|end=his death}} |
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*{{marriage|Reba Gillespie||1973|end=div}} |
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*{{marriage|Iris Braun|1974}} |
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}} |
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| children = 1 |
| children = 1 |
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| years_active = Actor: 1961–1985 |
| years_active = Actor: 1961–1985 |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Adolphus Jean Sweet''' (July 18, 1920 – May 8, 1985) was an American |
'''Adolphus Jean Sweet''' (July 18, 1920 – May 8, 1985) was an American actor credited with nearly 60 television and film roles and more than 50 roles in stage productions, including performances on [[Broadway theater|Broadway]]. He often played policemen throughout his career, and may be best known for his portrayal of police chief and father Carl Kanisky on the [[situation comedy|sitcom]] ''[[Gimme a Break!]]'' from 1981 until his death in May 1985. |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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Sweet was born in New York City |
Sweet was born in New York City. In 1939, he attended the [[University of Alabama]] but interrupted his studies to serve a tour of duty in [[World War II]] with the [[44th Fighter Group|44th Bombardment Group (Heavy)]] of the [[Eighth Air Force]] as a [[second lieutenant]] and [[navigator]] on [[B-24 Liberator]] bomber aircraft. His plane was downed over [[Romania]] during [[Operation Tidal Wave]] and he subsequently spent two years as a [[prisoner of war]].<ref name=APObit>{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/84a6bde54336f1eda433e4d6e2f9f14f |title=Dolph Sweet: Star of TV's 'Gimme A Break' Dies |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=1985-05-10 |access-date=2020-10-01}}</ref> He joined other prisoners in staffing short plays in the camp, sparking his interest in acting when he returned from the war.<ref name=APObit/> |
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After the war, he played semi- |
After the war, he played semi-professional football and boxed while earning his [[master's degree]] in English and comparative drama from [[Columbia University]]. |
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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Upon graduation, Sweet took a |
Upon graduation, Sweet took a teaching job at [[Barnard College]], rising to head of the drama department during his 12 years at the college. He left his teaching duties shortly after making his [[Broadway theater|Broadway]] debut at age 40 in a 1961 production of ''Rhinoceros'', starring [[Zero Mostel]]. |
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Sweet landed his first major film role |
Sweet landed his first major film role in ''[[The Young Doctors (film)|The Young Doctors]]'' (1961). He made appearances in films such as ''[[You're a Big Boy Now]]'' (1966), ''[[A Lovely Way to Die]]'' (1968), ''[[The Swimmer (1968 film)|The Swimmer]]'' (1968) and ''[[Finian's Rainbow (1968 film)|Finian's Rainbow]]'' (1968). He also performed on television through the 1960s and 1970s, including roles on ''[[The Defenders (1961 TV series)|The Defenders]]'', ''[[The Edge of Night]]'', ''[[Another World (TV series)|Another World]]'' and ''[[Dark Shadows]]''. |
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Through the 1970s |
Through the 1970s, Sweet took roles in films such as ''[[Colossus: The Forbin Project]]'' (1970), ''[[The Out-of-Towners (1970 film)|The Out-of-Towners]]'' (1970), ''[[The New Centurions]]'' (1972), ''[[Fear Is the Key (film)|Fear Is the Key]]'' (1972), ''[[Sisters (1973 film)|Sisters]]'' (1972), ''[[Cops and Robbers (1973 film)|Cops and Robbers]]'' (1973), ''[[The Lords of Flatbush]]'' (1974), ''[[Amazing Grace (1974 film)|Amazing Grace]]'' (1974), ''[[The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training]]'' (1977), ''[[Which Way Is Up?]]'' (1977), ''[[Go Tell the Spartans]]'' (1978), ''[[Heaven Can Wait (1978 film)|Heaven Can Wait]]'' (1978) and ''[[The Wanderers (1979 film)|The Wanderers]]'' (1979). He also had guest-starring roles on ''[[Little House on the Prairie (TV series)|Little House on the Prairie]]'' and ''[[Columbo (TV series)#Spin-off|Mrs. Columbo]]''. He had a notable role as [[FBI]] director [[J. Edgar Hoover]] in the 1978 television miniseries ''[[King (TV miniseries)|King]]'', based on the life of [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] |
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As the 1980s began, Sweet worked steadily in |
As the 1980s began, Sweet worked steadily in films such as ''Below the Belt'' (1980) and ''[[Reds (film)|Reds]]'' (1981), the made-for-television movie ''[[Gideon's Trumpet (film)|Gideon's Trumpet]]'' (1980) and television series such as ''[[Hill Street Blues]]'' and ''[[Hart to Hart]]''. |
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Sweet had a recurring role as a policeman in the single [[1965–66 United States network television schedule|1965–66 season]] of the [[legal drama]]/[[situation comedy|comedy]] ''[[The Trials of O'Brien]]''. He was also known for his recurring role as policeman Gil McGowan on the [[soap opera]] ''[[Another World (TV series)|Another World]]'' (1972–1977). Sweet also voiced the character of transit-police captain Costello in the 1974 film ''[[The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974 film)|The Taking of Pelham One Two Three]]''. |
