Morris Carnovsky was a renowned actor, born on September 5, 1898, in St. Louis, Missouri, to a grocer. He attended Washington University and began his acting career by performing with traveling stock companies. Eventually, he made his way to New York City, where he became a member of the Theatre Guild and later a founding member of the left-wing Group Theatre.
The Group Theatre, founded in 1931 by Lee Strasberg, Harold Clurman, and Cheryl Crawford, was a prominent theatrical company that featured notable actors and playwrights. Carnovsky appeared in several Group Theatre productions, including Eugene O'Neill's play "Marco Millions" and Clifford Odets' plays "Awake and Sing" and "Golden Boy".
Carnovsky's talents were in high demand, and he appeared on Broadway in multiple productions throughout the 1930s. He eventually transitioned to Hollywood, making his screen debut in "The Life of Emile Zola" in 1937. However, he was effectively blacklisted in 1950, two years before Elia Kazan's infamous testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Carnovsky refused to "name names" before the Committee, which resulted in his unofficial ban from appearing in Hollywood films. Despite this, he continued to have a thriving career on the Broadway stage, appearing in numerous productions throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
In the 1960s, Carnovsky made a rare film appearance in Sidney Lumet's "A View from the Bridge", but his movie career did not revive. He continued to act on stage until his death on September 1, 1992, at the age of 94.
