Paul Comi
Encyclopedia
Paul Domingo Comi is an American film and television actor
. Mr. Comi was invited to join and is active voting member of the Actor's Branch of the :Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
western
series Two Faces West
(1960–1961), starring Charles Bateman, the part of Brad Carter, prosecuting attorney in "The Virginian" while Lee J. Cobb was in the cast. Comi's character of YoYo in several "Rawhide" episodes came as a result of his original performance in the "No Dogs or Drovers" episode, where his character of "YoYo" was originally called to be killed. The producers liked his performance and the ending was changed leading to Comi being in a number of episodes in the season. Cast along with some other "loser-type" crew members that included Bruce Dern and Joby Baker who were all part of Paul Burke's crew in Burke's initial introduction on "12 O'Clock High." As a result, Comi was chosen by producer Quinn Martin to appear in some future episodes as the recurring character, "Captain Banazak.
Comi's professional acting career began in 1957, when, as an apprentice at the famous La Jolla Playhouse
in La Jolla
, California
, he was given a small part in the play Career that starred Don Taylor
, Una Merkel
, and Ray Danton. His comedy scene as a drunken GI earned rave reviews in The Hollywood Reporter
and Variety
, leading to his being signed by 20th Century Fox
for the role of Pvt. Abbott in The Young Lions
. At Fox, he appeared in films: "In Love and War" with Jeff Hunter and Robert Wagner; "A Private's Affair" with Ernie Kovacs; and was lent out to Warner Bros. for the role of "Jenkins" in the Michael Garrison production of "Dark At The Top of The Stairs" with Robert Preston and Dorothy McGuire. He also was Lt Tim, Steve McQueen's assistant on "The Towering Inferno."
From 1961-62, he portrayed pilot Chuck Lambert on the syndicated TV show, Ripcord
. Paul also played Catherine Hickland's father, Victor Markham for one and one half seasons on the daytime soap, "CAPITOL'. This was followed by two seasons as George Durnley in "General Hospital."
Graduating magna cum laude from the University of Southern California
in Los Angeles
, California, Comi earned a reputation as a constantly working, versatile actor. He currently retired as president and partner of Caffe D’ Amore Inc., a company started by his wife, Eva, with her creating the world's original instant flavored cappuccino. The company has been sold to :Kerry Group, which is headquartered in Ireland and has USA offices in Beloit, WI and Commerce, CA. In the process, Comi's business partner (Chris Julias) died.
Paul is recently considering a return to the film industry. He admits that his real passion is for the theater and has been investigating some of the various theater companies in and around Southern California.
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Phi Beta Kappa USC 1958
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society USC 1958
Blue Key Honors USC 1958
Active voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Actors' Branch since 1970.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. Mr. Comi was invited to join and is active voting member of the Actor's Branch of the :Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Biography
Comi's acting career spanned four decades, from the mid-1950s through the mid-1990s. He made over three hundred television appearances, twenty movies, and a number of recurring television roles, including that of Deputy Johnny Evans in the syndicatedTelevision syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
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 Two Faces West
Two Faces West
Two Faces West is a 39-episode half-hour syndicated television western series set in Gunnison in southwestern Colorado, which aired from October 17, 1960, to July 31, 1961. It stars Scottish native Charles Bateman in the dual roles of twin brothers, Rick January, M.D., and Marshal Ben January...
(1960–1961), starring Charles Bateman, the part of Brad Carter, prosecuting attorney in "The Virginian" while Lee J. Cobb was in the cast. Comi's character of YoYo in several "Rawhide" episodes came as a result of his original performance in the "No Dogs or Drovers" episode, where his character of "YoYo" was originally called to be killed. The producers liked his performance and the ending was changed leading to Comi being in a number of episodes in the season. Cast along with some other "loser-type" crew members that included Bruce Dern and Joby Baker who were all part of Paul Burke's crew in Burke's initial introduction on "12 O'Clock High." As a result, Comi was chosen by producer Quinn Martin to appear in some future episodes as the recurring character, "Captain Banazak.
Comi's professional acting career began in 1957, when, as an apprentice at the famous La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre-in-residence on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. -Background:...
in La Jolla
La Jolla, San Diego, California
La Jolla is an affluent, hilly seaside resort community, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean in Southern California within the northern city limits of San Diego. La Jolla had the highest home prices in the nation in 2008 and 2009; the average price of a standardized...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, he was given a small part in the play Career that starred Don Taylor
Don Taylor (actor)
Don Taylor was an American movie actor and director best known for his performances in 1950s classics like Stalag 17 and Father of the Bride and the 1948 film noir The Naked City...
