Comedian Jack Carter Passes Away at 93 From Respiratory Failure

It's a sad day for the world of comedy as Jack Carter, the wise-cracking comic known for his work on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "Laugh In," died of respiratory failure in his Beverly Hills home on June 28, as reported by USA Today.

Born Jack Chakrin to Russian immigrant parents, the Brooklyn, New York, native got an early start in his career that lasted over seven decades. While he reportedly started appearing as a mimic on "Major Bowes Amateur Hour" radio show as a teenager, the Academy of Dramatic Art alumnus also worked as an emcee, singer, dancer, and even a nightclub entertainer.

He served the Army during the second World War, and after that, Carter appeared in "Call Me Mister" on Broadway. He then moved on to television, where he worked on Milton Berle's "Texaco Star Theatre" before his hosting stint on "Cavalcade of Stars," added USA Today.

In the early 1950s, he hosted his own "The Jack Carter Show" as part of NBC's late-night show, "Saturday Night Revue."

While known generally for his comedy work, The Hollywood Reporter noted that Carter also had a few dramatic roles, including "The Last Hurrah," "The Sex Symbol"  and the "Dr. Kildare" series.

He also worked as a director and his most notable projects were "Here's Lucy" on television, and "A Thousand Clowns" and "Mouth Trap" in theater. Carter also happened to be the one who hosted the first televised Tony Awards in 1956.

His recent credits include "Desperate Housewives," "Parks and Recreation," "New Girl," "Go On," and "Shameless."

Former colleagues remember the great comedian, including Tiny Belmont, president of the National Comedy Hall of Fame in Florida. He said via The New York Times, "This was not a man to heckle. He had a million retorts for anyone in the audience that was foolish enough to try and trade barbs with the master." According to Belmont, one of Carter's infamous one liners read, "I couldn't warm up to you if we were cremated together."

Pat Cooper, Carter's friend and fellow comedian also added, "This guy was the machine gun of comedy - rat-a-tat-tat. And not just onstage. He'd go into the bank and say, 'If I'm giving you $10,000, you should wait on line for me.' "

He is survived by his wife, Roxanne, whom he was married for 44 years, his children, Michael, Chase, and Wendy Carter, and his grandchildren, Jake and Ava.