Harry Landis (born Hyman Jacob Londinsky, 25 November 1926 – 11 September 2022) was a British actor and theatre director. He had a long career in theatre, film and television, spanning over 60 years. Landis was best known for playing barber Felix Kawalski in ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...

'' from 1995 to 1997, and Mr. Morris in the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

sitcom ''

Friday Night Dinner ''Friday Night Dinner'' is a British sitcom created by Robert Popper that aired on Channel 4 from 25 February 2011 to 1 May 2020. Starring Tamsin Greig, Paul Ritter, Simon Bird, Tom Rosenthal, and Mark Heap, it follows the regular Friday ...

'' from 2012 to 2014.

Early life and education

Harry Landinski, known as Harry Landis, was born Hyman Jacob Londinsky in

Stepney Stepney is an area in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London. Stepney is no longer officially defined, and is usually used to refer to a relatively small area. However, for much of its history the place name was applied to ...

in the East End of London on 25 November 1926. He came from a poor background as the only child of, Sarah (née Sadie Chibulam), and a father, Morris Londinsky, a taxi driver, who left when Harry was a baby. Landis was educated at Stepney Jewish School until he was 14, when he left to become a chef in a kitchen. However, he found out that apprenticeships were only available to those aged over 16. Landis got a job in a café, before working as a window cleaner and milkman. While working in a factory, he would perform the show he had seen at the

Hackney Empire Hackney Empire is a theatre on Mare Street, in Hackney in the London Borough of Hackney. Originally designed by Frank Matcham it was built in 1901 as a music hall, and expanded in 2001. Described by ''The Guardian'' as "the most beautiful theat ...

the previous night, and the shop steward encouraged him to go to the Unity Theatre, which was linked to the trade union and labour movement. After an audition, Landis began working with them. After doing his military service with the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he returned to the Unity Theatre, and, by then aged 20, he was awarded a grant by the

London County Council The London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today ...

so he could study at drama school. Landis spent three years at the

Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, commonly shortened to Central, is a drama school founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as the Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for ...

Career

Landis started acting aged 15. His first job after graduating from drama school was touring in

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

with the Elizabethan Theatre Company. After a spell in repertory theatre, he got a leading role in ''

A Hill in Korea ''A Hill in Korea'' is a 1956 British war film based on Max Catto's 1953 novel of the same name. The original name was ''Hell in Korea'', but it was changed for distribution reasons—except in the US. It was directed by Julian Amyes and pro ...

'' as a

cockney Cockney is a dialect of the English language, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by Londoners with working-class and lower middle class roots. The term ''Cockney'' is also used as a demonym for a person from the East End, ...

conscript. Other films followed, including ''

Bitter Victory ''Bitter Victory'' (French title ''Amère victoire'') is a 1957 Franco- American international co-production film, shot in CinemaScope and directed by Nicholas Ray. Set in World War II, it stars Richard Burton and Curt Jürgens as two British ...

'', ''

Edge of Sanity Edge of Sanity was a Swedish death metal band that, alongside Opeth, is commonly regarded as being the first to fuse extreme metal styles like death metal, death and black metal with progressive rock. The group was founded by Dan Swanö in 1989 ...

'', ''

Ransom Ransom refers to the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release. It also refers to the sum of money paid by the other party to secure a captive's freedom. When ransom means "payment", the word ...

'', ''

The Informers ''The Informers'' is a collection of short stories, linked by the same continuity, written by American author Bret Easton Ellis. The collection was first published as a whole in 1994. Chapters 6 and 7, "Water from the Sun" and "Discovering Ja ...

'', ''

Private Potter ''Private Potter'' is a 1962 British drama film directed by Caspar Wrede and starring Tom Courtenay, Mogens Wieth, Ronald Fraser and James Maxwell. The screenplay was by Wrede and Ronald Harwood. Plot During the Cyprus Emergency (1955–195 ...

'', ''

Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...

'' and ''

Operation Bullshine ''Operation Bullshine'' is a 1959 British colour comedy film directed by Gilbert Gunn and starring Donald Sinden, Barbara Murray and Carole Lesley. The working title of the film was ''Girls in Arms'' that features as a marching song in the film ...

''. In 2014, he was in the Hollywood blockbuster ''

Edge of Tomorrow ''Edge of Tomorrow'' is a 2014 American science fiction film, science fiction action film directed by Doug Liman and written by Christopher McQuarrie and the writing team of Jez Butterworth, Jez and John-Henry Butterworth, loosely based on th ...

''. His first television appearance was in 1955, in the pilot episode of ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' is a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 1955 ...

''. Landis appeared in several subsequent episodes, as well as the final episode over 25 years later. He appeared in over 200 TV shows before deciding to return to theatre. This career move coincided with the 1956 change in British theatre led by the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...

