Jack Sahakian
Encyclopedia
Jack Leon Sahakian was an American
hairdresser
and actor
.
He was born in Oakland
, California
, the son of Karnic "Jack" Sahakian (July 27, 1907-November 5, 1945) and Evelyn L. Reese (April 3, 1914-December 2, 1973). His father was born in Armenia
and his mother in Indiana
. His father emigrated to the United States
in 1914, joining his father, Dicran Sahakian (1867-1929), who emigrated
to the U.S.
in 1910.
The family lived in Indianapolis, Indiana
, where Dicran was a grocery retail merchant, before moving to California. Dicran, who became an Oriental rug importer, wanted his surname to be perpetuated in the land of liberty. After moving to Oakland
, he died there October 30, 1929. He stipulated in his will
that the first boy born to the eldest of his five sons was to receive approximately $2,500. In the event the eldest son had no male progeny, then the next eldest and on down to his youngest son would be eligible for the "premium" in the event he had a male child within five years.
The chances of the youngest son, Karnic, winning the trust fund for his son seemed highly remote, but it came true. Jack Sahakian became the first born grandson and, when he was age 4-years-old in 1935, was awarded the money. His mother said she wanted to keep it intact for when he went to college.
Sahakian became a hairdresser for the rich and famous in Los Angeles
, and owned his own salon. He counts among the men speculated to be the inspiration for Warren Beatty
's character in the movie
Shampoo
.
He and his first wife, Ms. Oliva, had a son named Jack Anthony Sahakian (born March 16, 1952), who became an aerospace executive. He and Ms. Evanovic had a daughter, Linda Sahakian (born April 17, 1958). He met burlesque
striptease artist
Candy Barr
when she was going with Mickey Cohen
in 1959. She was appearing in Los Angeles while awaiting her appeal on a conviction and prison sentence in Texas
for possession
of marijuana
.
On November 25, 1959, Sahakian and Barr were married in Las Vegas
, while she was appearing there. He kept her daughter when she entered prison.
He became a character actor
and made some guest appearances in top TV
shows, playing the heavy in episodes of The Untouchables
, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
and Ben Casey
.
Being a hairdresser to the stars
, such as Shirley MacLaine
and Warren Beatty, this led to small roles in a couple movies, Billy Wilder
's Irma la Douce
starring Jack Lemmon
and MacLaine for United Artists
and Move Over, Darling
starring Doris Day
and James Garner
for 20th Century Fox
, both released in 1963
.
In the mid 1960s, Sahakian attended LIFE Bible College
, which was beside the Angelus Temple
founded by Aimee Semple McPherson
. While there, he met his fourth wife, Barbara Ann Kerber, and they were married on March 5, 1967. They had one son, John Michael Sahakian (born December 15, 1967), who became a yoga teacher & stress management consultant.
On February 5, 1968, Sahakian was a featured speaker at a Youth Rally at Melodyland, run by David Wilkerson
, author of The Cross and the Switchblade
. The ad in the L.A. Times
for the "Great Teen Program" referred to Sahakian as "TV Personality And Former Drug Addict."
Sahakian also appeared in the made-for-TV movie
Knuckle
(1975), starring Eileen Brennan
and Jack Cassidy
.
Jack Sahakian died at age 64 of liver disease at the Veterans Hospital in West Los Angeles
. He is interred in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery
, Los Angeles
, overlooking Burbank
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hairdresser
Hairdresser
Hairdresser is a term referring to anyone whose occupation is to cut or style hair in order to change or maintain a person's image. This is achieved using a combination of hair coloring, haircutting, and hair texturing techniques...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
He was born in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the son of Karnic "Jack" Sahakian (July 27, 1907-November 5, 1945) and Evelyn L. Reese (April 3, 1914-December 2, 1973). His father was born in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
and his mother in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. His father emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1914, joining his father, Dicran Sahakian (1867-1929), who emigrated
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1910.
The family lived in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, where Dicran was a grocery retail merchant, before moving to California. Dicran, who became an Oriental rug importer, wanted his surname to be perpetuated in the land of liberty. After moving to Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, he died there October 30, 1929. He stipulated in his will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
that the first boy born to the eldest of his five sons was to receive approximately $2,500. In the event the eldest son had no male progeny, then the next eldest and on down to his youngest son would be eligible for the "premium" in the event he had a male child within five years.
The chances of the youngest son, Karnic, winning the trust fund for his son seemed highly remote, but it came true. Jack Sahakian became the first born grandson and, when he was age 4-years-old in 1935, was awarded the money. His mother said she wanted to keep it intact for when he went to college.
Sahakian became a hairdresser for the rich and famous in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, and owned his own salon. He counts among the men speculated to be the inspiration for Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty born March 30, 1937) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and director. He has received a total of fourteen Academy Award nominations, winning one for Best Director in 1982. He has also won four Golden Globe Awards including the Cecil B. DeMille Award.-Early life and...
's character in the movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Shampoo
Shampoo (film)
Shampoo is a 1975 satirical film written by Robert Towne and directed by Hal Ashby. It stars Warren Beatty, Julie Christie and Goldie Hawn, with Lee Grant, Jack Warden, Tony Bill and in an early film appearance, Carrie Fisher....
.
He and his first wife, Ms. Oliva, had a son named Jack Anthony Sahakian (born March 16, 1952), who became an aerospace executive. He and Ms. Evanovic had a daughter, Linda Sahakian (born April 17, 1958). He met burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
striptease artist
Striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...
