Eduard Franz

Eduard Franz

Eduard Franz (left)
Born Eduard Franz Schmidt
(1902-10-31)October 31, 1902
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died February 10, 1987(1987-02-10) (aged 84)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of death Illness
Occupation Actor
Years active 1918–1987

Eduard Franz (born Eduard Franz Schmidt; October 31, 1902 – February 10, 1987) was an American actor of theatre, film and television.[1] Franz portrayed King Ahab in the 1953 biblical low-budget film Sins of Jezebel, Jethro in Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments (1956), and Jehoam in Henry Koster's The Story of Ruth (1960).

Life and career

Franz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was a leading Broadway actor for nearly 20 years, in such plays as First Stop to Heaven and Embezzled Heaven, before making his film debut opposite John Wayne in Wake of the Red Witch in 1948. He portrayed Chief Broken Hand in White Feather. He played such intellectuals as Dr. Stern in The Thing (From Another Planet) (1951), a university professor in The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake (1959), and Justice Louis Brandeis in The Magnificent Yankee. He appeared in a 1957 television adaptation of A. J. Cronin's novel, Beyond This Place, which was directed by Sidney Lumet.

Franz appeared in two separate remakes of Al Jolson's 1927 cinema classic The Jazz Singer, each time playing the key role of the aged and ailing synagogue cantor upset by his son's decision to pursue a secular show-business career rather than continue the family tradition and follow in his father's religious footsteps - the 1952 film version of the story starring Danny Thomas and the 1959 television version starring Jerry Lewis.

In 1956, he guest starred with Joan Fontaine in the episode "The De Santre Story" of the NBC anthology series, The Joseph Cotten Show. By 1958, he was in the second season of Zorro, playing the role of Señor Gregorio Verdugo. He guest starred as Jules Silberg in the 1960 episode "The Test" of CBS's anthology series The DuPont Show with June Allyson, with June Allyson portraying the role of Ruth Taylor.

In 1961, Franz and Scott Marlowe guest starred in the episode "The Duke of Texas" of CBS's western series Have Gun - Will Travel, with Richard Boone, as two Austrians involved in intrigue in the days of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico. Also, in that same year, Franz guest starred as Gustave Helmer in the ABC legal drama The Law and Mr. Jones with James Whitmore in the title role and Jack Mullaney as a second guest star.[2] About that same time, he appeared on NBC's anthology series, The Barbara Stanwyck Show and on the NBC western Cimarron City.

In 1963, Franz was cast as psychiatric clinic director Dr. Edward Raymer in thirty episodes of the weekly ABC medical drama Breaking Point with co-star Paul Richards.[3]

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1948 The Iron Curtain Maj. Semyon Kulin
Hollow Triumph Frederick Muller
Wake of the Red Witch Harmenszoon Van Schreeven
1949 Outpost in Morocco Emir of Bel-Rashad
Madame Bovary Rouault
Whirlpool Martin Avery
Oh, You Beautiful Doll Gottfried Steiner
1950 Francis Colonel Pepper
The Vicious Years Emilio Rossi
Emergency Wedding Doctor Heimer
The Du Pont Story Eleuthère Irénée du Pont
The Magnificent Yankee Judge Louis Brandeis
The Goldbergs Alexander 'Abie' Abel
1951 The Thing from Another World Doctor Stern
The Great Caruso Giulio Gatti-Casazza
The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel Colonel Klaus von Stauffenberg
The Unknown Man Andrew Jason 'Andy' Layford
1952 Shadow in the Sky The Doctor
One Minute to Zero Dr. Gustav Engstrand
Because You're Mine Albert Parkson Foster
Everything I Have Is Yours Phil Meisner
The Jazz Singer Cantor David Golding
1953 Three Lives Short
Cavalcade of America Samuel Morse Episodes "Mightier Than the Sword" and "What God Hath Wrought"
Dream Wife Khan of Bukistan
Latin Lovers Doctor Lionel Y. Newman
Sins of Jezebel King Ahab
1954 Beachhead Bouchard, French Planter
Living It Up Doctor Nassau Uncredited
Broken Lance Two Moons
Treasury Men in Action Ed Emery Episode "The Case of the Man Outside"
Sign of the Pagan Astrologer
1955 White Feather Chief Broken Hand
The Ford Television Theatre Paul Episode "Tomorrow We'll Love"
The Last Command Lorenzo de Quesada
Lux Video Theatre Emil Episodes "Return to Alsace" and "The Last Confession"
Lady Godiva of Coventry King Edward
The Indian Fighter Red Cloud
1956 Casablanca Ben Hassan Episode "The Alley"
Three for Jamie Dawn Anton Karek
The Burning Hills Jacob Lantz - Tracker
The Ten Commandments Jethro
The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial De Santre Episode "The De Santre Story"
1957 Crossroads Episode "Weekend Minister"
Man Afraid Carl Simmons
Wagon Train Dr. Rand, Les Rand's Father Episode "The Les Rand Story" October 16, 1957
1958 Day of the Badman Andrew Owens
The Last of the Fast Guns Padre Jose
A Certain Smile M. Vallon
1959 The Jazz Singer Cantor Rabinowitz Episode of Lincoln-Mercury Startime, October 13, 1959
The Miracle Priest Uncredited
The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake Jonathan Drake
1960 The Story of Ruth Jehoam
Gunsmoke Amos Cartwright Episode 1.23 "Indian Scout"
1961 The Fiercest Heart Hugo Baumon
Francis of Assisi Pietro Bernardone
1962 Hatari! Dr. Sanderson
Beauty and the Beast Orsini
Stoney Burke Terry Meade Episode: "Child of Luxury"
1966 Cyborg 2087 Prof. Sigmund Marx
The Fugitive Edward Roland Episode: "94"
1967 The President's Analyst Ethan Allan Cocket
1971 Johnny Got His Gun Col. / Gen. Tillery
1983 Twilight Zone: The Movie Old Man (Segment #4) (Last appearance)

The Waltons - The Collision (Season 4, Ep. 24) and The Courtship (Season 1, Ep. 18)

References

External links

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