[29], In 1963 and 1964, Zimbalist joined fellow actors William Lundigan, Chill Wills and Walter Brennan in making appearances on behalf of U.S. It's hardly surprising that the son of renowned Russian-born concert Once it gets circulated on the internet and shows up in enough places, people begin to believe what they see. His charismatic good looks made him memorable as an accomplished actor, appearing first on stage and in several movies, but becoming more widely known for his work on television. [16], The Society of Former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation[17] honored the character of Lewis Erskine in 1985 with a set of retired credentials,[18] and on June 8, 2009 FBI Director Robert Mueller presented Zimbalist with a plaque honoring him for his work on the series.[18][19]. Ephrem Zimbalist Jr. reads from the Bible the Book of John (4 mins). She was feeling the strain on her voice and wanted to keep to performing locally in New York and Philadelphia. He became proficient at violin and composing music with several compositions to his credit. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. was born on the 30 th November 1918 in New York City, New York, USA of Russian and Romanian ancestry, and passed away on the 2 nd May 2014 in Solvang, California, USA, of natural causes at the age of 95. They started making another kind of movie, Zimbalist was generous in his praise of producer Martin and of his own experience starring in the show. Three years later in 1918 when Efrem Jr. was born, Alma decided she wanted to stop traveling. Remington Steele is an American crime drama television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. Both were much looked forward to in our house, and probably in your house too. Amadeus Press. The actor, who in recent years had retired to his ranch in Southern California's bucolic horse country, died there Friday at age 95. The clothing bills he sent home to be paid didn't win over his parents either. In the early '90s, he played Don Alejandro de la Vega in "Zorro" on the Family Channel. He died in 1985, at the age of 95. If something has been repeated often enough, people figure it must be the truth. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. married Emily Munroe McNair in December 1941. Efrem Sr. became her violin accompanist in 1912 and they fell in love, but Alma was still married to her first husband, Bernard, with whom had a small daughter, Marcia. Voted up. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. was an American actor who is best remembered for his portrayals of Dandy Jim Buckley in the TV series Maverick and the animated character Alfred Pennyworth in the superhero series Batman: The Animated Series and its spin-offs. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. made his Broadway debut in the 1945 play The Rugged Path. I think Troy Donahue was also an actor in the show. On June 8, 2009, FBI Director Robert Mueller presented him with a plaque as honorary special agent for his work on The F.B.I. In 1821 Old California, mysterious black-caped masked avenger of the oppressed, Don Diego de la Vega-Zorro-lands in jail after once again humiliating the evil Spanish governor . Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. died at age 94 and his father. The men remained mutual admirers for the rest of Hoover's life. In October 2004, he starred in the stage production of Night of the Iguana that premiered at Rubicon Theatre Company. He later reprised his role in The New Batman Adventures as well as the animated movies Batman: Mask of the Phantasm and Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman. Emily died from cancer in 1950. Their daughter, also named Stephanie ( Stephanie Zimbalist ), is the well-known actress who appeared with Pierce Brosnan in the Remington Steele (1982) television series, in which Zimbalist had a recurring role. He was 95 years old, active up until the end, playing golf three times per week and attending his church on Sundays. [7] Inducted into the United States Army, he completed his initial training at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Efrem Jr. threw himself into studying and composing music, and became dean of students in 1954. What year is Zorro set in? Thanks for reading and commenting. The following is a video of one of the news services announcing his death: When his father Efrem Zimbalist Sr. arrived in the United States in 1911, he was much in demand as a violinist, especially with the orchestra at the Metropolitan Opera House. Maria was firmly esconced at The Friends School in Pennsylvania, as was Marcia before her. Who was Efrem Zimbalist? His parents left him very little money because the Russian government confiscated it from travelers. He also recurred in the television dramatic series Hotel . . She was almost six years older than he. In January 1979, Efrem Jr. embraced the evangelical television programs, often watching them late into the night. In 1954, he was cast in his first television project, titled Concerning Miss Marlowe. There were two spellings shown of family name - Feinsohn and Fiersohn, The link shows Alma's correct birth year. Rachael O'Halloran (author) from United States on June 01, 2014: #Thank you to all for reading and commenting. Loranda's middle name was given to their daughter, actress Stephanie Zimbalist. His daughter Stephanie announced the news saying he was 95 years old, a devout Christian. Bureau. He also voiced characters in the series The Legend of Prince Valiant and Spider-Man. Because the young viewer audience was enamored of "Kookie" constantly combing his hair, a song "Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb" was released in 1959, making it a national catch-phrase. Zimbalist was born in 1918 in Brooklyn to Jewish immigrants Efrem Zimbalist Sr. (18891985), a famous Russian-born violinist [1] and symphony conductor, and Alma Gluck (18841938), an equally famous Romanian-born operatic soprano. Comedian Leslie Jones to be the first guest host of The Daily Show on Tuesday, Pamela Anderson on surviving paparazzi, tabloids, and the stolen sex tape, Golden Globes 2023 highlights and winners, Golden Globes 2023: List of winners and nominees, "S.W.A.T." After serving in WW II, in 1945, Efrem Jr. enrolled to study acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (November 30, 1918 May 2, 2014) was an American actor best known for his starring roles in the television series 77 Sunset Strip and The F.B.I. His parents were among the most famous musicians of their time. For several years, he was a member of the PTL board. They divorced in 1941. More shows were planned, but since there was no money left, the production had to cease. ), His own compositions include a violin concerto, a piano concerto (1959), the American Rhapsody, a tone poem called Daphnis and Chloe, a Fantasy on themes from The Golden Cockerel by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, a Fantasy on Bizet's Carmen (1936), and a piece called Sarasateana, for viola and piano. It was not a happy marriage because Ogden's family controlled his fortune and the couple had to rely on an allowance for support. Surprisingly I remember 77 Sunset Strip even though I was only seven years old when the series ended. He would have been handsome in any generation! Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. reportedly left the show because he did not like living in Spain. What a charmer he was, handsome and sophisticated. He became a producer to bring the not yet famous opera composer Gian Carlo Menotti's modern operas to Broadway in New York City, namely "The Telephone" and "The Medium" in 1947. That age might not seem extraordinary to some readers, but it does to me. One of the most sophisticated and professional actors of the small screen, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. rose to fame in the late 1950s and early 1960s on the strength of two popular television series: "77 Sunset Strip" (ABC, 1958-1964) and "The FBI" (ABC, 1965-1974). He graduated from the Conservatory in 1907 after winning a gold medal and the Rubinstein Prize, and by age 21 was considered one of the world's greatest violinists.[9]. When there might have been a rough patch in the marriage where Efrem Jr. had gone to Reno, Nevada in 1961 to get a divorce from Loranda, some accounts say he never went through with a divorce. Efrem Zimbalist Sr. died in 1985 when he was also nearly 94 years old. 5). His father was an internationally famous violinist and composer; his mother was a famous Metropolitan opera concertist (pronounced con-chair-tist), who still holds the world's record of being the only operatic star whose 174 recordings have sold one million records. [9] Zimbalist was assigned as a platoon leader in Company L, 60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division and participated in combat in Europe following the Normandy landings. 1947, 1948 and 1949 found him cast in several plays - Androcles and the Lion, Yellow Jack, A Pound on Demand, and Hedda Gabler (appearing with his new wife, Emily). Zimbalist was born in 1918 in New York City to Jewish immigrants Efrem Zimbalist Sr. (18891985), a famous Russian-born violinist, and Alma Gluck (18841938), an equally famous Romanian-born operatic soprano. [citation needed], Apart from 77 Sunset Strip, Zimbalist was most widely known for his starring role as Inspector Lewis Erskine in the Quinn Martin television production The F.B.I., which premiered on September 19, 1965, and aired its final episode on September 8, 1974. He also lived to be 95 years old. In a five-minute segment called "The Word" aired on TBN at 25 minutes after the hour, Zimbalist would read a verse from the Bible, eventually completing the entire text, verse by verse. Malan, Roy (2004). But yes, now I remember Ephrem Zimblast Jr. as the voice of many shows I watched as a child. Publicity photo for the US Steel Hour on television August 1, 1956. He had a small recurring role in the 1990s hit science fiction television series Babylon 5 as William Edgars. Her mother's obituary Zara Fiersohn shows she died at age 74 on August 5, 1916. Zimbalist had better luck with "The F.B.I.," which endured for a decade as one of TV's most popular shows. [8] Selected for officer candidate school, after graduation in 1943 he received his commission as a second lieutenant of Infantry. He died in 1985, at the age of 94. In 1974, Menotti adopted an adult actor and figure skater Francis "Chip" Phelan (born 1938) who had been appearing as a mime in Gian Carlo's operatic performances. "I think you play the hand the way it's dealt, that's all. American Actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. was born on 30th November, 1918 in New York City, New York, USA and passed away on 2nd May 2014 Solvang, California, USA aged 95. In 1956, he married his second wife, Loranda Stephanie Spalding. But young Efrem was bashful and withdrawn in school. Efrem starred next to Spencer Tracy. