Fritz Feld
Encyclopedia
Fritz Feld was a film character actor
actor who appeared in over 140 films, both silent
and sound. His trademark was to slap his mouth with the palm of his hand to create a pop sound.
(1947).
Feld often played the part of a maître d', but also a variety of artistocrats and eccentrics; his characters were indeterminately Europe
an, sometimes French
and sometimes Belgian
but always with his particular mannerisms. In his later years he appeared in several Walt Disney
films and also played an uncharacteristically touching dramatic role in Barfly
. In addition to films, he acted in numerous television series in guest roles, including the recurring role of "Zumdish" the manager of the intergalactic Celestial Department Store on Lost In Space
.
Feld made his final film appearance in 1989. He died on November 18, 1993 in Los Angeles, California
at age 93.
who was 20 years younger than him from 1940 until his 1993 passing; Christine died in 1996.
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
actor who appeared in over 140 films, both silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
and sound. His trademark was to slap his mouth with the palm of his hand to create a pop sound.
Biography
Born Fritz Feilchenfeld in Berlin, Germany, Feld began his acting career in Germany in 1917, and developed a characterization that came to define him. His trademark was to slap his mouth with the palm of his hand to create a "pop!" sound that indicated both his superiority and his annoyance. The first use of the "pop" sound was in If You Knew SusieIf You Knew Susie
"If You Knew Susie" is the title of a popular song from the 1920s written by Buddy DeSylva and Joseph Meyer.With a name immortally linked with many hits, Eddie Cantor's best-known 1920s success was undoubtedly "If You Knew Susie", which was a U.S...
(1947).
Feld often played the part of a maître d', but also a variety of artistocrats and eccentrics; his characters were indeterminately Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an, sometimes French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and sometimes Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
but always with his particular mannerisms. In his later years he appeared in several Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
films and also played an uncharacteristically touching dramatic role in Barfly
Barfly (film)
Barfly is a 1987 American film which is a semi-autobiography of poet/author Charles Bukowski during the time he spent drinking heavily in Los Angeles. The screenplay by Bukowski was commissioned by the French film director Barbet Schroeder – it was published, with illustrations by the author, in...
. In addition to films, he acted in numerous television series in guest roles, including the recurring role of "Zumdish" the manager of the intergalactic Celestial Department Store on Lost In Space
Lost in Space
Lost in Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen, filmed by 20th Century Fox Television, and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968...
.
Feld made his final film appearance in 1989. He died on November 18, 1993 in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
at age 93.
Personal
Feld was married to Virginia ChristineVirginia Christine
Virginia Christine was an American film and television actress and voice artist. Christine had a long career as a character actress in film and television. She played "Mrs...
who was 20 years younger than him from 1940 until his 1993 passing; Christine died in 1996.
Selected filmography
- Black MagicBlack Magic (1929 film)-Cast:* Josephine Dunn as Katherine Bradbroke* Earle Foxe as Hugh Darrell* John Holland as John Ormsby* Henry B. Walthall as Dr. Bradbroke* Dorothy Jordan as Ann Bradbroke* Fritz Feld as James Fraser* Sheldon Lewis as Witchdoctor* Ivan Linow as Zelig...
(1929) - One Hysterical NightOne Hysterical NightOne Hysterical Night is an American comedy film directed by William James Craft and starring Reginald Denny, Nora Lane, Walter Brennan and Peter Gawthorne.-Plot:...
(1929) - Bringing Up BabyBringing up BabyBringing Up Baby is an American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, and released by RKO Radio Pictures....
(1938) - The Affairs of AnnabelThe Affairs of AnnabelThe Affairs of Annabel is a 1938 comedy starring Lucille Ball and Jack Oakie. Oakie plays Lannie Morgan, Wonder Pictures publicity man working with film star Annabel Allison , her first starring comedy role.-Plot:...
(1938) - Swingtime in the MoviesSwingtime in the MoviesSwingtime in the Movies is a 1938 short comedy film directed by Crane Wilbur. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1939 for Best Live Action Short Film, Two-Reel.-Cast:* Fritz Feld as Mr...
(1938) - At the CircusAt the CircusAt the Circus is a 1939 Marx Brothers comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in which they save a circus from bankruptcy...
