Will Jordan (born William Rauch, July 27, 1927[citation needed] – September 6, 2018) was an American character actor and stand-up comedian best known for his resemblance to, and impressions of, television host and newspaper columnist Ed Sullivan.
Will Jordan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Wilbur Rauch July 27, 1927 The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Died | (aged 91) Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, stand-up comedian |
| Years active | 1949−2010 |
Early life
editBorn in the Bronx, Rauch grew up in Flushing, Queens.[1] His father was a pharmacist and his mother owned a hat store.[1] Jordan graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan.[citation needed]
Career
editAs Ed Sullivan
editIn his act, Jordan came up with the catch-phrase, "Welcome to our Toast of the Town 'Shoooo'", which became a stereotypical joke for nearly every Sullivan impersonator after that, usually as the more generic "Really Big 'Shoooo'" (or "shoe").[2][self-published source]
Jordan appeared as Sullivan in the Broadway production of the musical Bye Bye Birdie in 1960–1961 (a role he would reprise in the revival from October 15, 2009, through January 24, 2010).
Most of Jordan's film and television performances since the 1970s have been as Sullivan in films that feature characters appearing on Sullivan's famous variety series. These include:
- I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), The Beatles
- The Buddy Holly Story (1978), Buddy Holly and The Crickets
- The Doors (1991), The Doors
In 1983, Jordan appeared as Sullivan in the 1960s-TV-style video for "Tell Her About It", the Billy Joel hit single.
Other work
editJordan's other impressions included Bing Crosby, Groucho Marx and Jack Benny. He imitated Peter Lorre and James Mason as one of the actors in "Psycho Drama" on Rupert Holmes's 1974 debut album Widescreen.
Jordan performed on the 1970 P.D.Q. Bach recording The Stoned Guest in the role of Milton Host, a send-up of Metropolitan Opera radio announcer Milton Cross.
He also participated in a recording project, called "The Sicknicks", with Sandy Baron. The pair produced a comedy single, "The Presidential Press Conference", which was a minor hit in 1961.
Personal life and death
editJordan had a son, Lonnie Saunders.[1]
September 6, 2018, writer Mark Evanier announced Jordan died that morning at his Manhattan home at age 91.[1]
Filmography
editTelevision
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Ford Star Revue | Two episodes | |
| 1951 | The Steve Allen Show | ||
| 1952–1953 | The Arthur Murray Party | Four episodes | |
| 1954–1968 | The Ed Sullivan Show | Eleven episodes | |
| 1954 | Your Chevrolet Showroom | ||
| 1954–1956 | Tonight Starring Steve Allen | Two episodes | |
| 1955 | The Martha Raye Show | Two episodes | |
| 1956 | Good Morning! with Will Rogers Jr. | ||
| 1958 | Make Me Laugh | ||
| 1958–1962 | Tonight Starring Jack Paar | Two episodes | |
| 1959 | Today | ||
| 1961 | American Bandstand | ||
| 1962–1964 | The Red Skelton Show | Two episodes | |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | ||
| 1965 | That Regis Philbin Show | ||
| 1965 | The Jimmy Dean Show | ||
| 1966–1971 | The Merv Griffin Show | Six episodes | |
| 1966–1975 | The Mike Douglas Show | Two episodes | |
| 1968 | The Joey Bishop Show | ||
| 1968–1971 | Kraft Music Hall | Four episodes | |
| 1972 | The ABC Comedy Hour | ||
| 1972 | The Bob Braun Show | ||
| 1974 | Funny Farm | ||
| 1978 | The Comedy Shop | ||
| 1979 | Elvis | Ed Sullivan | Television film |
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Cool Cat Blues | The Cat, Smiling Ed Solvent | Animated voice role; uncredited |
| 1967 | Think or Sink | Narrator, Roscoe, Professor Rhinestine | Animated voice role; uncredited |
| Forget-Me-Nuts | Narrator, Roscoe, Professor Rhinestine | Animated voice role; uncredited | |
| 1977 | A Doonesbury Special | Sportscaster | Animated voice role |
| 1978 | I Wanna Hold Your Hand | Ed Sullivan | Feature film debut |
| The Buddy Holly Story | Ed Sullivan | ||
| 1983 | Billy Joel - Tell Her About It | Ed Sullivan | Music video |
| 1984 | Broadway Danny Rose | Himself | |
| 1991 | The Doors | Ed Sullivan | |
| 1992 | Mr. Saturday Night | Ed Sullivan | |
| 2003 | Down with Love | Ed Sullivan | Final appearance |
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Will Jordan, Who Mimicked the Famous, Is Dead at 91 - The New York Times". The New York Times. 1927-07-27. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
- ^ A Party for Wences Archived 2006-09-09 at the Wayback Machine
External links
edit- Will Jordan at IMDb
- Will Jordan at the Internet Broadway Database
- Will Jordan at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
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