Jack Cassidy
American actor, singer and director (1927–1976)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Joseph Edward Cassidy (March 5, 1927 – December 12, 1976) was an American actor, singer and theatre director. He received multiple Tony Award nominations and a win, as well as a Grammy Award, for his work on the Broadway production of the musical She Loves Me. He also received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. He was the father of teen idols David Cassidy and Shaun Cassidy.
March 5, 1927
- Actor
- singer
- theatre director
Jack Cassidy | |
|---|---|
Jack Cassidy, c. 1967 | |
| Born | John Joseph Edward Cassidy March 5, 1927 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | December 12, 1976 (aged 49) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1943–1976 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 4; including David, Shaun and Patrick Cassidy |
| Relatives | Katie Cassidy (granddaughter) |
Early life
Cassidy was born in New York City, the son of Charlotte (née Koehler) and William Cassidy. He was the youngest of five children. His father, an engineer at the Long Island Rail Road, was of Irish descent and his mother was of German ancestry.[1]
Career
Cassidy achieved success as a musical performer on Broadway.[2] He appeared in Alive and Kicking, Wish You Were Here, Shangri-La, Maggie Flynn, Fade Out – Fade In, It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman, and She Loves Me, for which he won a Tony Award. He also received Emmy Award nominations for his television performances in the 1967-68 CBS Television Network series He & She and The Andersonville Trial.[3]
On television, he became a frequent guest star, appearing in such programs as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Gunsmoke, Bewitched, Get Smart, That Girl, Hawaii Five-O, Cannon, Match Game, McCloud, and Barnaby Jones for an episode titled "Murder in the Doll's House" (1973).[3] Cassidy also appeared three times as a murderer on Columbo in the episodes "Murder By the Book" (1971, directed by the not-yet-famous Steven Spielberg, with teleplay by a young Steven Bochco), "Publish or Perish" (1974), and "Now You See Him..." (1976).[3]
He co-starred with Ronnie Schell in a television revival of Hellzapoppin'. Cassidy also co-starred as an informer in the movie The Eiger Sanction with Clint Eastwood and provided the voice of Bob Cratchit for the pioneering animated television special Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol.[3]
His frequent professional persona was an urbane, witty, confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay. Cassidy perfected this character to the extent that he was cast as John Barrymore in the feature film W.C. Fields and Me.[4]
The role of the vain, shallow, buffoon-like newsman Ted Baxter on TV's The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977) was reportedly written with Cassidy in mind.[5] Cassidy had played a similar buffoonish character in the 1967–1968 sitcom He & She, but he turned down the role, feeling that it was not right for him; the part went to Ted Knight. Cassidy later appeared as a guest star in a 1971 episode[6] as Ted's highly competitive and equally egotistical brother Hal.[3]
Personal life
Marriages and children
Cassidy was married twice. His first marriage in 1948 was to actress Evelyn Ward. Together they had a son, David, who later became a teen idol. They divorced in 1956 and in the same year Cassidy married singer and actress Shirley Jones. Cassidy and Jones had three sons, Shaun, Patrick, and Ryan. Cassidy's eldest son, David, later starred with Jones in the musical sitcom The Partridge Family. Son Shaun also became a teen idol in the late 1970s, starring in The Hardy Boys series, and producing four top-40 records. Jones and Cassidy divorced in 1975.[7]
Cassidy had 12 grandchildren: Katie Cassidy and Beau by his first son David; Caitlin, Jake, Juliet, Caleb, Roan, Lila, and Mairin Cassidy by son Shaun; Cole and Jack by son Patrick; and, Meghan Mae by son Ryan. His grandson, Jack Cassidy, was a contestant on the singing competition television show The Voice in 2017.
