Canadian-born U.S.-based film actor.

Jack Carson was one of the most popular character actors during the golden age of Hollywood, with a film career which spanned the 30`s, 40s and 50s. Primarily employed for comic relief, his work in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof proved he could also master dramatic material. During his career, he worked at RKO, MGM (cast opposite Myrna Loy and William Powell in Love Crazy), but most of his memorable work was at Warner Brothers. Carson`s trademark was the wisecracking know it all who eventually and typically was undone by his own excess self-confidence.
Carson`s success on radio led to a more lucrative contract with Warner Brothers. He was teamed with Dennis Morgan in a number of films, supposedly to compete with the popular Crosby and Hope road pictures. Like Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, Morgan and Carson enjoyed a genuine off-screen friendship. Their first film together was a dark drama called The Hard Way, which was nothing like their subsequent pairings.

However, despite this auspicious beginning, most of his work at Warner Brothers was limited to light comedies with Morgan and later with Doris Day (who in her autobiography would credit Carson as one of her early Hollywood mentors). Critics generally agree that Carson`s best work was in Mildred Pierce, where he played the perpetually scheming Wally Fay, opposite Joan Crawford in the title role. Another role which would win accolades for Carson was that of Matt Libby in A Star is Born.

Carson`s work in the 1950s included a number of appearances on television including The Twilight Zone and Alcoa Theatre.