Fritz Feld
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.
Known for
Bewitched
Magnum, P.I.
Lars
Batman
Prof. Greenleaf
Batman
Oliver Muzzy
The Beverly Hillbillies
Love, American Style
Captain
Love, American Style
Walter
Simon & Simon
The Wild Wild West
Chef
I Love Lucy
Tour Guide
Burke's Law
Captain of Waiters
Lost in Space
Mr. Zumdish
Peter Gunn
Amazing Stories
Maitre 'd
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Self
The Odd Couple
Maitre D'
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Banker-Beatnik-Diplomat-Waiter
Adventures in Paradise
Fontaine
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Maitre D
Land of the Giants
Quigg
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Waiter
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
December Bride
Sledge Hammer!
Announcer
Herbie Rides Again
Maitre D'
The Catman of Paris
Prefect of Police
Racket Squad
Pocketful of Miracles
Pierre
Shirley Temple's Storybook
King's Bidder
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
Chef
Phantom of the Opera
Lecours
The Errand Boy
Busby - Roaring 20's Director
Little Accident
Malisse
Blindfold
Thomas Bernard
Harlow
Fritz
The Mexican Spitfire's Baby
Pierre Gaston de la Blanc
Barefoot in the Park
Restaurant Proprietor
Kentucky Jubilee
Rudolph Jouvet
Three Sons o' Guns
Stage Director
Riding Shotgun
Fritz
Dangerous Assignment
Mr. & Mrs. North
Herbie Goes Bananas
Chief Steward
The Thin Man
The Jackpot
Pianist (uncredited)
Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me!
Forsythe
Little Old New York
Tavern Keeper
Valentine's Day
Last of the Great Survivors
Marty LaFontaine
Gold Diggers in Paris
Luis Leoni
Sky High
Dr. Kapok
George White's Scandals
Montescu
Barfly
Bum
The Ladies Man
Mrs. Wellenmellon's Hairdresser (uncredited)
A Ship Comes In
Sokol
The New March of Dimes Presents: The Scene Stealers
John Swallowtail
Freaky Friday
Mr. Jackman
Riding High
French Dressmaker (uncredited)
Hollywood Wonderland
Director (clip from "Swingtime in the Movies", 1938) (uncredited)
Julia Misbehaves
Pepito
O. Henry's Full House
Maurice (segment "The Gift of the Magi") (uncredited)
History of the World: Part I
Maitre 'D - The Roman Empire
Paris Playboys
Marcel the Maitre d'
It's a Date
Oscar, the Headwaiter
The Strongest Man in the World
Uncle Frederick
Tabitha
The Affairs of Annabel
Vladimir
Silent Movie
Maitre d'
4 for Texas
Fritz
The Phynx
Fritz Feld
The Last Command
A revolutionist
True Confession
Krayler's Butler
Victory
Signor Makanoff
Idiot's Delight
Pittatek
Who's Minding the Store?
Irving Catastrophe
At the Circus
Jardinet
Crime Wave
Jess (uncredited)
Mexican Hayride
Professor Ganzmeyer
Belle of Old Mexico
Dr. Quincy
If You Knew Susie
Chez Henri
The Noose Hangs High
Psychiatrist
The Great John L.
Claire's manager
The Golem: How He Came Into the World
Jester (uncredited)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Anatole
Rhythm Inn
Prof. Rinaldo
You Belong to Me
Hotel Clerk
Fun on a Weekend
Sergei Stroganoff
The Miracle of the White Reindeer
Geronimo
Promises! Promises!
Ship's Doctor
Henry Aldrich Swings It
Josef Altman
You Gotta Stay Happy
Pierre
Up In Smoke
Dr. Bluzak (uncredited)
Quiet, Please
Mr. Nitvitch
Passport to Destiny
Chief Janitor
Three on a Couch
The Attaché
Gentleman Joe Palooka
Club Steward
Homer and Eddie
Mortician
The Comic
Armand
The Sunshine Boys
Mr. Gilbert
Carnival in Costa Rica
Hotel Clerk
Penelope
Penelope's Dance Partner (uncredited)
Heavenly Music
Niccolò Paganini (uncredited)
Romance in the Dark
Fritz
Lancer Spy
Fritz Mueller
Jail Busters
Dr. Fernando F. Fordyce
Only with Married Men
Chef
Everything Happens at Night
Gendarme
Iceland
Herr Tegnar
I've Always Loved You
Nicholas Kavlun
Hollywood Hotel
The Russian
Campus Confessions
'Lady MacBeth'
Hello, Dolly!
Rudolph's Assistant
I Met Him in Paris
Swiss Hotel Clerk
World Premiere
Field Marshal Muller
Appointment with Danger
Window Dresser
Bringing Up Baby
Fritz Lehman
Tovarich
Martelleau
A Fine Mess
Bit Part (uncredited)
I Was an Adventuress
Henri Gautier
General Electric Theater
Doctor
The Patsy
Maitre D'
The Wizard's Apprentice
Wizard
The Lovable Cheat
Monsieur Louis
Juke Box Rhythm
Ambrose
Shut My Big Mouth
Robert Oglethorpe
Sleepytime Gal
Chef Petrovich
The World's Greatest Lover
Tomaso Abalone
Has Anybody Seen My Gal?
Alvarez (uncredited)
Expensive Husbands
Herr Meyer, Hotel Director
I'll Give a Million
Max Primerose
So You Want to Be a Musician
Lasagna Pizza - Orchestra Leader
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
Sigmund Van Dyke
Living It Up
Barber (uncredited)
So You Want to Enjoy Life
Dr. Hugo Flugleman (uncredited)
Come Live with Me
Mac, the Headwaiter (uncredited)
Black Magic
James Fraser
Heidi's Song
Sebastian (voice)
Captain Tugboat Annie
Al Pucci aka Alfred Puccini
Call Her Mom
Waiter
So You Want to Wear the Pants
Psychiatrist (uncredited)
Out Where the Stars Begin
Mr. Nitvitch
Legend of the Northwest
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood
Rudy's Butler
Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick
Headwaiter
Four Jacks and a Jill
Mr. Hoople
One Hysterical Night
Paganini
Christian Wahnschaffe II: Escape from the Golden Dungeon
Missing Women
Pierre (hairdresser)
Sandy Is a Lady
Mario
Go Chase Yourself
Count Pierre Fountaine de Louis-Louis
Her Sister's Secret
Wine Salesman
My Girl Tisa
Prof. Tabor
Movieland Magic
(archive footage)
Maisie Gets Her Man
Professor Orco
Millionaire Playboy
'G.G.' Gorta
Journey Into Light
Clothing Salesman
Broadway
Mose Levett
Ever Since Venus
Michele
Knickerbocker Holiday
Poffenburgh
When Tomorrow Comes
Butler
So You Want to Be Pretty
Dr. Von Slaughter (uncredited)
Holy Matrimony
Critic
Trouble Makers
Mr. Andre Schmidtlap - Hotel Manager
Swingtime in the Movies
Mr. Nitvitch
Artists and Models Abroad
Dubois
Take It Big
Doctor Dittenhoffer