George Givot Biography

Though born in Omaha, George Givot gained fame in vaudeville with his characterization of an English-language-fracturing Greek immigrant. Givot's catch-phrase "How'd ya like that?" served as the title for one of the many 2-reelers he starred in between 1933 and 1934; another of his short-subject vehicles was Roast Beef and Movies (1933), in which he was teamed with the 3 Stooges' Curly Howard. After making his feature debut in Meet the Baron (1933), Givot continued playing dialect parts in films and on radio. By 1940, however, he was accepting "straight" roles, speaking without a trace of accent and frequently opting for dramatics rather than laughs. His later screen efforts include The Falcon and the Co-eds (1943) and Riff Raff (1947). In 1949, he co-hosted the TV musical series Versatile Varieties, reviving his malapropish Greek characterization. George Givot briefly returned to dialect humor once more as the voice of Italian restaurateur Tony in the Disney cartoon feature Lady and the Tramp (1956). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi