Shalom "Sam" Jaffe (March 10, 1891 – March 24, 1984) was an American actor, teacher, musician, and engineer. In 1951, he was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while worki ...

for his performance in ''

The Asphalt Jungle ''The Asphalt Jungle'' is a 1950 American film noir heist film directed by John Huston. Based on the 1949 novel of the same name by W. R. Burnett, it tells the story of a jewel robbery in a Midwestern city. The film stars Sterling Hayden and Lo ...

'' (1950) and appeared in other classic films such as ''

The Day the Earth Stood Still ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (a.k.a. ''Farewell to the Master'' and ''Journey to the World'') is a 1951 American science fiction film from 20th Century Fox, produced by Julian Blaustein and directed by Robert Wise. It stars Michael Renn ...

'' (1951) and '' Ben-Hur'' (1959). He is also remembered for other outstanding performances such as the title role in ''

Gunga Din "Gunga Din" () is an 1890 poem by Rudyard Kipling set in British India. The poem is much remembered for its final line: "You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din". Background The poem is a rhyming narrative from the point of view of a Briti ...

'' (1939) and the High Lama in ''

Lost Horizon ''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called ''Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by director Frank Capra. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamaser ...

'' (1937).

Early life

Jaffe was born to

Russian Jewish The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest pop ...

parents Heida (Ada) and Barnett Jaffe at 97 Orchard Street (current location of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum) in New York City, New York (state), New York. He grew up bilingual in Russian and English (as evidence
in his part
in ''Stage Door Canteen'' (1943)). His mother was a Yiddish actress in Odessa, Ukraine, prior to moving to the United States; his father was a jeweller. He was the youngest of four children; his siblings were Abraham, Sophie, and Annie. As a child, he appeared in Yiddish theatre productions with his mother, who after moving to the United States became a prominent actress and vaudeville star. He graduated from Townsend Harris High School and studied engineering at City College of New York, graduating in 1912. He later attended Columbia University for graduate studies. He also worked for several years as a teacher, and then dean, of mathematics at the Bronx Cultural Institute, a college preparatory school, before returning to acting in 1915.

Career

As a young man, he lived in Greenwich Village in the same apartment building as a young John Huston. The two men became good friends and remained so for life. Jaffe was later to star in two of Huston's films: ''

'' and ''The Barbarian and the Geisha''. Jaffe's closest friends included Zero Mostel, Edward G. Robinson, Ray Bradbury, and Igor Stravinsky. In 1923 he appeared in the Broadway premiere of ''God of Vengeance (Got fun Nekome)'' by Sholem Asch, as Reb Ali. The production became notorious after the cast, producer, and theatre owner were indicted and found guilty on charges of indecency in May 1923. Jaffe began to work in film in 1934 in film, 1934, rising to prominence with his very first role as the mad Peter III of Russia, Tsar Peter III in ''The Scarlet Empress''. In 1938, Jaffe was forty-seven years old when he played the title role of ''bhisti'' (waterbearer) ''Gunga Din''. Jaffe was Hollywood ten, blacklisted by the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood movie studio bosses during the 1950s, supposedly for being a Communism, communist sympathizer. Despite this, he was hired first by Robert Wise for ''

'' and then by director William Wyler for his role in the 1959 in film, 1959 Academy Award-winning version of '' Ben-Hur''. Jaffe co-starred in the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television series, ''Ben Casey'' as Dr. David Zorba from 1961 to 1965 alongside Vince Edwards. He also made many guest-starring roles on other series, including ''Batman (TV series), Batman'' as Mr. Zoltan Zorba, and the Western ''Alias Smith and Jones''. In 1975, he co-starred as a retired doctor who is murdered by Janet Leigh in the ''Columbo'' episode "Forgotten Lady". He also appeared with an all-star cast in the TV pilot film of Rod Serling's ''Night Gallery'' and as Emperor Norton in one episode of ''Bonanza''.

Personal life and death

Jaffe was married to American operatic soprano and musical comedy star Lillian Taiz from 1926 until her death from cancer in 1941. In 1956, he married actress Bettye Ackerman, 33 years his junior, with whom he later co-starred in ''Ben Casey''. She died on November 1, 2006. He had no children from either marriage. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, Jaffe supported the campaign of Adlai Stevenson II during the 1952 United States presidential election, 1952 presidential election. Jaffe died of cancer in Beverly Hills, California two weeks after his 93rd birthday. He was cremated at the Pasadena Crematory in Altadena, California, and his ashes were given to his surviving wife, Bettye, and, upon her death in 2006, buried with her at Williston Cemetery in Williston, South Carolina.

Filmography

1976 Sad Lonely Sundays Oath Jack Albertson Sam Jaffe

Television credits

* ''The Law and Mr. Jones'', 1960–1961, two episodes as Martin Berger * ''The Westerner (TV series), The Westerner'', episode "The Old Man" (1961) – Old Man McKeen * ''The Untouchables (1959 TV series), The Untouchables'', episode "Augie 'The Banker' Ciamino" (1961) – Luigi Valcone * ''Naked City (TV series), Naked City'', ''Economy of Death'' (1961) – Lazslo Lubasz * ''The Islanders (TV series), The Islanders'', "To Bell a Cat" (1961) – Papa Mathews * ''Ben Casey'' (series, 1961–1965) – Dr. David Zorba, with Vince Edwards (127 episodes) * ''Daniel Boone (1964 TV series)'', S2/E12 "The First Beau" (1965) – Jed Tolson * ''Bonanza'', episode "The Emperor Norton" (1966) – Joshua Norton * ''Batman (TV series), Batman'', episode "Walk The Straight and Narrow" (1966) – Zoltan Zorba (uncredited) * ''Night Gallery (film), Night Gallery'', "The Escape Route" segment (1969) * ''Alias Smith and Jones'', episodes "The Great Shell Game" (1971), "A Fistful of Diamonds" (1971) and "Bad Night in Big Butte" (1972) – Soapy Saunders * ''The Snoop Sisters'', episode "Corpse and Robbers" (1973) – Issac Waldersack * ''QB VII (miniseries), QB VII'' (1974 miniseries) : Dr. Mark Tessler * ''The Streets of San Francisco'', episode "Mr. Nobody" (1974) – Alex Zubatuk * ''S.W.A.T. (1975 TV series), S.W.A.T.'', episode "Omega One" (1975) – Dr. Brunner * ''List of Columbo episodes#Season 5, ''Columbo'': "Forgotten Lady"'' (1975) * ''Harry O (TV series), Harry O'', episode "The Acolyte" (1975) – Dr. Howard Cambridge * ''The Bionic Woman'', episode "Kill Oscar: Part 3" (1976) – Admiral Richter * ''Kojak'', episode "Tears for All Who Loved Her" (1977) – Papa * ''Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV series), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', episode "Flight Of The War Witch" (1980) – Council Leader * ''The Love Boat'', Professor Weber, (1983)

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jaffe, Sam 1891 births 1984 deaths 20th-century American male actors Male actors from New York City Jewish American male actors American male film actors American people of Russian-Jewish descent American male stage actors American male television actors Deaths from cancer in California Columbia University alumni City College of New York alumni Hollywood blacklist Volpi Cup for Best Actor winners Townsend Harris High School alumni California Democrats New York (state) Democrats 20th-century American Jews