Eddie Albert Lived An Eventful Life Beyond Green Acres

To millions of viewers, Eddie Albert is remembered for being a cast member of the sitcom "Green Acres," even after it came to an end in 1971. "Green Acres" is one of the most well-known examples of the wave of rural sitcoms that dominated the small screen in the 1960s and early 1970s, alongside its sister shows "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1962-1971) and "Petticoat Junction" (1963-1970). While all those sitcoms are classics, it may interest fans to know that Albert had a life outside of Hooterville. In other words, he had a career before "Green Acres" and a career after "Green Acres." And what an interesting career it was!

Albert's first movie role was in a film starring a future president of the United States. After a setback caused by Albert's political beliefs, he impressed many people in the entertainment industry with his service in World War II. He went on to act alongside some of the biggest names in show business, including Audrey Hepburn (who had two children), Marlon Brando, and William Shatner in films of numerous genres. He even helped to save the day in one of Disney's most beloved live-action cult classics. With that in mind, let's take a look at what Albert was doing when he wasn't playing his signature role of Oliver Wendell Douglas on "Green Acres."

When people think of Ronald Reagan, they think of him as a president of the United States. However, before entering politics, he had a successful career as an actor. One of the many films in which he starred was "Brother Rat," the 1938 comedy-drama. "Brother Rat" might be most notable for featuring the first silver screen appearance of Eddie Albert. Notably, Eddie and his wife Margo Albert became friends with Reagan after this collaboration. 

Afterwards, the two actors reunited for a sequel to "Brother Rat" titled "Brother Rat and a Baby," which was released in 1940. The pair also appeared in a comedy about show business called "An Angel from Texas," which came out the same year. While the two actors took wildly different paths in life, their friendship has been memorialized forever in these classic films. Reagan and Eddie continued to be on good terms for many years, and the two of them wrote to each other when Reagan was in office. After Margo died in 1984, Reagan told Eddie that he was praying for him and his children, per the 2010 book "Letters from the Desk of Ronald Reagan" by Ralph A. Weber.

Eddie Albert was one of many actors in Hollywood who was blacklisted during the Red Scare. This was not the result of his actions. Rather, he was punished because his wife Margo Albert criticized Spanish dictator Francisco Franco.

During a 1972 interview with The New York Times, Eddie's son, Edward Albert, discussed the impact Margo's actions had on the family. "My mom was blacklisted for appearing at an anti‐Franco rally; she was branded a Communist, was spat upon in the streets, and had to have a bodyguard," he recalled. "And my dad found himself unemployable at several major studios, just when his career was gathering momentum." For this reason, the family sometimes struggled financially.

While the Red Scare hurt the Alberts monetarily, it wasn't all bad. In fact, Edward said his childhood experiences prepared him to become an actor just like his father. "Times were tough for them [his parents], even when I was growing up," Edward recalled. "But my childhood was happy, because I was lucky enough to have a close and loving family life, which is especially valuable if you're going into a profession that has been known to addle some people's brains."

Eddie Albert had another brush with history: He served in World War II after joining the United States Navy in 1942. He then became a hero during the Battle of Tarawa. During the battle, he transported numerous wounded soldiers to safety. Over the years, Eddie was able to meet many of the people he saved, and not surprisingly, he said those experiences were rewarding. "It's hard to say how many were rescued," he said in a 1993 interview chronicled by the National Museum of the Pacific War (via Texas History). "You are very bewildered yourself at those moments, I was anyhow. There were maybe over a hundred in the water there." 

In his 1972 interview with The New York Times, Eddie's son Edward Albert said that his father's wartime service helped to get him off of the Hollywood blacklist. "During the Second World War, dad joined the Navy and saw action at Tarawa, and because he came back something of a hero, he was able to get work again," he recalled. "But he never got as far as he should have gotten."

The truth about Audrey Hepburn is that she was one of the most talented stars in Old Hollywood. She became famous through her appearance in the romantic comedy "Roman Holiday," where she portrayed a princess who eschews royal life and falls in love with a commoner played by Gregory Peck (whose grandchildren have grown up to be gorgeous). "Roman Holiday" was an important film for Eddie Albert as well, as he had a secondary role in the movie as a photographer named Irving Radovich. 

