Alex Karras

Acting

Alex Karras

Born — Died

1935-07-15 — 2012-10-10

Place of birth

Gary, Indiana

Known for

Acting

Credits

51 titles

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   Alexander George "Alex" Karras (born July 15, 1935), nicknamed "The Mad Duck", is a former football player, professional wrestler, and actor who is best known for playing with the Detroit Lions from 1958–1962 and 1964-1970. In addition, he starred on the ABC sitcom Webster, alongside real-life wife Susan Clark, as the titular character's adoptive father. Description above from the Wikipedia article Alex Karras, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson poster
7.6

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

The Mike Douglas Show poster
5.8

The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.

The Mike Douglas Show

1961

Saturday Night Live poster
6.9

A late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. The show's comedy sketches, which parody contemporary culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, and features performances by a musical guest.

Saturday Night Live

1975

M*A*S*H poster
7.9

The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean war. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable.

M*A*S*H

1972

Golden Globe Awards poster
7.0

An annual awards ceremony recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign, bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Golden Globe Awards

1944

Love, American Style poster
6.2

An anthology comedy series featuring a line up of different celebrity guest stars appearing in anywhere from one, two, three, and four short stories or vignettes within an hour about versions of love and romance.

Love, American Style

1969

Film credits

1980s · 10 titles

Against All Odds poster
5.7

Terry Brogan, a cynical former football star, is hired to find Jessie Wyler, the runaway mistress of ruthless LA nightclub owner Jake Wise. But trouble brews when he tracks down and falls in love with the beautiful Jessie on a Mexican island—and Jake dispatches his henchman to bring the lovers back.

Against All Odds

1984

Victor/Victoria poster
7.3

A struggling female soprano finds work playing a male female impersonator, but it complicates her personal life.

Victor/Victoria

1982

Porky's poster
6.4

In 1954 Florida, a group of high school boys head to a strip club in the Everglades in an attempt to lose their collective virginity. When the club's owner and his sheriff brother swindle them out of their money and embarrass them, the boys plan revenge.

Porky's

1981

When Time Ran Out... poster
5.3

An active volcano threatens a south Pacific island resort and its guests as a power struggle ensues between the property's developer and a drilling foreman.

When Time Ran Out...

1980

Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story poster
5.5

Filmed on location at Alcatraz Island, this two-part "whole story" actually concentrates on a handful of the denizens behind the cold grey walls of "The Rock". Michael Beck plays the real-life Clarence Carnes, an Oklahoma Choctaw Indian said to be the youngest man ever incarcerated in the notorious maximum security prison. Serving a 99-year sentence for a gas station holdup and murder, Carnes makes periodic attempts to escape, the final attempt being the most violent. Many of the subordinate characters are fictional (as are most of the details concerning Carnes' escape efforts); the one exception is Robert Stroud, the "Birdman of Alcatraz", here portrayed by Art Carney as a gentle, kindly philosopher. Telly Savalas, a costar of the Burt Lancaster vehicle Birdman of Alcatraz, also guest starred in the 1980 film. Originally titled Alcatraz and Clarence Carnes, this made-for-TV movie wavers between gritty realism and "I'm bustin' outta here!" artifice.

Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story

1980

Goldilocks and the Three Bears poster
6.2

A spirited young girl disobeys her parents and runs off to the wood for the afternoon where she rudely invades the home of a family of bears, taking advantage of all its comforts and thoughtlessly wrecking things. When caught, she learns important lessons about truthfulness and respecting others' rights to privacy.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

1984

Nobody's Perfekt poster
3.8

While everyone knows you can't fight City Hall, there are those who, for whatever reason, can't resist the challenge. Three slightly disturbed psychiatric patients decide to take on the government. What ensues includes car chases, a ferry boat hijacking, strip-teases and lots of fun!

Nobody's Perfekt

1981

Word of Honor poster
7.5

A reporter refuses to reveal his source in the case of the murder of a young girl. As a result, he and his family are shunned by the residents of the small town in which they live. Virtually no one comes to his daughter's wedding, and at his office, the police search his desk, and his boss threatens to fire him.

Word of Honor

1981

Jimmy B. & Andre poster
7.5

Real-life story detailing the relationship between a popular Detroit restaurant owner and a young black youngster whom he tries to adopt.

Jimmy B. & Andre

1980

Maid in America poster
10.0

An unemployed worker answers a personal ad for a housekeeper to a crusading female lawyer, and then takes her to court to force her to accept him into her home, claiming sex discrimination.

Maid in America

1982

1970s · 11 titles

Blazing Saddles poster
7.2

Crafty railroad worker Bart becomes the first Black sheriff of Rock Ridge, a frontier town about to be destroyed in order to make way for a new railroad. Initially, the citizens of Rock Ridge harbor a racial bias toward their new protector. However, they warm to him after realizing that Bart and his perpetually drunk gunfighter friend Jim are their only defense against a wave of thugs sent to rid the town of its population.