Mental health
In his 1994 autobiography, C'Mon, Get Happy, Cassidy's eldest son David wrote that he became increasingly concerned about his father in the last years of his life. The elder Cassidy, who suffered from bipolar disorder and alcoholism, was displaying increasingly erratic behavior. In 1974, his neighbors were shocked to see him fully naked, watering his front lawn in the middle of the afternoon.[8] Cassidy's second wife, Shirley Jones, described a similar incident when she found him sitting naked in a corner of their house, reading a book. Jones said to him that they had to get ready to do a show, and he calmly looked up and said, "I know now that I'm Christ".[9] In December 1974, Cassidy was hospitalized in a psychiatric facility for 48 hours.[10] At that time, Jones found out that he had been previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder.[11]
Sexuality
David Cassidy said his father was bisexual, citing personal accounts and reports, both anecdotal and published, of his father's same-sex affairs, something neither he nor his siblings knew until after their father's death.[12] In her 2013 memoir, Shirley Jones wrote that Cassidy had many same-sex affairs, including one with Cole Porter.[13]
Death
On December 11, 1976, Cassidy invited his ex-wife, Shirley Jones, to his home, an apartment in West Hollywood, California, for drinks, but she declined.[14]
Early the next morning, Cassidy lit a cigarette and fell asleep on his Naugahyde couch.[15] Asleep, he dropped the cigarette, igniting the couch. The flames spread throughout the apartment and building.[7] At 6:15 a.m., the blaze was discovered by Deputy Sheriff John DiMatteo, who evacuated the building, and entered Cassidy's apartment. A charred body was found near the front door of the apartment among the ashes, and was identified as Cassidy's[16] by dental records[17] and a signet ring that he wore, bearing the Cassidy family crest.[1][18] His remains were cremated and scattered in the Pacific Ocean.[19]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Look in Any Window | Gareth Lowell | |
| 1962 | The Chapman Report | Ted Dyson | |
| 1970 | The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County | Roger Hand | |
| 1971 | Bunny O'Hare | Lieutenant Greeley | |
| 1975 | The Eiger Sanction | Miles Mellough | |
| 1976 | W. C. Fields and Me | John Barrymore | |
| 1977 | The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover | Damon Runyon | Posthumous release |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | The United States Steel Hour | Performer | Season 4 Episode 13: "Shadow of Evil" |
| 1957 | Lux Video Theatre | Dr. Frederick Steele | Season 7 Episode 21: "Dark Victory" |
| 1957 | Lux Video Theatre | Denis | Season 7 Episode 49: "Last Act" |
| 1958 | Richard Diamond, Private Detective | Danny Fortune | Season 2 Episode 17: "The Percentage Takers" |
| 1958 | Gunsmoke | Marcus France | Season 3 Episode 39: "The Gentleman" |
| 1960 | The Chevy Mystery Show | David Townsend | Season 1 Episode 14: "Femme Fatale" |
| 1961 | Hawaiian Eye | Maurice Clifford | Season 3 Episode 14: "Concert in Hawaii" |
| 1961 | Maverick | Roger Cushman | Season 5 Episode 2: "The Art Lovers" |
| 1961 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Mark Lansing | Season 6 Episode 29: "The Pearl Necklace" |
| 1961 | General Electric Theater | Alan Richards | Season 9 Episode 28: "Sis Bowls 'Em Over" |
| 1961 | Lock-Up | Vincent Gibson | Season 2 Episode 28: "Two Wrongs" |
| 1961 | Wagon Train | Dan Palmer | Season 4 Episode 24: "The Nancy Palmer Story" |
| 1962 | Surfside 6 | Val Morton | Season 2 Episode 21: "Who is Sylvia?" |
