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{{short description|Canadian actor}}
{{Short description|Canadian character actor (1913–2009)}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
|image =
|imagesize = 150px |
| name = Lou Jacobi
| name = Lou Jacobi
| image = Lou_Jacobi_in_Ivan_the_Terrible_1976.jpg
| caption = Jacobi in ''Ivan the Terrible'' (1976)
| birthname = Louis Harold Jacobovitch
| birthname = Louis Harold Jacobovitch
| birth_date = {{birth date|1913|12|28}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1913|12|28}}
| birth_place = [[Toronto|Toronto, Ontario]], Canada
| birth_place = [[Toronto|Toronto, Ontario]], Canada
| death_date = {{death date and age|2009|10|23|1913|12|28}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2009|10|23|1913|12|28}}
| death_place = [[Manhattan, New York]], U.S.
| death_place = [[New York City]], U.S.
| occupation = [[Actor]]
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1924-1994
| spouse = {{marriage|Ruth Ludwin|1957|2004|end=died}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Ruth Ludwin|1957|2004|end=died}}
}}
}}


'''Lou Jacobi''' (born '''Louis Harold Jacobovitch'''; December 28, 1913{{spaced ndash}}October 23, 2009) was a Canadian [[character actor]]. Jacobi came to prominence for his role as Mr. Van Daan in the 1955 [[Broadway (theatre)|Broadway]] production of ''[[The Diary of Anne Frank (play)|The Diary of Anne Frank]]'' which he reprised in the [[The Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film)|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) (film)|Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)]]'' (1972), ''[[Next Stop, Greenwich Village]]'' (1976), ''[[The Lucky Star (1980 film)|The Lucky Star]]'' (1980), ''[[Arthur (1981 film)|Arthur]]'' (1981), ''[[My Favorite Year]]'' (1982), and ''[[Avalon (1990 film)|Avalon]]'' (1990).
'''Lou Jacobi''' (born '''Louis Harold Jacobovitch''', December 28, 1913{{spaced ndash}}October 23, 2009) was a Canadian [[character actor]].


==Life and early career==
==Early life ==
Jacobi was born Louis Harold Jacobovitch in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], to Joseph and Fay Jacobivitch.<ref>{{Citation
Jacobi was born Louis Harold Jacobovitch in [[Toronto]], Canada, to Joseph and Fay Jacobovitch.<ref>{{Citation
| last = Gates
| last = Gates
| first = Anita
| first = Anita
| title = Lou Jacobi, Critically Acclaimed Actor of Film and Stage, Dies at 95
| title = Lou Jacobi, Critically Acclaimed Actor of Film and Stage, Dies at 95
| newspaper = New York Times
| newspaper = New York Times
| pages =
| year =
| date = 2009-10-25
| date = 2009-10-25
| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/nyregion/25jacobi.html?_r=1
| url = https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/nyregion/25jacobi.html?_r=1
| accessdate = 2009-10-26
| accessdate = 2009-10-26
}}
}}
</ref> His family was [[History of the Jews in Canada|Jewish]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lou Jacobi |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lou-jacobi |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca |language=en}}</ref>
</ref> His family was Jewish.


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 [[Bathurst Jewish Community Centre|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 (musical)|Pal Joey]]''. Jacobi made his Broadway debut in 1955 in ''[[The Diary of Anne Frank (play)|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 Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film)|the 1959 film version]]. Other Broadway performances included [[Paddy Chayefsky]]’s ''[[The Tenth Man (Chayefsky play)|The Tenth Man]]'' (1959), [[Woody Allen]]’s ''[[Don't Drink the Water (play)|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.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Safire|first=William|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/16/magazine/aha.html|title=Aha!|date=1997-02-16|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-02-11|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
Jacobi began acting as a boy, making his stage debut in 1924 at a Toronto theater, playing a violin prodigy in the [[Yiddish theatre|Yiddish theater]] play ''The Rabbi and the Priest.''<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bergan |first=Ronald |date=2009-11-15 |title=Lou Jacobi obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/nov/15/lou-jacobi-obituary |access-date=2024-10-07 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> After working as the drama director of the [[Bathurst Jewish Community Centre|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 (musical)|Pal Joey]]''.


