Лу Джакоби: Канадский характерный актер

Canadian character actor (1913–2009)

Lou Jacobi (born Louis Harold Jacobovitch; December 28, 1913October 23, 2009) was a Canadian character actor. Jacobi came to prominence for his role as Mr. Van Daan in the 1955 Broadway production of The Diary of Anne Frank which he reprised in the 1959 film version. He also acted in the films Irma la Douce (1963), Little Murders (1971), Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972), Next Stop, Greenwich Village (1976), The Lucky Star (1980), Arthur (1981), My Favorite Year (1982), and Avalon (1990).

Jacobi was born Louis Harold Jacobovitch in Toronto, Canada, to Joseph and Fay Jacobovitch. Jacobi began acting as a boy, making his stage debut in 1924 at a Toronto theater, playing a violin prodigy in The Rabbi and the Priest. After working as the drama director of the Toronto Y. M. H. A., the social director at a summer resort, a stand up comic in Canada's equivalent of the Borscht Belt, and the entertainment at various weddings and bachelor parties, Jacobi moved to London to work on the stage, appearing in Guys and Dolls and Pal Joey.

Jacobi's film debut was in the 1953 British comedy, Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary? with the country's blond sex symbol of the day, Diana Dors. Jacobi made his Broadway debut in 1955 in The Diary of Anne Frank playing Hans van Daan, the less than noble occupant of the Amsterdam attic where the Franks were hiding, and reprised the role in the 1959 film version. Other Broadway performances included Paddy Chayefsky’s The Tenth Man (1959), Woody Allen’s Don’t Drink the Water (1966), and Neil Simon’s debut play Come Blow Your Horn (1961), in which he portrayed the playboy protagonist’s disappointed father. His reading of the film line "Aha!" stuck with the Times columnist William Safire so vividly that he cited it when writing about the meaning of the word 40 years later. Other notable films in which he appeared include Irma la Douce (1963), Penelope (1966), Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972) as Sam Musgrave, a middle aged married man experimenting with women's clothes, Arthur (1981) as the lucky florist, My Favorite Year (1982) as Benjy's unsophisticated Uncle Morty, and in Amazon Women on the Moon (1987), as a man named Murray who got zapped into the television and is wandering throughout sketches looking for his wife. In Barry Levinson's Avalon (1990), in a semi dramatic role, as one of four Russian brothers (elders) trying to build a future in Baltimore in the early 20th century, with the memorable comic relief catchphrase, "You cut the turkey!?" after he would notoriously arrive late to family Thanksgiving dinner, every year. His final film role was I. Q. (1994), playing philosopher/mathematician Kurt Gödel. The series only lasted 5 episodes.

In 1999, Jacobi, who was 85 at the time, was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. On the occasion of the dedication, film critic Roger Ebert interviewed Jacobi, later writing, "I look at Lou, and I’m not afraid to be 85, if I can get there in Lou's style."

Jacobi was married to Ruth Ludwin from 1957 until her death in 2004. Jacobi died on October 23, 2009, of natural causes, at his home in Manhattan. He was 95. He was survived by his brother, Avrom Jacobovitch, and sister, Rae Jacobovitch, both of Toronto. Jacobi was one of the voice inspirations for the Futurama character Dr. Zoidberg.

Year Title Role Notes1953 Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary? Captain Noakes 1953 The Good Beginning Bookmaker Uncredited1955 A Kid for Two Farthings Blackie Isaacs 1956 Charley Moon Theatre Manager 1959 The Diary of Anne Frank Mr. Hans Van Daan 1960 Song Without End Potin 1963 Irma la Douce Moustache 1966 The Last of the Secret Agents? Papa Leo 1966 Penelope Ducky 1970 Cotton Comes to Harlem Goodman 1971 Little Murders Judge Stern 1971 The Battle of Love's Return Talking Head Uncredited1972 Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) Sam 1976 Next Stop, Greenwich Village Herb 1976 Everybody Rides the Carousel Stage 1 Voice1977 Roseland Stan (The Waltz)1979 The Magician of Lublin Wolsky 1980 The Lucky Star Elia Goldberg 1981 Arthur Plant Store Owner 1981 Chu Chu and the Philly Flash Landlord 1982 My Favorite Year Uncle Morty 1984 Isaac Littlefeathers Abe 1986 The Boss' Wife Harry Taphorn 1987 Amazon Women on the Moon Murray (segment "Murray in Videoland")1990 Avalon Gabriel Krichinsky 1992 I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore Irving Fein 1994 I. Q. Kurt Gödel (final film role)

Year Title Role Notes1953 1954 Rheingold Theatre Milton Cassal / Ben 2 episodes1959 The Texan Joseph Varga Episode: The Peddler 1959 Playhouse 90 Puigdellevol Episode: Child of Our Time 1960 The Play of the Week Corvino Episode: Volpone 1962 The Defenders Mr. Schwartz Episode: Grandma TNT 1963 Sam Benedict August Brauer Episode: Season for Vengeance 1963 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Lieutenant Wolfson Season 1 Episode 30: "Dear Uncle George"1964 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Dr. Glover Season 2 Episode 26: "Ten Minutes from Now"1965 The Dick Van Dyke Show Lou Sorrell Episode: Young Man with a Shoehorn 1965 The Trials of O'Brien Archie Episode: The Trouble with Archie 1966 The Man from U. N. C. L. E. Arum Tertunian Episode: The Nowhere Affair1969 That Girl Leo Schneider 2 episodes 1969 1973 Love, American Style Performer 5 episodes1971 Make Room for Granddaddy Mephisto Episode: Of Mice and Mini1971 The Courtship of Eddie's Father Frank Episode: Tell It Like I'm Telling You 1971 1973 The Dean Martin Show Sketch performer 52 episodes1975 Barney Miller Harry Tannenbaum Episode: Stakeout 1975 Sanford and Son Max / Bert Episode: Steinberg and Son 1976 Ivan the Terrible Ivan Petrovsky 5 episodes1977 Captain Kangaroo Dandy Episode: Dandy 1979 King of Kensington Spivakofski Episode: Pawn to King Four1982 Tales of the Unexpected Waiter Episode: In the Bag 1983 1985 Too Close for Comfort Paul 3 episodes1984 Tales from the Darkside Harvey Turman Episode: Pain Killer 1985 Cagney & Lacey Aaron Seymour Episode: American Dream 1985 St. Elsewhere Rabbi Singer Episode: Cheers1986 Melba Jack 6 episodes 1988 L. A. Law Sam Harber Episode: Leave it to Geezer 1988 Great Performances Jacob Glutz Episode: The Old Reliable

Year Title Role Author Venue 1955 The Diary of Anne Frank Mr. Van Daan Albert Hackett Broadway debut1959 The Tenth Man Schlissel Paddy Chayefsky Booth Theatre, Broadway1961 Come Blow Your Horn Mr. Baker Neil Simon Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway1964 Fade Out – Fade In Lionel Z. Governor Betty Comden / Adolph Green Mark Hellinger Theatre, Broadway1966 Don't Drink the Water Walter Hollander Woody Allen Morosco Theatre, Broadway 1970 Norman, Is That You? Ben Chambers Ron Clark Lyceum Theatre, Broadway1971 Eli, The Fanatic Tzuref Philip Roth Plymouth Theatre, Broadway1971 Epstein Epstein 1972 The Sunshine Boys Al Lewis Neil Simon Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway1978 Cheaters Howard Michael Jacobs Biltmore Theatre, Broadway