Ben Tatar, a Pittsburgh-born (January 23, 1930)
actor who got his start as a personal assistant to comedy actor Jackie Gleason
and had been the live-in companion of screen legend Ava Gardner, died Thursday
November 29, 2012 at UPMC Shadyside. Mr. Tatar, who had chronic pulmonary
disease, was 82
After serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, Mr.
Tatar graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in English and
drama. He then headed to New York City on a full scholarship to attend an
acting school affiliated with the American Theatre Wing.
Mr. Tatar worked as a cue card boy in television for
"The Jimmie Rodgers Show" and "The Kate Smith Show" and
handled fan mail for the 1950s sitcom, "The Honeymooners," starring
Gleason. He later became Gleason's personal assistant, traveling to Paris to
play a small acting role in the 1962 comedy "Gigot," starring Mr.
Gleason and directed by Pittsburgh native Gene Kelly.
Ben spoke Spanish, Italian, French and German, and
spent a number of years living in Spain, where he became director of dubbing
for film companies there, dubbing films into different languages.
Over the years Mr. Tatar had small parts in numerous
films, including 1964's "The Thin Red Line" filmed in Spain; the
"Battle of the Bulge" starring Henry Fonda in 1965; 1970's
"Patton" starring George C. Scott; "The Wind and the Lion"
in 1975; and more recently, "The Piano Lesson," a 1995 TV movie
produced by the Hallmark Hall of Fame and written by the late Pittsburgh
playwright August Wilson.
After returning to Pittsburgh from New York in 1981, Mr.
Tatar was active in local theater. In recent years, he "reinvented
himself," said his niece, Barbara Jones, appearing in locally produced
low-budget cult horror films.
Tatar whose real name was Beniamino Tatarini appeared in
four Euro-westerns: “The Christmas Kid” (1966) as the prosecuting attorney, “The
Bang Bang Kid” (1967) as Leech, “Land Raiders” (1969) as Loomis and “Pancho
Villa” (1971) as Private Bates.
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