== Career ==
[[File:Lou Jacobi Star on Canada's Walk of Fame.jpg|thumb|180px|Lou Jacobi's star on Canada's Walk of Fame]]
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 (play)|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 Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film)|the 1959 film version]]. Other Broadway performances included [[Paddy Chayefsky]]’s ''[[The Tenth Man (Chayefsky play)|The Tenth Man]]'' (1959), [[Woody Allen]]’s ''[[Don't Drink the Water (play)|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.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Safire|first=William|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/16/magazine/aha.html|title=Aha!|date=1997-02-16|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-02-11|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>


[[File:Lou Jacobi Star on Canada's Walk of Fame.jpg|thumb|180px|Jacobi's star on Canada's Walk of Fame]]
==Screen career==
Jacobi also made two dozen feature films. His 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]]. Other notable films in which he appeared include, ''[[The Diary Of Anne Frank]]'' (1959), ''[[Irma la Douce]]'' (1963), ''[[Penelope (1966 film)|Penelope]]'' (1966), ''[[Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (film)|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 film)|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 film)|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 catchprase, 'You cut the 'toikey without me'!? after he would notoriously arrive late to family Thanksgiving dinner, every year. His final film role was ''[[I.Q. (film)|I.Q.]]'' (1994), playing philosopher/mathematician [[Kurt Gödel]].<ref name="imdb"/>
He guest-starred on such television shows as ''[[Playhouse 90]]'', ''[[Too Close for Comfort]]'', ''[[Tales from the Darkside]]'', ''[[Love, American Style]]'', ''[[That Girl]]'', ''[[Sanford and Son]]'' and ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]'', and was a regular on ''[[The Dean Martin Show]]''. In the summer of 1976, Jacobi was the star of a CBS comedy series ''[[Ivan the Terrible (TV series)|Ivan the Terrible]]'', in which he played a Russian headwaiter living with nine other people in a small Moscow apartment.<ref name="imdb">{{IMDb name|0414279}}</ref> Comics Christopher Hewett, Phil Leeds, Alan Cauldwell and, in her TV series debut, Nana Visitor (here billed under her birth name, Nana Tucker). Harvey Korman appeared as a Soviet bureaucrat in an uncredited cameo at the close of each episode. The executive producer of the short-lived series was noted comic Alan King. The comedy series only lasted 5 episodes.


Other notable films in which he appeared include ''[[Irma la Douce]]'' (1963), ''[[Penelope (1966 film)|Penelope]]'' (1966), ''[[Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (film)|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 film)|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 film)|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. (film)|I.Q.]]'' (1994), playing philosopher/mathematician [[Kurt Gödel]].<ref name="imdb"/>
Jacobi made successful comedy LP recordings with titles like "Al Tijuana and His Jewish Brass" and "The Yiddish Are Coming! The Yiddish Are Coming!"


He guest-starred on such television shows as ''[[Playhouse 90]]'', ''[[Too Close for Comfort]]'', ''[[Tales from the Darkside]]'', ''[[Love, American Style]]'', ''[[That Girl]]'', ''[[Sanford and Son]]'', ''[[Barney Miller]]'' and ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]'', and was a regular on ''[[The Dean Martin Show]]''. In the summer of 1976, Jacobi was the star of a CBS comedy series ''[[Ivan the Terrible (TV series)|Ivan the Terrible]]'', in which he played a Russian headwaiter living with nine other people in a small Moscow apartment.<ref name="imdb">{{IMDb name|0414279}}</ref> The series only lasted 5 episodes.
In 1999, Jacobi, who was 85 at the time, was inducted into [[Canada's Walk of Fame]].<ref>{{Citation|title=Toronto-born actor-comedian Lou Jacobi dead at 95|work=CTV|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091025/jacobi_obit_091025/20091025?hub=EntertainmentV2|accessdate=2009-10-26}}</ref> 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."


== Recognition ==
==Personal life/death==
In 1999, Jacobi, who was 85 at the time, was inducted into [[Canada's Walk of Fame]].<ref>{{Citation|title=Toronto-born actor-comedian Lou Jacobi dead at 95|work=CTV|date=25 October 2009 |url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto-born-actor-comedian-lou-jacobi-dead-at-95-1.447104|accessdate=2009-10-26}}</ref> 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. Lou Jacobi died 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, Ontario, Canada.