Blazing Saddles

1974

FM poster
6.8

When a liberal music station's owners decide to introduce army recruitment ads, despite the protests of its manager, the rebellious DJs are determined to fight back, no matter the cost.

FM

1978

Hardcase poster
6.2

A man thought-dead comes home to find that his wife has sold their ranch and married a Mexican revolutionary.

Hardcase

1972

Babe poster
6.4

This is the life story of Babe Didrikson Zaharias, one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, from her early Texas tomboy days to her Gold Medal triumphs at the 1932 Olympics, her remarkable career as a champion golfer, her fulfilling marriage to wrestler George Zaharias, and the final battle with the only thing tougher than she was.

Babe

1977

The 500 Pound Jerk poster
10.0

An advertising man's dream of turning a huge hillbilly into an Olympic weightlifting champion is set back when the hillbilly falls for a Russian gymnast.

The 500 Pound Jerk

1973

Win, Place or Steal poster
8.0

Three friends have two things in common: (1) they like to bet on the horses at the track, and (2) they invariably lose. One day they hit upon a scheme to steal one of the track's betting machines, so that they'd be able to print winning tickets and recoup the money they've lost over the years. However, things don't go exactly as planned.

Win, Place or Steal

1975

Rock 'n' Roll Sports Classic poster
5.0

The first and final annual “Rock ‘N Roll Sports Classic” which puts some of the world’s biggest music stars in competition against each other.

Rock 'n' Roll Sports Classic

1978

Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang poster
8.0

Nobody ever listens to Jacob, so he always has to repeat himself. A trip to the grocery store leads to a misunderstanding and Jacob falls asleep hiding in a park. When he wakes up, he discovers that he is in trouble for insulting the store clerk. He is sent to a prison for children that is located on Slimer's Island and is run by the Hooded Fang, an ex-wrestler who outwardly hates children. Meanwhile, Child Power representatives the Intrepid Shapiro and Fearless O'Toole try to find the prison's hidden location to help free the children.

Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang

1978

The Great Lester Boggs poster
8.0

Malcolm's cross-country motorcycle odyssey - just for the experience - "boggs" down in Arkansas, where he acquires his sidekick, LeRoy; befriends moonshine-drinkin', bi-plane stunt pilot, Lester Boggs; falls in love with level-headed Susan; and, all the while, confounds Sheriff Billy Bob and his department.

The Great Lester Boggs

1974

Mickey's 50 poster
9.0

"Mickey's 50" is a 90-minute special that aired on The Wonderful World of Disney on November 19, 1978. The special was made to commemorate the 50th birthday of Mickey Mouse and highlights many moments in his career.

Mickey's 50

1978

Mad Bull poster
8.0

An embittered professional wrestler, convinced that his life has no meaning outside the ring, meets a beautiful woman. Unlike most of the women he has known, she seems to be interested in him for himself rather than his fame or his money, and he finds himself becoming attracted to her.

Mad Bull

1977

Series credits

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson poster
7.6

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night. For its first ten years, Carson's Tonight Show was based in New York City with occasional trips to Burbank, California; in May 1972, the show moved permanently to Burbank, California. In 2002, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was ranked #12 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962

The Mike Douglas Show poster
5.8

The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that originally aired only in the Cleveland area during much of its first two years on the air. It then went into syndication in 1963 and remained on television until 1982. It was distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations in Cleveland and Philadelphia.

The Mike Douglas Show

1961

Saturday Night Live poster
6.9

A late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. The show's comedy sketches, which parody contemporary culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, and features performances by a musical guest.

Saturday Night Live

1975

M*A*S*H poster
7.9

The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean war. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable.

M*A*S*H

1972

Golden Globe Awards poster
7.0

An annual awards ceremony recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign, bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Golden Globe Awards

1944

Love, American Style poster
6.2

An anthology comedy series featuring a line up of different celebrity guest stars appearing in anywhere from one, two, three, and four short stories or vignettes within an hour about versions of love and romance.

Love, American Style

1969

Daniel Boone poster
7.0

Daniel Boone is an American action-adventure television series starring Fess Parker as Daniel Boone that aired from September 24, 1964 to September 10, 1970 on NBC for 165 episodes, and was made by 20th Century Fox Television. Ed Ames co-starred as Mingo, Boone's Cherokee friend, for the first four seasons of the series. Albert Salmi portrayed Boone's companion Yadkin in season one only. Dallas McKennon portrayed innkeeper Cincinnatus. Country Western singer-actor Jimmy Dean was a featured actor as Josh Clements during the 1968–1970 seasons. Actor and former NFL football player Rosey Grier made regular appearances as Gabe Cooper in the 1969 to 1970 season. The show was broadcast "in living color" beginning in fall 1965, the second season, and was shot entirely in California and Kanab, Utah.

