Phil Foster | |
|---|---|
 Foster in 1976 | |
| Born | Fivel Feldman (1913-03-29)March 29, 1913 |
| Died | July 8, 1985(1985-07-08) (aged 72) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1955–1985 |
Phil Foster (bornFivel Feldman; March 29, 1913 – July 8, 1985) was an American actor and performer, best known for his portrayal of Frank DeFazio inLaverne & Shirley.
Foster was born Fivel Feldman inBrooklyn, New York City on March 29, 1913, the son of immigrants from Russia who had changed their name from Vishnodosky.[1]
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Foster took his stage name from Foster Avenue in Brooklyn. His first taste of performing came as a child, when he and his friends began singing and dancing in front of movie theaters. He then began appearing in amateur shows, competing for prizes. With him on occasion was another beginner namedJackie Gleason.[2]
At the height of theGreat Depression, Foster started in the dramatic field, playing in halls, back rooms and wherever possible during a period when theaters weren't available. "We did all sorts of plays, including all ofClifford Odets' early works — for $28 to $35 a week, living three in a room eating — if there was any food around", he recalled.
Foster made his debut as a nightclub comic in Chicago in the late 1930s when he was pushed out on the floor suddenly to fill in for astand-up comic. "I just got up and talked", he says. "I didn't know you were supposed to have an act. But I was offered the job at $125 a week." Foster had intended to return to acting, but reportedly found himself in constant demand in nightclubs across the country.
DuringWorld War II, Foster served in theUnited States Army. Upon his discharge, he returned to New York and became a variety-show favorite with an act comprising stories based on his curious childhood in Brooklyn. During the 1950s, Foster made several comedyshort subjects forUniversal-International as "Brooklyn's Ambassador to the World". Because of his popularity, he was chosen byGeorge Pal as one of the military space crewmen on a trip to Mars inConquest of Space.
Among Foster's many television appearances were guest-starring roles inTen-Four Productions' telefilmThe Great American Traffic Jam and NBC's$weepstake$ andGames People Play. He made several return visits toThe Ed Sullivan Show andToast of the Town along withThis Is Show Business,The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, andThe Patty Duke Show. OnThe Jerry Lewis Show, he traded comic jabs with Cassius Clay shortly before the first Clay vs. Liston fight. He appeared in films, notablyBang the Drum Slowly.
It wasGarry Marshall, an old friend whom he helped get started as a comedy writer forJoey Bishop and other entertainers, who lured Foster again to Hollywood, first to appear inThe Odd Couple and then to co-star inLaverne & Shirley, at which time he was living inFort Lee, New Jersey.[3]His later TV appearances includedFantasy Island in 1978, and onThe Love Boat in 1979, where he played an aging, out-of-touch, boorish comedian.
Foster appeared on an episode ofTattletales with his wife Barbara Gold. The couple had two sons, Michael and Danny. Foster died of a heart attack inRancho Mirage, California, on July 8, 1985, at the age of 72.[1]
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