Jacobi was one of the voice inspirations for the [[Futurama]] character, [[Dr. Zoidberg]].<ref name=npr>{{cite news |author= |work=[[Fresh Air]] |title=Billy West: The Many (Cartoon) Voices In His Head |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128490848 |quote='That voice is a combination of a couple of people in show business that I always found really funny and interesting. ... One was from vaudeville ... named George Jessel, and he was the 'Toastmaster General of the United States,' and he would always have appropriate toasts for every occasion. And he had a kind of a marble mouth. ... And the other guy was an actor by the name of Lou Jacobi. He was in the movie Arthur.' |publisher=[[National Public Radio]] |date=July 15, 2010 |accessdate=September 5, 2010}}</ref>
==Personal life==
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]].<ref name=npr>{{cite news |work=[[Fresh Air]] |title=Billy West: The Many (Cartoon) Voices In His Head |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128490848 |quote='That voice is a combination of a couple of people in show business that I always found really funny and interesting. ... One was from vaudeville ... named George Jessel, and he was the 'Toastmaster General of the United States,' and he would always have appropriate toasts for every occasion. And he had a kind of a marble mouth. ... And the other guy was an actor by the name of Lou Jacobi. He was in the movie Arthur.' |publisher=[[National Public Radio]] |date=July 15, 2010 |accessdate=September 5, 2010}}</ref>


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|-
! Year
! Year
! Title
! Title
! Role
! Role
! Notes
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|-
|1953|| ''[[Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary?]]'' || Captain Noakes ||
|1953|| ''[[Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary?]]'' || Captain Noakes ||
|-
|-
|1953|| ''[[The Good Beginning]]'' || Bookmaker || Uncredited
|1953|| data-sort-value="Good Beginning, The" | ''[[The Good Beginning]]'' || Bookmaker || Uncredited
|-
|-
|1955|| ''[[A Kid for Two Farthings (film)|A Kid for Two Farthings]]'' || Blackie Isaacs ||
|1955|| data-sort-value="Kid for Two Farthings, A" | ''[[A Kid for Two Farthings (film)|A Kid for Two Farthings]]'' || Blackie Isaacs ||
|-
|-
|1956|| ''[[Charley Moon]]'' || Theatre Manager ||
|1956|| ''[[Charley Moon]]'' || Theatre Manager ||
|-
|-
|1959|| ''[[The Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film)|The Diary of Anne Frank]]'' || Mr. Hans Van Daan ||
|1959|| data-sort-value="Diary of Anne Frank, The" | ''[[The Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film)|The Diary of Anne Frank]]'' || Mr. Hans Van Daan ||
|-
|-
|1960|| ''[[Song Without End]]'' || Potin ||
|1960|| ''[[Song Without End]]'' || Potin ||
Line 68: Line 70:
|1963|| ''[[Irma la Douce]]'' || Moustache ||
|1963|| ''[[Irma la Douce]]'' || Moustache ||
|-
|-
|1966|| ''[[The Last of the Secret Agents?]]'' || Papa Leo ||
|1966|| data-sort-value="Last of the Secret Agents?, The" | ''[[The Last of the Secret Agents?]]'' || Papa Leo ||
|-
|-
|1966|| ''[[Penelope (1966 film)|Penelope]]'' || Ducky ||
|1966|| ''[[Penelope (1966 film)|Penelope]]'' || Ducky ||
Line 76: Line 78:
|1971|| ''[[Little Murders]]'' || Judge Stern ||
|1971|| ''[[Little Murders]]'' || Judge Stern ||
|-
|-
|1971|| ''[[The Battle of Love's Return]]'' || Talking Head || Uncredited
|1971|| data-sort-value="Battle of Love's Return, The" | ''[[The Battle of Love's Return]]'' || Talking Head || Uncredited
|-
|-
|1972|| ''[[Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (film)|Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)]]'' || Sam ||
|1972|| ''[[Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (film)|Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask)]]'' || Sam ||
Line 86: Line 88:
|1977|| ''[[Roseland (film)|Roseland]]'' || Stan || (The Waltz)
|1977|| ''[[Roseland (film)|Roseland]]'' || Stan || (The Waltz)
|-
|-
|1979|| ''[[The Magician of Lublin (film)|The Magician of Lublin]]'' || Wolsky ||
|1979|| data-sort-value="Magician of Lublin, The" | ''[[The Magician of Lublin (film)|The Magician of Lublin]]'' || Wolsky ||
|-
|-
|1980|| ''[[The Lucky Star (1980 film)|The Lucky Star]]'' || Elia Goldberg ||
|1980|| data-sort-value="Lucky Star, The" | ''[[The Lucky Star (1980 film)|The Lucky Star]]'' || Elia Goldberg ||
|-
|-
|1981|| ''[[Arthur (1981 film)|Arthur]]'' || Plant Store Owner ||
|1981|| ''[[Arthur (1981 film)|Arthur]]'' || Plant Store Owner ||
Line 98: Line 100:
|1984|| ''[[Isaac Littlefeathers]]'' || Abe ||
|1984|| ''[[Isaac Littlefeathers]]'' || Abe ||
|-
|-
|1986|| ''[[The Boss' Wife]]'' || Harry Taphorn ||
|1986|| data-sort-value="Boss' Wife, The" | ''[[The Boss' Wife]]'' || Harry Taphorn ||
|-
|-
|1987|| ''[[Amazon Women on the Moon]]'' || Murray || (segment "Murray in Videoland")
|1987|| ''[[Amazon Women on the Moon]]'' || Murray || (segment "Murray in Videoland")
Line 107: Line 109:
|-
|-
|1994|| ''[[I.Q. (film)|I.Q.]]'' || Kurt Gödel || (final film role)
|1994|| ''[[I.Q. (film)|I.Q.]]'' || Kurt Gödel || (final film role)
|}

