Harvey Lembeck facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harvey Lembeck
as "Eric von Zipper"
Born	(1923-04-15)April 15, 1923 Brooklyn, New York City, US
Died	January 5, 1982(1982-01-05) (aged 58) Los Angeles, California, US
Years active	1947–1982
Spouse(s)	Caroline Dubs
Children	Michael Lembeck Helaine Lembeck

Harvey Lembeck (born April 15, 1923 – died January 5, 1982) was a funny American actor. He was famous for playing Corporal Rocco Barbella in The Phil Silvers Show (also known as Sgt. Bilko) in the 1950s. He also played the clumsy but confident biker Eric Von Zipper in many beach party movies during the 1960s. Harvey Lembeck was also known for his roles in the play and movie Stalag 17. He was the father of actor and director Michael Lembeck and actress Helaine Lembeck.

Early Life and Dreams

Harvey Lembeck was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He started his career as a dancer right after high school in 1939. He danced with Caroline Dubs, who later became his wife. They were known as The Dancing Carrolls.

Harvey's father made buttons in Brooklyn. Harvey really wanted to be a radio sports announcer. After serving in the United States Army during World War II, he went to New York University. He earned a degree in radio arts in 1947. However, one of his teachers saw him in college plays. This teacher told him to try acting instead. So, Harvey chose the stage as his career.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting on Broadway and in Films (1940s-1950s)

Just two weeks after college, Harvey got a role in the play Mister Roberts. He played the character Sam Insigna on Broadway for almost three years.

He then made three movies for 20th Century Fox in 1951: You're in the Navy Now, Fourteen Hours, and The Frogmen. After that, he returned to Broadway for the play Stalag 17. He played Sgt. Harry Shapiro. He later played the same role in the movie version, directed by Billy Wilder. His performance was so good that he won an award for best comedy acting.

From 1952 to 1954, Harvey made nine more films. He often played military characters. His role as Harry Shapiro in Stalag 17 was special. It showed how strong an average American could be as a prisoner of war.

In 1954, he was in the play Wedding Breakfast on Broadway. That same year, he appeared in an episode of the TV show Justice.

Becoming a TV Star: Sgt. Bilko

In 1955, Harvey joined Phil Silvers' famous TV show Sergeant Bilko. He played Corporal Rocco Barbella, who was Bilko's loyal friend. The show was very popular and ran for four years.

Harvey also continued to perform on stage. In 1957, he played Luther Billis in South Pacific. From 1959 to 1961, he was the backup actor for the main role in the musical Fiorello!.

From TV to Beach Movies (1960s-1970s)

In 1961, Harvey played a theater agent named Jerry Roper in the TV show The Hathaways. He also appeared twice on The Donna Reed Show.

From 1962 to 1963, Harvey played a Navy officer in the TV show Ensign O'Toole. He also acted with Steve McQueen in the movie Love with the Proper Stranger.

Then, in the early 1960s, he became famous for playing the funny bad guy Eric Von Zipper. This character was the leader of a motorcycle gang in six American International beach party movies. He starred alongside Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello. Eric Von Zipper was a funny copy of Marlon Brando's character in the movie The Wild One.

In 1964, Harvey also starred with Debbie Reynolds in the movie The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Teaching Comedy and More TV Roles

In 1964, Harvey started his own comedy workshop. He used improv to teach actors how to be funny. He realized that improv was a great way to help actors develop their comedy skills.

Harvey returned to the theater to play Sancho Panza in the touring show of Man of La Mancha. This show even performed for President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House.

During the late 1960s and 1970s, Harvey was a frequent guest star on many TV shows. He appeared in over 200 episodes! Some of these shows included The Munsters, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Monkees, The Partridge Family, All in the Family, Batman, and Mork & Mindy.

Harvey also directed stage shows like Stalag 17 and Mister Roberts.

Later Life and Passing

Harvey Lembeck kept acting and teaching until he passed away from a heart attack on January 5, 1982. He was filming an episode of Mork & Mindy when he became ill. He collapsed after leaving the set and died at 58 years old. His friend Phil Silvers later said he was very sad about Harvey's death and missed him a lot.

Theatrical Appearances

• Mister Roberts (1948-1951, at the Alvin Theatre) – Insigna
• Stalag 17 (1951-1952, at the 48th Street Theatre) – Sgt. Harry Shapiro
• Wedding Breakfast (1954-1955, at the 48th Street Theatre) – Norman
• Phoenix '55 (1955, at the Phoenix Theatre)
• South Pacific (1957, at the New York City Center) – Luther Billis
• Oklahoma! (1958, at New York City Center) – Ali Hakim
• Man of La Mancha – Sancho Panza (touring company, performed at the White House)

Selected Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Harvey Lembeck para niños