Zanuck's movie version of the play, directed by George Cukor. Buttons was on stage when the show was raided.ĭrafted into the United States Army Air Forces, Buttons in 1943 appeared in the Army Air Forces' Broadway show Winged Victory, along with several future stars, including Mario Lanza, John Forsythe, Karl Malden and Lee J.

This was the last classic Burlesque show in New York City history, as the Mayor La Guardia administration closed it down. Later that year he appeared in the Minsky's show Wine, Women and Song. In September 1942, Buttons made his Broadway debut in Vickie with Ferrer and Uta Hagen. In later years, Buttons would joke that the Japanese only attacked Pearl Harbor to keep him off Broadway. It was due to open on December 8, 1941, but never did, as it was deemed inappropriate after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In 1939 Buttons started working for Minsky's Burlesque in 1941, José Ferrer chose Buttons to appear in a Broadway show The Admiral Had a Wife, a farce, set in Pearl Harbor at Oahu, Hawaii. Buttons was working at the Irvington Hotel in South Fallsburg, New York, when the Master of Ceremonies became incapacitated, and Buttons asked for the chance to replace him.

Later that same summer, Buttons worked on the Borscht Belt his straight man was Robert Alda. The combination of his red hair and the large, shiny buttons on the bellhop uniforms inspired orchestra leader Charles 'Dinty' Moore to call him 'Red Buttons,' the name under which he would later perform. At sixteen years old, Chwatt got a job as an entertaining bellhop at Ryan's Tavern in City Island, the Bronx, New York City. Red Buttons was born Aaron Chwatt on February 5, 1919, in Manhattan, New York City, to Jewish immigrants Sophie (née Baker) and Michael Chwatt.

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