Shalom "Sam" Jaffe (March 10, 1891 â€" March 24, 1984) was an American
actor, teacher, musician, and engineer. In 1951, he was nominated for
the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The
Asphalt Jungle (1950) and appeared in other classic films such as
Ben-Hur (1959) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). He is also
remembered for other outstanding performances such as the title role
in Gunga Din (1939) and the High Lama in Lost Horizon (1937).Jaffe was
born to Russian Jewish parents Heida (Ada) and Barnett Jaffe in New
York City, New York, and grew up bilingual in Russian and English (as
evidenced 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.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. 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, rising
to prominence with his very first role as the mad Tsar Peter III in
The Scarlet Empress. In 1938, Jaffe was forty-seven years old when he
played the title role of water "boy" Gunga Din.Jaffe was blacklisted
by the Hollywood movie studio bosses during the 1950s, supposedly for
being a communist sympathizer. Despite this, 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.
actor, teacher, musician, and engineer. In 1951, he was nominated for
the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The
Asphalt Jungle (1950) and appeared in other classic films such as
Ben-Hur (1959) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). He is also
remembered for other outstanding performances such as the title role
in Gunga Din (1939) and the High Lama in Lost Horizon (1937).Jaffe was
born to Russian Jewish parents Heida (Ada) and Barnett Jaffe in New
York City, New York, and grew up bilingual in Russian and English (as
evidenced 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.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. 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, rising
to prominence with his very first role as the mad Tsar Peter III in
The Scarlet Empress. In 1938, Jaffe was forty-seven years old when he
played the title role of water "boy" Gunga Din.Jaffe was blacklisted
by the Hollywood movie studio bosses during the 1950s, supposedly for
being a communist sympathizer. Despite this, 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.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.