=== Television ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1953-1954 || ''[[Rheingold Theatre]]'' || Milton Cassal / Ben || 2 episodes
|-
|1959 || data-sort-value="Texan, The" | ''[[The Texan (TV series)|The Texan]]'' || Joseph Varga || Episode: The Peddler
|-
|1959 || ''[[Playhouse 90]]'' || Puigdellevol || Episode: Child of Our Time
|-
|1960 || data-sort-value="Play of the Week, The" | ''[[The Play of the Week]]'' || Corvino || Episode: Volpone
|-
|1962 || data-sort-value="Defenders, The" | ''[[The Defenders (1961 TV series)|The Defenders]]'' || Mr. Schwartz || Episode: Grandma TNT
|-
|1963 || ''[[Sam Benedict]]'' || August Brauer || Episode: Season for Vengeance
|-
|1963 || data-sort-value="Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The" | ''[[The Alfred Hitchcock Hour]]'' || Lieutenant Wolfson || Season 1 Episode 30: "Dear Uncle George"
|-
|1964 || data-sort-value="Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The" | ''[[The Alfred Hitchcock Hour]]'' || Dr. Glover || Season 2 Episode 26: "Ten Minutes from Now"
|-
|1965 || data-sort-value="Dick Van Dyke Show, The" | ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'' || Lou Sorrell || Episode: Young Man with a Shoehorn
|-
|1965 || data-sort-value="Trials of O'Brien, The" | ''The Trials of O'Brien'' || Archie || Episode: The Trouble with Archie
|-
|1966 || data-sort-value="Man from U.N.C.L.E., The" | ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]'' || Arum Tertunian || Episode: The Nowhere Affair
|-
|1969 || ''[[That Girl]]'' || Leo Schneider || 2 episodes
|-
|1969-1973 || ''[[Love, American Style]]'' || Performer || 5 episodes
|-
|1971 || ''[[Make Room for Granddaddy]]'' || Mephisto || Episode: Of Mice and Mini
|-
|1971 || data-sort-value="Courtship of Eddie's Father, The" | ''[[The Courtship of Eddie's Father (TV series)|The Courtship of Eddie's Father]]'' || Frank || Episode: Tell It Like I'm Telling You
|-
|1971-1973 || data-sort-value="Dean Martin Show, The" | ''[[The Dean Martin Show]]'' || Sketch performer || 52 episodes
|-
|1975 || ''[[Barney Miller]]'' || Harry Tannenbaum || Episode: Stakeout
|-
|1975 || ''[[Sanford and Son]]'' || Max / Bert || Episode: Steinberg and Son
|-
|1976 || ''[[Ivan the Terrible]]'' || Ivan Petrovsky || 5 episodes
|-
|1977 || ''[[Captain Kangaroo]]'' || Dandy || Episode: Dandy
|-
|1979 || ''[[King of Kensington]]'' || Spivakofski || Episode: Pawn to King Four
|-
|1982 || ''[[Tales of the Unexpected (TV series)|Tales of the Unexpected]]'' || Waiter || Episode: In the Bag
|-
|1983-1985 || ''[[Too Close for Comfort]]'' || Paul || 3 episodes
|-
|1984 || ''[[Tales from the Darkside]]'' || Harvey Turman || Episode: Pain Killer
|-
|1985 || ''[[Cagney & Lacey]]'' || Aaron Seymour || Episode: American Dream
|-
|1985 || ''[[St. Elsewhere]]'' || Rabbi Singer || Episode: Cheers
|-
|1986 || ''[[Melba (TV series)|Melba]]'' || Jack || 6 episodes
|-
|1988 || ''[[L.A. Law]]'' || Sam Harber || Episode: Leave it to Geezer
|-
|1988 || ''[[Great Performances]]'' || Jacob Glutz || Episode: The Old Reliable
|-
|}

