Ben Dova


Joseph Anthony Späh, known as Ben Dova, was a German–American acrobat and actor.

Career

Späh emigrated from Germany to the United States in 1922 and became a contortionist in the vaudeville genre, using the artist name Ben Dova, from the English "bend over". His signature act was playing a drunk man balancing on a street light. In 1933 he performed his act on top of the 56-story Chanin Building in New York with no safety measures, for the benefit of the newsreels.
Next to his acrobatic career he became an actor, performing in small parts in movies and television episodes, most notably as Klaus Szell in Marathon Man.

Hindenburg disaster

Dova was a passenger on board the LZ 129 Hindenburg during the Hindenburg disaster and escaped using his acrobatic skills. The FBI investigated him as a possible saboteur but found no evidence and cleared him from wrongdoing.
He was played by Robert Clary in the motion picture The Hindenburg.

Filmography

  • A Chinatown Fantasy
  • The Way of All Freshmen, – Acrobatic dancer
  • Toast of the Town
  • Naked City – Tailor
  • Marathon Man – Klaus Szell
  • Der Preis fürs Überleben – Jim
  • Dear Mr. Wonderful – Ben
  • Höllenfahrten: Titanic der Lüfte – Die letzte Fahrt der Hindenburg – Self
  • Die letzten Stunden der Hindenburg – Self