Philip Loeb

Philip Loeb (March 28, 1892 ? September 1, 1955) was an American actor.

Related Topics:
March 28 - 1892 - September 1 - 1955 - American

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Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Loeb began his career as a stage actor, debuting on Broadway in 1916. He would continue to perform on stage for the next thirty-five years during which time he also began to act in motion pictures beginning in 1933 with several short films. A secondary actor, Loeb got his big break late in life when he was given a leading role in the 1949 CBS television series, The Goldbergs. The nationally televised show proved very popular and he co-starred in the Hollywood film of the same name released at the end of 1950.

Related Topics:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Broadway - Motion picture - Short film - CBS - The Goldbergs - Hollywood

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In September of 1950, the right-wing anti-communist magazine Red Channels accused Philip Loeb of being a communist. Although Loeb denied the accusation, the climate of fear at the time as a result of the ongoing hearings into communist influence in Hollywood by the House Committee on Un-American Activities was such that the sponsors of his television series wanted him fired. When Gertrude Berg, the owner of the show, refused to fire him, CBS dropped it from their schedule. However, a few months later, the DuMont Television Network picked up the series but did so without Loeb who was replaced by another actor, Harold Stone.

Related Topics:
Right-wing - Red Channels - Communist - House Committee on Un-American Activities - Gertrude Berg - DuMont Television Network - Harold Stone

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Once blacklisted, despite the support from the Actors' Equity Association, a distressed Philip Loeb was only able to secure sporadic work in the theatre and eked out a living over the next several years. As the witch hunt of the McCarthyism era continued, Loeb suffered from depression over his situation to the point where he committed suicide in a New York hotel room on September 1, 1955.

Related Topics:
Blacklist - Actors' Equity Association - Witch hunt - McCarthyism - Depression - Suicide - September 1 - 1955

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In an article noting his passing, the New York Times wrote that "He (Loeb) died of a sickness commonly called 'the blacklist'."

Related Topics:
New York Times - The blacklist

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Philip Loeb is interred in the Mount Sinai Cemetery in his native Philadelphia.

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His death was depicted in the 1976 film The Front that starred Woody Allen.

Related Topics:
The Front - Woody Allen

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In his memory, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts awards the "Philip Loeb Scholarship."

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