Alexander Gellman

Alex Gellman was born on March 18, 1924, in Brooklyn, N.Y. to Jewish immigrants from Russia and Poland. He had three brothers and two sisters. The family survived the depression and all the siblings except one of the sisters served in the armed forces during WWII. Alex had a strong personality and sense of humor. During extended family gatherings, he would create characters and do accents to the delight of his nieces and nephews. He lived in Greenwich Village near the original Gerds Folk City (which used to be on East Broadway), where he sometimes had a drink with Dylan at the bar. He became a computer programmer and eventually a Systems Analyst. He married and he and his wife, Barbara, moved to W. 58th St. & 6th Ave. They lived at this location for many years. It was his wife Barbara who began auditioning for commercials and film parts. She did a number of print ads and TV commercials. When a male was needed to complement a part she was being considered for, she convinced a reluctant Alex to audition. They did not get that part, but Alex's personality left an impression which resulted in later calls. Eventually he got a part in the film "Cowards" directed by Simon Nuchtern. This film was about a young man's agonized decision about whether to serve, take a job deferment, or go to Canada, in response to the Vietnam conflict. Alex played the young man's father. Cowards did not do well at the box office and was re-cut, adding a lot of nude and simulated sex scenes (which were the supposed activities at a Canada Commune) and re-released as "Love-in '73". In addition to Cowards, Alex did a number of print ads and TV commercials and he had a bit "cameo" in the film "So Fine". Eventually Alex and Barbara moved to New York's Westchester County where they raised two sons. Alex died on December 7, 2012, from kidney failure secondary to coronary artery disease. Alexander Gellman: March 18, 1924 - December 7, 2012