Harry Bellaver
Encyclopedia
Harry Bellaver was an American stage, film and television actor who appeared in many roles from the 1930s through the 1980s.
, the son of Italian immigrants working in the Hillsboro coal mines. He appeared in numerous Broadway plays over the years, with his Broadway debut in the 1931 Group Theatre production of the play 1931. He also appeared in the Elmer Rice
play We, The People in 1933, and in the Broadway debut that year of The Threepenny Opera
.
Bellaver's greatest Broadway success was in 1946, when he appeared in the original production of Annie Get Your Gun
, as Chief Sitting Bull. He appeared in the same roll in the 1966 revival.
Bellaver was also a prolific film character actor, mainly in "working class" roles, from 1939 through the 1960s. He appeared in the film adaptation of From Here to Eternity
and in several notable film noir
s. He appeared in The House on 92nd Street
as a taxi driver spying for the Nazis, and again played a cab driver, this time victimized by a gangster, in Side Street. He also appeared in The Old man and the Sea
1958 with Spencer Tracey. He also appeared in the comedy Hero at Large
a 1980 comedy film starring John Ritter
and Anne Archer.
Bellaver is probably best known for his featured role as Sgt. Frank Arcaro in the television series Naked City
. He played an older, mellow detective who was a counterpoint to the dedicated young detective played by Paul Burke
. Bellaver continued to play small film and television roles through the 1980s, with his last film role in 1985 as an old miner in the movie The Stuff.
Life and career
Bellaver was born in Hillsboro, IllinoisHillsboro, Illinois
Hillsboro is a city in Montgomery County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,359 at the 2000 census, and 6,106 at a 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Montgomery County.-History:...
, the son of Italian immigrants working in the Hillsboro coal mines. He appeared in numerous Broadway plays over the years, with his Broadway debut in the 1931 Group Theatre production of the play 1931. He also appeared in the Elmer Rice
Elmer Rice
Elmer Rice was an American playwright. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his 1929 play, Street Scene.-Early years:...
play We, The People in 1933, and in the Broadway debut that year of The Threepenny Opera
The Threepenny Opera
The Threepenny Opera is a musical by German dramatist Bertolt Brecht and composer Kurt Weill, in collaboration with translator Elisabeth Hauptmann and set designer Caspar Neher. It was adapted from an 18th-century English ballad opera, John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, and offers a Marxist critique...
.
Bellaver's greatest Broadway success was in 1946, when he appeared in the original production of Annie Get Your Gun
Annie Get Your Gun (musical)
Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy Fields. The story is a fictionalized version of the life of Annie Oakley , who was a sharpshooter from Ohio, and her husband, Frank Butler.The 1946 Broadway production...
, as Chief Sitting Bull. He appeared in the same roll in the 1966 revival.
Bellaver was also a prolific film character actor, mainly in "working class" roles, from 1939 through the 1960s. He appeared in the film adaptation of From Here to Eternity
From Here to Eternity
From Here to Eternity is a 1953 drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann and based on the novel of the same name by James Jones. It deals with the troubles of soldiers, played by Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra and Ernest Borgnine stationed on Hawaii in the months leading up to the...
and in several notable film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
s. He appeared in The House on 92nd Street
The House on 92nd Street
The House on 92nd Street is a 1945 black-and-white spy film directed by Henry Hathaway. The film, shot mainly in New York City, was released shortly after the end of World War II. The House on 92nd Street was made with the full cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation , and its head, J....
as a taxi driver spying for the Nazis, and again played a cab driver, this time victimized by a gangster, in Side Street. He also appeared in The Old man and the Sea
The Old Man and the Sea
The Old Man and the Sea is a novel written by American author Ernest Hemingway in 1951 in Cuba, and published in 1952. It was the last major work of fiction to be produced by Hemingway and published in his lifetime. One of his most famous works, it centers upon Santiago, an aging fisherman who...
1958 with Spencer Tracey. He also appeared in the comedy Hero at Large
Hero at Large
Hero at Large is a 1980 comedy film starring John Ritter and Anne Archer. The film was written by former Disney screenwriter, AJ Carothers and directed by Martin Davidson. The original music score was composed by Patrick Williams.-Plot:...
a 1980 comedy film starring John Ritter
John Ritter
Jonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian perhaps best known for having played Jack Tripper and Paul Hennessy in the ABC sitcoms Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules, respectively...
and Anne Archer.
Bellaver is probably best known for his featured role as Sgt. Frank Arcaro in the television series Naked City
Naked City (TV series)
Naked City is a police drama series which aired from 1958 to 1963 on the ABC television network. It was inspired by the 1948 motion picture of the same name, and mimics its dramatic "semi-documentary" format....
. He played an older, mellow detective who was a counterpoint to the dedicated young detective played by Paul Burke
Paul Burke
Paul Burke may refer to:*Paul Burke , American actor in TV series Naked City and 12 O'Clock High*Paul Burke , basketball player*Paul Burke , English lightweight and light welterweight...
. Bellaver continued to play small film and television roles through the 1980s, with his last film role in 1985 as an old miner in the movie The Stuff.