Frank Silvera
Encyclopedia
Frank Alvin Silvera was an American
actor and theatrical director.
to a Spanish Jewish father and Jamaican mother. His family later emigrated to the United States, settling in Boston
where Silvera attended English High School
and Northeastern Law School
. Silvera later studied acting at the Actors Studio
.
Due to his light complexion, Silvera was cast in a wide variety of ethnic roles in films, and was cast without regards to his color in the theater. He played the father of Ben Gazzara
and Anthony Franciosa
on Broadway in Michael V. Gazzo
's A Hatful of Rain
(a role portrayed by Lloyd Nolan
on screen). Until the 1960s, Silvera played "white" characters on Broadway, such as his Tony-nominated performance as the father Monsieur Duval in The Lady of the Camellias
in 1963. He threw off color-blind casting in 1965, when he financed his own production of The Amen Corner
by the African American writer James Baldwin
. He was the Founder of The Theatre of Being, a Los Angeles-based theater dedicated to helping black actors get a foothold in show business.
In films and on television, he was also cast without regards to his color, though mostly as Latinos, even appearing as a Polynesian in the 1962 version of Mutiny on the Bounty
, starring Marlon Brando
, with whom Silvera co-starred in Viva Zapata!
, One-Eyed Jacks
and The Appaloosa
as Mexican characters. He appeared in two Stanley Kubrick
-directed films, Fear and Desire
(1953) and Killer's Kiss
(1955) as either "white" or racially indeterminate. He also appeared as a Mexican bandit in the 1967 Martin Ritt
Western classic, Hombre
, based on the Elmore Leonard novel
.
At a lecture at the University of Maryland
, while appearing in a production of King Lear
, he told of his attempt to get a part in a TV drama as a black elevator operator. The producer rejected him as being too light-skinned. He left the producer's office, then returned. "Am I light enough to play one of the white parts?" He got the job.
, Silvera was buried with honors at Long Island National Cemetery
in Farmingdale, New York
.
At the time of his death, he was appearing on the NBC
western
series The High Chaparral
as the Mexican
squire, Don Sebastian Montoya.
, director/actress Billie Allen, and journalist Clayton Riley honored Silvera and his efforts to support African American actors and playwrights by co-founding the Frank Silvera Writer's Workshop Foundation, Inc.
The organization still sponsors promising African American playwrights. In 2005 the workshop was among 406 New York City
arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor and theatrical director.
Career
Silvera was born in Kingston, JamaicaKingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
to a Spanish Jewish father and Jamaican mother. His family later emigrated to the United States, settling in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
where Silvera attended English High School
English High School of Boston
The English High School of Boston, Massachusetts is the first public high school in America, founded in 1821. Originally called The English Classical School, it was renamed The English High School upon its first relocation in 1824. The current building is located in Jamaica Plain.-History:Since its...
and Northeastern Law School
Northeastern University School of Law
Northeastern University School of Law is a law school in Boston, Massachusetts. From the time of its founding in 1898, the law school's mission has focused on addressing the needs of students and of society....
. Silvera later studied acting at the Actors Studio
Actors Studio
The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street in the Clinton neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded October 5, 1947, by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford, Robert Lewis and Anna Sokolow who provided...
.
Due to his light complexion, Silvera was cast in a wide variety of ethnic roles in films, and was cast without regards to his color in the theater. He played the father of Ben Gazzara
Ben Gazzara
-Early life:Gazzara was born Biagio Anthony Gazzara in New York City, the son of Italian immigrants Angelina and Antonio Gazzara, who was a laborer and carpenter. Gazzara grew up on New York's tough Lower East Side. He actually lived on E. 29th Street and participated in the drama program at...
and Anthony Franciosa
Anthony Franciosa
Anthony Franciosa was an American actor, usually billed as Tony Franciosa during the height of his career.-Early life:...
on Broadway in Michael V. Gazzo
Michael V. Gazzo
Michael Vincenzo Gazzo was an American Broadway playwright who later in life became a film and television actor....
's A Hatful of Rain
A Hatful of Rain
A Hatful of Rain is a 1957 dramatic film. The movie was a rarity for its time in its frank depiction of the effect of drug addiction.It is a medically and sociologically accurate account of the effects of morphine on an addict and his family ....