Daniel Boone

1964

Arli$$ poster
6.9

A behind-the-scenes look at the glitzy, big-money world of professional sports following the eternally optimistic and endlessly resourceful L.A. sports agent Arliss Michaels whose Achilles' heel is his inability to say “no” to clients and employees.

Arli$$

1996

ABC Afterschool Special poster
6.5

Dramatically presented situations, often controversial, of interest to children and teenagers. Several episodes were either in animated form or presented as documentaries. Topics included illiteracy, substance abuse and teenage pregnancy.

ABC Afterschool Special

1972

The Odd Couple poster
7.8

Felix and Oscar are two divorced men. Felix is neat and tidy while Oscar is sloppy and casual. They share a Manhattan apartment, and their different lifestyles inevitably lead to conflicts.

The Odd Couple

1970

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In poster
6.8

An American sketch comedy television program hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin.

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

1968

Monday Night Football poster
NR

Howard Cosell hosted the first instalment of Monday Night Football.

Monday Night Football

1970

Monday Night Football poster
NR

Howard Cosell hosted the first instalment of Monday Night Football.

Monday Night Football

1970

Faerie Tale Theatre poster
8.1

A live-action children's television anthology series retelling popular fairy tales.

Faerie Tale Theatre

1982

Webster poster
5.9

Webster is an American situation comedy that aired on ABC from September 16, 1983 until May 8, 1987, and in first-run syndication from September 21, 1987 until March 10, 1989. The series was created by Stu Silver. The show stars Emmanuel Lewis in the title role as a young boy who, after losing his parents, is adopted by his NFL-pro godfather, portrayed by Alex Karras, and his new socialite wife, played by Susan Clark. The focus was largely on how this impulsively married couple had to adjust to their new lives and sudden parenthood, but it was the congenial Webster himself who drove much of the plot. The series was produced by Georgian Bay Ltd., Emmanuel Lewis Entertainment Enterprises, Inc. and Paramount Television. Like NBC's earlier hit Diff'rent Strokes, Webster featured a young African-American boy adopted by a white family.

Webster

1983

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts poster
5.4

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts is a NBC television special show hosted by entertainer Dean Martin from 1974 to 1984. For a series of 54 specials and shows, Martin would periodically "roast" a celebrity. These roasts were patterned after the roasts held at the New York Friars' Club in New York City. The format would have the celebrity guest seated at a banquet table, and one by one the guest of honor was affectionately chided or insulted about his career by his fellow celebrity friends. In 1973, The Dean Martin Show was declining in popularity. The final season of his variety show would be retooled into one of celebrity roasts, requiring less of Martin's involvement. For the 1973–1974 season, a new feature called “Man of the Week Celebrity Roast" was added to try to pick up the ratings. The roasts seemed to be popular among television audiences and are often marketed in post-issues as part of the official Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts and not The Dean Martin Show. After The Dean Martin Show was cancelled in 1974, NBC drew up a contract with Martin to do several specials and do more roast specials. Starting with Bob Hope in 1974, the roast was taped in California and turned out to be a hit, leading to many other roasts to follow.

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts

1973

Centennial poster
7.7

The economic and cultural growth of town of Centennial, Colorado, through the intertwining lives of the brave men and women inhabiting it. Spanning two centuries from the settling of the area in the 1700s, to the late 1970s.

Centennial

1978

The Sonny and Cher Show poster
7.1

Cher and Sonny Bono starred in this quintessentially '70's TV comedy/variety show. Sonny and Cher's hit songs featured prominently on the show, as they would often sing and perform them between short skits.

The Sonny and Cher Show

1976

The Ben Stiller Show poster
5.0

This sketch show specialises in parodies of movies, shows and commercials. Special guest stars join them in the comedy sketches with crazy results.

The Ben Stiller Show

1992

Good Heavens poster
7.0

Good Heavens was an ABC comedy anthology series produced by Columbia Pictures Television that aired between February 29 to June 26, 1976. It ranked #17 in the Nielsen ratings during the 1975-76 television season. The main character was Mr. Angel, who was an Emissary of Heaven that came down to Earth to grant wishes to those who had performed a good deed. Episodes featured actors such as Don Ameche, Susan Dey, Sandy Duncan, Pat Harrington Jr., Florence Henderson, Alex Karras, Penny Marshall, Hugh O'Brian, Loretta Swit, Brenda Vaccaro, and Fred Willard.

Good Heavens

1976

The NFL on CBS poster
7.2

Weekly series dedicated to current NFL games and news.

The NFL on CBS

1956

Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story poster
5.0

Fact-based story of the lives and attempted 1946 escape of several inmates in the famous correctional facility. Young inmate Clarence Carnes masterminds a grand escape involving several inmates who have nothing to lose, serving life sentences.

Alcatraz: The Whole Shocking Story

1980

Behind the camera