About

Known credits:
56
Birthday:
1919-02-05
Place of birth:
New York City, New York, USA
Website:
N/A

Red Buttons

Overview

Although Red Buttons is best known as a stand-up comic, he is also a successful songwriter, an Academy Award-winning actor (and has been nominated for two Golden Globe awards) and an accomplished singer. Born Aaron Chwatt on February 5, 1919 (Aquarius) in New York City's Lower East Side, stood at a height of 5' 6" (1.68 m). Buttons (who got his name from a uniform he wore while working as a singing bellhop), also known as Cpl. Red Buttons, started his show-business career singing on street corners as a child. At 16 he got a job as part of a comedy act playing the famed Catskills resort area in upstate New York (his partner was future actor Robert Alda). Buttons worked the burlesque circuit as a comic and even landed a role in a Broadway play, "Vicki", in 1942. He soon joined the U.S. Marine Corps, and in 1943 was picked for a role in Moss Hart's service play "Winged Victory" on Broadway, and soon afterwards journeyed to Hollywood to make the film version. After his discharge from the service he returned to Broadway, both in plays and as a comic with several big-band orchestras. He was successful enough that he got his own TV series, The Red Buttons Show (1952), on CBS. It lasted three years and won Buttons an Emmy for Best Comedian. He worked steadily for the next several years, and in 1957 got his big film break in the drama Sayonara (1957) with Marlon Brando, in which he played an American soldier stationed in Japan who struggled against the societal and racist pressures of both American and Japanese cultures because of his love for a Japanese woman. His performance garnered him an Academy Award, and more film roles followed. He played a paratrooper in The Longest Day (1962), was nominated for a Golden Globe for Harlow (1965) and again for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969). He had a part in the TV series The Double Life of Henry Phyfe (1966) and has done pretty much every kind of TV show there is, from variety to comedy to soap operas. He gained further renown in the 1970s for his appearances on the "Dean Martin Celebrity Roast" where he performed his "Never Got a Dinner" act to great acclaim. He has played Las Vegas for years, has a star on Hollywood Boulevard (corner of Hollywood and Vine) and has appeared in numerous telethons and charitable events, for which he has been honored by such organizations as the Friars Club and the City of Hope Hospital. He died July 13, 2006 at the age of 87 in Century City, California, USA from vascular disease.

Known for

Acting

2004 Goodnight, We Love You Actor Himself 59
Average
1999 The Story of Us Actor Arnie Jordan 59
Average
1997 Twentieth Century Fox: The First 50 Years Actor Self 58
Average
1995 Darryl F. Zanuck: 20th Century Filmmaker Actor Self 59
Average
1994 It Could Happen to You Actor Walter Zakuto 63
Fair
1990 The Ambulance Actor Elias Zacharai 58
Average
1989 George Burns: His Wit and Wisdom Actor Self - Burns Card Play Partner (uncredited) N/A
N/A
1988 Jackie Gleason: The Great One Actor Self 58
Average
1988 18 Again! Actor Charlie 58
Average
1985 Alice in Wonderland Actor White Rabbit 69
Fair
1985 Reunion at Fairborough Actor Jiggs Quealy 58
Average
1985 Night of 100 Stars II Actor Self 58
Average
1983 George Burns Celebrates 80 Years in Show Business Actor Self N/A
N/A
1982 Off Your Rocker Actor Seymour Saltz N/A
N/A
1981 Side Show Actor Harry Hubbell 59
Average
1981 Leave 'Em Laughing Actor Roland Green 59
Average
1980 The Dream Merchants Actor Bruce Benson 68
Fair
1980 When Time Ran Out... Actor Francis Fendly 58
Average
1980 Power Actor Solly Weiss N/A
N/A
1979 C.H.O.M.P.S. Actor Bracken 58
Average
1979 Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July Actor Milton (voice) 59
Average
1979 The Muppets Go Hollywood Actor Self 59
Average
1978 Movie Movie Actor Peanuts / Jinks Murphy 58
Average
1978 The Users Actor Warren Ambrose 58
Average
1977 Telethon Actor Marty Rand 59
Average
1977 Pete's Dragon Actor Hoagy 61
Fair
1977 Viva Knievel! Actor Ben Andrews 58
Average
1976 Joys Actor Self N/A
N/A
1976 Gable and Lombard Actor Ivan Cooper 59
Average
1976 Louis Armstrong - Chicago Style Actor N/A
N/A
1973 Alexander Actor Alexander N/A
N/A
1972 The Poseidon Adventure Actor James Martin 66
Fair
1971 Who Killed Mary Whats'ername? Actor Mickey Isadore 58
Average
1970 Breakout Actor Pipes N/A
N/A
1970 George M! Actor Sam Harris 59
Average
1969 They Shoot Horses, Don't They? Actor Sailor 65
Fair
1966 Murder at N.B.C. Actor N/A
N/A
1966 Stagecoach Actor Peacock 58
Average
1966 The Double Life of Henry Phyfe Actor Henry Wadsworth Phyfe 69
Fair
1965 Harlow Actor Arthur Landau 58
Average
1965 Up from the Beach Actor PFC Harry Devine 59
Average
1964 Your Cheatin' Heart Actor Shorty Younger 58
Average
1963 A Ticklish Affair Actor Flight Officer Simon 'Uncle Cy' Shelley 58
Average
1962 Gay Purr-ee Actor Robespierre (voice) 59
Average
1962 The Longest Day Actor Pvt. John Steele 70
Good
1962 Five Weeks in a Balloon Actor Donald O'Shay 58
Average
1962 Hatari! Actor Pockets 61
Fair
1961 One, Two, Three Actor MP Sergeant (uncredited) 65
Fair
1959 The Big Circus Actor Randy Sherman 58
Average
1959 A Marriage of Strangers Actor Jerry N/A
N/A
1958 Imitation General Actor Cpl. Chan Derby 59
Average
1958 Hansel and Gretel Actor Hansel N/A
N/A
1957 Sayonara Actor Joe Kelly 60
Fair
1952 The Red Buttons Show Actor Host N/A
N/A
1951 Footlight Varieties Actor Himself 58
Average
1944 Winged Victory Actor Whitey / Andrews Sister 58
Average