Russ Brown

Russ Brown, an American actor who worked in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in film and television, made his Broadway debut in the chorus of The Firefly in 1912 and 1913. Born in Philadelphia and raised in South Philadelphia, he later took leading stage roles, including Jimmy Ridgeway in Ups-a Daisy and Sport in Flying High. He won a Tony in 1956 for his featured musical role as Benny Van Buren in Damn Yankees!, the Washington Senators manager he played again in the 1958 film. His screen work also included Captain Brackett in South Pacific (1958), Uncle Otis in It Happened to Jane (1959), George Lemon in Anatomy of a Murder (1959), and Dr. Heller in The Cardinal (1963). On television, he played Thomas Jones in The Law and Mr. Jones from 1960 to 1962 and appeared on The Dick Powell Theatre in 1963. His final Broadway appearance came in Fiorello! in 1959. He died in 1964.