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. was a TV actor, the star of 77 Sunset Strip and The FBI. As the heir apparent to wealthy parents, his taste for expensive suits purchased at the best men's shoppes of Hartford and New Haven made him popular at school. Zimbalist's first recurring role in a Warner Bros. Television series was as roguish gambler "Dandy Jim Buckley" on Maverick, opposite James Garner in 1957, and making five appearances as the character. Alma had just been discovered in 1909 and by 1911 she was already on her way to stardom at the Metropolitan Opera, earning an amazing $700 a week. Stephanie Zimbalist has since given strong, sympathetic performances portraying independent working women in the TV movie The Story Lady (1991) and in the off-Broadway surrogate-mother drama, The Baby Dance (1991). Zimbalists parents, Alma Gluck and Efrem Zimbalist, were of Jewish descent but on emigrating to America, had left the religion. The family now following the Episcopal faith, Alma then sought out the best Episcopalian prep school in Boston for her son, the Fay School, where Efrem Jr. attended until grade nine. To each of you, please accept my thanks for taking the time to read them. "I walked onstage in a play at prep school, and with childish naivet, told myself, 'Wow, I'm an actor!'" As the sly, silver-haired mentor of Pierce Brosnan's title character on Remington Steele, he appeared on the 1982-87 NBC series with his daughter on a handful of episodes. Zimbalist Jr trained at the Yale School of Drama (from which he was expelled for bad grades) and the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. Now the memories come racing back. His and Alma's son, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., and their granddaughter, Stephanie Zimbalist, both became popular actors, primarily in television. He joked that he got the contract because Jack Warner, the head of studio, was his tennis partner. He studied at Fay School in Massachusetts and later boarded at St. Paul's School in New Hampshire. More significant, however, was Girl on the Run (1958), which served as a pilot for 77 Sunset Strip. Efrem Jr.'s sister, Maria, also lived in Reno and she died there in 1981 at age 66. star Shemar Moore announces he will be a first-time dad at 52. Actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and daughter, actress Stephanie Zimbalist attend the City of Hope's National Convention closing night gala on July 19, 2004. 110. But Jack Warner said, 'Look, television is the business today. They had two sons and Malinda died in 2005. He was a southern officer in Band of Angels (1957), which starred Clark Gable and Yvonne De Carlo; a playboy army flyer wooing Natalie Wood in Bombers B-52 (1957); and in uniform again on a second world war cruiser in The Deep Six (1958), with Alan Ladd. Following the war, Zimbalist returned to New York and made his Broadway acting debut in The Rugged Path,[10][11] starring Spencer Tracy. In October 1956 their daughter Stephanie was born. Although he continued to consider himself ethnically Jewish, he found himself attracted, along with his wife Alma, to Anglican Christianity, and they regularly attended the Episcopal Church in New Hartford. The year 1970 witnessed him in various roles in the religious-themed anthology series 'Insight. Kookie's character, played by Edd Byrnes, helped draw young viewers to the show, and his constant hair combing created the national catchphrase, "Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb.". His younger partner was Jeff Spencer (Roger Smith), and they were often helped by a young, finger-snapping, slang-talking parking lot attendant called Kookie (Edd Byrnes). ^. In 1949, he was cast as one of the four sons (the cruellest) of a ruthless businessman (Edward G Robinson) in Joseph L Mankiewicz's film noir House of Strangers. Her reported salary for engagements and royalties was over $400,000, making her a very wealthy performer, but also a target in a bitter, much contested divorce from her first husband. I stopped The film won first place in fantasy at the Dragon*Con Film Festival and was an official selection at the Los Angeles International Children's Festival and the Reel Women International Film Festival in 2009. His daughter Stephanie also took up acting -- and small-screen detective work, in the hit 1980s TV series "Remington Steele." And it was true too. [8] By the age of nine, Efrem