{{short description|American actor}}
{{about|an American actor|the South African criminal|Joseph Silver}} {{distinguish|Joel Silver}} {{Infobox person | name = Joe Silver | image = Publicity_Photo_of_Joe_Silver.jpg | caption = Publicity photo | birth_name = Joseph Silver | birth_date = {{birth_date|1922|9|28}} | birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | death_date = {{death_date and age|1989|2|27|1922|9|28}} | death_place = New York City, U.S. | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1942–1989 | spouse = Chevi Colton (m. 1950) | children = 2 | alma_mater = University of Wisconsin }}
'''Joe Silver''' (September 28, 1922 – February 27, 1989) was an American stage, television, film and radio actor. His distinctive deep voice was once described as "the lowest voice in show business; so low that when he speaks, he unties your shoelaces."<ref name=NYT/>
==Biography== He was born on September 28, 1922, in Chicago. He was raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin and attended Green Bay East High School and the University of Wisconsin.<ref name="MS">{{cite news |last1=Wilson |first1=Earl |title=23 Years an Actor, Silver Still Loves It |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1368&dat=19670630&id=D2EqAAAAIBAJ&pg=4211,5838506&hl=en |accessdate=12 February 2016 |work=The Milwaukee Sentinel |date=June 30, 1967 |page=2}}</ref><ref name="MJ">{{cite news |last1=Wolf |first1=William |title=Silver Finds Gold on Television and Shows Up on Broadway, Too |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19651212&id=Mj0aAAAAIBAJ&pg=2690,791507&hl=en |accessdate=12 February 2016 |newspaper=The Milwaukee Journal |date=December 12, 1965 |page=5}}</ref>
Silver made his Broadway debut in 1942 in a revival of ''Tobacco Road''.<ref name=NYT/><ref name=LATimes>{{cite news |title=Joe Silver; Actor Had Parts in 1,000 TV Shows in Career of Almost 50 Years |first=Burt A. |last=Folkart |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=March 2, 1989 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-03-02-mn-312-story.html}}</ref> He was in the original production of ''Gypsy: A Musical Fable'' (1959) and was nominated for a Tony Award as a supporting actor for playing nine different roles in ''Lenny'' (1971).<ref name=NYT/><ref name=LATimes/>
In 1947, he made the first of more than 1,000 appearances on television,<ref name=NYT/><ref name=LATimes/> as a panelist on ''What's It Worth''. Two years later, he became a member of the cast of the CBS educational children's television show ''Mr. I. Magination''. In 1950, he appeared on the short-lived variety show ''Joey Faye's Frolics''. He was featured on ''The Red Buttons Show'' in the 1950s, and was the second Captain Jet, host of the children's show ''Space Funnies'' in the late 1950s. He played the husband of star Lee Grant's character on ''Fay'' in the 1975-1976 season.
His film credits include ''Diary of a Bachelor'' (1964), ''Move'' (1970), ''Rhinoceros'' (1974), ''The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' (1974), ''Shivers'' (1975), ''Rabid'' (1977), ''You Light Up My Life'' (1977), ''Crash'' (1978), ''Boardwalk'' (1979), ''Deathtrap'' (1982), ''Almost You'' (1985) and ''Switching Channels'' (1988). He also provided the voice of the ox in the 1970 Christmas special ''The Night the Animals Talked'' and as The Creep in the horror anthology film ''Creepshow 2'' (1987). He also provided the speaking and singing voices of the Greedy in ''Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure'' (1977).
Silver's last performance was in the musical ''Legs Diamond''. While suffering from liver cancer, Silver died in Manhattan after suffering a heart attack at the age of 66 on February 27, 1989.<ref name=NYT/> He was survived by his actress wife Chevi Colton, their son Christopher, their daughter Jennifer, and three grandchildren.<ref name=NYT>{{cite news |title=Joe Silver, 66, a Broadway Star And Actor in Film and Television |author=Mervyn Rothstein |newspaper=The New York Times |date=February 28, 1989 |quote=Joe Silver, an actor who appeared on and Off Broadway, in films and in more than 1,000 television programs, died of a heart attack yesterday at St. Luke's Hospital in Manhattan. Mr. Silver, who had been suffering from liver cancer, was 66 years old and lived in Manhattan. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/28/obituaries/joe-silver-66-a-broadway-star-and-actor-in-film-and-television.html}}</ref>
==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ {{Screen reader-only| Joe Silver film credits}}<!-- WP:ACCESSIBILITY & MOS:TABLECAPTION --> |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- |1964|| ''Diary of a Bachelor'' || Charlie Barrett || |- |1970|| ''Move'' || Oscar || |- |1971|| ''Klute'' || Dr. Spangler || Uncredited |- | rowspan="2" |1974|| ''Rhinoceros'' || Norman || |- | ''The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' || Farber || |- |1975|| ''Shivers'' || Rollo Linsky || |- | rowspan="3" |1977|| ''Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure'' || The Greedy || Voice |- | ''Rabid'' || Murray Cypher || |- | ''You Light Up My Life'' || Si Robinson || |- |1979|| ''Boardwalk'' || Leo Rosen || |- |1982|| ''Deathtrap'' || Seymour Starger || |- | rowspan="2" |1985|| ''Almost You'' || Uncle Stu || |- | ''The Gig'' || Abe Mitgang || |- | rowspan="3" |1987|| ''Creepshow 2'' || The Creep || Voice |- | ''Magic Sticks'' || Pawnbroker || |- | ''Mr. Nice Guy'' || Leser Tish || |- |1988|| ''Switching Channels'' || Mordsini || |}
===Television=== {{incomplete list|date=April 2025}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ {{Screen reader-only| Joe Silver television credits}}<!-- WP:ACCESSIBILITY & MOS:TABLECAPTION --> |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- | rowspan="2" | 1950 | ''Joey Faye's Frolics'' | (regular cast) | |- | ''Mr. I. Magination'' | Servant | 1 episode |- | 1952-1955 | ''The Red Buttons Show'' | (regular cast) | 1 episode |- | 1972 | ''Gunsmoke'' | Beal Brown | Episode "The Brothers" |- | 1975-1976 | ''Fay'' | Jack Steward | 8 episodes |- | 1976 | ''Kojak'' | Chief Wilson | Episode "An Unfair Trade" |- | 1978 || ''Crash'' || Alvin Jessop || TV movie |- | 1985 | ''The Equalizer'' | Felix Dzershinsky | Episode: "The Defector" |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|0798718}} *{{IBDB name}} *{{find a Grave|7074877}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Silver, Joe}} Category:1922 births Category:1989 deaths Category:American male film actors Category:American male stage actors Category:American male television actors Category:Male actors from Chicago Category:Male actors from New York City Category:20th-century American male actors Category:Deaths from liver cancer in New York (state) Category:Green Bay East High School alumni Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni