176:, who helped the underage entertainers get jobs in nightclubs. After serving in the Navy during World War II, Lester, already an established stand-up comedian, stage actor, and radio host, eventually began appearing in films and on TV, becoming a popular character actor. His first film role was playing himself, as a nightclub entertainer, in the 1959 movie,
234:
Although known mainly as a comic actor, he was also effective portraying tough underworld characters, in part because of his tall stature and a distinctive scar down his right cheek. He enjoyed concocting stories about the origin of the scar – claiming at one point to have received it in a sword duel
33:
239:, Germany – but admitted that it was actually the result of falling onto a broken drinking glass when he was three years old. Lester portrayed Vince Massler, one of the gang members in the 1960 film
120:; January 16, 1915 – October 4, 2002) was an American actor and comedian who portrayed dozens of character roles in films and television. Although known for his appearances in
300:. He appeared in many other TV shows and movies from the 1960s through the mid 1980s, while regularly performing as a stand-up comedian.
716:
312:
nursing home on
October 4, 2002, aged 87. He had a son and a daughter, and several grand- and great-grandchildren. His older brother,
711:
701:
696:
615:
554:
706:
721:
726:
406:
203:
587:
156:. He began performing in variety shows in Chicago theaters at the age of seven, with his older brother,
254:
241:
126:
522:
215:
466:
421:
191:
691:
686:
346:
178:
79:
8:
592:
267:
162:
620:
671:
559:
153:
137:
60:
436:
284:
261:
209:
168:
124:’ comedy films, he was also regularly seen on popular television shows (such as
494:
376:
317:
221:
197:
136:) in the 1960s and 1970s. As a comedian, he was a fixture on the international
680:
451:
361:
296:
246:
227:
132:
313:
272:
172:. He claimed in interviews that an early booster was the notorious mobster
157:
141:
651:
391:
186:
121:
667:
271:, where he played the part of a competitive comedian who stole some of
236:
279:
173:
294:. In the 1970s he appeared as "Sidney the bookie" on the hit series
309:
290:
265:, he played Peter Evans, a crooked gambler. He guest-starred on
32:
140:
for several decades and was the younger brother of comedian
252:
During the 1963–64 television season, he played "Nick" on
278:
During the late 1960s and early 1970s Lester appeared in
249:, for whom he performed as opening act many times.
678:
555:"Buddy Lester, 86; Comic Appeared in TV, Films"
647:
645:
643:
641:
639:
616:"Buddy Lester, 85, Actor in Rat Pack Films"
31:
636:
582:
580:
578:
548:
546:
544:
608:
16:American actor and comedian (1915–2002)
679:
575:
552:
541:
152:Lester was born January 16, 1915, in
654:, imdb.com; accessed April 12, 2018.
37:Buddy Lester in a 1944 advertisement
13:
553:Oliver, Myrna (October 10, 2002).
147:
14:
738:
717:20th-century American male actors
661:
712:Deaths from cancer in California
259:In the third season of the show
702:American male television actors
166:, the television forerunner of
624:. October 12, 2002. p. B7
323:
288:(billed as A. B. Lester), and
1:
534:
308:Lester died from cancer in a
316:, died in 1995, aged 85, in
7:
571:– via Newspapers.com.
160:, who later became host of
10:
743:
697:American male film actors
481:The Man from Clover Grove
255:The New Phil Silvers Show
185:He regularly appeared in
127:The New Phil Silvers Show
103:
95:
87:
68:
42:
30:
23:
707:Male actors from Chicago
382:Willard C. Gainsborough
303:
722:American male comedians
727:Comedians from Chicago
513:The Blackjack Player
347:The Gene Krupa Story
310:Van Nuys, California
275:'s comedy material.
