Harry Landis (born Hyman Jacob Londinsky, 25 November 1926 – 11 September 2022) was a British actor and director. He had a long career in theatre, film and television, spanning over 60 years. Landis was best known for playing barber

Felix Kawalski The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 1995, by order of first appearance. Tiffany Mitchell Tiffany Mitchell (also Raymond) is played by Martine McCutcheon from 1995 until 1998. The ...

in ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'' from 1995 to 1997, and Mr. Morris in the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

sitcom ''

Friday Night Dinner ''Friday Night Dinner'' is a British television sitcom written by Robert Popper and starring Tamsin Greig, Paul Ritter, Simon Bird, Tom Rosenthal, and Mark Heap. The comedy is focused on the regular dinner experience of the middle-class Bri ...

'' from 2012 to 2014.

Early life and education

Harry Landinski, known as Harry Landis, was born Hyman Jacob Londinsky in

Stepney Stepney is a district in the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The district is no longer officially defined, and is usually used to refer to a relatively small area. However, for much of its history the place name appl ...

in the

East End of London The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...

on 25 November 1926. He came from a poor background as the only child of a Polish mother, Sarah (née Sadie Chibulam), and a father, Morris Londinsky, a taxi driver, who left when Harry was a baby. Landis was educated at Stepney Jewish School until he was 14, when he left to become a chef in a kitchen. However, he found out that apprenticeships were only available to those aged over 16. Landis got a job in a café, before working as a window cleaner and milkman. While working in a factory, he would perform the show he had seen at the

Hackney Empire Hackney Empire is a theatre on Mare Street, in the London Borough of Hackney. Originally designed by Frank Matcham it was built in 1901 as a music hall, and expanded in 2001. Described by ''The Guardian'' as ‘the most beautiful theatre in Lon ...

the previous night, and the shop steward encouraged him to go to the Unity Theatre, which was linked to the trade union and labour movement. After an audition, Landis began working with them. After doing his military service, he returned to the Unity Theatre, and, by then aged 20, he was awarded a grant by the

London County Council London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...

so he could study at drama school. Landis spent three years at the Central School of Speech & Drama.

Career

Landis started acting aged 15. His first job after graduating from drama school was touring in

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

with the Elizabethan Theatre Company. After a spell in repertory theatre, he got a leading role in ''

A Hill in Korea ''A Hill in Korea'' is a 1956 British war film based on Max Catto's 1953 novel of the same name. The original name was ''Hell in Korea'', but it was changed for distribution reasons—except in the US. It was directed by Julian Amyes and prod ...

'' as a

cockney Cockney is an accent and dialect of English, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by working-class and lower middle-class Londoners. The term "Cockney" has traditionally been used to describe a person from the East End, or b ...

conscript. Other films followed, including ''

Bitter Victory ''Bitter Victory'' (French title ''Amère victoire'') is a 1957 Franco-American international co-production film, shot in CinemaScope and directed by Nicholas Ray. Set in World War II, it stars Richard Burton and Curt Jürgens as two British A ...

'', ''

Edge of Sanity Edge of Sanity was a Swedish death metal band that, alongside Opeth, is commonly regarded as being the first to fuse extreme metal styles like death and black metal with progressive rock. The group was founded by Dan Swanö in 1989 and ende ...

'', ''

Ransom Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or the sum of money involved in such a practice. When ransom means "payment", the word comes via Old French ''rançon'' from Latin ''red ...

'', ''

The Informers ''The Informers'' is a collection of short stories, linked by the same continuity, written by American author Bret Easton Ellis. The collection was first published as a whole in 1994. Chapters 6 and 7, "Water from the Sun" and "Discovering Jap ...

'', ''

Private Potter ''Private Potter'' is a 1962 British drama film directed by Caspar Wrede and starring Tom Courtenay, Mogens Wieth, Ronald Fraser and James Maxwell. Plot During the Cyprus Emergency (1955-1959), the eponymous Private Potter is a soldier who cl ...