, Una Merkel
Una Merkel
Una Merkel was an American Tony Award-winning stage and film actress.-Life and career:Una Merkel was born in Covington, Kentucky, and grew up in Philadelphia and New York City. She bore a resemblance to actress Lillian Gish and began her career as a stand-in for Gish, most notably in the 1928...
, and Ray Danton. His comedy scene as a drunken GI earned rave reviews in The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
and Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, leading to his being signed by 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
for the role of Pvt. Abbott in The Young Lions
The Young Lions
The Young Lions is a 1958 war drama film directed by Edward Dmytryk, based upon the 1949 novel of the same name by Irwin Shaw, and starring Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and Dean Martin.-Outline:...
. At Fox, he appeared in films: "In Love and War" with Jeff Hunter and Robert Wagner; "A Private's Affair" with Ernie Kovacs; and was lent out to Warner Bros. for the role of "Jenkins" in the Michael Garrison production of "Dark At The Top of The Stairs" with Robert Preston and Dorothy McGuire. He also was Lt Tim, Steve McQueen's assistant on "The Towering Inferno."
From 1961-62, he portrayed pilot Chuck Lambert on the syndicated TV show, Ripcord
Ripcord (TV series)
Ripcord is an American syndicated television series that ran for 76 episodes from 1961 to 1963 about the exploits of a skydiving operation by the same name.-Overview:...
. Paul also played Catherine Hickland's father, Victor Markham for one and one half seasons on the daytime soap, "CAPITOL'. This was followed by two seasons as George Durnley in "General Hospital."
Graduating magna cum laude from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California, Comi earned a reputation as a constantly working, versatile actor. He currently retired as president and partner of Caffe D’ Amore Inc., a company started by his wife, Eva, with her creating the world's original instant flavored cappuccino. The company has been sold to :Kerry Group, which is headquartered in Ireland and has USA offices in Beloit, WI and Commerce, CA. In the process, Comi's business partner (Chris Julias) died.
Paul is recently considering a return to the film industry. He admits that his real passion is for the theater and has been investigating some of the various theater companies in and around Southern California.
Filmography (Selection)
- 1995: BaywatchBaywatchBaywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...
- "Leap of Faith" - 1991: L.A. LawL.A. LawL.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...
- "Since I Fell for You", "On the Toad Again" - 1986-1989: Highway to HeavenHighway to HeavenHighway to Heaven is an American television drama series which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989.- Season 1 :- Season 2 :- Season 3 :- Season 4 :- Season 5 :...
- "Summer Camp", "Parents' Day", "Children's Children" - 1986: FameFame (1982 TV series)Fame is an American television series originally produced between 1982 and 1987. The show was based on the 1980 motion picture of the same name. Using a mixture of drama and music, it followed the lives of the students and faculty at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. Although...
- "The Last Dance" - 1987: Spies - "The Game's Not Over", "'Til the Fat Lady Sings"
- 1986: Howard the DuckHoward the Duck (film)Howard the Duck is a 1986 American science fiction comedy film directed by Willard Huyck and produced by George Lucas. It is loosely based on the Marvel comic book of the same name, created by Steve Gerber and quoting scripts by Bill Mantlo, the film focuses on Howard, an alien from a planet...
as Dr. Chapin - 1985–1990: Knots LandingKnots LandingKnots Landing is an American primetime television soap opera that aired from December 27, 1979 to May 13, 1993 on CBS. Set in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles in California, the show centered on the lives of four married couples living in a cul-de-sac, Seaview Circle...
- "What If?", "High School Confidential", "The Emperor's Clothes" - 1985: Falcon CrestFalcon CrestFalcon Crest is an American primetime television soap opera which aired on the CBS network for nine seasons, from December 4, 1981 to May 17, 1990. A total of 227 episodes were produced....
- "False Hope" - 1984: Best DefenseBest DefenseBest Defense is a comedy film starring Dudley Moore and Eddie Murphy. It was released in 1984 by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:The movie takes place as two parallel plots separated by several years: Moore is an engineer developing a targeting system on a tank for the United States Army and Murphy is an...
- 1982: Death Wish IIDeath Wish IIDeath Wish II is a 1982 sequel to the 1974 film. It stars Charles Bronson, was written by David Engelbach and directed by Michael Winner....
- 1981: DallasDallas (TV series)Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
- "Waterloo at Southfork" - 1977: The Streets of San FranciscoThe Streets of San FranciscoThe Streets of San Francisco is a 1970s television police drama filmed on location in San Francisco, California, and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros...
