Fritz Feld


Fritz Feld was a German-American film character actor who appeared in over 140 films in 72 years, both silent and sound. His trademark was to slap his mouth with the palm of his hand to create a "pop" sound.

Early life and career

Born to a Jewish family in Berlin, Germany, Feld began his acting career in Germany in 1917, making his screen debut in Der Golem und die Tänzerin. His early career in the United States included touring with Morris Gest's production of The Miracle in the mid-1920s. 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'hôtel, but also a variety of aristocrats and eccentrics. 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 role of French orchestra conductor Jardinet. He appeared in nine films with Jerry Lewis between 1954 and 1970, in addition to working with Lewis and Dean Martin on their television program, The Colgate Comedy Hour.
In his later years, Feld appeared in several Walt Disney films and also played an uncharacteristically dramatic role in Barfly. He also portrayed one of the Harmonia Gardens waiters in the movie Hello Dolly!. 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-two episodes, "The Android Machine" and "The Toymaker". Zumdish returned in the season-three episode "Two Weeks In Space". 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.
Feld made his final film appearance in 1989.

Personal life

Feld was married to Virginia Christine who was 20 years his junior and famous for her role as "Mrs. Olson" in television commercials for Folgers coffee, from 1940 until his death in 1993 in a convalescent home in Los Angeles, California; Christine died in 1996. The couple is interred at the Jewish Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles. The couple had a child, Steven Anatol Feld, born in 1945.
Feld bears number 17662 in the genealogy of the descendants of Wolf Fales Felichenfeld. Rudi bears number 17661. They were the sons of Heinrich Feilchenfeld who bears number 1766.
Fritz Feld was a strong enough amateur chess player that 1948 U.S. champion Herman Steiner and international master George Koltanowski would come to his home some evenings in the 1940s, with the three of them playing chess until 6:00 the following morning, as mentioned in The Bobby Fischer I Knew and Other Stories.

Partial filmography

  • The Golem and the Dancing Girl as Hotel Page
  • Dämon der Welt. 1. Das Schicksal des Edgar Morton
  • The Golem: How He Came into the World as Jester
  • Christian Wahnschaffe
  • A Ship Comes In as Sokol
  • The Last Command as A Revolutionist
  • Blindfold as Thomas Bernard
  • Broadway as Mose Levett
  • Black Magic as James Fraser
  • One Hysterical Night as Paganini
  • I Met Him in Paris as Swiss Hotel Clerk
  • Lancer Spy as Fritz Mueller
  • Expensive Husbands as Herr Meyer, Hotel Director
  • Hollywood Hotel as The Russian
  • True Confession as Krayler's Butler
  • Tovarich as Martelleau, neighbor
  • Annabel Takes a Tour
  • Bringing Up Baby as Dr. Lehman
  • Romance in the Dark as Fritz
  • Go Chase Yourself as Count Pierre Fountaine de Louis-Louis
  • Gold Diggers in Paris as Luis Leoni
  • I'll Give a Million as Max Primerose
  • The Affairs of Annabel as Vladimir
  • Campus Confessions as 'Lady MacBeth'
  • Artists and Models Abroad as Dubois
  • Swingtime in the Movies as Mr. Nitvitch
  • Idiot's Delight as Pittatek
  • When Tomorrow Comes as Nicholas
  • At the Circus as Jardinet
  • Little Accident as Malisse
  • Everything Happens at Night as Gendarme
  • Little Old New York as Tavern Keeper
  • Millionaire Playboy as 'G.G.' Gorta
  • Ma! He's Making Eyes at Me as Forsythe
  • It's a Date as Headwaiter
  • I Was an Adventuress as Henri Gautier
  • Sandy Is a Lady as Mario
  • Victory as Signor Makanoff
  • Come Live with Me as Mac, the Headwaiter
  • Three Sons o' Guns as Blotievkin
  • World Premiere as Field Marshal Muller
  • You Belong to Me as Hotel Desk Clerk
  • Skylark as Maitre d'Hotel
  • The Mexican Spitfire's Baby as Lieutenant Pierre Gaston de la Blanc
  • Four Jacks and a Jill as Mr. Hoople
  • Shut My Big Mouth as Robert Oglethorpe
  • Sleepytime Gal as Chef Petrovich
  • Maisie Gets Her Man as Professor Orco
  • Iceland as Herr Tegnar
  • Heavenly Music as Niccolò Paganini
  • Henry Aldrich Swings It as Josef Altman
  • Phantom of the Opera as Lecours
  • Holy Matrimony as Critic
  • Passport to Destiny as Chief Janitor
  • Knickerbocker Holiday as Poffenburgh
  • Take It Big as Doctor Dittenhoffer
  • Ever Since Venus as Michele
  • The Great John L. as Claire's Manager
  • George White's Scandals as Montescu
  • Captain Tugboat Annie as Al Pucci aka Alfred Puccini
  • The Catman of Paris as Prefect of Police
  • The Wife of Monte Cristo as Bonnett
  • Her Sister's Secret as New Orleans Wine Salesman
  • Gentleman Joe Palooka as Club Steward
  • I've Always Loved You as Nicholas Kavlun
  • Carnival in Costa Rica as Hotel Clerk
  • Fun on a Weekend as Sergei Stroganoff
  • The Secret Life of Walter Mitty as Anatole
  • If You Knew Susie as Chez Henri
  • My Girl Tisa as Professor Tabor
  • The Noose Hangs High as Psychiatrist
  • Julia Misbehaves as Pepito
  • You Gotta Stay Happy as Pierre
  • Trouble Makers as Mr. Andre Schmidtlap – Hotel Manager
  • Mexican Hayride as Professor Ganzmeyer
  • The Lovable Cheat as Monsieur Louis
  • The Great Lover as Waiter
  • Belle of Old Mexico as Dr. Quincy
  • Appointment with Danger as Window Dresser
  • Riding High as French Dressmaker
  • The Jackpot as Long-Haired Pianist
  • Rhythm Inn as Professor Rinaldo
  • Missing Women as Pierre
  • Kentucky Jubilee as Rudolph 'Rudi' Jouvet
  • Little Egypt as Professor
  • Journey Into Light as Clothing Salesman
  • Sky High as Dr. Kapok
  • My Favorite Spy as Dress Designer
  • Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick as Headwaiter
  • Has Anybody Seen My Gal? as Alvarez
  • O. Henry's Full House as Maurice
  • Call Me Madam as Hat Clerk
  • Crime Wave as Jess
  • The French Line as Last Cab Driver
  • Paris Playboys as Marcel, Maitre d'
  • Riding Shotgun as Fritz
  • Casanova's Big Night as Baron Mittschalk of Cardovia
  • Living It Up as The Barber
  • Jail Busters as Dr. Fernando F. Fordyce
  • Up in Smoke as Dr. Bluzak
  • Alfred Hitchcock Presents as Maitre D
  • Juke Box Rhythm as Ambrose
  • Don't Give Up the Ship as Room Service Waiter
  • The Miracle of the White Reindeer as Geronimo
  • The Ladies Man as Mrs. Wellenmellon's Hairdresser
  • The Errand Boy as Busby, Roaring 20's Director
  • Pocketful of Miracles as Pierre
  • Promises! Promises! as Ship's Doctor
  • Who's Minding the Store? as Irving Cahastrophe, the Gourmet Manager
  • 4 for Texas as Fritz
  • The Patsy as Maitre D'
  • Harlow as Fritz, Window Washer in Movie
  • Made in Paris as Josef, Night Watchman
  • Three on a Couch as The Attaché
  • Way... Way Out as Breckinridge, the Maitre d'
  • Penelope as Penelope's Dance Partner
  • Lost in Space as Mr. Zumdish in 3 eps
  • Caprice as Swiss Innkeeper
  • Barefoot in the Park as Restaurant Proprietor
  • The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz as Kessel
  • The Comic as Armand
  • Hello, Dolly! as Rudolph's Assistant
  • The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes as Sigmund Van Dyke
  • The Phynx as Fritz Feld
  • Which Way to the Front? as Von Runstadt
  • Herbie Rides Again as Maître d'
  • The Strongest Man in the World as Uncle Frederick
  • The Sunshine Boys as Mr. Gilbert, Man at Audition
  • Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood as Rudy's Butler
  • Silent Movie as Maitre d'
  • Freaky Friday as Mr. Jackman
  • The World's Greatest Lover as Tomaso Abalone
  • Legend of the Northwest as Trapper
  • Herbie Goes Bananas as Chief Steward
  • History of the World, Part I as Maitre 'D
  • Heidi's Song as Sebastian
  • Barfly as Bum
  • Homer and Eddie as Mortician