Herschel Bernardi (October 30, 1923 – May 9, 1986) was an American actor and singer. He is best known for his
supporting role
A supporting character is a character in a narrative that is not the focus of the primary storyline, but is important to the plot/protagonist, and appears or is mentioned in the story enough to be more than just a minor character or a cameo ap ...
in the drama television series ''
Peter Gunn
''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...
'' (1958–1961) and his
leading role
A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...
in the comedy television series ''
Arnie'' (1970–1972). The two series earned him a
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
nomination and two consecutive
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
nominations.
On stage, Bernardi appeared in many
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
musicals. He was nominated for two
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
s for his performances in the original production of ''
Zorba'' and the 1981 revival of ''
Fiddler on the Roof
''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the ...
''.
Biography
Born in New York City, the younger son of Berel Bernardi and Helen Bernardi, Herschel was appearing on the stages of 2nd Avenue with his acting family before he could talk. In the 1930s, Bernardi appeared in the
Yiddish films of
Edgar G. Ulmer and was later among those actors who made the transition from Yiddish language films to English language films. Herschel was the brother of Jack Bernardi (who played Harvey Pulp in ''
It's a Bikini World
''It's a Bikini World'' is a 1967 American musical comedy film starring Tommy Kirk, Deborah Walley and Bobby Pickett. The film features cameos by the music groups the Gentrys, the Animals, Pat & Lolly Vegas, the Castaways and R&B girl g ...
'').
Bernardi is known for his starring roles on Broadway, including Tevye in ''
Fiddler on the Roof
''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the ...
'', ''
Zorba'', and ''
Bajour
Bajaur District ( ps, باجوړ ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, then during restructuring that merg ...
''. He also appeared in many television programs, including ''
Harbor Command'' and ''
The Eleventh Hour'' (both with
Wendell Corey) and ''
State Trooper
State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdicti ...
'' with
Rod Cameron.
His career as a performer was affected by his being
blacklisted
Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist (or black list) of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list. If someone is on a blacklist, ...
for alleged involvement in the Communist Party in the 1950s.
From 1958 to 1961, Bernardi co-starred with
Craig Stevens in
Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor.
Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio s ...
's television series ''
Peter Gunn
''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...
''. He received his sole
Emmy
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nomination, for Best Supporting Actor (Continuing Character) in a Dramatic Series - 1959, for his portrayal of Lieutenant Jacoby.
In 1961 Bernardi guest-starred in a ''
Bonanza
''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...
'' episode ("The Smiler") as Clarence Bolling, the vengeful brother of a murdered man.
In 1963 he was cast as Mr. Otis, a teacher who mostly ignores his students, in the episode "I Don't Even Live Here" of the
NBC education drama series ''
Mr. Novak'' starring
James Franciscus
James Grover Franciscus (January 31, 1934 – July 8, 1991) was an American actor, known for his roles in feature films and in six television series: '' Mr. Novak'', '' The Naked City'', '' The Investigators'', '' Longstreet'', '' Doc Elliot'', ...
.
Bernardi starred in the
CBS sitcom ''
Arnie'' (1970-1972).
He starred for two years as someone plucked from the loading dock of a flange company to become an executive. He was nominated for Golden Globe Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy in 1971 and 1972.
He voiced Woodhead the rocking horse in
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live-action programming for television from 1963 until 1989. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1962. Filmation's founders and ...
's ''
Journey Back to Oz''. He also provided the
Cowardly Lion
The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is depicted as an African lion, but like all animals in Oz, he can speak.
Since lions are supposed to be "The Kings of Beasts," the Cowardly ...
's singing voice while
Milton Berle
Milton Berle (born Mendel Berlinger; ; July 12, 1908 – March 27, 2002) was an American actor and comedian. His career as an entertainer spanned over 80 years, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and tel ...
provided the character's speaking voice. He also appeared as Joe Vitelli in the 1977 TV miniseries ''
Seventh Avenue''.