'', ''

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Operation Bullshine ''Operation Bullshine'' is a 1959 British colour comedy film directed by Gilbert Gunn and starring Donald Sinden, Barbara Murray and Carole Lesley. The working title of the film was ''Girls in Arms'' that features as a marching song in the film ...

''. In 2014, he was in the Hollywood blockbuster ''

Edge of Tomorrow ''Edge of Tomorrow'' (also known as ''Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow'') is a 2014 American science fiction action film starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt with Bill Paxton and Brendan Gleeson in supporting roles. Directed by Doug Liman with ...

''. His first television appearance was in 1955, in the pilot episode of ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' was a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 19 ...

''. Landis appeared in several subsequent episodes, as well as the final episode over 25 years later. He appeared in over 200 TV shows before deciding to return to theatre. This career move coincided with the 1956 change in British theatre led by the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...

, and his background at the Unity Theatre made him suitable for many subsequent roles. These included

Arnold Wesker Sir Arnold Wesker (24 May 1932 – 12 April 2016) was an English dramatist. He was the author of 50 plays, four volumes of short stories, two volumes of essays, much journalism and a book on the subject, a children's book, some poetry, and oth ...

's ''

The Kitchen The Kitchen is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary avant-garde performance and experimental art institution located at 512 West 19th Street, between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was founde ...

'', followed by

Frank Norman Frank Norman (9 June 1930 – 23 December 1980) was a British novelist and playwright. His reputation rests on his first memoir ''Bang to Rights'' (1958) and his musical play ''Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be'' (1960), but much of the remainder ...

's ''Insideout''. They were followed by

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his prose that criticized established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play ''Look Back in Anger'' tra ...

's ''Time Present'' at the Duke of York Theatre, ''

Journey's End ''Journey's End'' is a 1928 dramatic play by English playwright R. C. Sherriff, set in the trenches near Saint-Quentin, Aisne, towards the end of the First World War. The story plays out in the officers' dugout of a British Army infantry comp ...

'' at the

Cambridge Theatre The Cambridge Theatre is a West End theatre, on a corner site in Earlham Street facing Seven Dials, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1929–30 for Bertie Meyer on an "irregular triangular site". Design and construction It was des ...

, and '' A Winter Tale'', '' Ring Around the Moon'' and ''

The Government Inspector ''The Government Inspector'', also known as ''The Inspector General'' ( rus, links=no, Ревизор, Revizor, literally: "Inspector"), is a satirical play by Russian dramatist and novelist, Nikolai Gogol. Originally published in 1836, the pla ...

'', all at The Royal Exchange in

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

. He also appeared in '' The Ticket-of-Leave Man'' at the National Theatre. Landis then turned to directing, and after directing a few productions at the Unity Theatre, including a well-received production of ''

Death of A Salesman ''Death of a Salesman'' is a 1949 stage play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in late 1940s Brooklyn told through a montag ...

'', he became the artistic director of the

Marlowe Theatre The Marlowe Theatre is a 1,200-seat theatre in Canterbury named after playwright Christopher Marlowe, who was born and attended school in the city. It was named a Stage Awards, 2022 UK Theatre of the Year. The Marlowe Trust, a not for profi ...

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

, where he directed some 40 plays and two

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...

s. He went on to direct national tours of '' The Long and The Short and the Tall'' and ''

The Return of Sherlock Holmes ''The Return of Sherlock Holmes'' is a 1905 collection of 13 Sherlock Holmes stories, originally published in 1903–1904, by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The stories were published in the '' Strand Magazine'' in Britain and ''Collier's'' i ...

''. In between directing, Landis appeared in many TV shows, such as ''

Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...

