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Fritz Feld

Fritz Feld

Birthday: 1900-10-15 | Place of Birth: Berlin, Germany

Fritz Feld was born on October 15, 1900 in Berlin, Germany as Fritz Feilchenfeld. He is known for his work on Bringing Up Baby (1938), Barefoot in the Park (1967) and Hello, Dolly! (1969). He was married to Virginia Christine. He died on November 18, 1993 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Born in Berlin, Germany, Feld began his acting career in Germany in 1917, making his screen debut in Der Golem und die Tänzerin (The Golem and the Dancing Girl). Feld filmed the sound sequences of the Cecil B. DeMille film The Godless Girl, released by Pathé, without DeMille's supervision since DeMille had already broken his contract with Pathé, and signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He 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 Susie. Feld often played the part of a maître d', but also a variety of aristocrats and eccentrics; his characters were indeterminately European, sometimes French and sometimes Belgian but always with his particular mannerisms. In the 1938 screwball comedy Bringing Up Baby he played the role of Dr. Lehman. In 1939 he appeared with the Marx Brothers in At The Circus in the small but memorable role of French orchestra conductor Jardinet. In one 1967 episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., "The Napoleon's Tomb Affair", Feld played a banker, a beatnik, a diplomat and a waiter. The episode also featured Ted Cassidy from The Addams Family. In his later years, Feld appeared in several Walt Disney films and also played an uncharacteristically 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, in two Season 2 episodes, The Android Machine and The Toymaker. Zumdish returned in the Season 3 episode Two Weeks In Space, where he has been brainwashed by bank robbers into believing he is a tour director taking the robbers on holiday. He also portrayed one of the Harmonia Gardens waiters in the movie Hello Dolly! Feld made his final film appearance in 1989.

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Known For

Acting

Year
Title

Role

1980
Herbie Goes Bananas

as    Chief Steward

1977
The World's Greatest Lover

as    Tomaso Abalone

1976
Silent Movie

as    Maitre d'

1967
Barefoot in the Park

as    Restaurant Proprietor

1963
Who's Minding the Store?

as    Irving Catastrophe

1963
Promises! Promises!

as    Ship's Doctor

1959
Juke Box Rhythm

as    Ambrose

1954
Riding Shotgun

as    Fritz

1951
Missing Women

as    Pierre (hairdresser)

1951
Kentucky Jubilee

as    Rudolph Jouvet

1948
Trouble Makers

as    Mr. Andre Schmidtlap - Hotel Manager

1948
The Noose Hangs High

as    Psychiatrist

1946
The Catman of Paris

as    Prefect of Police

1946
Her Sister's Secret

as    Wine Salesman

1944
Passport to Destiny

as    Chief Janitor

1944
Knickerbocker Holiday

as    Poffenburgh

1943
Phantom of the Opera

as    Lecours

1942
Four Jacks and a Jill

as    Mr. Hoople

1942
Maisie Gets Her Man

as    Professor Orco

1942
Shut My Big Mouth

as    Robert Oglethorpe

1941
Three Sons o' Guns

as    Stage Director

1940
Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me!

as    Forsythe

1940
I Was an Adventuress

as    Henri Gautier

1940
It's a Date

as    Oscar, the Headwaiter

1940
Victory

as    Signor Makanoff

1940
Little Old New York

as    Tavern Keeper

1939
At the Circus

as    Jardinet

1939
When Tomorrow Comes

as    Nicholas

1938
Out Where the Stars Begin

as    Mr. Nitvitch