Zimbalist was first violin in his father's orchestra. Finally, in Love Among the Steele the agency acquires a 1936 Auburn Speedster. Zimbalist was preceded in death by his second wife and by his daughter Nancy. Today. He changed his name to Menotti shortly after his adoption. In 1949, now living in California, Efrem Jr. made his film debut cast as Tony Monetti in "House of Strangers" with Edward G Robinson and Richard Conte, filmed at Warner Brothers Studios. Many of his former co-stars and friends were there, especially James Garner of Maverick and Rockford Files fame and Roger Smith from 77 Sunset Strip. Oh, how we looked forward to that show in my house! While in the army, Zimbalist got acquainted with the director Garson Kanin, who gave him his first professional acting role in the Broadway play The Rugged Path. Throwing themselves into selling Liberty Bonds, helping with the Red Cross and performing as much as four nights a week, it soon took its toll on Alma's voice while they were in Europe. and 77 Sunset Strip died Saturday in California. Zimbalist died on May 2, 2014, at the age of 95. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/efrem-zimbalist-jr-48080.php, 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities, 21st Century Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities, 21st Century American Film & Theater Personalities. . We won't let that happen.'". Jun 17, 2018 - Efrem Zimbalist Jr. with his daughter, Stephanie, circa 1978. The son of violin virtuoso Efrem Zimbalist and acclaimed opera singer Alma Gluck, young Efrem initially appeared headed for a musical career himself. Acting seemed to be his calling but getting him to crack down to seriously study acting was another matter because Efrem Jr. was all playboy. Shauna L Bowling from Central Florida on May 22, 2014: Ah, you're so right, Rachael. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. After being expelled from the university, he returned to New York City in 1936 to land on-air roles at NBC radio. For some reason, that's where I put him. Coupled with his baritone voice, he easily won over the ladies but he had no interest in the curriculum or in getting a job to support his extravagant lifestyle. She died in Reno Nevada in 1981 at the age of 66. They were the parents of at least 1 daughter. The show, one of the first TV series hits from the Warner Brothers studio, ran on ABC from 1958-64. The age of 90 plus years is a theme you may have noticed in several places in this article. pp. 9 April]1889 February 22, 1985) was a concert violinist, composer, conductor and director of the Curtis Institute of Music. Update: Roger Smith died June 4, 2017 at age 84. In 1950, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his production of "The Consul," which Efrem Jr. produced. The show was revived in the 1980s as Today's FBI starring Mike Connors. At the Fay School, Efrem Jr. performed in stage plays, but his father was grooming him to follow in his footsteps by taking training on the violin. officer and language expert whose partner was an Ivy League Ph.D. Rachael O'Halloran (author) from United States on May 22, 2014: Thank you to everyone for your comments. [17] Efrem Jr. portrayed Dandy Jim Buckley in Maverick opposite James Garner, and the lead characters in the television series 77 Sunset Strip and The FBI. It remained his favourite screen role. He was always well-dressed and his nicely tanned skin made him more handsome. Gian Carlo Menotti's interesting story appears in the sidebar. "My Brother's Keeper." He joked that being Jack Warner's tennis partner kept acting parts coming his way. Zimbalist relinquished the role after the program's first season because of the filming at studios outside Madrid, Spain, and the role subsequently went to Henry Darrow. LOS ANGELES - Handsome, debonair and blessed with a distinguished voice that reflected his real-life prep school upbringing, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. seemed born to play the television roles that made him famous, that of hip Hollywood detective and brilliant G-man. Her mother started the Ladies' Home Journal magazine and she would be the catalyst to keep the magazine published until her death in 1970. It ran for six years, and Zimbalist became a household name. He and his daughter also appeared on stage together in his later years, their first being "The Night of the Iguana". His and Alma's son, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., and their granddaughter, Stephanie Zimbalist, both became popular actors. When the show faltered in 1963, Jack Webb of "Dragnet" fame was hired for an overhaul. "I had a horror of being stuck in some series and never being heard from again. During an extremely candid interview with Gentlemans Journal for their Summer 2021 issue, the 68-year-old star reflected on his own childhood and how it defined his approach to parenting. They boarded Efrem Jr. at a Conservatory in Kiev for one year. He returned to acting in 1954, in a daytime television soap called Concerning Miss Marlowe, and to Broadway in 1956, in Nol Coward's Fallen Angels, in which he played the