Rolfe Sedan (January 20, 1896 â€" September 15, 1982) was an American
character actor, best known for appearing in bit parts, often
uncredited, usually portraying clerks, train conductors, postmen,
cooks, waiters etc.Born Edward Sedan in New York City, his mother was
a Broadway theatre fashion designer and his father an orchestra
conductor.He began his career in show business as a nightclub and
vaudeville performer and began acting in East Coast theatre. Sedan
debuted on Broadway in 1916 and appeared in his first motion picture
for Metro Pictures Corporation in 1921.Sedan became a prolific
character actor and is probably best remembered by movie buffs as the
hotel manager in Ninotchka (1939) starring Greta Garbo; he made
uncredited appearances in several other Garbo films. He appeared in
another uncredited role as the Emerald City's Balloon Ascensionist in
The Wizard of Oz (1939). He made many uncredited appearances in bit
parts in several films starring The Marx Brothers, with somewhat
larger parts in Monkey Business (1931) and A Night at the Opera
(1935). Sedan returned to Broadway, performing in several different
shows during the first half of the 1940s and in the 1950s began a
sequence of guest roles in television series such as I Love Lucy,
where he played the chef at a Parisian restaurant in "Paris at Last"
(episode 145), The Jack Benny Program, and The Tab Hunter Show.
Sedan's most frequent TV work came from recurring roles as hapless
mail carriers (25 episodes as Mr. Beasley on The George Burns and
Gracie Allen Show; four episodes as Mr. Briggs on The Addams Family).
He was also seen as the train conductor in the film Young Frankenstein
(1974), and in bit parts in two other Gene Wilder pictures. Rolfe
Sedan remained active throughout a career that spanned more than six
decades.
character actor, best known for appearing in bit parts, often
uncredited, usually portraying clerks, train conductors, postmen,
cooks, waiters etc.Born Edward Sedan in New York City, his mother was
a Broadway theatre fashion designer and his father an orchestra
conductor.He began his career in show business as a nightclub and
vaudeville performer and began acting in East Coast theatre. Sedan
debuted on Broadway in 1916 and appeared in his first motion picture
for Metro Pictures Corporation in 1921.Sedan became a prolific
character actor and is probably best remembered by movie buffs as the
hotel manager in Ninotchka (1939) starring Greta Garbo; he made
uncredited appearances in several other Garbo films. He appeared in
another uncredited role as the Emerald City's Balloon Ascensionist in
The Wizard of Oz (1939). He made many uncredited appearances in bit
parts in several films starring The Marx Brothers, with somewhat
larger parts in Monkey Business (1931) and A Night at the Opera
(1935). Sedan returned to Broadway, performing in several different
shows during the first half of the 1940s and in the 1950s began a
sequence of guest roles in television series such as I Love Lucy,
where he played the chef at a Parisian restaurant in "Paris at Last"
(episode 145), The Jack Benny Program, and The Tab Hunter Show.
Sedan's most frequent TV work came from recurring roles as hapless
mail carriers (25 episodes as Mr. Beasley on The George Burns and
Gracie Allen Show; four episodes as Mr. Briggs on The Addams Family).
He was also seen as the train conductor in the film Young Frankenstein
(1974), and in bit parts in two other Gene Wilder pictures. Rolfe
Sedan remained active throughout a career that spanned more than six
decades.
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