189:features, including
179:The Gene Krupa Story
80:Van Nuys, California
407:The Nutty Professor
268:Make Room for Daddy
235:while a student in
204:The Nutty Professor
163:Broadway Open House
621:The New York Times
596:. October 16, 2002
397:Willie Sharpknife
560:Los Angeles Times
532:
531:
282:'s police series
154:Chicago, Illinois
138:nightclub circuit
111:
110:
96:Years active
61:Chicago, Illinois
734:
655:
649:
634:
633:
631:
629:
612:
606:
605:
603:
601:
584:
573:
572:
570:
568:
550:
437:Three on a Couch
328:
327:
262:Gomer Pyle, USMC
210:Three on a Couch
169:The Tonight Show
118:William Goldberg
75:
57:January 16, 1915
56:
54:
47:William Goldberg
35:
21:
20:
742:
741:
737:
736:
735:
733:
732:
731:
677:
676:
664:
659:
658:
650:
637:
627:
625:
614:
613:
609:
599:
597:
586:
585:
576:
566:
564:
551:
542:
537:
326:
306:
150:
148:Life and career
91:Actor, comedian
83:
77:
73:
72:October 4, 2002
64:
58:
52:
50:
49:
48:
38:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
740:
730:
729:
724:
719:
714:
709:
704:
699:
694:
689:
675:
674:
663:
662:External links
660:
657:
656:
635:
607:
588:"Buddy Lester"
574:
539:
538:
536:
533:
530:
529:
526:
519:
515:
514:
511:
506:
502:
501:
498:
495:Hardly Working
491:
487:
486:
483:
478:
474:
473:
470:
463:
459:
458:
455:
448:
444:
443:
440:
433:
429:
428:
425:
418:
414:
413:
410:
403:
399:
398:
395:
388:
384:
383:
380:
377:The Ladies Man
373:
369:
368:
367:Vince Massler
365:
358:
354:
353:
350:
343:
339:
338:
335:
332:
325:
322:
318:Miami, Florida
305:
302:
222:Hardly Working
198:The Ladies Man
149:
146:
109:
108:
105:
101:
100:
97:
93:
92:
89:
85:
84:
78:
76:(aged 87)
70:
66:
65:
59:
46:
44:
40:
39:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
739:
728:
725:
723:
720:
718:
715:
713:
710:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
688:
685:
684:
682:
673:
669:
666:
665:
653:
648:
646:
644:
642:
640:
623:
622:
617:
611:
595:
594:
593:The Telegraph
589:
583:
581:
579:
562:
561:
556:
549:
547:
545:
540:
527:
525:
524:
520:
517:
516:
512:
510:
507:
504:
503:
499:
497:
496:
492:
489:
488:
484:
482:
479:
476:
475:
471:
469:
468:
464:
461:
460:
456:
454:
453:
452:The Big Mouth
449:
446:
445:
441:
439:
438:
434:
431:
430:
427:Copa Café MC
426:
424:
423:
419:
416:
415:
411:
409:
408:
404:
401:
400:
396:
394:
393:
389:
386:
385:
381:
379:
378:
374:
371:
370:
366:
364:
363:
359:
356:
355:
351:
349:
348:
344:
341:
340:
336:
333:
330:
329:
321:
319:
315:
311:
301:
299:
298:
297:Barney Miller
293:
292:
287:
286:
281:
276:
274:
270:
269:
264:
263:
258:
256:
250:
248:
247:Frank Sinatra
244:
243:
238:
232:
230:
229:
228:The Big Mouth
224:
223:
218:
217:
212:
211:
206:
205:
200:
199:
194:
193:
188:
183:
181:
180:
175:
171:
170:
165:
164:
159:
155:
145:
143:
139:
135:
134:
133:Barney Miller
129:
128:
123:
119:
115:
106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
88:Occupation(s)
86:
81:
71:
67:
62:
45:
41:
34:
29:
22:
19:
668:Buddy Lester
626:. Retrieved
619:
610:
598:. Retrieved
591:
565:. Retrieved
563:. p. 38
558:
521:
508:
500:Claude Reed
493:
485:Ched Fields
480:
465:
450:
435:
420:
405:
390:
375:
360:
345:
314:Jerry Lester
307:
295:
289:
283:
277:
273:Danny Thomas
266:
260:
253:
251:
240:
233:
226:
220:
214:
208:
202:
196:
190:
184:
177:
167:
161:
151:
142:Jerry Lester
131:
125:
117:
114:Buddy Lester
113:
112:
74:(2002-10-04)
25:Buddy Lester
18:
692:2002 deaths
687:1915 births
523:Cracking Up
472:Davey Kane
392:Sergeants 3
324:Filmography
216:Cracking Up
187:Jerry Lewis
122:Jerry Lewis
99:1920s–1980s
681:Categories
535:References
528:Passenger
442:The Drunk
412:Bartender
362:Ocean's 11
242:Ocean's 11
237:Heidelberg
53:1915-01-16
467:The Party
422:The Patsy
280:Jack Webb
192:The Patsy
174:Al Capone
628:June 21,
600:June 21,
567:June 21,
509:Fake-Out
352:Himself
104:Children
652:Biodata
291:Adam-12
285:Dragnet
457:Studs
334:Title
116:(born
82:, U.S.
63:, U.S.
337:Role
331:Year
304:Death
245:with
158:Jerry
672:IMDb
630:2024
602:2024
569:2024
518:1983
505:1982
490:1980
477:1975
462:1968
447:1967
432:1966
417:1964
402:1963
387:1962
372:1961
357:1960
342:1959
225:and
130:and
69:Died
43:Born
670:at
213:,
683::
638:^
618:.
590:.
577:^
557:.
543:^
320:.
231:.
219:,
207:,
201:,
195:,
182:.
144:.
632:.
604:.
257:.
107:2
55:)
51:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.