Tutte Lemkow

Tutte Lemkow (born Isak Samuel Lemkow; 28 August 1918 – 10 November 1991) was a Norwegian actor and dancer, who played mostly villainous roles in British television and films. His chief claims to mainstream familiarity were his roles as the fiddler in the film version of ''Fiddler on the Roof'' and the old man ("Imam") who translates the inscription on the headpiece of the Staff of Ra for Indiana Jones in ''Raiders of the Lost Ark''.

Career

Lemkow appeared as a dancer, together with Sara Luzita, in John Huston's 1952 film ''Moulin Rouge''. Other films include Blake Edwards' '' A Shot in the Dark'' as the Cossack who drinks the poison intended for Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau, Sellers's films '' The Wrong Arm of the Law'', '' The Wrong Box'' and '' Ghost in the Noonday Sun'', Woody Allen's '' Love and Death'' and the Morecambe and Wise comedy film '' The Intelligence Men'' (1965).

He played three roles in ''Doctor Who'' with William Hartnell's Doctor: Kuiju in ''Marco Polo'' (1964), Ibrahim in '' The Crusade'' (1965) and Cyclops in '' The Myth Makers'' (1965). He provides choreography for '' The Celestial Toymaker'' (1966) in Doctor Who and the spoof Bond film '' Casino Royale'' (1967).

In 1968 he played the role of 'Old Gorgy' in the episode "Legacy of Death" of '' The Avengers''.

He adapted Ibsen's play for the 1983 film ''The Wild Duck''.

Personal life and death

Lemkow was born in Oslo, Norway, of Jewish heritage. He was married to Swedish actress Mai Zetterling from 1944 to 1953. In 1954, he married dancer Sara Luzita.

Lemkow died in London in 1991 of acute myeloid leukaemia at the age of 73. A biography called ''Tutte Lemkow; På tå hev'' written by Margaret Ljunggren was published in Oslo in 1989. (Gyldendal Norsk Forlag A/S)

Filmography

* 1945 ''Galgmannen'' as Russian Dancer (uncredited)
* 1949 '' The Lost People'' as Jaroslav
* 1952 ''Moulin Rouge'' as Aicha's Partner
* 1953 '' The Captain's Paradise'' as Principal Dancer
* 1955 '' I Am a Camera'' as Electro-Therapist
* 1956 '' The Iron Petticoat'' as Sutisiyawa
* 1956 '' Zarak'' as Sword Dancer (uncredited)
* 1956 ''Anastasia'' as Kasbek Dancer (uncredited)
* 1958 '' Bonjour Tristesse'' as Pierre Schube (uncredited)
* 1958 '' Sea Fury'' as Dancer (uncredited)
* 1959 '' Too Many Crooks'' as Swarth Man
* 1959 '' Ben-Hur'' as Leper (uncredited)
* 1959 '' The Stranglers of Bombay'' as Ram Das
* 1959 '' Tommy the Toreador'' as Bootblack
* 1960 '' The Boy Who Stole a Million'' as Mateo
* 1960 '' Sands of the Desert'' as Bus Driver
* 1960 '' The Siege of Sidney Street'' as Dmitrieff
* 1961 '' The Hellfire Club'' as Higgins
* 1961 '' A Weekend with Lulu'' as Léon, The Postman
* 1961 '' The Green Helmet'' as Carlo Zaraga
* 1961 '' The Guns of Navarone'' as Nicolai
* 1961 '' The Treasure of Monte Cristo'' as Gino
* 1961 '' Ramona''
* 1962 '' Guns of Darkness'' as Gino
* 1962 '' We Joined the Navy'' as Corporal
* 1962 '' On the Beat'' as Billposter in Underground (uncredited)
* 1962 ''The Road to Hong Kong'' as Hotel Servant (uncredited)
* 1963 '' The Wrong Arm of the Law'' as "Siggy" Schmoltz
* 1963 '' The Cracksman'' as The Choreographer
* 1963 '' The Victors'' as Sikh Soldier
* 1964 '' Becket'' as French Courtier (uncredited)
* 1964 '' Carry On Spying'' as Man in Marketplace (uncredited)
* 1964 '' A Shot in the Dark'' as Kazak Dancer
* 1964 ''The Moon-Spinners'' as Orestes
* 1965 '' The Intelligence Men'' as Seedy SCHLECHT Agent
* 1965 '' Masquerade'' as Paviot
* 1966 '' The Wrong Box'' as The Strangler
* 1967 ''Fathom'' as Mehmed
* 1968 '' Inspector Clouseau'' as "Frenchie" LeBec
* 1968 '' Duffy'' as Spaniard
* 1969 '' The Picasso Summer'' as Drunk
* 1969 '' Justine'' as Jens
* 1970 '' Revolution My A''
* 1971 ''Fiddler on the Roof'' as Fiddler
* 1972 '' Raising the Roof'' as Alf
* 1973 '' Super Bitch''
* 1973 '' Theatre of Blood'' as Meths Drinker
* 1973 '' Ghost in the Noonday Sun'' as Pontius Kak
* 1975 '' Love and Death'' as Pierre
* 1981 ''Sphinx'' as Tewfik
* 1981 ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' as The Imam
* 1985 '' Mata Hari'' as Ybarra
* 1985 ''Red Sonja'' as The Wizard (final film role)

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lemkow, Tutte
1918 births
1991 deaths
20th-century British male actors
20th-century Norwegian male actors
British male film actors
British male television actors
Jewish British male actors
20th-century Norwegian Jews
Norwegian male film actors
Norwegian male television actors
Male actors from London
Male actors from Oslo