=== Theatre ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Author
! Venue
|-
|1955 || data-sort-value="Diary of Anne Frank, The" | ''[[The Diary of Anne Frank (play)|The Diary of Anne Frank]]'' || Mr. Van Daan || Albert Hackett || [[Broadway (theatre)|Broadway]] debut
|-
|1959 || data-sort-value="Tenth Man, The" | ''[[The Tenth Man (Chayefsky play)|The Tenth Man]]'' || Schlissel || [[Paddy Chayefsky]] || Booth Theatre, Broadway
|-
|1961 || ''[[Come Blow Your Horn]]'' || Mr. Baker || [[Neil Simon]] || [[Brooks Atkinson Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1964 || ''[[Fade Out – Fade In]]'' || Lionel Z. Governor || [[Betty Comden]] / [[Adolph Green]] || [[Mark Hellinger Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1966 || ''[[Don't Drink the Water (play)|Don't Drink the Water]]'' || Walter Hollander || [[Woody Allen]] || [[Morosco Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1970 || ''[[Norman, Is That You?]]'' || Ben Chambers || Ron Clark || Lyceum Theatre, Broadway
|-
|1971 || ''Eli, The Fanatic'' || Tzuref || rowspan=2|[[Philip Roth]] || rowspan=2|Plymouth Theatre, Broadway
|-
|1971 || ''Epstein'' || Epstein
|-
|1972 || data-sort-value="Sunshine Boys, The" | ''[[The Sunshine Boys]]'' || Al Lewis || Neil Simon || [[Broadhurst Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1978 || ''Cheaters'' || Howard || Michael Jacobs || Biltmore Theatre, Broadway
|-
|}
|}


Line 120: Line 221:
* {{IMDb name|0414279}}
* {{IMDb name|0414279}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/nyregion/25jacobi.html?ref=obituaries Gates, Anita. "Lou Jacobi, Critically Acclaimed Actor of Film and Stage, Dies at 95"], ''The New York Times'', October 25, 2009.


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:Male actors from New York City]]
[[Category:Male actors from New York City]]
[[Category:Male actors from Toronto]]
[[Category:Male actors from Toronto]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian Jews]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian male actors]]

Latest revision as of 01:29, 7 October 2024

Lou Jacobi
Jacobi in Ivan the Terrible (1976)
Born
Louis Harold Jacobovitch

(1913-12-28)December 28, 1913
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
DiedOctober 23, 2009(2009-10-23) (aged 95)
New York City, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1924-1994
Spouse
Ruth Ludwin
​
​
(m. 1957; died 2004)​

Lou Jacobi (born Louis Harold Jacobovitch; December 28, 1913 – October 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).

Early life

[edit]

Jacobi was born Louis Harold Jacobovitch in Toronto, Canada, to Joseph and Fay Jacobovitch.[1] His family was Jewish.[2]

Jacobi began acting as a boy, making his stage debut in 1924 at a Toronto theater, playing a violin prodigy in the Yiddish theater play The Rabbi and the Priest.[3] 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.

