Jerry Lester

Biography

Jerry Lester (February 16, 1910 – March 23, 1995) was an American comedian, singer and performer on radio, television and the stage, who hosted the first network late night television program as host of Broadway Open House on NBC, a vaudeville-esque combination of comedy and music, whose success demonstrated the potential for late-night television and led to the creation of the Tonight Show.

Known For

Mickey's Gala Premiere
Mickey's Gala Premiere
Hardly Working
Hardly Working
The Rookie
The Rookie
Odds and Evens
Odds and Evens
Sleepytime Gal
Sleepytime Gal
The Godmothers
The Godmothers

Filmography

1980 Smokey and the Bandit II
as Warehouse Guard
1980 Hardly Working
as Slats
1978 Odds and Evens
as Mike Firpo
1973 The Godmothers
as Ricky Mastrasso
1966 The Monkees
as
1961 The Mike Douglas Show
as Self - Co-Host
1961 The Mike Douglas Show
as Self
1959 The Rookie
as Jerry Mann
1951 The Name's the Same
as
1942 Sleepytime Gal
as Downbeat
1933 Arizona to Broadway
as Jimmy Dante
1933 Mickey's Gala Premiere
as Maurice Chevalier / Ed Wynne / Jimmy Durante (voice)