(a role portrayed by Lloyd Nolan
Lloyd Nolan
Lloyd Benedict Nolan was an American film and television actor.-Biography:Nolan was born in San Francisco, California, the son of Margaret and James Nolan, who was a shoe manufacturer...
on screen). Until the 1960s, Silvera played "white" characters on Broadway, such as his Tony-nominated performance as the father Monsieur Duval in The Lady of the Camellias
The Lady of the Camellias
The Lady of the Camellias is a novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils, first published in 1848, and subsequently adapted for the stage. The Lady of the Camellias premiered at the Théâtre du Vaudeville in Paris, France on February 2, 1852. The play was an instant success, and Giuseppe Verdi immediately set...
in 1963. He threw off color-blind casting in 1965, when he financed his own production of The Amen Corner
The Amen Corner
The Amen Corner is a three-act play by James Baldwin. It was Baldwin's first attempt at theater following Go Tell It on the Mountain. It was first published in 1954, and inspired a short-lived 1983 Broadway musical adaptation with the slightly truncated title, Amen Corner.-Plot introduction:The...
by the African American writer James Baldwin
James Baldwin (writer)
James Arthur Baldwin was an American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic.Baldwin's essays, for instance "Notes of a Native Son" , explore palpable yet unspoken intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in Western societies, most notably in mid-20th century America,...
. He was the Founder of The Theatre of Being, a Los Angeles-based theater dedicated to helping black actors get a foothold in show business.
In films and on television, he was also cast without regards to his color, though mostly as Latinos, even appearing as a Polynesian in the 1962 version of Mutiny on the Bounty
Mutiny on the Bounty (1962 film)
Mutiny on the Bounty is a 1962 film starring Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard based on the novel Mutiny on the Bounty by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall. The film retells the 1789 real-life mutiny aboard HMAV Bounty led by Fletcher Christian against the ship's captain, William Bligh...
, starring Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
, with whom Silvera co-starred in Viva Zapata!
Viva Zapata!
Viva Zapata! is a 1952 fictional-biographical film directed by Elia Kazan. The screenplay was written by John Steinbeck, using as a guide Edgcomb Pinchon's book, 'Zapata the Unconquerable', a fact that is not credited in the titles of the film...
, One-Eyed Jacks
One-Eyed Jacks
One-Eyed Jacks, a 1961 Western, is the only film directed by actor Marlon Brando, who also played its lead character, Rio.The film was originally to be directed by Stanley Kubrick and Sam Peckinpah...
and The Appaloosa
The Appaloosa (film)
The Appaloosa is a 1966 American Western film Technicolor from Universal Pictures starring Marlon Brando, Anjanette Comer and John Saxon, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a Mexican bandit. The film was directed by Sidney J...
as Mexican characters. He appeared in two Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
-directed films, Fear and Desire
Fear and Desire
Fear and Desire is a military action/adventure film by Stanley Kubrick. It is Kubrick’s first feature film and is also one of his least-seen productions...
(1953) and Killer's Kiss
Killer's Kiss
Killer's Kiss is a 1955 film noir directed by Stanley Kubrick and written by Kubrick and Howard Sackler. It is the second feature film directed by Kubrick...
(1955) as either "white" or racially indeterminate. He also appeared as a Mexican bandit in the 1967 Martin Ritt
Martin Ritt
Martin Ritt was an American director, actor, and playwright who worked in both film and theater. He was born in New York City.-Early career and influences:...
Western classic, Hombre
Hombre (film)
Hombre is a 1967 revisionist western film directed by Martin Ritt, based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It stars Paul Newman, Richard Boone, Martin Balsam, Diane Cilento and Fredric March....
, based on the Elmore Leonard novel
Hombre (novel)
Hombre is a novel by American author Elmore Leonard, published in 1961. It was adapted into a film in 1967. It tells the story of an Apache man, John Russell, who leads the passengers of an attacked stagecoach through the desert to safety....
.
At a lecture at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
, while appearing in a production of King Lear
King Lear
King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
, he told of his attempt to get a part in a TV drama as a black elevator operator. The producer rejected him as being too light-skinned. He left the producer's office, then returned. "Am I light enough to play one of the white parts?" He got the job.
Death
On June 11, 1970, Silvera was electrocuted while attempting to repair the garbage disposal unit in his kitchen sink. A Navy veteran of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Silvera was buried with honors at Long Island National Cemetery
Long Island National Cemetery
Long Island National Cemetery is a United States National Cemetery located in Suffolk County, New York. Its mailing address is Farmingdale. It is within the CDPS of Wyandanch, in the Town of Babylon, and Melville in the Town of Huntington...
in Farmingdale, New York
Farmingdale, New York
The Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States...
.
At the time of his death, he was appearing on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
series The High Chaparral
The High Chaparral
The High Chaparral is a Western-themed television series starring Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell which aired on NBC from 1967 to 1971. The show was created by David Dortort, who had previously created the hit Bonanza for the network...
as the Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
squire, Don Sebastian Montoya.
The Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop Foundation
Before his death, Silvera was actively engaged in the Civil Rights struggles of the 1950s and 1960s and called on all of his associates in the theater and film world to support the efforts of Black Americans during this watershed in American history. In 1973 Morgan FreemanMorgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
, director/actress Billie Allen, and journalist Clayton Riley honored Silvera and his efforts to support African American actors and playwrights by co-founding the Frank Silvera Writer's Workshop Foundation, Inc.
The organization still sponsors promising African American playwrights. In 2005 the workshop was among 406 New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
.
Selected filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | The Cimarron Kid | Stacey Marshall | |
| 1952 | Viva Zapata! Viva Zapata! Viva Zapata! is a 1952 fictional-biographical film directed by Elia Kazan. The screenplay was written by John Steinbeck, using as a guide Edgcomb Pinchon's book, 'Zapata the Unconquerable', a fact that is not credited in the titles of the film... |
Victoriano Huerta Victoriano Huerta José Victoriano Huerta Márquez was a Mexican military officer and president of Mexico. Huerta's supporters were known as Huertistas during the Mexican Revolution... |
|
| 1953 | White Mane White Mane White Mane is a 1953 short film directed by award-winning French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse.... |
Narrator | |
| 1954 | The Marriage The Marriage The Marriage was the first prime-time network television series to be broadcast regularly in color. It was a situation comedy broadcast live by NBC for seven episodes in the summer of 1954... |
Mr. Ramon | Episode #1.1 |
| 1955 | Death Tide | Eric Paulsen | |
| 1956 | Crowded Paradise Crowded Paradise Crowded Paradise is a 1956 film starring Hume Cronyn and Nancy Kelly. The movie was directed by Fred Pressburger.-Cast:*Hume Cronyn .... George Heath*Nancy Kelly .... Louise Heath*Frank Silvera .... Papa Diaz*Enid Rudd .... Felicia Diaz... |
Papa Diaz | |
| 1957 | The Seven Lively Arts | John | Episode: "The World of Nick Adams" |
| 1958 | Playhouse 90 Playhouse 90 Playhouse 90 is an American television anthology series that was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. It originated from CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California... |
Nick Serrello | Episode: "Seven Against the Wall" |
| 1958 | Perry Mason Perry Mason (TV series) Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner... |
Jonathan Hyett | Episode: "The Case of the Fancy Figures" |
| 1959 | The Lineup The Lineup (TV series) The Lineup is an American police drama which aired on CBS radio from 1950 to 1953 and on CBS television from 1954 to 1960, possibly in response to NBC's hit Dragnet.... |
Papa Vanetti | Episode: "My Son is a Stranger" |
| 1959 | The Man From Blackhawk The Man From Blackhawk The Man From Blackhawk is a Western television series starring Robert Rockwell that aired on the ABC television network from October 9, 1959, until September 9, 1960. The Man From Blackhawk was created by Academy Award winning screenwriter Stirling Silliphant.In The Man From Blackhawk, Rockwell... |
Kiczek | Episode: "The Gypsy Story" |
| 1960 | Heller in Pink Tights Heller in Pink Tights Heller In Pink Tights is a 1960 Technicolor western film adapted from Louis L'Amour's novel, Heller with a Gun. It stars Sophia Loren and Anthony Quinn and was directed by George Cukor.... |
Santis | |
| 1960 | The Law and Mr. Jones The Law and Mr. Jones The Law and Mr. Jones is a 45-episode half-hour television crime drama starring James Whitmore. The series aired on ABC in two nonconsecutive seasons from October 7, 1960, to September 22, 1961, and again from April 19 to July 5, 1962... |
Garcia | Episode: "Music to Hurt By" |
| 1962 | The Twilight Zone The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising... |
Dr. Koslenko | Episode: "Person or Persons Unknown Person or Persons Unknown "Person or Persons Unknown" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Synopsis:David Gurney wakes up to find that nobody knows him, and all evidence of his identity had disappeared... " |
| 1962 | The New Breed The New Breed (TV series) The New Breed is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from October 3, 1961 to June 5, 1962, with thirty-six episodes.-Synopsis:... |
John Hernandez | Episode: "My Brother's Keeper" |
| 1963 | The Defenders | Ballin | Episode: "The Last Illusion" |
| 1963 | Toys in the Attic Toys in the Attic (film) Toys in the Attic is a 1963 American drama film starring Dean Martin, Geraldine Page, Yvette Mimieux, Gene Tierney and Wendy Hiller. The film was directed by George Roy Hill and is based on a Tony Award-winning play by Lillian Hellman... |
Henry Simpson | |