, and his background at the Unity Theatre made him suitable for many subsequent roles. These included

Arnold Wesker Sir Arnold Wesker (24 May 1932 – 12 April 2016) was an English dramatist. He was the author of 50 plays, four volumes of short stories, two volumes of essays, much journalism and a book on the subject, a children's book, some poetry, and ot ...

's '' The Kitchen'', followed by Frank Norman's ''Insideout''. They were followed by

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter, actor, and entrepreneur, who is regarded as one of the most influential figures in post-war theatre. Born in London, he briefly worked as a jo ...

's ''Time Present'' at the Duke of York Theatre, ''

Journey's End ''Journey's End'' is a 1928 dramatic play by English playwright R. C. Sherriff, set in the trenches near Saint-Quentin, Aisne, towards the end of the First World War. The story plays out in the officers' dugout of a British Army infantry com ...

'' at the

Cambridge Theatre The Cambridge Theatre is a West End theatre, on a corner site in Earlham Street facing Seven Dials, London, Seven Dials, in the London Borough of Camden, built in 1929–30 for Bertie Meyer on an "irregular triangular site". Design and const ...

, and '' A Winter Tale'', '' Ring Around the Moon'' and ''

The Government Inspector ''The Government Inspector'', also known as ''The Inspector General'' (, literally: "Inspector"), is a satirical play by Russian dramatist and novelist Nikolai Gogol. Originally published in 1836, the play was revised for an 1842 edition. Base ...

'', all at The Royal Exchange in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

. He also appeared in '' The Ticket-of-Leave Man'' at the National Theatre. Landis then turned to directing, and after directing a few productions at the Unity Theatre, including a well-received production of ''

Death of A Salesman ''Death of a Salesman'' is a 1949 stage play written by the American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in late 1940s Brooklyn told through a ...

'', he became the artistic director of the

Marlowe Theatre The Marlowe Theatre is a 1,200-seat theatre in Canterbury named after playwright Christopher Marlowe, who was born and attended school in the city. It was named a The Stage Awards, Stage Awards, 2022 UK Theatre of the Year. The Marlowe Trust ...

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climat ...

, where he directed some 40 plays and two

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

s. He went on to direct national tours of '' The Long and The Short and the Tall'' and ''

The Return of Sherlock Holmes ''The Return of Sherlock Holmes'' is a 1905 collection of 13 Sherlock Holmes stories, originally published in 1903–1904, by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The stories were published in the ''Strand Magazine'' in Britain and ''Collier's'' ...

''. In between directing, Landis appeared in many TV shows, such as ''

Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...

'', and later continued to do so with series including ''

'', ''Goodnight Sweetheart'', ''

Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...

'' and ''

''. His last role was in ''Casualty'', in 2018. Landis was president of Equity for six years, from 2002 to 2008, and was a board member of the Equity Charitable Trust, from 1994 to 2001, as well as previously being Chairman of the Unity Theatre Trust.

Personal life and death

Landis married actress Hilary Crane (née Strelitz) in 1965; however, the marriage ended in divorce seven years later. The marriage produced a daughter, Katy, and a stepson, Simon, from his wife's previous marriage. Landis lived in

Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. It ...

, West London, for over 40 years. Landis returned to live in the East End in the 2010s, with his partner of more than 30 years, Ingrid Curry, buying a flat in

Spitalfields Spitalfields () is an area in London, England and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in East London and situated in the East End of London, East End. Spitalfields is formed around Commercial Street, London, Commercial Stre ...

. He died from cancer on 11 September 2022, at the age of 95.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1955, 1963, 1966, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976) – Finch / Bill Andrews / Jenkins / Lodger / Painter / Banjo Hamilton / Keeley *''

'' (1956) – Pvt. Rabin * ''

'' (1957) – Private Browning * ''

'' (1958) – Dr. Levy * ''

Further Up the Creek ''Further Up the Creek'' is a 1958 British comedy film written and directed by Val Guest and starring David Tomlinson, Frankie Howerd, Shirley Eaton, Thora Hird and Lionel Jeffries. It served as a follow-up to '' Up the Creek'' (1958), with Pe ...

'' (1958) – Webster * ''

'' (1959) – Gunner Wilkinson * ''

Desert Mice ''Desert Mice'' is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Michael Relph and starring Alfred Marks, Sid James, Dora Bryan, Irene Handl, John Le Mesurier and Liz Fraser. The screenplay was by David Climie. A group of ENSA entertainers with the Br ...

'' (1959) – German Soldier (uncredited) *'' The Square Ring'' (1959) * '' The Longest Day'' (1962) – British Soldier (uncredited) * ''

'' (1962) – LCpl. Lamb * '' The Small World of Sammy Lee'' (1963) – Lucky Dave's Clumsy Barman (uncredited) * ''

Billy Liar ''Billy Liar'' is a 1959 novel by Keith Waterhouse that was later adapted into a play, a Billy Liar (film), film, a Billy (musical), musical and a Billy Liar (TV series), TV series. The work has inspired and been featured in a number of popul ...

