Making an abrupt decision to abandon acting, he served as assistant director/researcher to his father at the Curtis Institute of Music. John Hansen from Australia (Gondwana Land) on May 21, 2014: What a wonderful tribute hub. The overhaul failed and the show ended in 1964. He also appeared in leading and supporting roles in several feature films, including Harlow, A Fever in the Blood (a film about a ruthless politician), Wait Until Dark and Airport 1975. Zimbalist had a recurring role as Daniel Chalmers, a white-collar con man, on his daughter Stephanie Zimbalist's 1980s television detective series Remington Steele. "I had a horror of being stuck in some series and never being heard from again. Alma's manager and piano accompanist Althea Jewell kept her in singing engagements and recording sessions which paid handsomely, so she could well afford to send her daughter to The Friends School, a private boarding school in Pennsylvania. Jack Warner supported Efrem Jr.'s plan to retire to raise his kids away from Hollywood. Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. reportedly left the show because he did not like living in Spain. He was 95 years old, active up until the end, playing golf three times per week and attending his church on Sundays. Menotti died in 2007 at the age of 95 in Monte Carlo, Monaco with his adopted son at his side. His parents were among the most famous musicians of their time. But it was always interesting to see who the names and faces were and what they were wanted for. Zimbalist described the Maharishi Yogi as a "fascinating character", but found the meditation method "was a total waste of energy for me. SOLVANG, Calif., May 3 (UPI) -- Efrem Zimbalist Jr., the star of two popular crime television series, The F.B.I. He attended St. Paul's School, an Episcopal boarding school in New Hampshire. His daughter Nancy Zimbalist died in 2012 of cancer. [25], He had a nine-year association with the practice of Transcendental Meditation as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. In the latter, he played the husband of Audrey Hepburn, a blind woman terrorized by thugs in a truly frightening film. They had two children, Efrem "Skip" Zimbalist III (b. For some reason, that's where I put him. He and his partner Jeff Spencer (played by Roger Smith) operated from an office in the center of Hollywood where, aided by their sometime helper, Kookie, a jive-talking beatnik type who doubled as a parking lot attendant, they tracked down miscreants. During summer breaks between his two hit series, Warner Bros. cast Zimbalist in several feature films, including "Too Much Too Soon," ''Home Before Dark," ''The Crowded Sky," ''The Chapman Report" and "Wait Until Dark." 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. (1991). the following year and that program aired until 1974. Actors who hired to play FBI agents were required to have a background check by Hoover and if they passed, they were approved to take the part on the television show. Stephanie Zimbalist was born in New York City, the daughter of Loranda Stephanie (ne Spalding) and actor Efrem Zimbalist Jr. It's hardly surprising that the son of renowned Russian-born concert Victor W. Kwok from Hawaii on May 23, 2014: This is an amazing tribute hub. about they stopped making. They boarded Efrem Jr. at a Conservatory in Kiev for one year. Menotti studied at The Curtis Institute of Music at the same time as Leonard Bernstein and Samuel Barber. 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. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. [22], Zimbalist's parents, Alma Gluck and Efrem Zimbalist, were of Jewish descent but, on emigrating to America, had left the religion. There were two spellings shown of family name - Feinsohn and Fiersohn, The link shows Alma's correct birth year. [30], Zimbalist died at the age of 95, the same age his father had died at, on May 2, 2014, from natural causes. With Angela Lansbury, Donna Bullock, Len Cariou, James Handy. He often brought many guests back to their homes and it was one of the reasons why Alma wanted her children to attend boarding school, fearing the exposure to so many different kinds of people was a bad influence. He served as a juror of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1962 and 1966. November 1947 he played in an ensemble cast in "What Every Woman Knows" which ran until February 1947. 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. 