For his performance in "Roman Holiday," Albert was nominated for the Academy Award for best supporting actor. He lost to Frank Sinatra for his appearance in "From Here to Eternity." During a 1985 interview with the Orlando Sentinel, Albert revealed that he had no particular fondness for "Roman Holiday," even if it helped him gain recognition among his peers. This might surprise fans, as "Roman Holiday" is one of his most acclaimed films — and one of the most acclaimed romantic comedies ever made. To this day, the impact of "Roman Holiday" is still felt on romantic comedies across the globe. The film would not be the same without Albert's onscreen magnetism.

Composer and lyricist team Rodgers and Hammerstein helped to define the art of the Broadway musical in the 20th century through stage shows such as "Carousel," "The King and I," "The Sound of Music," and "Cinderella," each of which was adapted into one or more popular movies. One of Rodgers and Hammerstein's most notable musicals is "Oklahoma!" Eddie Albert appeared in the 1955 film adaptation as Ali Hakim, the peddler. He starred in the film alongside screen greats like Gordon MacRae and Gloria Grahame, and the musical is remembered even today for its catchy songs as well as its innovative dream ballet.

Albert brought memorable humor to "Oklahoma!" through his performance. The film proved that the veteran's comedic talents worked well in a rural setting. Watching "Oklahoma!" today feels like seeing him start on the path towards his famous role in "Green Acres." To this day, "Oklahoma!" remains one of the most beloved and impactful movie musicals ever made.

In the 1950s, Marlon Brando changed Hollywood forever by introducing a more naturalistic style of acting to cinema. During this time, Brando appeared alongside Eddie Albert in the comedy "The Teahouse of the August Moon," which was released in 1956. 

Interestingly, Eddie's son Edward Albert kept in contact with Brando after meeting him on the set of "The Teahouse of the August Moon." During his 1972 interview with The New York Times, Edward recalled Brando giving him some important advice, which focused on maintaining identity and control as a famous person. "Brando talked about the problem of being a public personality, about how important it is to keep your own life — your own center — within yourself," the younger Albert recalled. "I don't think anybody knows Brando, but I have the feeling that he believes somewhere along the line he missed something he could have done, something he could have been." Edward would not have had this friendship with Brando if his father hadn't appeared in "The Teahouse of the August Moon."

Fitting for an actor who spent so much time onscreen with Arnold Ziffel, Eddie Albert was an ecologist — though he rejected the word. "Too mild a word," he told TV Guide in 1970 (via the Los Angeles Times). "Check the Department of Agriculture; 60% of the world is hungry already. With our soil impoverished, our air poisoned, our wildlife crippled by DDT, our rivers and lakes turning into giant cesspools, and mass starvation an apparent inevitability by 1976, I call myself a human survivalist!" Albert used his fame to draw attention to the effects that the insecticide DDT was having on fish and pelican populations. His actions even rivaled Shailene Woodley's inspiring activist career.

One of Albert's most important moments as an environmentalist was when he spoke at a rally at Stanford University in honor of the first Earth Day ceremony in 1970. He used a television appearance on the day as an opportunity to remind people that humanity's fate is intertwined with the fate of the planet. Considering that Hollywood did not really embrace Earth Day until the early 1990s, the "Green Acres" star was ahead of the curve. Interestingly, Earth Day is held on April 22, which is the same day as the actor's birthday. 

One of Eddie Albert's most acclaimed films was "The Heartbreak Kid," a comedy-drama directed by Elaine May. May was a comedian who became a great director and screenwriter. Some of her screenwriting credits include "Heaven Can Wait," "Reds," "Tootsie," and "Labyrinth," as well as the controversial cult classic "Ishtar." Albert was nominated for the Academy Award for best supporting actor for his role in "The Heartbreak Kid," losing the honor to Joel Grey for his role in the classic musical "Cabaret."

