Leon Askin
Leon Askin | |
|---|---|
 Askin inRoad to Bali(1952) | |
| Born | Leo Aschkenasy 18 September 1907 |
| Died | 3 June 2005(aged 97) Vienna,Austria |
| Resting place | Vienna Central Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1930s–2001 |
| Spouses | Louise "Mimi" Huntington-Smith
(m.1945;div.1955)Annelies Ehrlich
(m.1955;div.1994)Anita Wicher (m.2002) |
Leon Askin(German pronunciation:[ˈleːɔnˈaskin];bornLeo Aschkenasy,18 September 1907 – 3 June 2005) was anAustrian Jewishactor best known inNorth Americafor portraying the character General Burkhalter on the TVsituation comedyHogan's Heroes.
Life and career[edit]
Askin was born into aJewishfamily inVienna,the son of Malvine (Susman) and Samuel Aschkenasy (both of whom were later murdered in a Germanconcentration camp).[1]According to his autobiography his first experience of show business occurred during World War I when he recited a poem before EmperorFranz Joseph.In the 1920s, he studied acting withLouise DumontandMax Reinhardt.While working at Vienna's "ABC" cabaret theater in the 1930s, he frequently directed the works of dissident political writerJura Soyfer.
Askin fled Austria to the United States in 1940,[1]after having been beaten and abused by the NaziSAandSS.His parents were murdered in theTreblinkadeath camp. He then served inWorld War IIas a Staff Sergeant in theU.S. Army Air Forces.After the war, he went toHollywoodto begin a career in films, invariably portraying foreign characters who speak English with a strong accent. Askin appeared as the Russian composerAnton Rubinsteinin a Disneyland anthology episode of the life ofPeter Tchaikovsky.[2]Fans of thetelevision seriesAdventures of Supermanrecall his portrayals of an eastern European diamond smuggler (Joseph Ferdinand) in the 1953 black-and-white episode "Superman in Exile",[3]and as a South American prime minister in a color episode. He appeared in20th Century Fox's biblical epicThe Robein 1953 as a Syrian guide named Abidor. In 1960, he appeared in the filmPension Schöller,and the following year was prominently featured inBilly Wilder's filmOne, Two, Three,co-starring withJames Cagney.
Askin gained wide recognition and popularity for his recurring role as the sternGeneral Albert Burkhalterin the sitcomHogan's Heroes,appearing in 67 episodes of the show’s run from 1965 to 1971, including the pilot episode. Burkhalter was the gruff and portly commanding officer of Colonel Klink, the bungling commandant of a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp, manipulated by American Colonel Hogan so that the prisoners would get away with clandestine activities.
Askin made guest appearances onThe Restless Gun1957 episode "The Shooting of Jett King",My Favorite Martianand the 1965 episode "Martin Of The Movies" as Von Reinbein.The Monkees1967 episode "The Card Carrying Red Shoes", as Nicolai, onDaniel Boonein its 1969 episode "Benvenuto... Who?" as Roquelinm and in the "Fiddler in the House" episode of the 1974 situation comedyPaul Sand in Friends and Loversas a violin virtuoso. Between 1977 and 1979, he appeared inSteve Allen'sPBSseries,Meeting of Minds,portrayingMartin LutherandKarl Marx.He portrayed a psychology professor in a season six episode ofHappy Days.In 1979 he portrayed the character Mr. Hoffmeier of Hoffmeier’s Bakery, judging a pie contest in an episode in the third season ofThree’s Companytitled "The Bake-Off".
His other film credits include roles in:
- Road to Bali(1952)
- Desert Legion(1953)
- The Veils of Bagdad(1953)
- Knock on Wood(1954)
- Secret of the Incas(1954)
- Valley of the Kings(1954)
- Son of Sinbad(1955)
- The Last Blitzkrieg(1959)
- Lulu(1962)
- Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace(1962)
- Do Not Disturb(1965)
- What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?(1966)
- Double Trouble(1967)
- The Caper of the Golden Bulls(1967)
- The Perils of Pauline(1967)
- The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz(1968)
- A Fine Pair(1968)
- Guns for San Sebastian(1968)
- The Maltese Bippy(1969)
- Death Knocks Twice(1969)
- Hammersmith Is Out(1972)
- The World's Greatest Athlete(1973)
- Going Ape!(1981)
- Frightmare(1983).
In 1982, he had a brief appearance as a Moscow Anchorman in the filmAirplane II: The Sequel.
Askin had a role in the classicMel BrookscomedyYoung Frankenstein(1974), but his scenes were cut from the film.
