Jack Cassidy

John Joseph Edward Cassidy (Jack Cassidy) was born on March 5, 1927 and died December 12, 1976. Jack was an American actor and singer. He was a Tony Award recipient and father of teen idol David Cassidy.

Early life

Jack was born in Richmond Hill, Queens, New York, the son of Charlotte (née Koehler) and William Cassidy. His father, an engineer at the Long Island Rail Road, was of Irish descent and his mother was of German ancestry.

Career

Jack Cassidy achieved success as a musical performer on Broadway. 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 He & She and The Andersonville Trial.

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 and McCloud and three times as a murderer on Columbo, in the episodes "Murder By the Book" (directed by not yet famous Steven Spielberg, with teleplay by a young Steven Bochco), "Publish or Perish" (1974) and "Now You See Him..." (1976).

He co-starred with Ronnie Schell in a television revival of Hellzapoppin'. Jack also co-starred as a despicable 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.

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 Cassidy perfected this character to such an extent that he was cast as John Barrymore in the feature film W.C. Fields and Me.

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 Jack Cassidy in mind. Although Jack had played a similar buffoonish character in the 1967–1968 sitcom He & She, he turned down the role, feeling that it was not right for him; the part went to Ted Knight. Jack later appeared as a guest star in a 1971 episode as Ted's highly competitive and equally egotistical brother, Hal.

A programme featuring Jack Cassidy and Shirley Jones at the White House in 1957

Personal life - Marriages and children

Jack Cassidy was married twice. His first marriage in 1946 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 Jack married singer and actress Shirley Jones. Jack and Shirley had three sons, Shaun, Patrick, and Ryan. David later starred with Shirley Jones in the musical sitcom The Partridge Family. Shaun also became a teen idol in the late 70's, starring in "The Hardy Boys" series, and producing four Top 40 records. Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy divorced in 1974.

Mental health

In his 1994 autobiography, C'Mon, Get Happy, David wrote that he became increasingly concerned about his father in the last years of his life. Jack suffered from bipolar disorder and was an alcoholic who was displaying increasingly erratic behavior. In 1974, his neighbors were shocked to see him watering his front lawn naked in the middle of the afternoon. Jack's second wife, Shirley Jones, described a similar incident when she found him sitting naked in a corner, 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". In December 1974, Jack was hospitalized in a psychiatric facility for 48 hours. At that time, Shirley Jones found out that he had been previously diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Sexuality

David Cassidy claimed that his father was bisexual, citing attributed personal accounts and reports, both anecdotal and published, of his father's same-sex affairs, a fact neither he nor his siblings discovered until after his death. In her 2013 memoir, Shirley Jones confirms that Jack had many same-sex affairs, including one with Cole Porter.

Death

By 1976, Jack Cassidy was living alone in a penthouse apartment in West Hollywood.

According to ex-wife Shirley Jones, on December 11, 1976, Jack asked her over for drinks, but she declined his invitation. He then invited actress and singer Donna Theodore out for a date. According to Donna Theodore in a 1999 interview, which was featured in the Mysteries and Scandals episode on Cassidy, she began noticing strange mood swings in Jack Cassidy, notably one incident in which he ran all over the nightclub to which they had gone. Feeling uncomfortable, she asked him to take her back to her house, which he did. After eating dinner alone at a restaurant, Jack Cassidy returned to his apartment alone, by which time he was drunk, as he had consumed alcohol at various bars across West Hollywood that evening. In the early morning hours of December 12, Jack lit a cigarette and fell asleep on his couch. He then dropped the cigarette, which ignited the couch. The flames quickly spread throughout the apartment and the building. Jack's remains were cremated and scattered on the Pacific Ocean.

Accolades

A prolific Broadway performer, Jack Cassidy was nominated for four Tony Awards, and won the 1964 Tony Award for best featured actor in a musical for his role in She Loves Me.

He was nominated for two Emmy Awards: in 1968 for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy, for He & She, and 1971 for Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for the film The Andersonville Trial (1970).

Jack Cassidy was approved for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005, and fundraising efforts are currently underway to fund the dedication ceremony.

Stage - Broadway

Something for the Boys (1943) — chorus
Sadie Thompson (1944) — chorus
Around the World (1946) — chorus
Music in My Heart (1947) — chorus
Small Wonder (1948) — ensemble
Inside U.S.A. (1948) — chorus
Alive and Kicking (1950) — ensemble
South Pacific (1952) — Richard West
Wish You Were Here (1952) — Chick Miller
Sandhog (1954) — Johnny O'Sullivan
Shangri-La (1956), New York City Center — Charles Mallinson
The Beggar's Opera (1957) (with Shirley Jones), New York City Center — MacHeath
She Loves Me (1963) — Steven Kodaly
o Tony Award winner: Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Fade Out – Fade In (1964) — Byron Prong
o Tony Award nominee: Best Featured Actor in a Musical
It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman (1966) — Max Mencken
o Tony Award nominee: Best Actor in a Musical
Maggie Flynn (1968) (with Shirley Jones) — Phineas Flynn
o Tony Award nominee: Best Actor in a Musical
The Mundy Scheme (1969) — Mick Moloney
Sondheim: A Musical Tribute (concert) (March 11, 1973), Shubert Theater
Murder Among Friends (1975) — Palmer Forrester