'' (1963) – Man on Train (uncredited) * '' Doctor in Distress'' (1963) – Man in Cafe (uncredited) * ''

'' (1963) – Hicks (uncredited) * '' Calculated Risk'' (1963) – Charlie * ''

Sergeant Cork ''Sergeant Cork'' is a British detective television series which aired between 1963 and 1968 on ITV. It was a police procedural show that followed the efforts of two police officers and their battle against crime in Victorian London. In all 66 ...

'' (1966) – Richard Hewatt (episode "The Case of William Huckerby, Platelayer") *''

Z Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police and CID detectives in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by ...

'' (1968, 1971, 1974) – Billy Rees / Matic / Vernon * ''

Go for a Take ''Go for a Take'' (U.S. title: ''Double Take'') is a 1972 British comedy film starring Reg Varney and Norman Rossington, directed by Harry Booth. The screenplay was by Alan Hackney. Plot Inept waiters Wilfred Stone and Jack Foster owe money ...

'' (1972) – Maurice *''

The Fenn Street Gang ''The Fenn Street Gang'' is a British television sitcom which ran for three seasons between 1971 and 1973. Created by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, it was a spin-off from their popular ''Please Sir!'' series. Synopsis The series follows the l ...

'' (1972) – Doorman *''

Play for Today ''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...

'' (1972, 1976, 1977, 1977) – Inspector Fazil / Solly / Lionel / Jourdemayne Griffiths *''

Crown Court The Crown Court is the criminal trial court, court of first instance in England and Wales responsible for hearing all indictable offences, some Hybrid offence, either way offences and appeals of the decisions of magistrates' courts. It is ...

'' (1973, 1975–1976) – Arnold Curl / Victor Garniss * ''

'' (1974) – Lookout Pilot – George Rawlings *'' Whodunnit?'' (1976) – Chuck James (episode Dead Grass) *''

'' (1982, 1991) – Lenny Bowman / Monty *''

Howards' Way ''Howards' Way'' is a television drama series produced by BBC Birmingham and transmitted on BBC1 between 1 September 1985 and 25 November 1990. The series deals with the personal and professional lives of the wealthy yachting and business com ...

'' (1985) – Bernie Rosen * ''

'' (1986, 2004, 2018) – Dimitri / Gordon Dodds / Joseph Rogerson *'' Bergerac'' (1987) – Toby Newsom * ''

'' (1989) – Coroner *''

You Rang, M'Lord? ''You Rang, M'Lord?'' is a BBC television sitcom written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of ''Dad's Army''. It was broadcast between 29 December 1988 and 24 April 1993 on the BBC. The show was set in the house of an aristocratic fa ...

'' (1990) – Sea Captain * ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...

'' (1990, 2003, 2007) – Mr Glickstein / Harry Davies / Henryk Mitzibrowski *''

Jeeves and Wooster ''Jeeves and Wooster'' is a British comedy television series adapted by Clive Exton from P. G. Wodehouse's "Jeeves" stories. It aired on the ITV network from 22 April 1990 to 20 June 1993, with the last series nominated for a British Aca ...

'' (1991) – Proprietor * ''Goodnight Sweetheart'' (1993) – Manny *''

Lovejoy ''Lovejoy'' is a British television comedy-drama mystery fiction, mystery series, based on the Lovejoy (novel series), novels by John Grant (Lovejoy), John Grant under the pen name Jonathan Gash. The show, which ran to 71 episodes over six ser ...

'' (1993) – Leo * ''

'' (1995–1997) – Felix Kawalski * ''The Discovery of Heaven'' (2001) – Ibrahim *''

My Family ''My Family'' is a British sitcom created and initially co-written by Fred Barron, which was produced by DLT Entertainment and Rude Boy Productions, and broadcast by BBC One for eleven series between 2000 and 2011, with Christmas specials broadc ...

'' (2004) – Gino * ''

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' ...

'' (2006, 2009) – Ronnie Shussett / David Mannstein * ''

Doctors Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded b ...

'' (2009, 2017) – Ralph Freedman / Theo Parry *'' M.I.High'' (2011) – Harry Fulson * ''

'' (2012, 2014) – Lou Anthony Morris, "Mr Morris" *'' Way to Go'' (2013) – Mr Rothstein * ''

'' (2014) – Old Man 3

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Landis, Harry 1926 births 2022 deaths 20th-century English male actors 21st-century English male actors Actors from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Actors from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama British Army personnel of World War II Deaths from cancer in the United Kingdom English male film actors English male soap opera actors English male stage actors English male television actors English people of Polish-Jewish descent English theatre directors Jewish English male actors Male actors from London Military personnel from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Military personnel from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets People from Hammersmith People from Spitalfields People from Stepney Presidents of British trade unions Trade unionists from London