Shalom "Sam" Jaffe (March 10, 1891 – March 24, 1984) was an American actor and teacher, known for his portrayals of intelligent but eccentric characters. He achieved prominence in Hollywood for his portrayal of the titular character in the adventure film Gunga Din (1939). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his performance in the classic film noir The Asphalt Jungle (1950).

Jaffe subsequently played notable roles in films like The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), Ben-Hur (1959), and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). He also had a co-starring role as neurosurgeon Dr. David Zorba on the television medical drama Ben Casey (1961–65), which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1962.

Early life Shalom Jaffe () was born to Ukrainian Jewish parents Heida (Ada) and Barnett Jaffe at 97 Orchard Street (current location of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum) in New York City. His mother was a Yiddish actress in Odesa (then in the Russian Empire), 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.

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: The Asphalt Jungle and The Barbarian and the Geisha.

Career

Theatre 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. Two years later, he played Yudelson in the original Broadway production of The Jazz Singer.

His other Broadway credits included Grand Hotel (1930–31), The Eternal Road (1937), A Doll's House (1937–38), and Cafe Crown (1942).

Film Jaffe began to work in film in 1934, rising to prominence with his first role as the mad Tsar Peter III in The Scarlet Empress. In 1938, Jaffe was 47-years-old when he played the title role of bhisti (waterbearer) Gunga Din.

In 1950, he won the Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival for his portrayal of criminal mastermind "Doc" Erwin Riedenschneider in John Huston's film noir The Asphalt Jungle. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for his performance.

Jaffe was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses during the 1950s, supposedly for being a communist sympathizer. Despite being blacklisted, he was hired first by Robert Wise for The Day the Earth Stood Still and then by director William Wyler for his role in the 1959 Academy Award-winning version of Ben-Hur.

Television Jaffe co-starred in the ABC television series, Ben Casey, as Dr. David Zorba from 1961 to 1965, alongside Vince Edwards. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for that role in 1962.

He also had many guest-starring roles on other series, including Batman (as Mr. Zoltan Zorba) and in 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 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.

Jaffe's closest friends included Zero Mostel, Edward G. Robinson, Ray Bradbury, and Igor Stravinsky

Death Jaffe died of cancer in Beverly Hills, California, in 1984, 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, they were buried with her in Williston Cemetery, Williston, South Carolina.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Director Notes 1916 A Cheap Vacation P.D. Hugon Short film 1934 The Scarlet Empress Grand Duke Peter Josef von Sternberg We Live Again Gregory Simonson Rouben Mamoulian 1937 Lost Horizon The High Lama Frank Capra 1939 Gunga Din Gunga Din George Stevens 1943 Stage Door Canteen Himself Frank Borzage 1946 13 Rue Madeleine Mayor Galimard Henry Hathaway 1947 Gentleman's Agreement Prof. Fred Lieberman Elia Kazan 1949 The Accused Dr. Romley William Dieterle Rope of Sand Dr. Francis Hunter 1950 The Asphalt Jungle "Doc" Erwin Riedenschneider John Huston 1951 I Can Get It for You Wholesale Sam Cooper Michael Gordon The Day the Earth Stood Still Prof. Jacob Barnhardt Robert Wise 1953 Main Street to Broadway First Nighter Tay Garnett Uncredited 1957 Les Espions Sam Cooper Henri-Georges Clouzot 1958 The Barbarian and the Geisha Henry Heusken John Huston 1959 Ben-Hur Simonides William Wyler 1967 A Guide for the Married Man Shrink Gene KellyUncredited 1968 La Bataille de San Sebastian Father Joseph Henri Verneuil 1969 The Great Bank Robbery Lilac Bailey Hy Averback 1970 The Dunwich Horror Old Whateley Daniel Haller Quarantined Mr. Berryman Leo Penn The Old Man Who Cried Wolf Abe Stillman Walter Grauman1971 Bedknobs and Broomsticks Bookman Robert Stevenson 1980 Battle Beyond the Stars Dr. Hephaestus Jimmy T. Murakami1984 On the Line El Gabacho José Luis Borau Nothing Lasts Forever Father Knickerbocker Tom Schiller

Television +YearTitleRoleNotes1960–61Alfred Hitchcock Presents The Abbot/Hal Ballew2 episodesThe Law and Mr. JonesMartin Berger1961The WesternerOld Man McKeenEpisode: "The Old Man"The UntouchablesLuigi ValconeEpisode: "Augie 'The Banker' Ciamino"Naked CityLazslo LubaszEpisode: "Economy of Death"The IslandersPapa MatthewsEpisode: "To Bell a Cat"1961–65Ben Casey Dr. David ZorbaMain cast; Seasons 1-41965Daniel BooneJed TolsenEpisode: "The First Beau"1966BatmanZoltan ZorbraEpisode: "Walk the Straight and Narrow"BonanzaJoshua NortonEpisode: "The Emperor Norton"1969Night GalleryBleumSegment: "The Escape Route"1970QuarantinedBerrymanTV movieThe Old Man Who Cried WolfAbe Stillman1971–72Alias Smith and JonesSoapy Saunders3 episodes1971Enemies GittelmannTV movieMoochHimselfTV movieWho Killed the Mysterious Mr. Foster?TobyTV movie1973Saga of SonoraOld SamTV movieThe Snoop SistersIssac WaldersackEpisode: "Corpse and Robbers"1974QB VIIDr. Mark TesslerMiniseriesThe Best of TimesRabbi RothThe Streets of San FranciscoAlex ZubatukEpisode: "Mr. Nobody"1975S.W.A.T.Dr. BrunnerEpisode: "Omega One"ColumboDr. Henry WillisEpisode: "Forgotten Lady"Harry ODr. Howard CambridgeEpisode: "The Acolyte"1976The Bionic WomanAdmiral RichterEpisode: "Kill Oscar: Part 3"The Sad and Lonely SundaysDr. SweeneyTV movie1977KojakPapaEpisode: "Tears for All Who Loved Her"1980Buck Rogers in the 25th CenturyCouncil LeaderEpisode: "Flight Of The War Witch" 1983The Love BoatProf. WeberEpisode: "The Professor Has Class"1984Gideon's TrumpetSupreme Court JusticeTV movie

Awards and nominations +InstitutionYearCategoryWorkResultRef.Academy Awards1951Best Supporting ActorThe Asphalt JunglePrimetime Emmy Awards1962Outstanding Supporting ActorBen CaseyVenice Film Festival1950Best ActorThe Asphalt Jungle

References

Notes

Further reading

External links

Sam Jaffe at TCM Movie Database