| 1962 | The Everglades | Ron Fairburn | Season 1 Episode 18: "Black Honeymoon" |
| 1962 | FBI Code 98 | Walter Macklin | Television Movie |
| 1962 | 77 Sunset Strip | Dick Arnador | Season 4 Episode 20: "The Bridal Trail Caper" |
| 1961 | Bronco | Edward Miller | Season 4 Episode 5: "The Harrigan" |
| 1962 | Bronco | Marshal Bill Hickok | Season 4 Episode 13: "One Evening in Abilene" |
| 1962 | The Dick Powell Show | Roth | Season 2 Episode 13: "The Big Day" |
| 1962 | Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol | Bob Cratchit (voice) | Television Movie |
| 1962 | Hennesey | Chaplain | Season 3 Episode 32: "I Thee Wed" |
| 1963 | The Wide Country | Jerry Manning | Season 1 Episode 21: "The Judas Ghost" |
| 1964 | Mr. Broadway | Allan | Season 1 Episode 6: "The He-She Chemistry" |
| 1964 | Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo | voice | Television Movie |
| 1965 | The Lucy Show | Professor Zoorkin | Season 4 Episode 10: "Lucy and the Undercover Agent" |
| 1965 | The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | Arthur Mannix | Season 3 Episode 21: "The Photographer and the Undertaker" |
| 1967 | Coronet Blue | Spangler | Season 1 Episode 7: "A Charade for Murder" |
| 1967 | The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. | Rock Mussin | Season 1 Episode 21: "The Carpathian Caper Affair" |
| 1967 | I Spy | Nick Fleming | Season 2 Episode 19: "The Trouble with Temple" |
| 1967–68 | He & She | Oscar North | 26 episodes |
| 1968 | Mouse on the Mayflower | John Alden, voice | Rankin-Bass animated holiday TV special |
| 1968 | Get Smart | Mr. Bob | Season 4 Episode 8: "The Return of the Ancient Mariner" |
| 1968 | Bewitched | Rance Butler | Season 5 Episode 2: "Samantha Goes South for a Spell" |
| 1969 | That Girl | Marty Haines | Season 4 Episode 12: "She Never Had the Vegas Notion" |
| 1969 | That Girl | Marty Haines | Season 4 Episode 13: "She Never Had the Vegas Notion Part Two" |
| 1970 | Bewitched | George Dinsdale | Season 6 Episode 26: "A Chance on Love" |
| 1970 | The Governor & J.J. | Mark Ellison | Season 2 Episode 9: "The Making of the Governor" |
| 1970 | Matt Lincoln | Doug Conway | Season 1 Episode 3: "Nina" |
| 1970 | George M! | Jeremiah "Jerry" Cohan | Television Movie |
| 1970 | The Andersonville Trial | Otis Baker | Television Movie |
| 1970 | Love, American Style | Chuck Fuller | Season 1 Episode 20 (segment: "Love and the Many Married Couple") |
| 1971 | Love, American Style | Fred | Season 2 Episode 18 (segment: "Love and the Big Game") |
| 1971 | Sarge | John Michael O'Flaherty | Season 1 Episode 6: "The Eleven O'Clock War" |
| 1971 | Bonanza | Kevin O'Casey | Season 13 Episode 6: "Cassie" |
| 1971 | The Mary Tyler Moore Show | Hal Baxter | Season 2 Episode 6: "Cover Boy" |
| 1971 | Alias Smith and Jones | Harry Wagener | Season 2 Episode 2: "How to Rob a Bank in One Hard Lesson" |
| 1971 | Columbo | Ken Franklin | Season 1 Episode 1: "Murder by the Book" |
| 1971 | The Powder Room | Performer | Television Movie |
| 1971 | Night Gallery | Marius Davis | Season 1 Episode 6 (segment: "The Last Laurel") |
| 1971 | The Mod Squad | Perry Lerriko | Season 3 Episode 15: "Kicks Incorporated" |
| 1972 | Love, American Style | Frank | Season 4 Episode 1 (segment: "Love and the Know-It-All") |
| 1972 | Mission: Impossible | Orin Kerr | Season 6 Episode 21: "Casino" |
| 1972 | Your Money or Your Wife | Josh Darwin | Television Movie |
| 1972 | Banyon | Grey Gloves | Season 1 Episode 7: "Dead End" |
| 1973 | Orson Welles Great Mysteries | Pennington | Season 1 Episode 14: "For Sale - Silence" |
