Philip Ober

5/5

Biography

Philip Ober's bald head, stern bearing and booming voice made him a natural for the roles of business executives, high-ranking military officers and other authority figures he played so well. A Princeton University graduate, Ober spent years as an advertising executive for several different national magazines before switching careers to acting. He spent many years on Broadway and in stock companies before breaking into films. His best remembered roles would probably be that of the murder victim who dies in 'Cary Grant . He retired from acting and went into the U.S. diplomatic service, and, while working at the U.S. consulate in Mexico City, died of a heart attack in 1982.

  • Primary profession
  • Actor
  • Country
  • United States
  • Nationality
  • American
  • Gender
  • Male
  • Birth date
  • 23 March 1902
  • Place of birth
  • Fort Payne· Alabama
  • Death date
  • 1982-09-13
  • Death age
  • 80
  • Place of death
  • Mexico City
  • Cause of death
  • Natural causes
  • Spouses
  • Vivian Vance

Movies

Books

Trivia

According to a quote from Lucille Ball in Boze Hadleigh s "Hollywood Babble-On", Ober physically abused Vivian Vance , and one time when Vance came to the set with a "shiner", Ball told her that if she [Vance] wouldnt divorce [Ober], then she [Ball] would.

Studied at Princeton University and worked as an advertiser for such publications as Colliers and Liberty.

Sensible, straightforward American character actor on Broadway in the 1930s and 1940s, who crossed over to film and TV in the 1950s. Usually a corporate villain or firm-jawed military officer.

Gave up his acting career in the late 1960s to join the U.S. Consular Service in Mexico.

Philip appeared in a couple of the "I Love Lucy" shows with then-wife Vivian Vance. His best remembered role was as Ricky Ricardos producer Dore Schary in one of Lucys "Hollywood" episodes.

Comments