'', and later continued to do so with series including ''

'', ''Goodnight Sweetheart'', ''

Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

'' and ''

''. His last role was in ''Casualty'', in 2018. Landis was president of

Equity Equity may refer to: Finance, accounting and ownership * Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them ** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business ** Home equity, the dif ...

for six years, from 2002 to 2008, and was a board member of the Equity Charitable Trust, from 1994 to 2001, as well as previously being Chairman of the Unity Theatre Trust.

Personal life and death

Landis married actor Hilary Crane (née Strelitz) in 1965; however, the marriage ended in divorce seven years later. The marriage produced a daughter, Katy, and a stepson, Simon, from his wife's previous marriage. Landis lived in

Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. ...

, West London, for over 40 years. Landis returned to live in the East End in the 2010s, with his partner of more than 30 years, Ingrid Curry, buying a flat in

Spitalfields Spitalfields is a district in the East End of London and within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The area is formed around Commercial Street (on the A1202 London Inner Ring Road) and includes the locale around Brick Lane, Christ Church, ...

. He died from cancer on 11 September 2022, at the age of 95.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1955, 1963, 1966, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976) – Finch / Bill Andrews / Jenkins / Lodger / Painter / Banjo Hamilton / Keeley *''

'' (1956) – Pvt. Rabin * ''

'' (1957) – Private Browning * ''

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Further Up the Creek ''Further Up the Creek'' is a 1958 British comedy film written and directed by Val Guest and starring David Tomlinson, Frankie Howerd, Shirley Eaton, Thora Hird, Desmond Llewelyn and Lionel Jeffries. It served as a follow up to '' Up the Creek'' ...

'' (1958) – Webster * ''

Operation Bullshine ''Operation Bullshine'' is a 1959 British colour comedy film directed by Gilbert Gunn and starring Donald Sinden, Barbara Murray and Carole Lesley. The working title of the film was ''Girls in Arms'' that features as a marching song in the film ...

'' (1959) – Gunner Wilkinson * ''

Desert Mice ''Desert Mice'' is a 1959 British comedy film featuring Alfred Marks, Sid James, Dora Bryan, Irene Handl, John Le Mesurier and Liz Fraser. A group of ENSA entertainers with the British army in the North Africa desert during the Second World War t ...

'' (1959) – German Soldier (uncredited) * '' The Longest Day'' (1962) – British Soldier (uncredited) * ''

'' (1962) – LCpl. Lamb * ''

The Small World of Sammy Lee ''The Small World of Sammy Lee'' is a 1963 British crime film written and directed by Ken Hughes and starring Anthony Newley, Julia Foster and Robert Stephens. A striptease-show compere is hunted across the seedy London underworld of Soho by de ...

'' (1963) – Lucky Dave's Clumsy Barman (uncredited) * ''

Billy Liar ''Billy Liar'' is a 1959 novel by Keith Waterhouse that was later adapted into a play, a film, a musical and a TV series. The work has inspired and been featured in a number of popular songs. The semi-comical story is about William Fisher, ...

'' (1963) – Man on Train (uncredited) * '' Doctor in Distress'' (1963) – Man in Cafe (uncredited) * ''

'' (1963) – Hicks (uncredited) * ''

Calculated Risk Calculated Risk may refer to: * Calculated Risk (blog), a finance and economics blog * ''Calculated Risk'' (film), a 1963 British crime thriller film * ''Calculated Risk'' (novel), a 1960 science fiction novel by Charles Eric Maine * '' A Calcul ...

'' (1963) – Charlie *''

Z Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debuted ...

'' (1968, 1971, 1974) – Billy Rees / Matic / Vernon * ''

Go for a Take ''Go for a Take'' is a 1972 British comedy film, directed by Harry Booth and featuring Dennis Price, Bob Todd, Reg Varney, Norman Rossington, Sue Lloyd and Anouska Hempel. Debbie Russ reprises her role as the character "Tiger" from the televis ...

'' (1972) – Maurice *''

The Fenn Street Gang ''The Fenn Street Gang'' is a British television sitcom which ran for three seasons between 1971 and 1973. Created by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, it was a spin-off from their popular ''Please Sir!'' series. Synopsis The series follows the li ...

