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Red Buttons
Highest Rated: 88% One, Two, Three (1961)
Lowest Rated: Not Available
Birthday: Feb 5, 1919
Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
Feisty, diminutive, red-haired comedian who regularly played very serious dramatic roles in features. A veteran of New York burlesque and the Catskills comedy circuit, Buttons appeared as a pilot in training in the moral-boosting stage drama "Winged Victory," and recreated the role soon thereafter in the 1944 film version. He played on Broadway after WWII and enjoyed tremendous popularity during the first season of TV's "The Red Buttons Show" (1952-55). Part variety show, part sitcom, the program gave full vent to Buttons' manic, fast-talking, knockabout style. One of Buttons' oft-repeated gestures, placing his hands together in a desperate, somewhat prayerful manner, was on regular display in the show, and children everywhere mimicked the "Ho Ho! He He! Ha Ha! Strange things are happening!" theme song. His gallery of characters, meanwhile, including the Sad Sack; the Kupke Kid, a child; Rocky, a boxer; and the bumbling Keeglefarven, played up the at-once argumentative and long-suffering aspects of his persona.
Photos
Filmography
Movies
| Credit | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Score Yet | 75% | Goodnight, We Love You: The Life and Legend of Phyllis Diller | Unknown (Character) | - | 2004 |
| 26% | 58% | The Story of Us | Arnie Jordan (Character) | $27.1M | 1999 |
| 72% | 54% | It Could Happen to You | Walter Zakuto (Character) | $37.8M | 1994 |
| No Score Yet | 48% | The Ambulance | Elias Zacharai (Character) | - | 1990 |
| 29% | 45% | 18 Again! | Charlie (Character) | $2.3M | 1988 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Alice Through the Looking Glass | The White Rabbit (Character) | - | 1985 |
| No Score Yet | 100% | Reunion at Fairborough | Jiggs Quealy (Character) | - | 1985 |
| No Score Yet | 84% | Alice in Wonderland | The White Rabbit (Character) | - | 1985 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Leave 'Em Laughing | Roland (Character) | - | 1981 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Side Show | Harry (Character) | - | 1981 |
| 0% | 21% | When Time Ran Out | Francis Fendly (Character) | - | 1980 |
| 14% | 40% | Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July | Milton (Voice) | - | 1980 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Off Your Rocker | Seymour Saltz (Character) | - | 1980 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Power | Solly Weiss (Character) | - | 1980 |
| No Score Yet | 28% | C.H.O.M.P.S. | Bracken (Character) | - | 1979 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Vegas | Tommy Cirko (Character) | - | 1978 |
| No Score Yet | 57% | Movie Movie |
Peanuts/ |
- | 1978 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Users | Warren Ambrose (Character) | - | 1978 |
| 14% | 12% | Viva Knievel! | Ben Andrews (Character) | - | 1977 |
| 56% | 60% | Pete's Dragon | Hoagy (Character) | - | 1977 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Telethon | Mart Rand (Character) | - | 1977 |
| 0% | 46% | Gable and Lombard | Ivan Cooper (Character) | - | 1976 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The New, Original Wonder Woman | Ashley Norman (Character) | - | 1975 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Louis Armstrong: Chicago Style | Red Cleveland (Character) | - | 1975 |
| 80% | 76% | The Poseidon Adventure | James Martin (Character) | - | 1972 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Who Killed Mary What's 'er Name? | Mickey (Character) | - | 1971 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Breakout | Pipes (Character) | - | 1970 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | George M! | Sam H. Harris (Character) | - | 1970 |
| 82% | 89% | They Shoot Horses, Don't They? | Sailor (Character) | - | 1969 |
| No Score Yet | 40% | Stagecoach | Peacock (Character) | - | 1966 |
| No Score Yet | 46% | Harlow | Arthur Landau (Character) | - | 1965 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Up From the Beach | Pfc. Harry Devine (Character) | - | 1965 |
| No Score Yet | 67% | Your Cheatin' Heart | Shorty Younger (Character) | - | 1964 |
| No Score Yet | 50% | A Ticklish Affair | Flight Officer Simon Shelley (Character) | - | 1963 |
| No Score Yet | 35% | Five Weeks in a Balloon | Donald O'Shay (Character) | - | 1962 |
| 87% | 90% | The Longest Day | Pvt. John Steele (Character) | - | 1962 |
| 60% | 78% | Gay Purr-ee | Robespierre (Voice) | - | 1962 |
| 64% | 76% | Hatari! | Pockets (Character) | - | 1962 |
| 88% | 88% | One, Two, Three | MP Sergeant (Character) | - | 1961 |
| No Score Yet | 41% | The Big Circus | Randy Sherman (Character) | - | 1959 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Imitation General | Cpl. Chan Derby (Character) | - | 1958 |
| 82% | 79% | Sayonara | Joe Kelly (Character) | - | 1957 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Winged Victory |
Whitey/ |
- | 1944 |
TV
| Credit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No Score Yet | 85% | ER | Jules 'Ruby' Rubadoux (Guest Star) | 1995-1996 2005 |
| 27% | No Score Yet | Presidio Med | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2002 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Family Law | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2000 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Early Edition | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1999 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cosby | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1997 |
| 76% | 76% | Roseanne | Jake (Guest Star) | 1993-1994 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Knots Landing | Al Baker (Character) | 1993 |
| No Score Yet | 64% | The Cosby Show | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1991 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 227 | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1987 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fantasy Island | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1978-1979 1983 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Little House on the Prairie | William 'Willie' O'Hara (Guest Star) | 1975 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | What's My Line? | Guest | 1953 1959 1962 1974 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ben Casey | Bill Jacoby (Guest Star) | 1965 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Jimmy Dean Show | Guest | 1963 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Startime | Unknown (Character) | 1959 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | I've Got a Secret | Guest | 1953 1959 |
| No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Suspense | Unknown (Character) | 1951 |