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Vincent Gardenia

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Vincent Gardenia
Gardenia at the 1988 Academy Awards
Born
Vincenzo Scognamiglio

(1920-01-07)January 7, 1920[1]
Ercolano, Città Metropolitana di Napoli, Campania, Italy
DiedDecember 9, 1992(1992-12-09) (aged 72)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1945–1992

Vincent Gardenia (born Vincenzo Scognamiglio; January 7, 1920 – December 9, 1992) was an Italian-American stage, film and television actor. He was nominated twice for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, first for Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) and again for Moonstruck (1987). He also portrayed Det. Frank Ochoa in Death Wish (1974) and its 1982 sequel, Death Wish II, and played Mr. Mushnik in the musical film adaptation Little Shop of Horrors (1986).

Gardenia's other notable feature films include Murder Inc. (1960), The Hustler (1961), The Front Page (1974), Greased Lightning (1977), Heaven Can Wait (1978) and The Super (1991).

In 1990, Gardenia was awarded the Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a television movie or television series for the HBO production Age-Old Friends. Gardenia was twice honored for his performances on Broadway. In 1972, he won the Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor in The Prisoner of Second Avenue, and was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical in 1979 for Ballroom. Off-Broadway, he was twice awarded with the Most Distinguished Performance Award by an actor, 1960 for Machinal, and again in 1969 for Passing Through From Exotic Places.[citation needed]

Early life

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Gardenia was born Vincenzo Scognamiglio in Ercolano, Città Metropolitana di Napoli, Campania, Italy, the elder son of[2] Elisa (née Ausiello) and Gennaro Ettore Federico Scognamiglio (or Gennaro Gardenia Scognamiglio).[3] In November, 1922, when he was almost three years old, the family immigrated to the United States and settled in Brooklyn, New York.[2]

His father established an acting troupe that presented Italian-language melodramas. As a child, he performed in the troupe in Italian-American neighborhoods in and around New York City,[2] having later said, "the titles changed, but they were usually about a son or daughter who gets in trouble, runs away, then begs forgiveness". He debuted in the company at age five, portraying a shoeshine boy. He graduated to character roles while still a teenager. He remained a member of the company until 1960, five years after his first English-speaking role on Broadway.[4]

Gardenia also served in the U.S. Army during World War II.[5][6]

Career

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Gardenia played a small role in the film The House on 92nd Street and bit parts in other films, including Cop Hater and A View From the Bridge. His first English-speaking role was in 1955, as a pirate in the Broadway play In April Once. The following year, at age 36, he appeared as Piggy in his off-Broadway debut in The Man with the Golden Arm.[2] He described his role in the film Little Murders as a "turning point".[2] He won Obie Awards in 1960 and 1969.[2]

A life member of The Actors Studio,[7] Gardenia won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 1972 for his performance in The Prisoner of Second Avenue, opposite Peter Falk.[8] In 1979, he was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Ballroom.[9]

In film, he was twice nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in Bang the Drum Slowly and Moonstruck.[10][11]

In television, Gardenia won the 1990 Emmy Award for his performance in Age-Old Friends, with Hume Cronyn.[12] Among his best remembered TV roles is his portrayal of Archie Bunker's neighbor Frank Lorenzo on All in the Family (1973–74) (earlier episodes as neighbor Jim Bowman and later as a part of a swinger couple) and J. Edgar Hoover in the miniseries Kennedy (1983). He was featured in an episode of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea titled "Escape From Venice". In addition, Gardenia gave memorable performances in popular TV shows such as The Twilight Zone, Mission: Impossible, Mannix, Ironside, The Big Valley and The Fugitive.

Death

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In December 1992, Gardenia was in Philadelphia to perform in the stage production of the Tom Dulack comedy Breaking Legs. He was beginning a three-week run as restaurant owner Lou Graziano in the off-Broadway hit at the Forrest Theatre. It was a role he had performed since the show's New York City opening in May 1991.[citation needed]

Around 1 a.m. on December 9, 1992, hours after the final preview performance, Gardenia had returned to his hotel room after dining with stage director John Tillinger, producer Elliot Martin and cast members. According to Martin, Gardenia showed no signs of illness, adding, "It was just a jolly evening." According to authorities, when Gardenia failed to appear the next morning for a radio interview to promote the play's run, press representative Irene Gandy and cast member Vince Viverito became alarmed. When they arrived at Gardenia's hotel room, there was no answer. The hotel sent an engineer who opened the door and Gardenia was discovered dead of a heart attack, dressed and clutching the telephone. He was 72.[citation needed]

That evening, in the theatrical tradition of "the show must go on" and just hours after Gardenia's death, the play's official opening took place. The company dedicated its opening performance to Gardenia's memory.[13] Harry Guardino assumed Gardenia's role as the restaurant owner.[14]

