Stage actor who is remembered for his starring roles in the original Broadway productions of "Kiss Me, Kate," "Oklahoma!," "Babes in Arms," and "Kismet."
He attended Brooklyn College. He made his theatrical debut in a 1935 production of "The Gondoliers."
In 1954, he was honored with a Tony award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as "Hajj" in "Kismet."
He married Esther Harvey Brown in 1944. The couple raised two daughters.
In 1957, he starred opposite Katharine Hepburn in a stage production of "Much Ado About Nothing."