| 1964 | The Great Adventure The Great Adventure (TV series) The Great Adventure is a historical anthology series that appeared on CBS for the 1963-1964 television season. The series, hosted each week by Van Heflin, and featuring theme music by Richard Rodgers, presented each week a one-hour dramatization of the lives of famous Americans and important... |
Gambi | Episode: "The Pirate and the Patriot" |
| 1964 | Mr. Novak Mr. Novak Mr. Novak is an American dramatic series starring James Franciscus in the title role, which aired on NBC for two seasons, from 1963 to 1965.-Overview:... |
Andy Towner | Episode: "Boy Under Glass" |
| 1965 | The Greatest Story Ever Told The Greatest Story Ever Told The Greatest Story Ever Told is a 1965 American epic film produced and directed by George Stevens and distributed by United Artists. It is a retelling of the story of Jesus Christ, from the Nativity through the Resurrection. This film is notable for its large ensemble cast and for being the last... |
Caspar | |
| 1965 | Rawhide Rawhide (TV series) Rawhide is an American Western series that aired for eight seasons on the CBS network on Friday nights, from January 9, 1959 to September 3, 1965, before moving to Tuesday nights from September 14, 1965 until January 4, 1966, with a total of 217 black-and-white episodes... |
Pajarito | Episode: "El Hombre Bravo" |
| 1966 | I Spy I Spy I Spy is an American television secret-agent adventure series. It ran for three seasons on NBC from 1965 to 1968 and teamed Robert Culp as international tennis player Kelly Robinson with Bill Cosby as his trainer, Alexander Scott... |
Munoz | Episode: "Crusade to Limbo" |
| 1966 | Run for Your Life Run for Your Life (TV series) Run for Your Life is an American television drama series starring Ben Gazzara as a man with only a short time to live. It ran on NBC from 1965 to 1968. The series was created by Roy Huggins, who had previously explored the "man on the move" concept with The Fugitive.-Synopsis:Gazzara plays lawyer... |
Esteban | Episode: "The Shock of Recognition" |
| 1967 | The St. Valentine's Day Massacre The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (film) The St. Valentine's Day Massacre is a 1967 gangster film based on the 1929 Chicago mass murder of seven members of the Northside gang, directed against George "Bugs" Moran by Al Capone... |
Nick Sorello | |
| 1967 | Dundee and the Culhane Dundee and the Culhane Dundee and the Culhane is a Western television series starring John Mills and Sean Garrison that aired on the CBS television network from September 7 to December 13, 1967.... |
Luis Montoya | Episode: "The Vasquez Brief" |
| 1967 to 1970 | The High Chaparral The High Chaparral The High Chaparral is a Western-themed television series starring Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell which aired on NBC from 1967 to 1971. The show was created by David Dortort, who had previously created the hit Bonanza for the network... |
Don Sebastian Montoya | 14 episodes |
| 1968 | The Stalking Moon The Stalking Moon The Stalking Moon is a 1968 western film in Technicolor starring Gregory Peck and Eva Marie Saint. It is directed by Robert Mulligan and based on the novel of the same name by T.V. Olsen.-Plot:... |
Major | |
| 1968 | Up Tight! Up Tight! Up Tight! is a 1968 American drama film directed by Jules Dassin. It was intended as an updated version of John Ford's 1935 film, The Informer, but the setting was transposed from Dublin, Ireland to Cleveland, Ohio, USA. The soundtrack was performed by Booker T... |
Kyle | |
| 1969 | Che! Che! Che! is an American Biographical film starring Omar Sharif as Marxist revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara. It follows Guevara from when he first landed in Cuba in 1956 to his death in Bolivia in 1967, although the film does not portray the formative pre-Cuban revolution sections of Che's life as... |
Goatherd | |
| 1969 | Marcus Welby, M.D. Marcus Welby, M.D. Marcus Welby, M.D. is an American medical drama television program that aired on ABC from September 23, 1969, to July 29, 1976. It starred Robert Young as a family practitioner with a kind bedside manner, and was produced by David Victor and David J. O'Connell... |
Nick Eugenides | Episode: "The Vrahnas Demon" |
| 1970 | The Flying Nun The Flying Nun The Flying Nun is an American sitcom produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book The Fifteenth Pelican, by Tere Rios, which starred Sally Field as Sister Bertrille... |
Thomas Sebastien Martinez | Episode: "No Tears for Mrs. Thomas" |
| 1970 | Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,... |
Frank Kuakua | Episode: "Paniolo" |
| 1971 | Valdez Is Coming Valdez Is Coming Valdez Is Coming is a 1971 American western film starring Burt Lancaster, Susan Clark, Richard Jordan and Jon Cypher. The film is based on the Elmore Leonard novel of the same name.-Plot:... |
Diego | |
External links
- Frank Silvera biography at the Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop Foundation, Inc.