J. Edward Bromberg

J. Edward Bromberg was a founding member of the legendary Group Theatre. His appearance being rather short and stocky, Bromberg from the start was known as a character actor who was very respected by his peers. He was primarily a stage actor but in the mid-thirties made his way into film where he further enhanced his reputation as a diverse character actor. In 1950 he was accused of being a communist and ordered to appear before the House Committee of Un-American Activities. He plead the 5th amendment refusing to answer questions as was his right. He was also named as a communist by film director Edward Dmytryk. Bromberg was then blacklisted and could no longer appear in films. The trauma of all that he went through took a terrible toll on his health. While working on a play in England, J. Edward Bromberg died of a heart attack just before his 48th birthday. At a memorial service for Bromberg, actress Lee Grant was asked to give one of the eulogies. Ms. Grant, a close friend of Bromb