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Sweet underwent unsuccessful abdominal surgery in the summer of 1984 and was diagnosed with [[stomach cancer]] during the fourth season of ''Gimme a Break'', but he continued to work. The final episode of the fourth season aired on May 11, 1985, three days after he died, and just a few hours after his funeral.<ref name=APObit/> |
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⚫ | Sweet's best |
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==Personal life== |
==Personal life== |
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Sweet married Reba Gillespie while pursuing his master's degree after World War II. The couple had a son together, Jonathon (born {{circa|1952}}), before they divorced in 1973. In 1974, Sweet married Iris Braun. |
Sweet married Reba Gillespie while pursuing his master's degree after World War II. The couple had a son together, Jonathon (born {{circa|1952}}), before they divorced in 1973. In 1974, Sweet married Iris Braun. |
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Sweet died from stomach cancer at [[Providence Tarzana Medical Center|Tarzana Hospital]] in [[Tarzana, California]] on May 8, 1985, survived by his wife and son.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-05-10-8501290362-story.html |title='Gimme A Break' Star Dolph Sweet |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |agency=[[United Press International]] |date=1985-05-10 |access-date=2020-10-01}}</ref> His ''[[Gimme a Break!]]'' co-star, [[Nell Carter]], gave the eulogy at his funeral on May 11, and recorded a short eulogy to air that same night, at the start of the show's final episode for the season.<ref name=APObit/> Sweet's remains were cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Scott|title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons|location=Jefferson, N.C.|publisher=McFarland & Company|date=2016|isbn=9780786479924|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FOHgDAAAQBAJ |
Sweet died from stomach cancer at [[Providence Tarzana Medical Center|Tarzana Hospital]] in [[Tarzana, California]], on May 8, 1985, survived by his wife and son.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-05-10-8501290362-story.html |title='Gimme A Break' Star Dolph Sweet |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |agency=[[United Press International]] |date=1985-05-10 |access-date=2020-10-01}}</ref> His ''[[Gimme a Break!]]'' co-star, [[Nell Carter]], gave the eulogy at his funeral on May 11, and recorded a short eulogy to air that same night, at the start of the show's final episode for the season.<ref name=APObit/> Sweet's remains were cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Scott|title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons|location=Jefferson, N.C.|publisher=McFarland & Company|date=2016|isbn=9780786479924|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FOHgDAAAQBAJ|page=729}}</ref> |
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==Filmography== |
==Filmography== |
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! Notes |
! Notes |
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|1961|| ''[[The Young Doctors (film)|The Young Doctors]]'' || Police Car Driver || |
| 1961 || ''[[The Young Doctors (film)|The Young Doctors]]'' || Police Car Driver || |
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|- |
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| 1966 || ''[[You're a Big Boy Now]]'' || Patrolman Francis Graf || |
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|- |
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| 1967-1968 || ''[[The Edge of Night]]'' || Harry Constable || |
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|- |
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| 1968 || ''[[A Lovely Way to Die]]'' || Captain Haver || |
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|- |
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| 1968 || ''[[The Swimmer (1968 film)|The Swimmer]]'' || Henry Biswanger || |
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|- |
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| 1968 || ''[[Finian's Rainbow (1968 film)|Finian's Rainbow]]'' || Sheriff || |
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|- |
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| 1969 || ''[[The Lost Man]]'' || Police Captain || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1970 || ''[[Colossus: The Forbin Project]]'' || Missile Commander || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1970 || ''[[The Out-of-Towners (1970 film)|The Out-of-Towners]]'' || Police Sergeant || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1971 || ''[[The Telephone Book]]'' || Obscene-Caller || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1972-1977 || ''|[[Another World (TV series)|Another World]]'' || Gil McGowan || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1972 || ''[[The New Centurions]]'' || Sergeant Runyon || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1972 || ''[[Sisters (1973 film)|Sisters]]'' || Detective Kelly || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1972 || ''[[Fear Is the Key (film)|Fear Is the Key]]'' || Jablonsky || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1973 || ''[[Cops and Robbers (1973 film)|Cops and Robbers]]'' || George || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1974 || ''[[The Lords of Flatbush]]'' || Mr. Rosiello || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1974 || ''[[Amazing Grace (1974 film)|Amazing Grace]]'' || Mayor Scott || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1974 || ''[[The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974 film)|The Taking of Pelham One Two Three]]'' || Police Captain Costello || Uncredited voice |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1977 || ''[[The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training]]'' || Mr. Manning || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1977 || ''[[Which Way Is Up?]]'' || The Boss || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1978 || ''[[Go Tell the Spartans]]'' || General Harnitz || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1978 || ''[[Heaven Can Wait (1978 film)|Heaven Can Wait]]'' || Head Coach || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1978 || ''[[Angie (TV series)|Angie]]'' || The Sheriff || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1979 || ''[[The Wanderers (1979 film)|The Wanderers]]'' || "Chubby" Galasso || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1980 || ''Below the Belt'' || LeRoi || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1980 || ''[[When the Whistle Blows]]'' || Norm Jenkins || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1981 || ''[[Reds (film)|Reds]]'' || Bill "Big Bill" Haywood || |
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|- |
|- |
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| 1981 || ''[[Hart to Hart]]'' || Ed Perkins || |
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|- |
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|1981|| ''[[ |
| 1981-1985 || ''[[Gimme a Break!]]'' || Carl Kanisky || |
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|} |
|} |
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* {{TCMDb name|187658}} |
* {{TCMDb name|187658}} |
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* {{Iobdb name|20524}} |
* {{Iobdb name|20524}} |
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* {{Find a Grave}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
{{Authority control}} |
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[[Category:American male soap opera actors]] |
[[Category:American male soap opera actors]] |
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[[Category:American male television actors]] |
[[Category:American male television actors]] |
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[[Category:American prisoners of war in World War II]] |
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[[Category:Military personnel from New York City]] |
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[[Category:Military personnel from New York (state)]] |
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[[Category:Shot-down aviators]] |
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[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]] |
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]] |
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[[Category:Deaths from stomach cancer]] |
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[[Category:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany]] |
[[Category:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany]] |
Latest revision as of 02:54, 15 March 2024
Dolph Sweet | |
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Born | Adolphus Jean Sweet July 18, 1920 New York City, U.S. |
Died | May 8, 1985 Tarzana, California, U.S. | (aged 64)
Occupation(s) | Professor, Actor |
Years active | Actor: 1961–1985 |
Spouses | Reba Gillespie (div. 1973)Iris Braun (m. 1974) |
Children | 1 |
Adolphus Jean Sweet (July 18, 1920 – May 8, 1985) was an American actor credited with nearly 60 television and film roles and more than 50 roles in stage productions, including performances on Broadway. He often played policemen throughout his career, and may be best known for his portrayal of police chief and father Carl Kanisky on the sitcom Gimme a Break! from 1981 until his death in May 1985.
Early life
[edit]Sweet was born in New York City. In 1939, he attended the University of Alabama but interrupted his studies to serve a tour of duty in World War II with the 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) of the Eighth Air Force as a second lieutenant and navigator on B-24 Liberator bomber aircraft. His plane was downed over Romania during Operation Tidal Wave and he subsequently spent two years as a prisoner of war.[1] He joined other prisoners in staffing short plays in the camp, sparking his interest in acting when he returned from the war.[1]
After the war, he played semi-professional football and boxed while earning his master's degree in English and comparative drama from Columbia University.
Career
[edit]Upon graduation, Sweet took a teaching job at Barnard College, rising to head of the drama department during his 12 years at the college. He left his teaching duties shortly after making his Broadway debut at age 40 in a 1961 production of Rhinoceros, starring Zero Mostel.
Sweet landed his first major film role in The Young Doctors (1961). He made appearances in films such as You're a Big Boy Now (1966), A Lovely Way to Die (1968), The Swimmer (1968) and Finian's Rainbow (1968). He also performed on television through the 1960s and 1970s, including roles on The Defenders, The Edge of Night, Another World and Dark Shadows.