Candy Barr
Candy Barr
Candy Barr was an American stripper, burlesque exotic dancer, actress in one pornographic movie, and model in men's magazines of the mid-20th century....
when she was going with Mickey Cohen
Mickey Cohen
Meyer Harris "Mickey" Cohen was a gangster based in Los Angeles and part of the Jewish Mafia, and also had strong ties to the American Mafia from the 1930s through 1960s.-Early life:...
in 1959. She was appearing in Los Angeles while awaiting her appeal on a conviction and prison sentence in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
for possession
Drug possession
Drug possession is the crime of having one or more illegal drugs in one's possession, either for personal use, distribution, sale or otherwise. Illegal drugs fall into different categories and sentences vary depending on the amount, type of drug, circumstances, and jurisdiction.A person has...
of marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
.
On November 25, 1959, Sahakian and Barr were married in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, while she was appearing there. He kept her daughter when she entered prison.
He became a character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
and made some guest appearances in top TV
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
shows, playing the heavy in episodes of The Untouchables
The Untouchables (1959 TV series)
The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a...
, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock. The series featured dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. By the premiere of the show on October 2, 1955, Hitchcock had been directing films for over three decades...
and Ben Casey
Ben Casey
Ben Casey is an American medical drama series which ran on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, *, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaffe intoned, "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity." Neurosurgeon Joseph...
.
Being a hairdresser to the stars
Movie star
A movie star is a celebrity who is well-known, or famous, for his or her starring, or leading, roles in motion pictures. The term may also apply to an actor or actress who is recognized as a marketable commodity and whose name is used to promote a movie in trailers and posters...
, such as Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine is an American film and theater actress, singer, dancer, activist and author, well-known for her beliefs in new age spirituality and reincarnation. She has written a large number of autobiographical works, many dealing with her spiritual beliefs as well as her Hollywood career...
and Warren Beatty, this led to small roles in a couple movies, Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder was an Austro-Hungarian born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist, and journalist, whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age...
's Irma la Douce
Irma la Douce
Irma la Douce/Irma la Dolce is a 1963 romantic comedy starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, directed by Billy Wilder.It is based on the 1956 French musical Irma La Douce by Marguerite Monnot and Alexandre Breffort.-Plot:...
starring Jack Lemmon
Jack Lemmon
John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor and musician. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts , Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925June...
and MacLaine for United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
and Move Over, Darling
Move Over, Darling
Move Over, Darling is a 1963 remake of the 1940 screwball comedy My Favorite Wife that starred Irene Dunne, Cary Grant and Gail Patrick. The remake stars Doris Day, James Garner, and Polly Bergen.-Plot:...
starring Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
and James Garner
James Garner
James Garner is an American film and television actor, one of the first Hollywood actors to excel in both media. He has starred in several television series spanning a career of more than five decades...
for 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
, both released in 1963
1963 in film
The year 1963 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* June 12 - Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rex Harrison and Richard Burton premieres at the Rivoli Theatre in New York City....
.
In the mid 1960s, Sahakian attended LIFE Bible College
Life Pacific College
Life Pacific College was founded in Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, in 1923 as Echo Park Evangelistic and Missionary Training Institute by Aimee Semple McPherson. Its name was changed to LIFE Bible College, LIFE standing for "Lighthouse of International Foursquare Evangelism", in 1926 when it...
, which was beside the Angelus Temple
Angelus Temple
Angelus Temple was the central house of worship of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel in the Echo Park district of Los Angeles, California....
founded by Aimee Semple McPherson
Aimee Semple McPherson
Aimee Semple McPherson , also known as Sister Aimee, was a Canadian-American Los Angeles, California evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s. She founded the Foursquare Church...
. While there, he met his fourth wife, Barbara Ann Kerber, and they were married on March 5, 1967. They had one son, John Michael Sahakian (born December 15, 1967), who became a yoga teacher & stress management consultant.
On February 5, 1968, Sahakian was a featured speaker at a Youth Rally at Melodyland, run by David Wilkerson
David Wilkerson
David Ray Wilkerson was an American Christian evangelist, best known for his book The Cross and the Switchblade...
, author of The Cross and the Switchblade
The Cross and the Switchblade
The Cross and the Switchblade is a book written in 1963 by pastor David Wilkerson with John and Elizabeth Sherrill. It tells the true story of Wilkerson's first five years in New York City, where he ministered to disillusioned youth, encouraging them to turn away from the drugs and gang violence...
. The ad in the L.A. Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
for the "Great Teen Program" referred to Sahakian as "TV Personality And Former Drug Addict."
Sahakian also appeared in the made-for-TV movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
Knuckle
Knuckle
The knuckles are the joints of the fingers and toes, which are brought into prominence when the hand is clenched and a fist is made. The word is cognate to similar words in other Germanic languages, such as the Dutch "Knokkel" or German "Knöchel" , i.e., Knöchlein, the diminutive of the German...
(1975), starring Eileen Brennan
Eileen Brennan
Eileen Brennan is an American actress of film, television, and theater. Brennan is best known for her role as Doreen Lewis in Private Benjamin for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She reprised the role in the TV adaption and won a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy...
and Jack Cassidy
Jack Cassidy
John Joseph Edward “Jack” Cassidy was an American actor of stage, film and screen.His frequent professional persona was that of an urbane, super-confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay...
.
Jack Sahakian died at age 64 of liver disease at the Veterans Hospital in West Los Angeles
West Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
West Los Angeles is a district in Los Angeles, California, within a larger region known as the "Westside."-Geography and transportation:...
. He is interred in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, overlooking Burbank
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
.