Jack Kruschen (March 20, 1922 – April 2, 2002) was a Canadian-born character actor who worked primarily in American film, television and radio.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Kruschen began his radio career while still in high school, and during the 1940s, he became a staple of West Coast radio drama. He had several roles in programs made especially for the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) broadcast for the benefit of members on active duty in the military in the 1940s and 1950s. He had regular or recurring roles on Broadway Is My Beat (as Sgt. Muggavan), and Pete Kelly's Blues (as Red, the bass player), as well as frequent episodic roles on anthology series, Westerns and crime dramas.
He was heard on such high-profile series as Escape, Dragnet, Gunsmoke (usually as law abiding locals), Crime Classics, Frontier Gentleman, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, Nightbeat and Suspense.
His movie career is highlighted by his performance as neighbor Dr. Dreyfuss in Billy Wilder's The Apartment (for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor).
Other film assignments included George Pal's The War of the Worlds (as Salvatore, one of the first three victims, a role he
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