Mike Mazurki

Mike Mazurki

Mazurki as Splitface in Dick Tracy (1945)
Born Markijan (Mychajło) Mazurkiewicz
(1907-12-25)December 25, 1907
Kupchyntsi, Kozova Raion, Tarnopol, Galicia,
Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine)
Died December 9, 1990(1990-12-09) (aged 82)
Glendale, California, US
Resting place Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Occupation Actor
Years active 1934–1990
Spouse(s) Jeanette Briggs (1943–1950; divorced; 2 children)
Sylvia Weinblatt (1968–1990; his death)
Children Michelle Mazurki

Mike Mazurki (December 25, 1907 – December 9, 1990), was an American actor and professional wrestler who appeared in over 100 films. His towering 6' 5" presence and intimidating face usually got him roles playing tough guys, thugs, strong men and gangsters.

Life and career

He was born Markiyan (Mykhailo) Mazurkevych (Ukrainian: Маркіян (Михайло) Мазуркевич) (Polish: Markijan (Mychajło) Mazurkiewicz) in Kupchyntsi, Kozova Raion, near what was then Tarnopol, Galicia, Austria-Hungary (now Ternopil, Ukraine). He was from an ethnic Ukrainian family. He emigrated with his family to the United States at the age of six, living in Cohoes, New York, just outside Albany, in old mill housing on Olmstead Street with his mother. He attended LaSalle Institute in Troy, for high school. Upon finishing school, he changed his name to "Mike". He later graduated from Manhattan College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1930.[1] He became a professional athlete in three sports, primarily wrestling but also American football and basketball.[2][3]

He was discovered by Josef von Sternberg and given a bit part in his film The Shanghai Gesture (1941).[3] This led to a long film and television career. Possibly his most memorable role was that of slow-witted thug Moose Malloy in the film noir Murder, My Sweet (1944), opposite Dick Powell. He portrayed the psychotic, knife wielding murderer, Splitface, in the original Dick Tracy (1945). He played a wrestler nicknamed "The Strangler" in Night and the City (1950) and a role imitating the manner of a George Raft henchman in the Billy Wilder comedy, Some Like it Hot (1959). He continued to wrestle during his acting career. His slurred speech was reportedly due to a wrestling injury to his Adam's apple.[2]

Mazurki made guest appearances on many well-known television shows, among them My Friend Flicka (as a wrestler facing Gene Evans's character of Rob McLaughlin), The Untouchables, Bachelor Father, Daniel Boone, Gilligan's Island, I Dream of Jeannie, Bonanza and Gunsmoke, to name just a few. He played Cully Barstow, a yacht hand, in an episode of Perry Mason titled, "The Case of the Missing Button" (1964), in which he threatened Mason and Paul Drake with a set of brass knuckles. He also played Arthur Jacks in the episode, "The Case of the Deadly Verdict" (1963). He was a regular on a short-lived sitcom, The Chicago Teddy Bears.[2]

Along with his film and television works, Mazurki starred in the hit Rod Stewart music video "Infatuation", playing the bodyguard protecting a woman from a stalker (played by Stewart). In the end, he succeeds, punching Stewart out. Later, Mazurki said that he met more famous people in the making of that video than in any of the feature films or TV shows in which he had starred.[4] In 1966-67 he starred as the caveman Clon in It's About Time.

In 1965, he co-founded and became the first president of the Cauliflower Alley Club, an association of professional wrestlers. A photograph of his cauliflower ear forms the logo of the organization. In 2005, he was posthumously awarded the New York State Award by the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum for founding the club.

In 1975, he landed his only starring role as Trapper in 1975's "Challenge to be Free." The film went largely unnoticed, but Mazurki drew praise for his convincing performance as a mountain man loner accused of manslaughter and the ensuing chase from lawmen tracking him down in the mountains.

Worked slowed down for him in the 1970s and '80s, but he continued working until his death in 1990.

Filmography

Television

  • Have Gun - Will Travel - episode - Ella West (1958) as Breed
  • Official Detective "The Policeman's Gun" (1958) as Banning[5]
  • Have Gun - Will Travel - episode - Love's Young Dream (1960) as Power
  • Perry Mason - episode - The Case of the Counterfeit Crank (1961) as Cully Baxter
  • Have Gun - Will Travel - episode - Don't Shoot the Piano Player (1962) as Jo Jo
  • Daniel Boone - episode - Lac Duquesne (1964) as Akasheta (uncredited)
  • The Munsters - episode - Knock Wood, Here Comes Charlie (1964) as Leo 'Knuckles' Kraus
  • Wagon Train - episode - The Duncan McIvor Story (1964) as Lance Corp. Otto Moller
  • Laredo - episode - Pride of the Rangers (1965) as Pvt. Percy Flower
  • Gilligan's Island - episode - Friendly Physician (1966) as Igor
  • its About Time- TV series 1966 - 1967 - 26 episodes
  • Daniel Boone - episode - Gabriel (1966) as El Toro
  • F Troop - episode - Our Hero,What's His Name (1966) as Geronimo
  • Batman - episode - The Wail of the Siren (1967) as Allegro
  • I Dream of Jeannie - episode - Jeannie and the Great Bank Robbery (1967) as Girard
  • The Beverly Hillbillies -The Great Tag-Team Match (1968) as Wrestler
  • Bonanza - episode - Stage Door Johnnies (1968) as Big Man
  • Bonanza - episode - Dead Wrong (1969) as Big Jack
  • Adam-12 - episode - Bank Robbery (1970) as Claude Terry
  • Gunsmoke -episode - Trafton (1971) as Whale
  • Mannix - episode - Days Beyond Recall (1971) as Kony
  • Kung Fu - episode - Superstition (1973) as Hannibal
  • The Rockford Files - episode - A Fast Count (1978) as Choo-Choo (uncredited)
  • Charlie's Angels - episode - Mother Angel (1978) as Robbins
  • Fantasy Island - episode - Naughty Marietta/The Winning Ticket (1983) as Swamp Rat
  • Fantasy Island - episode - Love Island/The Sisters (1983) as Ugh

References

  1. ↑ "Mike Mazurki: Wrestling's acting champ".
  2. 1 2 3 "Social Security Death Index (search by name)". Retrieved 2009-12-01.
  3. 1 2 "Mike Mazurki Biography". Yahoo! Movies.
  4. ↑ Other works for Mike Mazurki
  5. ↑ "The Policeman's Gun". Classic TV Archives. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
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