In ''
Hail to the Chief'' (1985), a comedy on ABC, Bernardi played Helmut Luger.
Bernardi was in several notable films, including ''
Murder by Contract'' (1958), ''
A Cold Wind in August
''A Cold Wind in August'' (1961) is a low-budget, drama-exploitation film directed by Alexander Singer and adapted from the eponymous novel by Burton Wohl. The film stars Lola Albright as a mentally unbalanced burlesque show stripper in her 30s w ...
'' (1961), ''
The George Raft Story
''The George Raft Story'' is a 1961 American biographical film of Hollywood film star George Raft. Ray Danton portrays Raft and the film was directed by Joseph M. Newman. The picture was retitled ''Spin of a Coin'' for release in the United Kin ...
'' (1961), ''
Irma La Douce'' (1963), ''
Love with the Proper Stranger
''Love with the Proper Stranger'' is a 1963 American romantic comedy-drama film made by Pakula- Mulligan Productions and Boardwalk Productions and released by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Robert Mulligan and produced by Alan J. Pakula ...
'' (1963), ''
No Deposit, No Return
''No Deposit, No Return'' is a 1976 American crime comedy film directed by Norman Tokar and produced by Walt Disney Productions. The film was written by Arthur Alsberg and Don Nelson, and stars David Niven, Darren McGavin, Don Knotts, Herschel Be ...
'' (1976), and ''
The Front'' (1976), a film about
blacklisting in the entertainment industry. Bernardi was the victim of blacklisting during the 1950s, as were several other performers and the
screenwriter
A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based.
...
and
director on that film. Bernardi also narrated and emceed ''The Golden Age of Second Avenue'', a 1969 film documentary about the
Yiddish theatre
Yiddish theatre consists of plays written and performed primarily by Jews in Yiddish, the language of the Central European Ashkenazi Jewish community. The range of Yiddish theatre is broad: operetta, musical comedy, and satiric or nostalgic revu ...
movement on New York's Lower East Side of the early-to-mid 20th century (where Bernardi had launched his acting career).
Bernardi was a noted voiceover artist and narrator with hundreds of films, commercials and cartoons to his credit and was the original voice of StarKist Tuna animated character "
Charlie the Tuna" as well as the original voice of the
Jolly Green Giant and was also the narrator of a long-running
Tootsie Pop
A Tootsie Pop (known as Tutsi Chupa Pop in Latin America) is a hard candy lollipop filled with the chocolate-flavored chewy Tootsie Roll candy. They were invented in 1931 by an employee of The Sweets Company of America. Tootsie Rolls had themsel ...
commercial, saying, "How many licks does it take to get to the
Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? The world may never know."
Herschel Bernardi also had two minor record hits, 1967's "If I Were a Rich Man", reflecting his success as Tevye, and 1971's "Pencil Marks on the Wall".
In 1961, the Vanguard Recording Society issued "Chocolate Covered Matzohs", recorded 'live' in front of an audience at the Valley Cities Jewish Community Center of Los Angeles, California, which was a collection of sentimental and wryly humorous tales in Yiddish and English of Jewish immigration into the U.S. at the turn of the 20th century and also featured some songs.
Death
Bernardi died in his sleep of a heart attack in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, on May 9, 1986,
at age 62.
[ Bernardi is buried at ]Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery is the largest Jewish cemetery organization in California.
History
Mount Sinai Memorial Parks and Mortuaries, owned by Sinai Temple of Los Angeles, refers to two Jewish cemeteries in the Los Angeles metropol ...
in Los Angeles, California.
Filmography
Film
Television
Commercials
References
External links
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Discography at SonyBMG Masterworks
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernardi, Herschel
1923 births
1986 deaths
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
Jewish American male actors
American male radio actors
American male stage actors
Yiddish theatre performers
Burials at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery
Male actors from Los Angeles
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American singers
20th-century American male singers
20th-century American Jews
Hanna-Barbera people
Male actors from New York City