Red Buttons (born February 5, 1919) is the stage name of American comedian and actor Aaron Chwatt. He won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Sergeant Joe Kelly in Sayonara (1957).
Born in New York City, Chwatt received the nickname as a young man, when he worked as a waiter in Dinty Moore's tavern in the Bronx -- his uniform's shiny buttons and his bright red hair caused patrons to give him the name he would later perform under.
After years performing burlesque and doing comedy routines in the Borscht Belt, Buttons received his own variety series on television in 1952 — The Red Buttons Show ran for three years and achieved high levels of success. His catchphrase from the show, "strange things are happening", entered the national vocabulary briefly in the mid-1950s.
After his Oscar-winning role in Sayonara, Buttons performed in numerous feature films, including Hatari! , The Longest Day, The Poseidon Adventure, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, and Pete's Dragon. He became a nationally recognizable comedian, and his "Never Got A Dinner" sketch was a standard at the Dean Martin roasts for many years.
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