- "Interlude" - 1974: The Towering InfernoThe Towering InfernoThe Towering Inferno is a 1974 American action disaster film produced by Irwin Allen featuring an all-star cast led by Steve McQueen and Paul Newman.A co-production between Twentieth Century-Fox and Warner Bros...
as Tim - 1972: Conquest of the Planet of the ApesConquest of the Planet of the ApesConquest of the Planet of the Apes is a 1972 science fiction film directed by J. Lee Thompson. It is the fourth of five films in the original Planet of the Apes series produced by Arthur P. Jacobs. It explores how the apes rebelled from mankind's ill treatment following Escape from the Planet of...
- 1971-1973: CannonCannon (TV series)Cannon is a CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin which aired from March 26, 1971 to March 3, 1976.The primary protagonist was the title character, Frank Cannon, played by William Conrad....
- "A Well Remembered Terror", "No Pockets in the Shroud" - 1969: All the Loving Couples as Mike Corey
- 1968-1969: MannixMannixMannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors...
- "The Playground", "Another Final Exit" - 1967: The InvadersThe InvadersThe Invaders, a Quinn Martin Production , is an ABC science fiction television program created by Larry Cohen that ran in the United States for two seasons, from January 10, 1967 to March 26, 1968...
- "Storm" - 1966: The Time TunnelThe Time TunnelThe Time Tunnel is a 1966–1967 U.S. color science fiction TV series. The show was created and produced by Irwin Allen, his third science fiction television series. The show's main theme was Time Travel Adventure. The Time Tunnel was released by 20th Century Fox and broadcast on ABC. The show ran...
- "Massacre" - 1966: Star TrekStar Trek: The Original SeriesStar Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
- "Balance of TerrorBalance of terrorThe phrase "balance of terror" is usually used in reference to the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War....
" - 1965-1968: The F.B.I. - "Act of Violence", "The Satellite", "The Escape", "The Giant Killer"
- 1965: Perry MasonPerry 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...
- "The Case of the Sad Sicilian" - 1965: Twelve O'Clock HighTwelve O'Clock HighTwelve O'Clock High is a 1949 American war film about aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force who flew daylight bombing missions against Nazi Germany and occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II. The film was adapted by Sy Bartlett, Henry King ...
- "R/X for a Sick Bird" as Major Adams - 1965: The Alfred Hitchcock Hour - "The Crimson Witness"
- 1962: Cape FearCape Fear (1962 film)Cape Fear is a 1962 film starring Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Polly Bergen. It was adapted by James R. Webb from the novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald. It was directed by J. Lee Thompson, and released on April 12, 1962...
as George Garner - 1960-1963: The Twilight ZoneThe 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...
- "People Are Alike All OverPeople Are Alike All Over"People Are Alike All Over" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Background:This episode was based on Paul W. Fairman's Brothers Beyond the Void, published in the March 1952 issue of Fantastic Adventures and also included in August Derleth's 1953 anthology...
", "The Odyssey of Flight 33The Odyssey of Flight 33"The Odyssey of Flight 33" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Synopsis:This episode takes place on Global Airlines Flight 33, en route from London to New York City. About fifty minutes from Idlewild Airport, Captain Farver and his crew notice that their...
", "The ParallelThe Parallel"The Parallel" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Synopsis:An astronaut, Major Robert Gaines, is orbiting the Earth in his space capsule. However, at one point the systems malfunction and he blacks out, waking up on Earth...
" - 1960: The UntouchablesThe Untouchables (1959 TV series)The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a...
- "One-Armed Bandits" - 1960: :Two Faces West as Deputy Johnny Evans
- 1959: 77 Sunset Strip77 Sunset Strip77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
- "The Grandma Caper" - 1959: Peter GunnPeter GunnPeter Gunn is an American private eye television series which aired on the NBC and later ABC television networks from 1958 to 1961. The show's creator was Blake Edwards...
- "The Rifle" - 1959: Pork Chop HillPork Chop HillPork Chop Hill , directed by Lewis Milestone, is a Korean War war film based upon the eponymous book by military historian S. L. A. Marshall, depicting the bitterly fierce first Battle of Pork Chop Hill between the U.S. Army's 7th Infantry Division, and Chinese and Korean Communist forces at the...
- 1958: In Love and WarIn Love and War (1958 film)In Love and War is a 1958 Cinemascope film based on a novel called The Big War by Anton Myrer and directed by Philip Dunne.-Plot summary:The film traces the progress of three Marines on shore leave during WWII, in the Pacific...
- 1958: The Young LionsThe Young LionsThe Young Lions is a 1958 war drama film directed by Edward Dmytryk, based upon the 1949 novel of the same name by Irwin Shaw, and starring Marlon Brando, Montgomery Clift, and Dean Martin.-Outline:...
Awards and decorations
Purple Heart (A 3 Purple Heart Veteran of the Korean War)
See also
Phi Beta Kappa USC 1958
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society USC 1958
Blue Key Honors USC 1958
Active voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Actors' Branch since 1970.