Career

[edit]

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.[4]

Jacobi's star on Canada's Walk of Fame

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.[5]

He guest-starred on such television shows as Playhouse 90, Too Close for Comfort, Tales from the Darkside, Love, American Style, That Girl, Sanford and Son, Barney Miller and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and was a regular on The Dean Martin Show. In the summer of 1976, Jacobi was the star of a CBS comedy series Ivan the Terrible, in which he played a Russian headwaiter living with nine other people in a small Moscow apartment.[5] The series only lasted 5 episodes.

Recognition

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In 1999, Jacobi, who was 85 at the time, was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.[6] 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."

Personal life

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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.[7]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1953 Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary? Captain Noakes
1953 The Good Beginning Bookmaker Uncredited
1955 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 Uncredited
1972 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 Voice
1977 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)

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1953-1954 Rheingold Theatre Milton Cassal / Ben 2 episodes
1959 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 Affair
1969 That Girl Leo Schneider 2 episodes
1969-1973 Love, American Style Performer 5 episodes
1971 Make Room for Granddaddy Mephisto Episode: Of Mice and Mini
1971 The Courtship of Eddie's Father Frank Episode: Tell It Like I'm Telling You
1971-1973 The Dean Martin Show Sketch performer 52 episodes
1975 Barney Miller Harry Tannenbaum Episode: Stakeout
1975 Sanford and Son Max / Bert Episode: Steinberg and Son
1976 Ivan the Terrible Ivan Petrovsky 5 episodes
1977 Captain Kangaroo Dandy Episode: Dandy
1979 King of Kensington Spivakofski Episode: Pawn to King Four
1982 Tales of the Unexpected Waiter Episode: In the Bag
1983-1985 Too Close for Comfort Paul 3 episodes
1984 Tales from the Darkside Harvey Turman Episode: Pain Killer
1985 Cagney & Lacey Aaron Seymour Episode: American Dream
1985 St. Elsewhere Rabbi Singer Episode: Cheers
1986 Melba Jack 6 episodes
1988 L.A. Law Sam Harber Episode: Leave it to Geezer
1988 Great Performances Jacob Glutz Episode: The Old Reliable

Theatre

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Year Title Role Author Venue
1955 The Diary of Anne Frank Mr. Van Daan Albert Hackett Broadway debut
1959 The Tenth Man Schlissel Paddy Chayefsky Booth Theatre, Broadway
1961 Come Blow Your Horn Mr. Baker Neil Simon Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway
1964 Fade Out – Fade In Lionel Z. Governor Betty Comden / Adolph Green Mark Hellinger Theatre, Broadway
1966 Don't Drink the Water Walter Hollander Woody Allen Morosco Theatre, Broadway
1970 Norman, Is That You? Ben Chambers Ron Clark Lyceum Theatre, Broadway
1971 Eli, The Fanatic Tzuref Philip Roth Plymouth Theatre, Broadway
1971 Epstein Epstein
1972 The Sunshine Boys Al Lewis Neil Simon Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway
1978 Cheaters Howard Michael Jacobs Biltmore Theatre, Broadway

References

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  1. ^ Gates, Anita (2009-10-25), "Lou Jacobi, Critically Acclaimed Actor of Film and Stage, Dies at 95", New York Times, retrieved 2009-10-26
  2. ^ "Lou Jacobi". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  3. ^ Bergan, Ronald (2009-11-15). "Lou Jacobi obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  4. ^ Safire, William (1997-02-16). "Aha!". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
  5. ^ a b Lou Jacobi at IMDb
  6. ^ "Toronto-born actor-comedian Lou Jacobi dead at 95", CTV, 25 October 2009, retrieved 2009-10-26
  7. ^ "Billy West: The Many (Cartoon) Voices In His Head". Fresh Air. National Public Radio. July 15, 2010. Retrieved September 5, 2010. 'That voice is a combination of a couple of people in show business that I always found really funny and interesting. ... One was from vaudeville ... named George Jessel, and he was the 'Toastmaster General of the United States,' and he would always have appropriate toasts for every occasion. And he had a kind of a marble mouth. ... And the other guy was an actor by the name of Lou Jacobi. He was in the movie Arthur.'

Further reading

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  • Oderman, Stuart, Talking to the Piano Player 2. BearManor Media, 2009; ISBN 1-59393-320-7.
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