Death[edit]
Askin died from natural causes inViennaon June 3, 2005, at the age of 97 and is interred atVienna Central Cemetery.[4]
Filmography[edit]
Film[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Assignment – Paris! | Franz | Uncredited |
| 1952 | Road to Bali | King Ramayana | |
| 1953 | Desert Legion | Maj. Vasil | |
| 1953 | South Sea Woman | Pierre Marchand | |
| 1953 | China Venture | Wu King | |
| 1953 | The Robe | Abidor | |
| 1953 | The Veils of Bagdad | Pasha Hammam | |
| 1954 | Knock on Wood | Laslo Gromeck | |
| 1954 | Secret of the Incas | Anton Marcu | |
| 1954 | Valley of the Kings | Valentine Arko | |
| 1955 | Carolina Cannonball | Otto | |
| 1955 | Son of Sinbad | Khalif | |
| 1955 | Spy Chasers | Col. Alex Baxis | |
| 1958 | Der Schinderhannes | Rochus Eppelsheimer | |
| 1959 | The Last Blitzkrieg | Sergeant Steiner | |
| 1959 | Abschied von den Wolken | Gen. Cordobas | |
| 1960 | Mistress of the World | Fernando | |
| 1960 | Pension Schöller | Fritz Bernhardi | |
| 1960 | Until Money Departs You | Dr. Plauert | |
| 1960 | Weit ist der Weg | Luiz | |
| 1961 | Immer Ärger mit dem Bett | Luigi Papagallo | |
| 1961 | Blind Justice | Strafverteidiger Dr. Leupold | |
| 1961 | One, Two, Three | Peripetchikoff | |
| 1962 | Lulu | Dr. Goll | |
| 1962 | The Testament of Dr. Mabuse | Flocke | |
| 1962 | Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace | Charles | |
| 1965 | John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! | Samir | |
| 1965 | Do Not Disturb | Langsdorf | |
| 1966 | What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? | Col. Kastorp | |
| 1967 | Double Trouble | Inspector de Groote | |
| 1967 | The Caper of the Golden Bulls | Morchek | |
| 1967 | The Perils of Pauline | Commisar | |
| 1968 | The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz | Oscar | |
| 1968 | Guns for San Sebastian | Vicar General | |
| 1968 | A Fine Pair | Chief Wellman | |
| 1968 | Die Funkstreife Gottes | Felix | |
| 1968 | Lucrezia | Alessandro VI | |
| 1969 | The Maltese Bippy | Axel Kronstadt | |
| 1969 | Death Knocks Twice | Pepe Mangano | |
| 1972 | Hammersmith Is Out | Dr. Krodt | |
| 1973 | Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls | Thor | |
| 1973 | Genesis II | Overseer | |
| 1973 | The World's Greatest Athlete | Dr. Gottlieb | |
| 1974 | Young Frankenstein | Herr Waldman | Uncredited / Scene Deleted |
| 1974 | Karl May | Klotz-Sello | |
| 1974 | Perahim – die zweite Chance | ||
| 1975 | Parapsycho – Spectrum of Fear | ||
| 1981 | Going Ape! | Zebrewski | |
| 1982 | Airplane II: The Sequel | Moscow Anchorman | |
| 1983 | Frightmare | Wolfgang | |
| 1984 | A Stroke of Genius | ||
| 1985 | Savage Island | Luker | |
| 1985 | Stiffs | Funeral Director | |
| 1985 | First Strike | ||
| 1986 | Odd Jobs | Don Carlucci | |
| 1987 | Deshima | Frank Nievergelt | |
| 1994 | OcchioPinocchio | The Psychiatrist | |
| 1994 | Höhenangst | Vater Gusenleitner | |
| 1994 | Adolf Lanz – Mein Krampf | Josef Lanz von Liebenfels | |
| 1995 | Tödliche Liebe | ||
| 1998 | Black Flamingos – Sie lieben euch zu Tode | ||
| 1999 | Kubanisch rauchen | Waranovsky | |
| 2001 | Ene mene muh – und tot bist du | (final film role) |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-1971 | Hogan's Heroes | General Burkhalter | 67 episodes | |
| 1967 | The Monkees | Nicolai | S2:E9, "The Card Carrying Red Shoes" | |
| 1969 | Daniel Boone | Roquelin | 1 Episode | |
| 1983 | Kottan ermittelt | Rudolf Wasservogel | 3 Episodes | |
| 1985 | Diff'rent Strokes | Doshenko |
Decorations and awards[edit]
- 1988:Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art[5]
- 1994: Silver Medal for Service to the City of Vienna
- 1996: Award of the title "professor"
- 2001:Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class[6]
- 2002: Gold Medal of Honour for Services to the city of Vienna
- 2003:Goldener Rathausmannof Vienna to mark the 75th anniversary
- 2007: Naming of Leon-Askin-Platz inVienna-Penzing
- 2007: A bust of Leon Askin in Türkenschanzpark (Vienna)
- 2007: Plaque unveiled at Hütteldorferstrasse 349 in Vienna-Penzing, to mark 100th anniversary of Askin's birth
- 2009: At Sechsschimmelgasse 19 inVienna-Alsergrunda public housing block was named after him
- 27 May 2010: Leon-Askin-Park at Grundsteingasse inOttakring(Vienna's 16th District) named after Askin
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Notes
- ^ab"Leon Askin Biography (1907-)".Filmreference.com.Advameg.Retrieved9 July2011.
- ^VideoonYouTube
- ^""Adventures of Superman" Superman in Exile (TV Episode 1953) ".
- ^Wilson, Scott.Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons,3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.
- ^"Reply to a parliamentary question"(PDF)(in German). p. 811.Retrieved14 January2013.
- ^"Reply to a parliamentary question"(PDF)(in German). p. 1383.Retrieved14 January2013.
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(October 2009) |
External links[edit]
- Official website
- Leon AskinatIMDb
- Leon Askinat theInternet Broadway Database
- Literature on Leon Askin
- Leon Askin(in German) from the archive of theÖsterreichische Mediathek
- 1907 births
- 2005 deaths
- 20th-century Austrian male actors
- 21st-century Austrian male actors
- Austrian expatriates in the United States
- Austrian expatriate male actors in the United States
- Austrian male film actors
- Austrian male television actors
- Burials at the Vienna Central Cemetery
- Jewish Austrian male actors
- Male actors from Vienna
- Recipients of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class
- United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
- Jewish actors on Hogan's Heroes