Zero Mostel in Ulysses in Nighttown

The Brooklyn-born actor, singer, and artist Zero Mostel worked early in his career at social clubs run by New York City labor unions, performing a routine that mocked politicians. This drew the attention of certain newspaper columnists and the FBI, and Mostel was one of hundreds in Hollywood blacklisted and ultimately called before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Barred from film and Broadway, Mostel found intermittent work at certain clubs and Off-Broadway venues. He earned an Obie Award in 1958 for his portrayal of Leopold Bloom in the Off-Broadway production Ulysses in Nighttown, based on an episode of James Joyce’s novel Ulysses (itself a censored work discussed elsewhere in this exhibition). Following President Harry Truman’s denouncement of HUAC in 1959, Mostel’s career was one of the few that recovered. He returned to Broadway, winning his first Tony Award in 1961 for his appearance in the drama Rhinoceros, his second in 1962 for the lead role in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum—making him the first performer to win in both musical and dramatic categories—and a third in 1964 for his portrayal of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. His best-known film performance followed when he played Max Bialystock in The Producers (1968).