Hollywood Studio Magazine (April 1972)

Schildraut he founded the Hollywood Playhouse but later returned to New Y ork where he directed Sidney Greenstreet in “Berlin” at the George M. Cohan Theatre and co-directed Vicky Baum’s “Grand Hotel” at the National Theatre. Fritz then returned once again to Hollywood and became editorial assistant to the late Ernest Lubitsch. While touring Egypt, Syria and Palestine he‘was made head of the Orient Film Company and directed the first sound film made in Asia Minor. Although Fritz had promised Mr. Lubitsch that he would remain a director, he was later persuaded by Lubitsch and Wesley Ruggles to accept a role as an indignant hotel clerk in the film, “I Met Him in Paris” and this part established him as a comedian of the first order. Since that auspicious beginning, Fritz has appeared in 410 films, over 300 live video shows and in excess of 500 filmed TV products. In radio he has appeared over all networks, approximately 1000 shows and more recently has done more than 50 commercials for television. When Fritz was assigned to appear in “That Uncertain Feeling” he met the charming actress, Virginia Christine, and they were married in 1940. Immediately after their marriage he was signed for a role in “Come Live With Me”. That uncertain feeling certainly turned out to be the right direction, for the Felds have had a happy married life for the past 31 years. The parents of two very likeable sons, Steven and Danny, the Felds also have raised Virginia’s two nieces, Vickie and Connie. At home in an ultra modern house in Brentwood, Fritz spends a great deal of his free time working on his large library. All of the Feld clan are pianists; although Fritz can not read a note of music he can play any composition after hearing it once. Another one of his special projects is his outstanding collection of over 300 photographs from the films he has made, showing him playing chess with the stars. This collection represents a complete history of Hollywood and will one day be exhibited at the Library and Museum of the Performing Arts at the Lincoln Center in New York. There are so many facets of the varied career of Fritz Feld. Perhaps one of the best recognized is his “POP”, a distinctive bit of oral punctuation which he accomplishes by bringing the flat of,his palm sharply against his rounded mouth: a gimmick he has successfully used to The Face is f ami/iar ! Fritz Feld...a most unusual man movie and television industry has been highly complimented by his presence. There have been many weak imitators of his broad scope of comedy but Fritz stands alone in his own brand of pantomine. He readily admits that his long time friend and fellow actor, the late Franklin Pangborn, had a similiar style but in the days when Hollywood produced good pictures there was plenty of work for both arid they never created interference when it came to being cast in a film. Both Fritz and Pangborn had that remarkable feat of projection without saying a word and here the old adage again proves itself: “actions speak louder than words”. Born in Berlin, Germany, Fritz attended the Max Reinhardt School of Drama and later worked as assistant director for Reinhardt for seven years. He was brought to the United States in 1923 to play in “The Piper” in New York, later touring the United States in the play. Soon after he was signed by Hollywood and made over 30 silent films, appearing mostly as a “heavy” with such stellar personalities as Emil Jannings, John Barrymore and Norma Talmadge. With the late Joseph A Typical Fritz Feld Characterization By Jess L. Hoaglin FRITZ FELD,„A Most Unusual Man f Fritz Feld is an actor for all seasons: Dynamic, versatile and completely thorough in his characterizations. His career has run the gamut from director, dramatic actor, writer, comedian, pantominist to talent scout. In conversing with Fritz you soon realize what a remarkable person he is and that the 39