During his 1985 interview with the Orlando Sentinel, Albert admitted "The Heartbreak Kid" was not one of his favorites among his own movies, but he still offered it some modest praise. "I guess 'Heartbreak Kid' came out a little more exciting than some of my other films," he said. "I never really paid that much attention. I've always done my job, gone home and turned it off. The roles are all the same to me, villain or whatever. It's been a good living." He went on to explain that his life as an actor was pretty cruisy compared to that of his father, who was often up in the early hours of the morning and back home late at night to make a living. 

While Eddie Albert is most remembered for his comic role in "Green Acres," he displayed plenty of versatility across his career. For example, he portrayed the villain Warden Rudolph Hazen in "The Longest Yard." The film was released the same month Richard Nixon had stepped down as president of the United States. Interestingly, Albert intentionally modeled his performance as Hazen on Nixon. That might be part of the reason why "The Longest Yard" connected with audiences at the time.

"The Longest Yard" was directed by Robert Aldrich, who was impressed with Albert's acting in the project. "There's no actor working today who can be as truly malignant as Eddie Albert," Aldrich told TV Guide in 1975 (via the Los Angeles Times). "He plays heavies exactly the way they are in real life. Slick and sophisticated." Albert's performance is part of the reason why the movie stood the test of time. The enduring popularity of "The Longest Yard" led to it being remade into the 2001 British film "Mean Machine," the 2005 film of the same title starring Adam Sandler, and the 2015 Egyptian film "Captain Masr."

When people think of Disney, they think of fantasy movies about princesses, magic, and talking animals. The studio is not particularly associated with science fiction, but it has released a handful of movies in this genre. One of Disney's earlier science fiction efforts was "Escape to Witch Mountain," a thriller about telekinetic children played by Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards. In the film, Eddie Albert portrayed widower Jason O'Day, who takes a while to warm to the children but soon believes their supernatural story.

During a 2020 interview with From the Mixed-Up Files ... of Middle-Grade Authors, Eisenmann was asked what it was like to work with Eddie Albert on "Escape to Witch Mountain," noting that he was as professional as every other big-name star that Eisenmann had worked with. "By that time, I had worked with some pretty big names," he said. "Ken Curtis, Susan Oliver, Mike Conners, and David Carradine. All stars I had been watching on television for years. But working with them, I just fell into a professional role. They were workmates to me and treated me with the same respect I had for them. So, even though the 'Witch Mountain' cast had a bigger set of stars, it didn't faze me." Most importantly, he confirmed that working with Albert and the other stars was fun for him as a child actor.

In 1968, Roman Polanski released "Rosemary's Baby," the story of a woman who becomes pregnant with the Antichrist. "The Exorcist" and "The Omen" followed in the next decade, and these films laid the groundwork for the Satanic panic at the time. Eddie Albert appeared in one of the other films spawned from the Satanic horror trend: "The Devil's Rain," which was released in 1975. 

What makes "The Devil's Rain" stand out from its peers is its ensemble cast. Other actors who appeared in the film include Ernest Borgnine, William Shatner, Ida Lupino, Tom Skerritt, and John Travolta. Many of these actors were prominent on television at the same time that Albert was starring in "Green Acres." Interestingly, "The Devil's Rain" had unique devilish credentials, as it featured appearances from Anton and Diane LaVey, the couple who founded the Church of Satan. While "The Devil's Rain" is not as prominent as "The Exorcist" or "The Omen," it has a following of its own. 

Eddie Albert appeared in film and television regularly from 1938 through to the 1980s. Only during the 1990s did his film career come to a halt. During that decade, he took roles mainly in TV series and TV movies, also appearing in the 1994 documentary "Death Valley Memories" and a short film called "Headless!" that came out the same year. One of his final roles was in an episode of "Extreme Ghostbusters" that aired in 1997. In 2005, Albert passed away from pneumonia in his home, which was close to Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. He was 99.

After Albert died, many news outlets discussed how he impacted popular culture from "Green Acres" and beyond. During a 1993 interview recorded in the 2015 Jim Stovall book "Ultimate Hindsight: Wisdom from 100 Super Achievers," Albert offered his own view of his legacy. "I don't really care how I am remembered as long as I bring happiness and joy to people," he said. "The most important thing to me is the relationship with my family, my long and successful marriage in a town and industry not known for long and successful marriages, and the friends I have developed in and out of the business who know they can trust my work."