Nick Cravat
Encyclopedia
Nick Cravat was an American
film actor. His real name was Nicholas Cuccia . "Cravat" was a stage name based on a character in a play he had seen and rather liked.
Cravat and Burt Lancaster
met as youngsters at a summer camp in New York and became lifelong friends. They created an acrobatic act, "Lang and Cravat", in the early 1930s and joined the Kay Brothers circus in Florida. The pair worked at various circuses and in vaudeville
. In 1939, however, Lancaster suffered a hand injury that ended their act. They would reunite later.
He co-starred with Lancaster in nine films, of which The Crimson Pirate
and The Flame and the Arrow
are the best-known. He played a mute character in several movies, notably The Flame and the Arrow, The Crimson Pirate, and Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
, mostly because his thick Brooklyn
accent would have been out of place. The acrobatic Cravat also played the "gremlin
" on the wing of an airplane in the 1963 Twilight Zone
episode, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
" starring William Shatner
.
Cravat died on January 30, 1994, of lung cancer according to his daughter Tina.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film actor. His real name was Nicholas Cuccia . "Cravat" was a stage name based on a character in a play he had seen and rather liked.
Cravat and Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
met as youngsters at a summer camp in New York and became lifelong friends. They created an acrobatic act, "Lang and Cravat", in the early 1930s and joined the Kay Brothers circus in Florida. The pair worked at various circuses and in vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
. In 1939, however, Lancaster suffered a hand injury that ended their act. They would reunite later.
He co-starred with Lancaster in nine films, of which The Crimson Pirate
The Crimson Pirate
The Crimson Pirate is a 1952 American adventure film directed by Robert Siodmak. It stars Burt Lancaster, who also co-produced the film, as Captain Vallo, the eponymous pirate, and is set in the Caribbean late in the 18th century, on the fictional islands of Cobra and San Pero...
and The Flame and the Arrow
The Flame and the Arrow
The Flame and the Arrow is a 1950 American adventure film made by Warner Bros. and starring Burt Lancaster, Virginia Mayo and Nick Cravat. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by Harold Hecht and Frank Ross from a screenplay by Waldo Salt. The music score was by Max Steiner and the...
are the best-known. He played a mute character in several movies, notably The Flame and the Arrow, The Crimson Pirate, and Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier is a 1955 live-action Walt Disney adventure film starring Fess Parker as Davy Crockett. This film is an edited compilation of the first three stories from the Disney television series Davy Crockett :...
, mostly because his thick Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
accent would have been out of place. The acrobatic Cravat also played the "gremlin
Gremlin
A gremlin is an imaginary creature commonly depicted as mischievous and mechanically oriented, with a specific interest in aircraft. Gremlins' mischievous natures are similar to those of English folkloric imps, while their inclination to damage or dismantle machinery is more...
" on the wing of an airplane in the 1963 Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
episode, "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
"Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" is a 1963 episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone, based on the short story of the same name by Richard Matheson.-Plot summary:...
" starring William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
.
Cravat died on January 30, 1994, of lung cancer according to his daughter Tina.
