Harold Goldblatt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harold Goldblatt
Goldblatt in Children of the Damned, 1964
Born	Israel Goldblatt (1899-07-05)5 July 1899 Manchester, Lancashire, England
Died	22 March 1982(1982-03-22) (aged 82) London, England
Years active	1920s–1982

Harold Goldblatt, born Israel Goldblatt, was a talented actor, theatre director, and producer from Northern Ireland. He was born on July 5, 1899, and passed away on March 22, 1982. He had a long career in entertainment, lasting from the 1920s until his death.

Early Life and Theatre Work

Harold Goldblatt was born in Manchester, England. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants. Later, his family moved to Northern Ireland, where he grew up in Belfast. He married Leah (Lillie) Rosenzweig, and they had two children, Joan and Ivan.

Goldblatt was very passionate about theatre. He started his own group called the Jewish Institute Dramatic Society. This group later joined with the Northern Ireland Players and the Ulster Theatre in 1940. Together, they formed a new group called the Group Theatre. Goldblatt was a very important member of this new theatre company.

He stayed with the Group Theatre until 1959. Then, in 1963, he decided to start another theatre company. He called it the Ulster Theatre Company. Many actors from the Group Theatre joined him in this new venture.

Acting Career in Film and TV

In the 1950s, Harold Goldblatt became a familiar voice on BBC Radio. He also started appearing in films and on television. He played many different characters throughout his career.

One of his notable film roles was Benjamin Guggenheim in the movie A Night to Remember (1958). This film was about the famous sinking of the Titanic.

On television, he appeared in several popular shows. He played Sean, the father of Concepta Riley, in four episodes of Coronation Street. He also played Dr. O'Connell in Pathfinders in Space in 1961. Later, in 1973, he was Professor Dale in the Doctor Who story Frontier in Space. Both Pathfinders in Space and Frontier in Space were written by Malcolm Hulke.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1966, Harold Goldblatt received a special award. Queen's University Belfast gave him an honorary degree. This was a recognition of his great contributions to theatre and acting.

He passed away in London on March 22, 1982, at the age of 82. At the time, he was working on a film called Yentl. His important documents and materials from his theatre work are kept safe at the Linen Hall Library in Belfast. They are a valuable record of his life and career.

Film and Television Roles

Harold Goldblatt appeared in many films and TV shows. Here are some of them:

• Jacqueline (1956) – Schoolmaster
• The Rising of the Moon (1957) – Barney Donigan – farmer
• Rooney (1958) – Police Inspector
• A Night to Remember (1958) – Benjamin Guggenheim
• The Siege of Sidney Street (1960) – Hersh
• Pathfinders in Space (1960) – Dr. O'Connell
• Francis of Assisi (1961) – Bernard
• The Big Gamble (1961) – The Priest
• Coronation Street (1961) – Sean Riley
• The Inspector (1962) – Dr. Mitropoulos
• The Reluctant Saint (1962) – Father Giovanni
• Nine Hours to Rama (1963) – Selvrag Prahlad
• The Mind Benders (1963) – Professor Sharpey
• The Running Man (1963) – Tom Webster
• The Scarlet Blade (1963) – Jacob
• Children of the Damned (1964) – Harib
• Young Cassidy (1965) – Abbey Theatre Manager
• The Reptile (1966) – The Solicitor
• The 25th Hour (1967) – Isaac Nagy
• Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) – Daniel's Father
• The Persuaders! (1971) – Maurice Devigne
• Something to Hide (1972) – Dibbick
• Doctor Who (In the serial "Frontier in Space") (1973) – Professor Dale
• The Abdication (1974) – Pinamonti