Fritz Feld German-born American character actor Date of Birth: 15.10.1900 Country: USA

1. Biography of Fritz Feld
2. Early Career and Hollywood
3. Signature Gestures and Later Career
4. Personal Life and Legacy

Biography of Fritz Feld

Fritz Feld was an American character actor of German descent who appeared in hundreds of films, television series, radio plays, and commercials. He lived a long life and had an equally long career. Feld first appeared on screen at the age of 17 and continued acting until he was 89, successfully transitioning from silent films to talkies. Born Fritz Feilchenfeld on October 15, 1900 in Berlin, Germany, he became enamored with the acting profession in 1916 when he participated as an extra in a production of "Wilhelm Tell" at the Royal Theater in Berlin.

Early Career and Hollywood

Feld made his film debut the following year, playing a small role as a messenger in the horror comedy "Der Golem und die Tanzerin." From 1917 to 1989, he appeared in 200 films and television series, with many claiming that he played the same character in all of his movies. However, audiences were so fond of this character that Feld's involvement in a film, despite his minor roles, would boost its ratings. He worked in several German films before receiving an offer to work in Hollywood, which he accepted in 1923. The following year, he appeared in the Broadway play "The Miracle" directed by Max Reinhardt. Feld often portrayed hotel managers, waiters, chefs, maître d's, as well as various European aristocrats, professors, and eccentric characters. The nationality of his characters often eluded the audience - whether French, German, or Belgian - but Feld's characters always had distinctive traits.

Signature Gestures and Later Career

In his youth, while playing aristocrats, Fritz sported elegant mustaches. In 1948, he introduced his signature gesture, a clap of his hand against his lips, producing a popping sound, which represented extreme surprise or annoyance. In his later years, he appeared in several Disney films and played an atypical sentimental role in the drama "Barfly" alongside Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway. His final role was in the crime comedy "Homer and Eddie" directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, starring James Belushi and Whoopi Goldberg. In addition to his film career, Feld was incredibly popular as a guest star and appeared in numerous television series, including "Magnum, P.I.," "Lost In Space," "The Odd Couple," "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," "Love, American Style," "The Wild Wild West," "The Beverly Hillbillies," and others.

Personal Life and Legacy

Feld may have been married twice, as passenger records from 1926 and 1930 flights to New York indicate that he was divorced at the time. However, records only exist for one of his marriages. In 1940, Fritz married American actress Virginia Christine, with whom he had two sons, Danny and Steve. Fritz Feld's filmography includes masterpieces such as "The Phantom of the Opera" (1943), "Hello, Dolly!" (1969), "The World's Greatest Lover" (1977), and Mel Brooks' "History of the World Part I" (1981). On November 18, 1993, Fritz Feld passed away after a long illness at the age of 93.