Guy Marks

Guy Marks was arguably not a career actor but rather a top-notch entertainer who dabbled in acting. In this case it is the quality, not the quantity, of his work that merits him a place among the great character actors. He was better known as a stand-up comic and world-class impressionist. He was born Mario Scarpa in Philadelphia in 1923, the youngest of 11 children of concert clarinetist Ermelindo Scarpa, a member of the RCA Recording Orchestra, and his wife, Adelina. He grew up on Philly's South Side and frequently ran away from home, working odd jobs. As a young man he found his niche in comedy, especially impersonations, and he was a master--he could do animals, birds, inanimate objects, just about anything, and not just the sounds but the actions, the walks and the faces. He toured the nightclub circuit opening for big stars like Eddie Fisher and Sammy Davis Jr. He worked in Las Vegas quite often. He guested on many TV variety shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show (1948), The Hollyw