Alfie Bass

Infobox actor
name = Alfie Bass
bgcolour = silver


imagesize = 180px
caption =
birthname = Abraham Basalinksy
birthdate = birth date|1921|4|8|df=y
location = flagicon|EnglandBethnal Green, London, England
height =
deathdate = death date and age|1987|7|15|1921|4|8|df=y
deathplace = London, England
othername =
homepage =
notable role = Mr Goldberg
in "Are You Being Served?"

Alfred Bass (born Abraham Basalinksy [Oxford Dictionary of National Biography] ; 8 April 1921 – 15 July 1987) was an English actor. He was born in Bethnal Green, London to a Jewish familycite news|last=|first=|coauthors=|title=Alfie Bass Obituary|pages=14|publisher=The Jewish Chronicle|date =1987-07-24|url=|accessdate=2006-12-13] . He appeared in a variety of stage, film, television and radio productions throughout his career.

tage career

Bass's acting career began at Unity Theatre, London in the late 1930s, appearing in "Plant In The Sun", and as the pantomime King in "Babes In The Wood".

His stage career included plays by Shakespeare and ShawFact|date=August 2008. During the 1950s he continued to direct shows at Unity, and on one occasion appeared in court (along with Vida Hope) charged with putting on a play without a licence. [Colin Chambers "The Story of Unity Theatre, London" (1990)] . His stage work also included, "The Bespoke Overcoat" which was filmed in 1956. He also took over from Chaim Topol in the role of Tevye in "Fiddler on the Roof" on the West End stageFact|date=August 2008.

Film appearances

Bass first appeared on film in wartime documentaries [http://www.unitytheatre.org.uk/alfiebass.htm Alfie Bass biography] accessed 26 Jun 2007] . He has appeared in a number of feature films including "The Lavender Hill Mob", "A Tale of Two Cities (1958)" and "Alfie (1966)" starring Michael Caine and Shelley Winters. In the latter he played Harry Clamacraft, a man Alfie meets and befriends in a sanatorium.

He starred in Roman Polanski's vampire film "The Fearless Vampire Killers" (British title "The Dance of the Vampires") as innkeeper Yoine Shagal with his daughter Sarah played by Sharon Tate. In the course of the film, he and his daughter become vampires. When a maid tries to scare him off with a crucifix, he responds with "Oy, have "you" got the wrong vampire!".

Bass also appeared in the "Pride" segment of "The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins" and had a leading role in the 1977 sex comedy Come Play with Me. He has had many cameo roles, such as the Indian restaurant doorman in The Beatles' movie "Help!" (1965), and in "Moonraker" (1979).

Television and Radio

He continued working until the turn of the 1980s and had roles in the TV series "Till Death Us Do Part", "Minder", and "Are You Being Served?" as Mr. Goldberg, the second in a series of replacements for Arthur Brough's Mr. Grainger character (the first being James Hayter's Mr. Tebbs). As in the Mr. Goldberg role, he often emphasised his Jewish background in on-screen characterizations.

He also guest starred in two episodes of the British comedy television "The Goodies", in which he appeared as the "Town Planner" in "Camelot", and as the "Giant" in "The Goodies and the Beanstalk".

He starred in "The Army Game" a British TV comedy series of the late 1950s and early 1960s, and then co-starred in its sequel "Bootsie and Snudge" as a tramp with Bill Fraser and Clive Dunn.

He also appeared in the 1950s Landmark BBC Radio SF Series "Journey Into Space" as Lemuel "Lemmy" Barnet.

Death

He died of a heart attack on 15 July, 1987. His last home was in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

Footnotes

External links

*imdb name|id=0060023|name=Alfie Bass
*Screenonline name|id=449495|name=Alfie Bass

Persondata
NAME= Bass, Alfie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Basalinksy, Abraham
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Actor
DATE OF BIRTH= 8 April 1921
PLACE OF BIRTH= Bethnal Green, London, England
DATE OF DEATH= 15 July 1987
PLACE OF DEATH= London, England