'' (1972) – Doorman *''

Play for Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...

'' (1972, 1976, 1977, 1977) – Inspector Fazil / Solly / Lionel / Jourdemayne Griffiths *''

Crown Court The Crown Court is the court of first instance of England and Wales responsible for hearing all Indictable offence, indictable offences, some Hybrid offence, either way offences and appeals lied to it by the Magistrates' court, magistrates' court ...

'' (1973, 1975–1976) – Arnold Curl / Victor Garniss * ''

'' (1974) – Lookout Pilot – George Rawlings *'' Whodunnit?'' – Chuck James (episode Dead Grass) *''

'' (1982, 1991) – Lenny Bowman / Monty *''

Howards' Way ''Howards' Way'' is a television drama series produced by BBC Birmingham and transmitted on BBC1 between 1 September 1985 and 25 November 1990. The series deals with the personal and professional lives of the wealthy yachting and business comm ...

'' (1985) – Bernie Rosen * ''

'' (1986, 2004, 2018) – Dimitri / Gordon Dodds / Joseph Rogerson *'' Bergerac'' (1987) – Toby Newsom * ''

'' (1989) – Coroner *''

You Rang, M'Lord? ''You Rang, M'Lord?'' is a BBC television sitcom written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of ''Dad's Army''. It was broadcast between 1990 and 1993 on the BBC (although there had earlier been a pilot episode in 1988). The show was s ...

'' (1990) – Sea Captain * ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...

'' (1990, 2003, 2007) – Mr Glickstein / Harry Davies / Henryk Mitzibrowski *''

Jeeves and Wooster ''Jeeves and Wooster'' is a British comedy-drama television series adapted by Clive Exton from P. G. Wodehouse's "Jeeves" stories. It aired on the ITV network from 22 April 1990 to 20 June 1993, with the last series nominated for a British ...

'' (1991) – Proprietor * ''Goodnight Sweetheart'' (1993) – Manny *''

Lovejoy ''Lovejoy'' is a British television comedy-drama mystery series, based on the novels by John Grant under the pen name Jonathan Gash. The show, which ran to 71 episodes over six series, was originally broadcast on BBC1 between 10 January 19 ...

'' (1993) – Leo * ''

'' (1995–1996) – Felix Kawalski * ''The Discovery of Heaven'' (2001) – Ibrahim *''

My Family ''My Family'' is a British sitcom created and initially co-written by Fred Barron, which was produced by DLT Entertainment and Rude Boy Productions, and broadcast by BBC One for eleven series between 2000 and 2011, with Christmas specials broadc ...

'' (2004) – Gino * ''

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama ''Casualty'', and pr ...

'' (2006, 2009) – Ronnie Shussett / David Mannstein * ''

Doctors Doctor or The Doctor may refer to: Personal titles * Doctor (title), the holder of an accredited academic degree * A medical practitioner, including: ** Physician ** Surgeon ** Dentist ** Veterinary physician ** Optometrist *Other roles ** ...

'' (2009, 2017) – Ralph Freedman / Theo Parry *''

M.I.High ''M.I. High'' is a British action television series produced by Kudos for CBBC and created by Keith Brumpton. The series focuses on a team of undercover teenage spies working for a fictional version of the secret intelligence agency MI9 who have ...

'' (2011) – Harry Fulson * ''

'' (2012, 2014) – Lou Anthony Morris, "Mr Morris" *'' Way to Go'' (2013) – Mr Rothstein * ''

'' (2014) – Old Man 3

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Landis, Harry 1926 births 2022 deaths 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors People from Stepney English male film actors English male soap opera actors English people of Polish-Jewish descent English Jews Trade unionists from London Male actors from London Jewish actors People from Spitalfields People from Hammersmith English male stage actors English male television actors English theatre directors