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. He briefly attended Yale University but was expelled, reinstated and expelled a second time on account of low grades. Photograph: ABC Photo Archives. At at time in history when beatniks ala Dobie Gillis and Maynard were all the crazy, they employed Kookie, a beatnik parking lot attendant, who helped them track down their bad guys. Sugar & Spice, Malice & Vice: Directed by Vincent McEveety. His voice can be heard on station breaks and announcements on the Trinity Broadcasting Network and other fundamentalist church programs. He had an elder sister named Mary as well as a step-sister, author Marcia Davenport, from his mothers side. Her mother's obituary Zara Fiersohn shows she died at age 74 on August 5, 1916. Bureau. He returned home over four years later with Purple Heart Medal for a shrapnel wound in his leg. The Twilight Zone was Rod Sterling, who also wrote most of the episodes. In 1965 he landed another plum TV role in The FBI, and remained in the series for nine years. I'm touched by his regret that his mother did not get to share in his wonderful life; but then she has no memory of his screw-ups either. [14], In 1959, he was awarded the Golden Globe for "Most Promising Newcomer Male". 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 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. Efrem Jr.'s daughter is Stephanie Zimbalist, (best known for the TV series Remington Steele) who also studied music at Julliard, although she didn't take up the opera or the violin. Zorro, fictional character created in 1919 by writer Johnston McCulley. Due to his portrayal Lewis Erskine on The F.B.I., there was a surge of applicants to the F.B.I. Those who worked with him were equally admiring of the star's professionalism and likable personality. I didn't know anything about his private life however, so this was very informative. Wasn't he the narrator of the early Twilight Zone series? Two years later, he had his first recurring role, that of a gambler named Dandy Jim Buckley, on the dramatic series Maverick. At the end of each episode the series would post real photos from the FBI's most-wanted list. You may not remember Efrem Zimbalist Jr.'s name, but you only had to hear his voice and you placed him instantly. She is buried in Town Hill Cemetery in New Hartford, Litchfield County, Connecticut near the family's summer home. In December 1941, Zimbalist married his first wife, Emily Munroe McNair. 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. Marcia died 1996 in Monterey, CA just before her 93rd birthday. He also had a recurring role in the hit Western series "Maverick," playing con man Dandy Jim Buckley. His daughter Stephanie also took up acting -- and small-screen detective work, in the hit 1980s TV series "Remington Steele." He became acquainted with Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) and it is his voice you hear at the top of every hour announcing the station's name. 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. Maybe the actors wanted to move on; maybe they were out of scripts. He studied at Fay School in Massachusetts and later boarded at St. Paul's School in New Hampshire. The family soon moved to Los Angeles, where Stephanie grew up. Efrem Jr. enjoyed a personal friendship with J Edgar Hoover as technical adviser to the show. Shauna L Bowling from Central Florida on May 22, 2014: Ah, you're so right, Rachael. The year 1970 witnessed him in various roles in the religious-themed anthology series 'Insight. Zimbalist married the famous American soprano Alma Gluck and they toured together for a time. More challenging than in California. 2014 The Associated Press. But he would always be best known as a TV star, ironic for an actor who told The Associated Press in 1993 that when Warner Bros. hired him he had no interest in doing television. EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. His big-spender days were over after being expelled from Yale a second time; it was time to get serious about his direction in life. Efrem Jr. was almost 20 years old and had a few regrets after his mother died. pp. A great presentation! I looked forward to seeing those photos at the end of each show each week, if only for morbid idle curiosity. Animated short film directed and co-written by Scott Trowbridge. The family soon moved to Los Angeles, where Stephanie grew up. According to Doris Roberts in her 2005 interview with The Archive of American Television, the two did not speak when not in character in fact they didnt even say good morning to one another on the set. He died in 1985, at the age of 95. officer and language expert whose partner was an Ivy League Ph.D. which was written in 1954, was optioned for a movie for many years, but never filmed, possibly because of controversy after the real life connection to the story was learned. Taking some down time, they married June 1914 in London England. [25] Afterward he joined the Anglican Church of Our Savior in Santa Barbara; he was an occasional reader there and requested donations be made to them (among others) in his obituary. 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