Elsewhere

Oklahoma! (1956) (with Shirley Jones), European tour — Curly
Wonderful Town (July 1958), Brussels World's Fair, Belgium — Robert Baker
Wonderful Town (1958), London, United Kingdom — Robert Baker
Wish You Were Here (musical) (1959) (with Shirley Jones), Dallas, Texas — Chick Miller
Epitaph for George Dillon (1959), Los Angeles, California — George Dillon
Gypsy (musical) (1962), Dallas, Texas — Herbie
Mary, Mary (1965), national tour — Dirk Winsten
Camelot (musical) (1965), national tour — Lancelot
Wait Until Dark (1967) (with Shirley Jones), national tour — Roat
The Marriage Band (1972) (with Shirley Jones), Las Vegas, Nevada; and national tour

Film

Look in Any Window (1961) — Gareth Lowell
The Chapman Report (1962) — Ted Dyson
The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County (1970) — Roger Hand
Bunny O'Hare (1971) — Lieutenant Greeley
The Eiger Sanction (1975) — Miles Mellough
W.C. Fields and Me (1976) — John Barrymore
The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977) — Damon Runyon

Television

Lux Video Theatre (1957)
The United States Steel Hour (1957)
Richard Diamond, Private Detective — Danny Fortune
Gunsmoke (1958) — Marcus France
The Chevy Mystery Show (1960) — David Townsend
Hawaiian Eye (1961) — Maurice Clifford
Maverick (1961) — Roger Cushman
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1961) — Mark Lansing
General Electric Theater(1961) — Alan Richards
Lock-Up (1961) — Vincent Gibson
Wagon Train (1961) — Dan Palmer
Surfside 6 (1962) — Val Morton
Everglades (1962) — Ron Fairburn
FBI Code 98 (1962) — Walter Macklin
77 Sunset Strip (1962) — Dick Arnador
Bronco (1961–1962) — Edward Miller
The Dick Powell Show (1962) — Roth
Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962) (voice) — Bob Cratchit
Hennesey (1962) — Chaplain
The Wide Country (1963) — Jerry Manning
Mr. Broadway (1964) — Allan
Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo (1964)
The Lucy Show (1965)
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1965) — Arthur Mannix
The Garry Moore Show (1966) — Harrison Floy
He & She (1967–68) — Oscar North, 26 episodes.
Coronet Blue (1967) — Demier
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (1967) — Rock Mussin
I Spy (1967) — Nick Fleming
Get Smart (1968) — Mr. Bob
Bewitched (1968–1970) — Rance Butler, George Dinsdale
That Girl (1969) — Marty Hines
Annie, the Women in the Life of a Man (1970)
The Governor & J.J. (1970) — Mark Ellison
Matt Lincoln (1970)
George M! (1970) — Jeremiah "Jerry" Cohan
The Andersonville Trial (1970) — Otis Baker
Love, American Style (1970–1972)
Sarge (1971) — John Michael O'Flaherty
Bonanza (1971) — Kevin O'Casey
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1971) — Hal Baxter
Alias Smith and Jones (1971) — Harry Wagener
Columbo: Murder by the Book (1971) — Ken Franklin
The Powder Room (1971)
Storefront Lawyers (1971)
Night Gallery (1971) — Marius Davis
The Mod Squad (1971) — Perry Lerriko
Mission: Impossible (1972) — Orin Kerr
Your Money or Your Wife (1972) — Josh Darwin, the TV Producer
Banyon (1972)
Great Mysteries (1973) — Pennington
Barnaby Jones (1973) — Craig Woodridge
Sin, American Style (1974) — Danny Holliday
The Phantom of Hollywood (1974) — Otto Vonner/Karl Vonner
June Moon (1974) — Paul Sears
Columbo: Publish or Perish (January 1974) — Riley Greenleaf
Cannon (1974) — 3x17 Photo Finish as General James O'Hara
Hawaii Five-O (1975) — Orrin Morwood
Matt Helm (1975) — Buckman
Knuckle (1975)
Death Among Friends (1975) — Chico Donovan
Columbo: Now You See Him (1976) — The Great Santini
McCloud (1977) — Lord Charles Bridges
Benny and Barney: Las Vegas Undercover (1977) — Jules Rosen
The Feather and Father Gang (1977) — episode "The Judas Bug"

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
Maggie Flynn (1968) RCA Records
Showtunes (1995) Sony Music Entertainment
Essential Masters (2011) Master Classics Records
Marriage Type Love (2014) Columbia Masterworks Records

Guest appearances

Free to Be... You and Me (1972) Bell Records (song: "Girl Land" with Shirley Jones)