Herschel Bernardi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Herschel Bernardi (30 October 1923, New York City – 9 May 1986, Los Angeles, California) was an American film, Broadway, and television actor.
He is best known for his starring roles on Broadway including Fiddler on the Roof (as Tevye), Zorba, and Bajour, but he also acted in many television shows, including Harbor Command and The Eleventh Hour (both with Wendell Corey), as well as State Trooper, Peter Gunn. He was the lead in the CBS sitcom Arnie.
Bernardi wrote at least one script for Peter Gunn. In Arnie, he starred for two years as someone plucked from the loading dock of a flange company to become an executive. Originally, the character was to receive a $25,000 annual salary, which was very good in those days. But, national economic woes caused producers to substitute the figure of $20,000 per year before airing.
Born into the Yiddish theatre, Bernardi 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-speaking roles in film to American films.
Bernardi was also in several notable films, including Irma La Douce, Love with the Proper Stranger and the 1976 film The Front, 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 and director on that film.
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".
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".
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| Known For | Acting |
|---|---|
| Most Rating | 0.6958 |
| Birthday | 1923-10-30 |
| Place of Birth | New York City, New York, USA |
| Also Known As | Hershel Bernardi, |
1976
The Front
7/185
A cashier poses as a writer for blacklisted talents to submit their work through, but the injustice around him pushes him to take a stand.
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The Front
1963
Irma la Douce
7.4/489
When a recently fired policeman falls in love with a French prostitute, he doesn't want her to be with other men, so he creates an alter-ego in order...
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Irma la Douce
1986
I-Man
5.571/7
When a man is exposed to an alien gas, he acquires the ability to heal instantly and survive any injury or toxin.
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I-Man
1964
Send Me No Flowers
6.8/147
When a hypochondriac assumes that he is dying, he makes an elaborate plan to ensure his wife's happiness. However, trouble ensues when she misundersta...
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Send Me No Flowers
1959
1001 Arabian Nights
6.6/14
In this animated retelling of the classic tale, Abdul Aziz Magoo -- an ancestor of Mr. Magoo -- is the lamp-selling uncle of Aladdin. Tired of his nep...
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1001 Arabian Nights
1970
A Storm of Strangers: Jewish American
0/0
Provides a personal narrative of the Jewish experience in America. Herschel Bernardi explains how the Jewish East Side deliberately abolished itself t...
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A Storm of Strangers: Jewish American
1963
Love with the Proper Stranger
6.847/72
Angie Rossini, an innocent New York City sales clerk from a repressive Italian-American family, engages in a short-lived affair with a handsome jazz m...
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Love with the Proper Stranger
1958
Murder by Contract
6.781/105
Claude is a ruthless and efficient contract killer. His next target, a woman, is the most difficult.
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Murder by Contract
1960
The Savage Eye
5.7/14
Resentful after an ugly divorce from her unfaithful husband, Judith McGuire moves to Los Angeles. Adrift and detached, she spends her days and nights...
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The Savage Eye
1965
The Man from Button Willow
5.3/5
In 1869, Justin Eagle lives on his ranch called "The Eagle's Nest" near the town of Button Willow, California. In addition to being a rancher, Juston...
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The Man from Button Willow
1972
Sandcastles
5.7/3
A young man who dies in an auto accident returns from the dead to meet up with the young woman who tried to save him.
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Sandcastles
1974
The Story of Jacob and Joseph
7/2
This film recounts the tales of the Biblical figures, Jacob and Joseph. The first part tells the story of Jacob fleeing his tribe when he cheats his b...
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The Story of Jacob and Joseph
1972
No Place to Run
6.1/7
An adopted boy's parents are killed, and to keep him from returning to the state's custody, he and his grandfather run away.
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No Place to Run
1964
Hangman
7.3/13
The people of a town are condemned to die one by one by a mysterious stranger who erects a gallows in the town square.
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Hangman
1970
But I Don't Want to Get Married!
10/1
An accountant is widowed after 18 years of marriage. He is dumbfounded to have a herd of marriage-minded women descend upon him.
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But I Don't Want to Get Married!
1961
The George Raft Story
5.7/6
The 1961 film biography of the nightclub dancer-turned-movie star George Raft.
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The George Raft Story
1978
Actor
7/1
A musical play based on the early years of actor Paul Muni.
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Actor
1971
The Big Freeze
7/1
The Mighty Heroes are called into action in order to prevent "The Super Cooler" from freezing the town of Goodhaven.
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The Big Freeze
1974
Judgment: The Trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
0/0
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg died for betraying atomic secrets. Were they guilty beyond a reasonable doubt?
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Judgment: The Trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
1981
The Million Dollar Face
8/1
Tony Curtis is the ruthless head of a cosmetics firm, Kiss of Gold, locked in fierce competition with his arch-rival, Glamour, Inc., that happens to b...
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The Million Dollar Face
1986
David and Goliath
8.667/6
Derek, Margo, and Moki jump through time yet again and find themselves lost. As they search for information, they are threatened by wild animals. A yo...
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David and Goliath
1961
A Cold Wind in August
5.292/12
An older woman gets involved with her young neighbor.
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A Cold Wind in August
1958
Stakeout on Dope Street
6.6/8
Three teens get into the drug business when they discover two pounds of uncut heroin in a briefcase that was lost during a botched drug bust.
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Stakeout on Dope Street
1938
The Singing Blacksmith
3/3
Moishe Oysher, the renowned cantor and star of Yiddish radio, stars in Edgar G. Ulmer’s musical version of David Pinski’s play Yankl der Shmid. Singin...
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The Singing Blacksmith
1976
No Deposit, No Return
6.3/93
Two rich children devise a way to escape their grandfather and visit their mother. Unfortunately for two hapless safe crackers, they become part of th...
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No Deposit, No Return
1963
The Great Rights
0/0
A cartoon explaining the American Bill of Rights and Constitution. A man imagines a "nightmare world" without these documents, where Orwellian thugs c...
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The Great Rights
1968
A Hatful of Rain
7/1
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A Hatful of Rain
1972
Journey Back to Oz
5.365/26
Dorothy and Toto return to Oz to find the Scarecrow ruling the Emerald City. Unfortunately for the new overseer, the wicked Mombi is conspiring to tak...
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Journey Back to Oz
1965
A Look Back at Crossbow
9/1
A promotional short for Operation Crossbow (1965) giving historical background for the film's plot using archival footage of Robert Goddard's rocket e...
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A Look Back at Crossbow
1984
Almonds and Raisins
7/1
This documentary examines the dozens of Yiddish-language talking films made in the United States and Europe between the release of The Jazz Singer in...
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Almonds and Raisins
1967
The Honey Pot
6.45/70
In Venice, a millionaire hires an actor to help him prank three greedy exes into thinking he's dying and leaving his fortune to one of them.
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The Honey Pot
1947
Flying South
7/1
Heckel and Jeckle decide it is too much trouble and time-consuming, not to mention wear-and-tear on their wings, to fly south for the winter, so they...
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Flying South
1966
The Odds Against
6.2/5
A raw, rare short film about the need for a progressive overhaul of the penal system.
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The Odds Against
1982
Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
6/1
An all-star tribute to Natalie Wood by some of her friends and co-workers.
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Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
1965
Sean O'Casey: The Spirit of Ireland
5.5/2
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Young Cassidy (1965), a film about Irish author Sean O'Casey.
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Sean O'Casey: The Spirit of Ireland
1976
Newman's Drugstore
0/0
During the Depression, a druggist is overly generous with his hard-luck customers.
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