Howard Da Silva

Howard Da Silva

Country 
GenderMale
BirthdayMay 4, 1909
Death1986-02-16
BiographyHoward da Silva (born Howard Silverblatt, May 4, 1909 – February 16, 1986) was an American actor, director and musical performer on stage, film, television and radio. He was cast in dozens of productions on the New York stage, appeared in more than two dozen television programs, and acted in more than fifty feature films. Adept at both drama and musicals on the stage, he originated the role of Jud Fry in the original 1943 run of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma!, and also portrayed the prosecuting attorney in the 1957 stage production of Compulsion. Da Silva was nominated for a 1960 Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his work in Fiorello!, a musical about New York City mayor LaGuardia. In 1961, da Silva directed Purlie Victorious, by Ossie Davis.

Many of his early feature films were of the noir genre in which he often played villains, such as Eddie Harwood in The Blue Dahlia and the sadistic Captain Francis Thompson in Two Years Before the Mast (both 1946). Da Silva's characterization of historic figures are among some of his most notable work: he was Lincoln's brawling friend Jack Armstrong in both play (1939) and film (1940) versions of Abe Lincoln in Illinois written by Robert Sherwood; Benjamin Franklin in the 1969–1972 stage musical 1776 and a reprisal of the role for the 1972 film version of the production; Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in The Missiles of October (1974); Franklin D. Roosevelt in The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover (1977); and Louis B. Mayer in Mommie Dearest (1981).

Da Silva's American television character work included the defense attorney representing the robot in The Outer Limits episode "I, Robot" (1964), and district attorney Anthony Cleese in For the People (1965). For his performance as Eddie in the Great Performances production of Verna: USO Girl (1978), the actor received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Special.

In the 1970s, da Silva appeared in 26 episodes of the radio series the CBS Radio Mystery Theater.

Biography from the Wikipedia article Howard da Silva. Licensed under CC-BY-SA. Full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Recently Updated Shows

Recently updated shows that might be of your interest.
Darby & Joan
Running

Darby & Joan

Retired Australian detective Jack Darby is fleeing his past mistakes, while English widow Joan Kirkhope is attempting to outrun her grief. Their worlds collide on a remote backroad. They couldn't be more different: the directionless, blunt Aussie and the sharp-tongued Englishwoman. But thrown together and drawn into the intriguing mysteries lurking in the isolated, tropical corners of a vast continent, it quickly becomes clear the most fascinating mystery they face is each other. Thus begins an epic love story; a non-stop road movie; a mystery series; an Outback odyssey. Darby and Joan asks: can you find yourself in the middle of nowhere?

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation
Running

Jersey Shore: Family Vacation

The cast of Jersey Shore swore they would always do a vacation together. Now, five years, five kids, three marriages, and who knows how many GTL sessions later, the gang is back together and on vacation in a swanky house in Miami Beach.

Accident, Suicide or Murder
Running

Accident, Suicide or Murder

Accident, Suicide or Murder explores the unbelievable true stories of suspicious deaths. Each episode retraces the investigation from start to finish, taking viewers through the twists and turns of these shocking cases, from dissecting the red flags to the undeniable evidence, and strange behavior that put the tragedy in question. With the families fighting for justice and the detectives on the case determined to find the truth, motives will be exposed and justice will be served as the families finally find out what caused the death of their loved ones.

GenreCrime
Beyond Paradise
Running

Beyond Paradise

Death in Devon. DI Humphrey Goodman relocates from tropical Saint Marie to sleepy Shipton Abbott, cracking cases and hoping for happily ever after with fiancée Martha.

Homestead Rescue
Running

Homestead Rescue

In the last decade, two million Americans have attempted to leave behind civilization in favor of life off-the-grid – but most have failed. For the hundreds of families who decide to become homesteaders, the learning curve is a steep one. Now comes Homestead Rescue. Struggling homesteaders across the country are turning expert homesteader Marty Raney--along with his daughter Misty Raney, a farmer, and son Matt Raney, a hunter and fisherman--to teach them the necessary skills to survive the wilderness. The stakes are high, but the Raney family is determined to prepare these families for nature's worst and set them up for success. Each family faces the ultimate decision: will they tough out their first year or pack up and return to civilization?