S. Z. Sakall


Szőke Szakáll, known in the English-speaking world as S. Z. Sakall, was a Hungarian-American stage and film character actor. He appeared in many prominent movies, including Casablanca, in which he played Carl, the head waiter; Christmas in Connecticut ; In [the Good Old Summertime] ; and Broadway (film)|Lullaby of Broadway]. Sakall played numerous supporting roles in Hollywood cinema|'classic' type Hollywood productions] including musicals and other films of the 1940s and 1950s. His rotund body type and overall cuteness, coupled with his caring personal character, caused studio magnate Jack L. Warner to bestow on Sakall the affectionate nickname "Cuddles".
Besides his unique moniker, by which he was "known throughout the movie business", Sakall also earned a reputation as one of the "stalwart character-acting veterans" of his day, particularly given his "choice", "significant role" in Casablanca. That garnered his performing skills lasting praise despite his "brief" involvement in the movie's storyline. Author and media analyst Harlan Lebo of the University of Southern California later noted Sakall's "bubbly" and "colorful" nature on screen in the book Casablanca: Behind the Scenes.

Early life and career

Gerő Jenő was born in Budapest to a Jewish family. A sculptor's son, he was invalided out of the Hungarian army in World War I after a Russian bayonet wounded him in the chest. During his schooldays, he wrote sketches for Budapest vaudeville shows under the pen name Szőke Szakáll, meaning "blond beard", in reference to his own beard, grown to make him look older, which he affected when, at the age of 18, he turned to acting. In 1946, he became a United States citizen under the name of Jacob Gero.
The actor became a star of the Hungarian stage and screen in the 1910s and 1920s. At the beginning of the 1920s he moved to Vienna, where he appeared in Hermann Leopoldi's Kabarett Leopoldi-Wiesenthal. In the 1930s he was, next to Hans Moser, the most significant representative of Wiener Film, the Viennese light romantic comedy genre. He also appeared in Berlin. He appeared in Familientag im Hause Prellstein, Ihre Majestät die Liebe and Two Hearts in Waltz Time. For a brief period during this time, he ran his own production company.

Return to and emigration from Hungary

When the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, Sakall was forced to return to Hungary. He was involved in over 40 movies in his native land. When Hungary joined the Axis in 1940, he left for Hollywood with his wife. Many of Sakall's close relatives were later murdered in Nazi concentration camps, including all three of his sisters and a niece, as well as his wife's brother and sister.

Hollywood

Sakall began a Hollywood career that included "an endless succession of excitable theatrical impresarios, lovable European uncles and befuddled shopkeepers". His first American film role was in the comedy It's a Date with Deanna Durbin. The first big hit of his American career was Ball of Fire with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. Later, he signed a contract with Warner Bros., where he had a number of other small roles, including one in Yankee Doodle Dandy with James Cagney.
Later the same year, at the age of 59, he portrayed his best remembered character, Carl the head waiter in Casablanca. Producer Hal B. Wallis signed Sakall for the role three weeks after filming had begun. When he was first offered the part, Sakall hated it and turned it down. Sakall finally agreed to take the role provided they gave him four weeks of work. The two sides eventually agreed on three weeks. He received $1,750 per week for a total of $5,250. He actually had more screen time than either Peter Lorre or Sydney Greenstreet.
Sakall appeared in 30 further movies, including Christmas in Connecticut, reuniting with Barbara Stanwyck. He also appeared with Errol Flynn in 1945 in the movie San Antonio where he uttered the phrase, "People are the craziest animals". Sakall appeared in four films released in 1948: the drama Embraceable You, followed by April Showers, Michael Curtiz's Romance on the High Seas, and Whiplash. He was in four top movies in 1949. First Sakall played Felix Hofer in Doris Day's second film, My Dream Is Yours. Later that year, he supported June Haver and Ray Bolger in Look for the Silver Lining. Next, he played Otto Oberkugen in In the Good Old Summertime, with Judy Garland and Van Johnson - this was a musical remake of Ernst Lubitsch's The Shop Around the Corner. Finally, Sakall was given the principal role of songwriter Fred Fisher in Oh, You Beautiful Doll, though top billing went to June Haver.
Sakall appeared in nine more movies during the 1950s, two of them musicals with Doris Day, playing J. Maxwell Bloomhaus in Tea for Two and Adolph Hubbell in Lullaby of Broadway. His other roles included Poppa Schultz in the Errol Flynn western Montana ; Miklos Teretzky in the June Haver musical The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady ; Don Miguel in the Randolph Scott western Sugarfoot; Uncle Felix in the musical Painting the Clouds with Sunshine with Virginia Mayo, and one of the episodes in the movie It's a Big Country featuring Gene Kelly, Van Johnson, Gary Cooper, Janet Leigh, Fredric March and Ethel Barrymore. His last movie was The Student Prince.

Death

Sakall died of a heart attack in Hollywood on February 12, 1955, shortly after filming The Student Prince, ten days after his 72nd birthday. He is buried in the Garden of Memory in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Partial filmography

Az újszülött apa A dollárnéni Professor Imhof as Dr. HechtThe [Master of Death (film)|The Master of Death] as BordoniHello Caesar! Heaven on Earth as GeschäftsführerFamily Gathering in the [House of Prellstein] as Sami BambusDa hält die Welt den Atem an as TheaterdirektorMary Lou as Der JongleurWhirl of Youth as Sam, ein ArtistPavement Butterfly as Paul Bennet – MalerThe Merry Farmer as DorfpolizistWhy Cry at Parting? as Gottgetreu, Kassierer von Harder & Co.Two Hearts in Waltz Time, originally titled Zwei Herzen im ¾ Takt or Zwei Herzen im Dreiviertel Takt as Der TheaterdirektorTwice Married as Grafenberg's brother-in-lawRendezvous as CrepinSusanne Cleans Up as Dr. Fuchs, juristischer BeraterThe Jumping Jack as Eickmeyer – ParfümfabrikantHer Majesty the Barmaid as Bela Török / Lias VaterHeadfirst into Happiness as Baron MonteuilDie Faschingsfee as Matthias, Diener Ihr Junge Walzerparadies as Schwartz, TheateragentIch heirate meinen Mann as AdolpheDer Stumme von Portici as EhemannThe Squeaker as Bill "Billy" AnerleyMy Cousin from Warsaw as Burel, Lucienne's spouseThe Woman They Talk About as Salewski MorettiThe Soaring Maiden as Onkel LampeThe Unknown Guest as Leopold KuhlmannGirls to Marry as Alois NovakMelody of Love as BernhardI [Do Not Want to Know Who You Are] as OttokarCountess Mariza as LampeOvernight Sensation as HaaseTokajerglut as Schmidt, PressephotographA City Upside Down as Der BürgermeisterThe Emperor's Waltz as Leitner – Fabrikant aus BudapestA Woman Like You as Theobald Roehn, FabrikantEs war einmal ein Musikus as HäberleinMust We Get Divorced? as Professor Friedrich HornungGrand Duchess Alexandra as Dimitri, Chefkoch im Hause der GroßfürstinRomance in Budapest as Strangel úr, Murray menedzsereAdventures on the Lido as MichaelScandal in Budapest as StanglVoices of Spring as Krüger, SchuldienerStolen Wednesday as Schmidz, fotóriporterWenn du jung bist, gehört dir die Welt as BeppoEverything for the Woman ' as Polgár papírkereskedõ