Nat Polen
Nat Polen | |
|---|---|
Nat Polen with his family in 1953 | |
| Born | Nathan Polen June 14, 1914 Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 3, 1981 (aged 66) Plainview, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1949–1981 |
| Spouse(s) | Nancy Polen (m. 1941) |
| Children | 3 |
Nathan Polen[1] (June 14, 1914 – May 3, 1981)[2] was an American television actor known for his long-running character roles playing physicians on ABC and CBS soap operas.
Early years
Born in Brooklyn,[3] Polen was the middle child of three, born to Russian-born parents Jack and Bertha Polen.[4] His father was a singer and stage performer who appeared in a 1915 production of Oskar Nedbal's operetta, The Peasant Girl,[5] and later served under Josiah Zuro as assistant stage manager for New York City's Free Open Air Opera at Ebbets Field.[6]
Polen attended Thomas Jefferson High School, graduating in 1931.[7] He studied drama at New York University, the American National Theater and Academy,[8] and the Guild School of Drama. While he was at NYU he formed a dance band. Limited facilities at the university caused the band to play in hotels, which led to Polen's gaining a reputation among professional musicians as "a solid young drummer".[9]
Career
Music
Polen was a drummer before he became an actor. He began playing for bands in 1936,[10] and in 1941 he was the 11th best jazz drummer in a poll conducted by DownBeat magazine.[9] After a hiatus while he served in the Navy from 1942 to 1946, he played for CBS, including performing as part of the CBS Symphony Orchestra. In 1947, his interests turned to acting, as he declined jobs with Benny Goodman and Woody Herman in favor of acting on radio.[10]
Acting
Polen had a continuing role on the Charlie Chan radio series. Other radio programs on which he acted included Columbia Workshop and The FBI in Peace and War.[10]
Polen played Dr. Doug Cassen on As the World Turns for over 9 years, from April 1957 until October 1966.[11] He then played Ephraim Webster on The Edge of Night and Dr. John Crager on the ABC afternoon version of The Nurses. He later became second acor to portray Dr. Jim Craig on One Life to Live from 1969 until shortly before his death from pancreatic cancer in 1981.[12] He was also a film actor, playing Lt. Reilly in the 1972 film Across 110th Street. Other credits include appearing in 37 episodes of CBS Radio Mystery Theatre.
On Broadway Polen portrayed Colonel Egan in Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole (1961).[2]
Community activities
Polen was involved with supervision of activities for teenagers in East Norwich, New York, where he and his family lived. He directed plays at Oyster Bay High School, and the Board of Education there created the annual Nat Polen Scholarship Award to honor him.[9]
Personal life and death
Married in 1941, Polen and his wife, Nancy, had three daughters.[13]
On May 3, 1981, aged 66, Polen died of pancreatic cancer at Central Regional Hospital in Plainview, New York.[14][15]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | What's So Bad About Feeling Good? | Uncredited | |
| 1972 | Across 110th Street | Lt. Reilly | |
| 1979 | Boardwalk | Dr. Rothbart | (final film role) |
References
- ^ "Jefferson H. S. Clubs Elect New Officers". Brooklyn Eagle. . p.. Retrieved February 27, 2026. "They are: ECONOMICS CLUB Emanuel Donow, president. Marion Goldstein, vice president. Nettie Schwartz, secretary. Rose Stoloff, faculty adviser. POSTER SOCIETY Sidney Hoffman, president. Milton Levine, vice president. Pauline Leist, secretary. Nathan Polen, advertising manager. Leontine Spencer, faculty adviser."
- ^ a b "Nat Polen". Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Archived from the original on October 17, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
- ^ "New York, New York City, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1947", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WZ94-3K3Z : Sat Apr 12 16:06:00 UTC 2025), Entry for Nat Polen and Eddy Brandt Orchestra, 16 Oct 1940.
- ^ "United States, Census, 1920", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJPL-R13 : Fri Nov 28 04:56:09 UTC 2025), Entry for Jack Pelen and Bertha Pelen, 1920.
- ^ "Lyceum, Wed, Oct. 20: Edith Thayer in the Polish Operetta, 'The Peasant Girl'". Elmira St. October 16, 1915. p. 14. Retrieved February 27, 2026. "Book by Leo Stein, (author of "'The Merry Widow", music by Oskar Nedbal, (composer Traumspiel, ' Andersen"') with Frank Deshon, "Miss Bob White;" Almos Knowles, Grand Opera, Paris; Peggy Brannon, Rose Maid;"' Nelson Riley, "'Chocolate Soldier;" Eugene Roder, Sam Bernard's Company; Stella Thomas, The Office Boy;" Elaine Doree, Constance Grant, Stanley Henry, Jack Polen, Lily Stafford and others." See also:
- "At the Theatre". Poughkeepsie Eagle-News. Nov 5, 1915. p. 2.
- ^ "To Assist Zuro in / Open Air Opera Here". The Brooklyn Citizen. July 23, 1925. p.1. Retrieved February 27, 2026. "Zuro [...] has selected the following men as assistants: Bernard Cantor, stage manager; Fausto Bozza, stage manager; Jack Polen, assistant stage manager, and Fred Chapman, assistant stage manager."
- ^ "685 Diplomas Handed Out By Jefferson High". Brooklyn Eagle. June 25, 1931. p. 6. Retrieved February 27, 2026. "General Course: Harold L. Abrashkin, Beatrice Alper, Isidore Altschuler, Lillian Anchin [...] Robert Pitchersky, Walter Pizetoski, Nat Polen, Yetta Polonsky"
- ^ Reichardt, Nancy M. (June 5, 1981). "Nat Polen — Jim Craig on 'OLTL' —— dies at 66". Mason Valley News. Nevada, Yerington. Castle Communications Incorporated. p. 27. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
- ^ a b c "Nat Polen, Ex-Jazz Drummer, Misses Days of Big Bands". The State Journal. Michigan, Lansing. May 15, 1965. p. C 4. Retrieved February 26, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Pearson, Howard (January 4, 1967). "2 Sides of Nat Polen". Deseret News. p. B 5. Retrieved February 26, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "As The World Turns {Doug's Patient Dies}". Paley Center. Retrieved April 29, 2022.
- ^ "Nat Polen, 66, Portrayed Doctor On ABC-TV's 'One Life to Live'". The New York Times. New York City. May 6, 1981. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
- ^ Powers, Forrest (November 9, 1966). "Scuffle Victim Takes New Name". The Minneapolis Star. p. 19C. Retrieved February 26, 2026. "A native of New York, Polen was a drummer with some of the top swing bands in the late 1930s. He turned to acting following Navy duty during World War II. He and his wife, Nancy, recently celebrated their silver wedding anniversary. They live near Oyster Bay on Long Island with their three daughters, Wendy, 16; Deborah, 15, and Donna, 9."
- ^ "Obituaries: Nat Polen". Variety. May 13, 1981. p. 416. ProQuest 1286034643.
Nat Polen, 66, actor who appeared for 12 years in the role of Dr. James Craig in 'One Life to Live,' the ABC daytime series, died May 3, at Cebtral Regional Hospital, Plainview, L.I., after a long illness.
- ^ Hirsch, Linda (May 15, 1981). "Pancreatic cancer kills One Life to Live actor". Messenger-Inquirer. p. 4D. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
External links