(1939) - Idiot's DelightIdiot's DelightIdiot's Delight is a 1939 MGM comedy film, with a screenplay adapted from the 1936 Robert E. Sherwood play of the same name, by Sherwood himself. The movie stars Norma Shearer and Clark Gable. It is notable as the only film where Gable sings and dances, performing a version of the Irving Berlin...
(1939) - Phantom of the OperaPhantom of the Opera (1943 film)Phantom of the Opera is a 1943 Universal horror film starring Nelson Eddy, Susanna Foster and Claude Rains, directed by Arthur Lubin, and filmed in Technicolor. The original music score was composed by Edward Ward....
(1943) - The Secret Life of Walter MittyThe Secret Life of Walter Mitty"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is a short story by James Thurber. The most famous of Thurber's stories, it first appeared in The New Yorker on March 18, 1939, and was first collected in his book My World and Welcome to It...
(1947) - Mexican HayrideMexican HayrideMexican Hayride is a 1948 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film is based on Cole Porter's Broadway musical Mexican Hayride starring Bobby Clark...
(1948) - Paris PlayboysParis PlayboysParis Playboys is a 1954 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on March 7, 1954 by Allied Artists and is the thirty-third film in the series.-Plot:...
(1953) - Pocketful of MiraclesPocketful of MiraclesPocketful of Miracles is a 1961 American comedy film that stars Bette Davis and Glenn Ford, directed by Frank Capra. The screenplay by Hal Kanter and Harry Tugend is based on the screenplay Lady for a Day by Robert Riskin, which was adapted from the Damon Runyon short story "Madame La Gimp".The...
(1961) - Who's Minding the Store?Who's Minding the Store?Who's Minding the Store? is a comedy film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Jerry Lewis. It was released on November 28, 1963 by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:The rich Mrs. Tuttle is upset that her daughter Barbara Who's Minding the Store? is a comedy film directed by Frank Tashlin and starring...
(1963) - The Patsy (1964)
- Hello, Dolly! (1969)
- The Sunshine BoysThe Sunshine Boys (film)The Sunshine Boys is a 1975 comedy film directed by Herbert Ross and produced by Ray Stark, based on the play of the same name by Neil Simon. The cast included real-life experienced vaudevillian actor George Burns as Lewis, Walter Matthau as Clark, and Richard Benjamin as Ben, with Lee Meredith, F....
(1975) - Herbie Rides AgainHerbie Rides AgainHerbie Rides Again is a 1974 comedy film. It is the sequel to The Love Bug, released six years earlier, and the second in a series of movies made by Walt Disney Productions starring an anthropomorphic 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle named Herbie...
(1974) - Silent MovieSilent MovieSilent Movie is a 1976 satirical comedy film co-written, directed by, and starring Mel Brooks, and released by 20th Century Fox on June 17, 1976...
(1976) - Freaky FridayFreaky Friday (1976 film)Freaky Friday is a 1976 American comedy film starring Jodie Foster as Annabel Andrews and Barbara Harris as her mother.The film is based on the novel of the same name by Mary Rodgers, in which mother and daughter switch bodies and get a taste of each others' lives. The cause of the switch is left...
(1976) - Herbie Goes BananasHerbie Goes BananasHerbie Goes Bananas is the fourth of a series of films made by Walt Disney Productions starring Herbie – the white Volkswagen racing Beetle with a mind of its own. The film stars former Mel Brooks collaborators Cloris Leachman and Harvey Korman....
(1980) - History of the World, Part IHistory of the World, Part IHistory of the World, Part I is a 1981 comedy film written, produced, and directed by Mel Brooks. Brooks also stars in the film, playing five roles: Moses, Comicus the stand-up philosopher, Tomás de Torquemada, King Louis XVI, and Jacques, le garçon de pisse...
(1981) - Homer and EddieHomer and EddieHomer and Eddie is a 1989 American film starring Whoopi Goldberg and Jim Belushi and directed by Andrei Konchalovsky.-Plot:A homicidal escaped mental patient with a brain tumor and only a month to live meets a childlike mentally challenged traveling companion for a cross-country car trip that...
(1989)