Mike Mazurki
Biography
Mike Mazurki was a Ukrainian-American actor and wrestler who worked in many films. Born in a village near Tarnopol, he was educated as an attorney but became a professional wrestler, and after working as Mae West's bodyguard, he was discovered by Josef von Sternberg, who gave him a small part in The Shanghai Gesture (1941). He was often cast as athletes, tough men, thugs, and gangsters. He played Moose Malloy in Murder, My Sweet (1944), the killer Splitface in Dick Tracy (1945), and Yusuf in Sinbad the Sailor (1947). In Night and the City (1950) he was a wrestler called The Strangler. He also appeared in Abandoned (1949) and Some Like It Hot (1959), and worked in several films for John Ford. He made many television guest appearances and founded the Cauliflower Alley Club. In 1972, he had his only film starring role, as Trapper in Challenge to Be Free.
82years old at death
- Born Kupchyntsi
- Died Glendale
- Star sign: CapricornThe sign runs December 22 to January 19
Movie Career
- Films
- 35
- Career span
- 39 years1941 to 1980
Genres
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Big break
Mazurki had trained as a professional wrestler, then became an actor after working as Mae West's bodyguard. Josef von Sternberg discovered him and gave him a bit part in The Shanghai Gesture (1941), leading to a long film and television career.
A first
In 1972, Mazurki played Trapper in Challenge to Be Free, the only film in which he had a starring role.
Beyond film
Mazurki appeared in the 1984 Rod Stewart music video "Infatuation" as a bodyguard who punches out Stewart's stalker, and he said the video brought him more fame than any of his films or TV shows.
Getting ready for a role
Mazurki performed a grueling and highly realistic wrestling match against a professional Greco-Roman grappler for his role as "The Strangler" in Night and the City (1950).
Mike Mazurki movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
John Ford directed three of these films, William Dieterle two. Bess Flowers appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Bess Flowers's page
John Wayne's page
Marc Lawrence's page
Cecil Kellaway's page
Walter Slezak's page
Ian Keith's page
All films by John Ford
William DieterleDirector, 2 films, 1949 to 1950
All films by William Dieterle
Box office
What Mike Mazurki's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$40.5 million
5 of the 35 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 35 films: 5 worldwide figure; 5 us gross only; 25 figure not found.
- 5Worldwide figure
- 5US gross only
- 25Figure not found
Highest grossing
The five biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$25M61.8% of the total
- 2$6.7M16.5% of the total
- 3$6.6M16.3% of the total
- 4$2.2M5.4% of the total
- 5$11K0.0% of the total
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.