Gardenia never married or had children. He was survived by his younger brother, Ralph Frank Scognamiglio (September 30, 1925 – January 31, 2018).[4][15] A section of 16th Avenue in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, where he resided until his death, bears the honorary name of Vincent Gardenia Boulevard in his honor.[16]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1945 The House on 92nd Street German spy trainee Uncredited
1958 Cop Hater Danny Gimp
1960 Murder, Inc. Lawyer Laslo
1961 Parrish Bit part Uncredited
Mad Dog Coll Dutch Schultz
The Hustler Bartender
1962 A View from the Bridge Liperi
1965 The Third Day Preston
1970 Jenny Mr. Marsh
Where's Poppa? Coach Williams
1971 Little Murders Carol Newquist
Cold Turkey Mayor Quincey L. Wappler
1972 Hickey & Boggs Papadakis
1973 Bang the Drum Slowly Dutch Schnell Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Lucky Luciano Colonel Charles Poletti
1974 Death Wish Det. Frank Ochoa
The Front Page Sheriff Pete Hartmann
1975 The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery Big Daddy Jessup
La banca di Monate Santino Paleari
1976 House of Pleasure for Women Mr. Chips
The Big Racket Pepe
Luna di miele in tre Frankie, the journalist
1977 Fire Sale Benny Fikus
Greased Lightning Sheriff Cotton
1978 Heaven Can Wait Det. Lt. Krim
1979 Firepower Frank Hull
Home Movies Doctor Byrd
Sensitività Old painter
Goldie and the Boxer Diamond
That's Life
1980 The Dream Merchants Peter Kessler
The Last Flight of Noah's Ark Stoney
1982 Death Wish II Det. Frank Ochoa
1983 Odd Squad General Brigg
1985 Movers & Shakers Saul Gritz
1986 Little Shop of Horrors Mr. Mushnik
1987 Moonstruck Cosmo Castorini Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
1988 Cheeeese Bonjour
Cavalli si nasce Il Principe
1989 Skin Deep Barny the Barkeeper
1991 The Super Big Lou Kritski (final film role)

Television

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Before becoming a regular cast member on All in the Family, Gardenia and Rue McClanahan played "wife-swappers" who meet the unsuspecting Bunkers in a 1972 episode. L–R: McClanahan, Carroll O'Connor, Jean Stapleton and Gardenia

Some of Gardenia's many television appearances include:

Year Film Role Notes
1954 Studio One Bailiff (uncredited) Season 7, episode 1: "Twelve Angry Men"
1955 1st mover Season 8, episode 2: "Three Empty Rooms"
1957 Dick Season 10, episode 1: "The Night America Trembled"
1958 Decoy Bull Season1, episode 19 ("The Challenger")
1961 The Untouchables Jake Petrie Season 3, episode 1 ("The Troubleshooter")
1965 The Big Valley John Sample Season 1, episode 1 ("Palms of Glory")
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Bellini Season 2, episode 5 ("Escape from Venice")
1967 The Fugitive Capt. Bill Gibbs Season 4, episode 20 ("There Goes the Ball Game")
Mannix Eddie Cortina Season 1, episode 2 ("Skid Marks on a Dry Run")
I Spy Dr. Mellado Season 2, episode 23 ("Get Thee to a Nunnery")
The Big Valley Briggs Season 2, episode 17 ("Image of Yesterday")
The Rat Patrol Colonel Centis Season 1, episode 27 ("Take Me to Your Leader Raid")
The Monkees Bruno Season 1 episode 17 ("The Case of the Missing Monkee")
Gunsmoke Charles Shepherd Season 12, episode 24 ("Noose of Gold")
Mission: Impossible Vito Lugana Season 2, episodes 11 & 12 ("The Council")
1968 Lou Parma Season 3, episodes 5 ("The Execution")
Ironside Roy Faber Season 1, episode 22 ("Something for Nothing")
1971 McCloud Barney Sweetwater Season 2, episode 2 ("Top of the World, Ma!")
1972 The Rookies Saul Season 1, episode 8 ("Dirge for Sunday")
Love American Style Mr. Cooperman Season 4, episode 4 ("Love and the Girlish Groom")
Maude Judge Motorman Season 1, episode 6 ("The Ticket")
1973–74 All in the Family Frank Lorenzo Before being cast regularly as Frank Lorenzo in season 4, Gardenia had played neighbor Jim Bowman in a single episode of season 1 and swinger Curtis Rempley in a single episode of season 3.
1975 Kojak Vince LaGuardia Season 3, episode 13 ("A House of Prayer, a Den of Thieves")
1977 The Mary Tyler Moore Show Frank Coleman Season 7, episode 24 ("The Last Show")
1980–81 Breaking Away Ray Stoller Starring role (all 8 episodes)
1985 The Twilight Zone Harry Faulk Season 1, episode 3 ("Healer")
1990 L.A. Law Murray Melman 7 episodes

References

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  1. ^ Brennan, Sandra (2012). "Vincent Gardenia". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Murphy, Mary (January 16, 1974). "Vince Gardenia and the Actor as Coach". Los Angeles Times. p. E1.
  3. ^ Kondek, Joshua (September 1985). Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television. Cengage Gale. ISBN 9780810302419. Retrieved June 29, 2015 – via google.ca.
  4. ^ a b Grimes, William (December 10, 1992). "Vincent Gardenia, Character Actor, Is Dead at 71". The New York Times. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  5. ^ "Vincent Gardenia; Actor Won Tony, Emmy Awards". Los Angeles Times. December 10, 1992. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021.
  6. ^ "Obituary: Vincent Gardenia". The Independent. December 11, 1992. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  7. ^ Garfield, David (April 1984). "Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980". A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 278. ISBN 978-0020123101.
  8. ^ "Winners". tonyawards.com. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  9. ^ "The Tony Award Nominations". tonyawards.com. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  10. ^ "1974 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". oscars.org. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  11. ^ "1988 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". oscars.org. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  12. ^ Folkart, Burt A. (December 10, 1992). "Vincent Gardenia; Actor Won Tony, Emmy Awards". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  13. ^ Bykofsky, Stu; Nelson, Nels; Daughen, Joseph R. "'Breaking Legs' Cast Pays Tribute To Star Dedicates Opener To Vince Gardenia Who Died In Hotel". Philadelphia Daily News. Archived from the original on March 13, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  14. ^ "Guardino replaces Gardenia in play". The Baltimore Sun. January 20, 1993. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  15. ^ Rousuck, J. Wynn (December 10, 1992). "Vincent Gardenia's final role indulged actor's twin passions APPRECIATION". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved December 28, 2012.
  16. ^ "Local Law No. 29: Street Name - Vincent Gardenia Boulevard, Brooklyn, 1993". nyc.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
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