seductive Frenchman Maurice Duclos. By that time, Efrem Jr. and Emily McNair had two children, Nancy and Efrem "Skip" Zimbalist III. Stephanie Zimbalist was born in New York City, the daughter of Loranda Stephanie (ne Spalding) and actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Thanks for reading and commenting. Two years later, he had his first recurring role, that of a gambler named Dandy Jim Buckley, on the dramatic series Maverick. Two season one episodes were filmed on the St. Is the third of five generations of women in her family (so far) to go to Brown Ledge Camp in Malletts Bay, Vermont. Following his training in acting at Neighborhood Playhouse, he went on to serve in the United States Army during the World War II. He is best known to the world for being an actor, and one of the most recognizable voice actors of all time. Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? One of the most sophisticated and professional actors of the small screen, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. rose to fame in the late 1950s and early 1960s on the strength of two popular . His mother, born in Romania as Reba Feinsohn, sang at the Metropolitan Opera, and was one of the first singers to make records. I forgot he was in all those TV shows and film. #bravewarrior - hello! Victor W. Kwok from Hawaii on May 23, 2014: This is an amazing tribute hub. Still working on the stepmother who brought a great literary legacy which Efrem Zimbalist III (Skip) carries on to this day. Stephanie Zimbalist on the Importance of Trump. [26], Episode:"Starcrossed, Part 2 and 3' (S 2: Ep 25-26), This article is about the actor. The son of renowned artists soprano Alma Gluck and violinist Efrem Zimbalist he was the father of actress Stephanie Zimbalist, who survives him. He received his education at a boarding school and later briefly attended Yale University. Johnson. Efrem Zimbalist Jr., the elegant actor with the mellifluous baritone who costarred as the suave private eye Stuart Bailey on TV's "77 Sunset Strip" beginning in the late 1950s and later. But his joy was short-lived. Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist did not get along. In addition to his son and other daughter, Stephanie, he is . So, till date, she is neither married nor has any children. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. During this period, he made several concurrent appearances in other Warner Bros. television shows, such as Hawaiian Eye, The Alaskans, and Bronco. I have my daughter uploading several of the hubs that are ready to go so they will be published a couple per day until she cleans them all out of the waiting list. [15], Zimbalist maintained a strong personal relationship with F.B.I. He is survived by his daughter Stephanie and his son, Efrem Zimbalist III. I agree, #travmaj Thank you for reading and commenting :), #Flourish Anyway - I am always in awe of people who live well and live into their 90's or older. In 2008, he appeared in the short film The Delivery, in which he played a professor who helps a young girl in her struggles for literacy. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. I don't even know the people who are making movies today. going to the movies over 20 years ago. Its critical and surprising commercial success led to his following it up with Menotti's The Consul (1950), which won the New York Drama Critics' award and the Pulitzer prize for the best musical in 1950. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. In 2003, he published his memoirs, My Dinner of Herbs, and a year later came out of retirement to act with his daughter again in a stage production of Tennessee Williams's Night of the Iguana in Ventura, California. They don't investigate and research their information; they just copy it from other sources. A prolific actor who also appeared in numerous films and stage productions, Zimbalist became a household name in 1958 as Stu Bailey, the wisecracking private investigator who was a co-partner in a swinging Hollywood detective agency located at the exclusive address of "77 Sunset Strip.". Efrem Zimbalist Jr. had a Spoleto Fesitval connection. Wife: Emily McNair (stage actress, m. 1945, d. 1950, cancer, one daughter, one son) Daughter: Nancy Zimbalist (b. I found the above video and it brings back memories for me when I hear the FBI announcer's voice all these years later. He was its director from 1941 to 1968. At the end of each episode the series would post real photos from the FBI's most-wanted list. Zimbalist died on May 2, 2014, at the age of 95. Through the years, whenever anyone wrote about Efrem Zimbalist Jr. or introduced him at gatherings, they always used the same terms: suave, handsome, dashing, debonair. Red Holt Steele, was also a fan favorite dramatic episode which included the destruction of Lauras house in an explosion. St. Petersburg Times - Newspaper interview 1979 talking about his new church, TBN, Marcia Davenport - Wikipedia and Movie Database. He was kicked out of Yale after two years over dismal grades, which he blamed on a playboy attitude.

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