| 1973 | Barnaby Jones | Craig Woodridge | Season 1 Episode 7: "Murder in the Doll's House" |
| 1973 | A Time for Love | Tom Pierson | Television Movie |
| 1974 | Fools, Female and Fun | Danny Holliday | Television Movie |
| 1974 | The Phantom of Hollywood | Otto Vonner / Karl Vonner | Television Movie |
| 1974 | Great Performances | Paul Sears | Season 2 Episode 2: "June Moon" |
| 1974 | Columbo | Riley Greenleaf | Season 3 Episode 5: "Publish or Perish" |
| 1974 | Cannon | General James O'Hara | Season 3 Episode 16: "Photo Finish" |
| 1975 | Hawaii Five-O | Orrin Morwood | Season 8 Episode 10: "How to Steal a Submarine" |
| 1975 | Matt Helm | Buckman | Season 1 Episode 5: "Murder on Ice" |
| 1975 | Knuckle | Patrick Delafield | Television Movie |
| 1975 | Death Among Friends | Chico Donovan | Television Movie |
| 1976 | Columbo | The Great Santini | Season 5 Episode 5: "Now You See Him..." |
| 1977 | McCloud | Lord Charles Bridges | Season 7 Episode 5: "London Bridges" (Posthumous release) |
| 1977 | Benny and Barney: Las Vegas Undercover | Jules Rosen | Television Movie (Posthumous release) |
| 1977 | The Feather and Father Gang | Bishop | Season 1 Episode 13: "The Judas Bug" (Posthumous release) |
Stage
Source: Playbill Vault [2]
Broadway
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Something for the Boys | chorus | Alvin Theatre |
| 1944 | Sadie Thompson | chorus | |
| 1946 | Around the World | chorus | Adelphi Theatre |
| 1947 | Music in My Heart | chorus | |
| 1948 | Small Wonder | ensemble | Coronet Theatre |
| 1948 | Inside U.S.A. | chorus | Majestic Theatre |
| 1949 | Theater '49 | ensemble | General Artists Corporation NYC |
| 1952 | South Pacific | Richard West | Majestic Theatre |
| 1952 | Wish You Were Here | Chick Miller | Imperial Theatre |
| 1954 | Sandhog | Johnny O'Sullivan | Phoenix Theatre |
| 1956 | Shangri-La | Charles Mallinson | Winter Garden Theatre |
| 1957 | The Beggar's Opera | MacHeath | New York City Center |
| 1963 | She Loves Me | Steven Kodaly | Eugene O'Neill Theatre |
| 1964 | Fade Out – Fade In | Byron Prong | Mark Hellinger Theatre |
| 1966 | It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman | Max Mencken | Alvin Theatre |
| 1968 | Maggie Flynn | Phineas Flynn | ANTA Theatre |
| 1969 | The Mundy Scheme | Mick Moloney | Royale Theatre |
| 1973 | Sondheim: A Musical Tribute | Performer | Concert, Shubert Theater |
| 1975 | Murder Among Friends | Palmer Forrester | Biltmore Theatre |
Elsewhere
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Oklahoma! | Curly | European tour |
| 1958 | Wonderful Town | Robert Baker | Brussels World's Fair, Belgium |
| London, United Kingdom | |||
| 1959 | Wish You Were Here | Chick Miller | Dallas, Texas |
| 1959 | Epitaph for George Dillon | George Dillon | Los Angeles, California |
| 1962 | Gypsy | Herbie | Dallas, Texas |
| 1965 | Mary, Mary | Dirk Winsten | National tour |
| 1965 | Camelot | Lancelot | National tour |
| 1967 | Wait Until Dark | Roat | National tour |
| 1972 | The Marriage Band | Performer | Las Vegas, Nevada; National tour |
Awards and nominations
Discography
Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy albums
- Speaking of Love (1957) Columbia Records
- Brigadoon (1957) Columbia Records
- With Love from Hollywood (1958) Columbia
- Marriage Type Love (1959) RCA Records[22]
- Maggie Flynn (1968) RCA Records
- Showtunes (1995) Sony Music Entertainment
- Essential Masters (2011) Master Classics Records
- Marriage Type Love (2014) Columbia Masterworks Records[22]
- Guest appearances
- Free to Be... You and Me (1972) Bell Records (song: "Girl Land" with Shirley Jones)