Through the 1970s, Sweet took roles in films such as Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970), The Out-of-Towners (1970), The New Centurions (1972), Fear Is the Key (1972), Sisters (1972), Cops and Robbers (1973), The Lords of Flatbush (1974), Amazing Grace (1974), The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training (1977), Which Way Is Up? (1977), Go Tell the Spartans (1978), Heaven Can Wait (1978) and The Wanderers (1979). He also had guest-starring roles on Little House on the Prairie and Mrs. Columbo. He had a notable role as FBI director J. Edgar Hoover in the 1978 television miniseries King, based on the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
As the 1980s began, Sweet worked steadily in films such as Below the Belt (1980) and Reds (1981), the made-for-television movie Gideon's Trumpet (1980) and television series such as Hill Street Blues and Hart to Hart.
Sweet had a recurring role as a policeman in the single 1965–66 season of the legal drama/comedy The Trials of O'Brien. He was also known for his recurring role as policeman Gil McGowan on the soap opera Another World (1972–1977). Sweet also voiced the character of transit-police captain Costello in the 1974 film The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.
Sweet's best-known television character was police chief and father Carl Kanisky, employer of housekeeper Nell Carter, on the sitcom Gimme a Break!. Sweet appeared in this role from 1981 until his death.
Sweet underwent unsuccessful abdominal surgery in the summer of 1984 and was diagnosed with stomach cancer during the fourth season of Gimme a Break, but he continued to work. The final episode of the fourth season aired on May 11, 1985, three days after he died, and just a few hours after his funeral.[1]
Personal life
[edit]Sweet married Reba Gillespie while pursuing his master's degree after World War II. The couple had a son together, Jonathon (born c. 1952), before they divorced in 1973. In 1974, Sweet married Iris Braun.
Sweet died from stomach cancer at Tarzana Hospital in Tarzana, California, on May 8, 1985, survived by his wife and son.[2] His Gimme a Break! co-star, Nell Carter, gave the eulogy at his funeral on May 11, and recorded a short eulogy to air that same night, at the start of the show's final episode for the season.[1] Sweet's remains were cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea.[3]
Filmography
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1961 | The Young Doctors | Police Car Driver | |
1966 | You're a Big Boy Now | Patrolman Francis Graf | |
1967-1968 | The Edge of Night | Harry Constable | |
1968 | A Lovely Way to Die | Captain Haver | |
1968 | The Swimmer | Henry Biswanger | |
1968 | Finian's Rainbow | Sheriff | |
1969 | The Lost Man | Police Captain | |
1970 | Colossus: The Forbin Project | Missile Commander | |
1970 | The Out-of-Towners | Police Sergeant | |
1971 | The Telephone Book | Obscene-Caller | |
1972-1977 | Another World | Gil McGowan | |
1972 | The New Centurions | Sergeant Runyon | |
1972 | Sisters | Detective Kelly | |
1972 | Fear Is the Key | Jablonsky | |
1973 | Cops and Robbers | George | |
1974 | The Lords of Flatbush | Mr. Rosiello | |
1974 | Amazing Grace | Mayor Scott | |
1974 | The Taking of Pelham One Two Three | Police Captain Costello | Uncredited voice |
1977 | The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training | Mr. Manning | |
1977 | Which Way Is Up? | The Boss | |
1978 | Go Tell the Spartans | General Harnitz | |
1978 | Heaven Can Wait | Head Coach | |
1978 | Angie | The Sheriff | |
1979 | The Wanderers | "Chubby" Galasso | |
1980 | Below the Belt | LeRoi | |
1980 | When the Whistle Blows | Norm Jenkins | |
1981 | Reds | Bill "Big Bill" Haywood | |
1981 | Hart to Hart | Ed Perkins | |
1981-1985 | Gimme a Break! | Carl Kanisky |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Dolph Sweet: Star of TV's 'Gimme A Break' Dies". Associated Press. 1985-05-10. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
- ^ "'Gimme A Break' Star Dolph Sweet". Chicago Tribune. United Press International. 1985-05-10. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
- ^ Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company. p. 729. ISBN 9780786479924.
External links
[edit]- Dolph Sweet at IMDb
- Dolph Sweet at the Internet Broadway Database
- ‹The template AllMovie name is being considered for deletion.› Dolph Sweet at AllMovie
- Dolph Sweet at the TCM Movie Database
- Dolph Sweet at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- 1920 births
- 1985 deaths
- 20th-century American male actors
- American male film actors
- American male soap opera actors
- American male television actors
- American prisoners of war in World War II
- Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni
- Deaths from stomach cancer in California
- Military personnel from New York City
- Military personnel from New York (state)
- Shot-down aviators
- United States Army Air Forces officers
- United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
- World War II prisoners of war held by Germany