John Irwin McGiver (November 5, 1913 – September 9, 1975) was an American character actor who made more than a hundred appearances in television and motion pictures over a two-decade span from 1955 to 1975.

The owl-faced, portly actor with the mid-Atlantic accent was known for his performances in such films as Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961); The Manchurian Candidate (1962); and Midnight Cowboy (1969). He appeared on many TV shows and commercials, including a Baggies spot in the 1960s, as well as the first of a popular series of commercials for the American Express charge card ("Do you know me?").

Spouse Ruth Schmigelsky (m. 1947–75) (his death)

Children - 10

Early life

McGiver was born in New York City, the son of Irish immigrants. He graduated from the Jesuit-run Regis High School in Manhattan in 1932. He received a B.A. in English from Fordham University in 1938 and master's degrees from Columbia University and Catholic University. He became an English teacher and worked as an actor and director in New York's Irish Repertory Theater. He interrupted those activities and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and served as an officer in the U.S. Army's 7th Armored Division in Europe during World War II. Returning to civilian life, he continued to teach English and speech at Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx and worked occasionally in off-Broadway plays until 1955, when he became a full-time actor.

Career

In 1959, McGiver appeared in the episode "The Assassin" of NBC's espionage drama Five Fingers, starring David Hedison. In 1962, he appeared as Gramps in the episode "The Seventh Day of Creation" of the NBC medical drama about psychiatry, The Eleventh Hour, starring Wendell Corey and Jack Ging. He appeared in the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episodes "Six People No Music" and "Fatal Figures", and the Twilight Zoneepisode "Sounds and Silences". In 1971 he guest-starred in Alias Smith and Jones (season 1, episode 8, 'A Fistful of Diamonds'). In 1966, he appeared in Man's Favorite Sport?, which starred Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss. Between 1963 and 1964, McGiver appeared in five episodes of The Patty Duke Show as J.R. Castle, who was Martin Lane's boss at the fictional newspaper The Chronicle.

In the 1964–1965 television season, McGiver played the widower Walter Burnley, the head of the complaint department of a fictitious Los Angeles department store in the CBS sitcom Many Happy Returns. His costars included Elinor Donahue, Mark Goddard, Mickey Manners, and Elena Verdugo.[1] He was also in an episode of Gilligan's Island in 1966, 'The Man With a Net'.

Personal life

McGiver was married to Ruth Schmigelsky from 1947 until his death; they had ten children: Boris, Brigit, Maria, Terry, Basil, Clare, Oliver, Ian, Clemens and Cornelia.

Death

McGiver died of a heart attack on September 9, 1975 at his home in West Fulton, New York at age 61.[9] His remains were cremated.

Selected filmography

• Love in the Afternoon (1957) with Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn and Maurice Chevalier
• I Married a Woman (1958)
• The Gazebo (1959) with Glenn Ford and Debbie Reynolds
• Love in a Goldfish Bowl (1961)
• Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) with Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard
• Something's Got to Give (1962; aborted Marilyn Monroe film)
• Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962) with James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara
• The Manchurian Candidate (1962) with Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Janet Leigh
• Period of Adjustment (1962) with Jane Fonda and Jim Hutton
• Who's Got the Action? (1962) with Dean Martin and Lana Turner
• My Six Loves (1963) with Debbie Reynolds
• Johnny Cool (1963) with Henry Silva and Elizabeth Montgomery
• Who's Minding the Store? (1963) with Jerry Lewis
• Take Her, She's Mine (1963) with James Stewart and Sandra Dee
• Man's Favorite Sport? (1964) with Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss
• A Global Affair (1964) with Bob Hope
• Marriage on the Rocks (1965) with Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr and Dean Martin
• The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) with Doris Day and Rod Taylor
• The Spirit Is Willing (1967) with Sid Caesar and Vera Miles
• Fitzwilly (1967) with Dick Van Dyke
• Midnight Cowboy (1969) with Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman
• Lawman (1971) with Burt Lancaster
• Mame (1974) with Lucille Ball
• The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) with Don Knotts and Tim Conway

Television

McGiver was a regular performer on:

• McKeever & the Colonel, 1962–1963
• Many Happy Returns, 1964–1965 (lead role)
• Mr. Terrific, 1967
• The Jimmy Stewart Show, 1971–1972

McGiver also appeared in:

• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (“Fatal Figures”, "Six People, No Music")
• Bonanza
• The Twilight Zone (two episodes: "The Bard", "Sounds and Silences")
• The Lucy Show (“Lucy is Kangaroo for a Day", 1963)
• The Patty Duke Show (5 episodes)
• The Rogues (1965)
• Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (TV series) (episode "The X Factor")
• The Fugitive (episode "The End Game")
• The Dick Van Dyke Show
• The Beverly Hillbillies (“Granny Versus the Weather Bureau”)
• Gidget ("One More for the Road", 1966)
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ("The Birds and the Bees Affair", 1966)
• I Dream of Jeannie ("Jeannie Breaks the Bank", 1966)
• Gilligan's Island ("Man With a Net", 1966)
• Honey West ("Mr Brillig", 1966)
• The Wild Wild West ("The Night of the Turncoat," 1967)
• High Chaparral ("Ebenezer," 1968)
• Bewitched ("Mother-in-Law of the Year", 1971)
• Alias Smith and Jones ("A Fistful of Diamonds", 1971)
• Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974 TV special) (as voice of The Mayor)
• Ellery Queen ("The Adventure of Miss Aggie's Farewell Performance", 1975)

Stage

Broadway theatre roles included:

• A Thurber Carnival, 1960
• The Front Page, 1969–1970