BRUCE GORDON

February 1, 1916

Bruce Gordon was born

Boris Benjamin Grabowsky

in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. He is best known for playing gangster Frank Nitti in the Desilu television series The Untouchables (1959-63). His acting career ranged over a half century and included stage, movies, and the small screen. 

His first appearance on Broadway was in 1937 in the musical drama The Fireman’s Flame. From 1941-1945, he played the role of Officer Klein alongside Boris Karloff in the original cast of Arsenic and Old Lace on Broadway.  He repeated the role on television in 1955. He did a dozen plays on Broadway through 1965 in Diamond Orchid, a flop that closed after just five performances. 

His screen debut came in 1948′s Naked City playing a policeman (uncredited).  His first credited role was in the 1949 Marx Brothers film Love Happy. 

Gordon’s television debut came in an episode of the anthology series “Ford Theatre Hour” titled “Subway Express”. 

In 1958, he joined the Desilu family appearing in two episodes of their helicopter series “Whirlybirds,” first playing a criminal named Bugsy. 

His career kicked into high gear when he was cast as the lead in the NBC series “Behind Closed Doors’ which only lasted one season.  A week after its premiere he did “Song of Bernadette” for the “Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse,” the same Desi Arnaz-hosted anthology series that would present the first (two-part) pilot of “The Untouchables” in which he played Frank Nitti, the role that would define the rest of his career. 

“The Untouchables” (the series) premiered in January 1959 although Gordon only appeared in 30 of its 119 episodes through 1963.  This allowed him to do other projects, including another episode of “The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse” in November 1959 titled “Border Justice”. 

Gordon finally acted with his ‘boss’ (Lucy) on an episode of “The Lucy Show” that parodied “The Untouchables” titled “Lucy the Gun Moll” (TLS S4;E25) aired on March 14, 1966. The entire cast of “The Untouchables” returned for the satire, although their character names were altered. Gordon played Big Nick.

A few years later, Gordon returned to working with Lucille Ball on “Here’s Lucy” in “Lucy and the Ex-Con” (HL S1;E15) first aired on January 13, 1969. He played a safecracker named ‘Doc’ Morgan alongside Wally Cox. He introduced the episode when it came to DVD in 2014. 

In a real change of pace for Gordon, he played Greek Grandfather Konstantine Kasos in “Lucy’s Wedding Party” (HL S3;E8) on November 2, 1970.  Although the character says he is 77, Gordon was just 54 at the time of filming.

Gordon returned to playing criminal types in “Dirty Gertie” (HL S5;E10) aired on November 13, 1972.  Gordon played Rocky in an Apple Annie storyline inspired by Pocketful of Miracles.

Gordon was a mobster again in the March 1975 special “Lucy Gets Lucky” which also starred Jackie Coogan (center) and Dean Martin and was filmed on location in Las Vegas. His character name Max Siegel (although credited as Vogel) is likely named for gangster Bugsy Siegel, who was primarily responsible for the development of the Vegas strip in the 1950s. The fact that Max is being played by Bruce Gordon, famous for playing real-life gangster Frank Nitti on Desilu’s “Untouchables,” pretty much assures the comparison.

Gordon’s final screen credit came in 1985, playing a man who may (or may not) be FBI most wanted John Dillinger on “Simon and Simon”. 

Gordon was married to Mary Jane Farrar Falvey from 1958 until her death in 1981. He then remarried Marla Gordon. The two were together until his death on January 20, 2011 at age 94.