Leon Askin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leon Askin
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Askin in Road to Bali (1952)
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| Born |
Leo Aschkenasy
18 September 1907 Vienna, Austria
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| Died | 3 June 2005 (aged 97) Vienna, Austria
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| Resting place | Vienna Central Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1930s–2001 |
| Spouse(s) |
Louise "Mimi" Huntington-Smith
(m. 1945; div. 1955)Annelies Ehrlich
(m. 1955; div. 1994)Anita Wicher
(m. 2002) |
Leon Askin (born Leo Aschkenasy, September 18, 1907 – June 3, 2005) was an Austrian Jewish actor. He was most famous in North America for playing General Burkhalter on the TV show Hogan's Heroes.
Contents
Life and Acting Career
Leon Askin was born into a Jewish family in Vienna, Austria. His parents, Malvine and Samuel Aschkenazy, sadly died later in the Holocaust. When he was young, during World War I, he recited a poem for Emperor Franz Joseph.
In the 1920s, Leon Askin studied acting with famous teachers like Louise Dumont and Max Reinhardt. In the 1930s, he worked at a theater in Vienna called "ABC." There, he often directed plays by Jura Soyfer, a writer who spoke out against the government.
Askin had to leave Austria in 1940 to escape the Nazis. He had been hurt by groups like the SA and SS. His parents were later killed in a death camp called Treblinka. After moving to the United States, he joined the US Army Air Forces and served in World War II.
After the war, he went to Hollywood to start his film career. He often played foreign characters who spoke English with a strong accent. He appeared in many movies and TV shows. For example, he played the Russian composer Anton Rubinstein in a Disneyland episode about Peter Tchaikovsky.
Fans of the TV show Adventures of Superman might remember him. He played a diamond smuggler in one episode and a South American prime minister in another. In 1953, he was in the movie The Robe as a Syrian guide. He also appeared in the film Pension Schöller in 1960. The next year, he was in Billy Wilder's film One, Two, Three with James Cagney.
Playing General Burkhalter
Leon Askin became very well-known for his role as General Albert Burkhalter in the TV show Hogan's Heroes. He was in 67 episodes from 1965 to 1971. General Burkhalter was a tough and important officer. He was the boss of Colonel Klink, who ran a German World War II prisoner-of-war camp. The American prisoners, led by Colonel Hogan, often tricked Klink. This allowed them to do secret activities right under his nose.
Other TV Appearances
Askin also made guest appearances on many other TV shows. He was in The Restless Gun in 1957 and My Favorite Martian in 1965. He appeared on The Monkees in 1967 and Daniel Boone in 1969. In 1974, he played a violin expert on Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers.
From 1977 to 1979, he was on Steve Allen's PBS show, Meeting of Minds. On this show, he played historical figures like Martin Luther and Karl Marx. He also played a psychology professor on Happy Days. In 1979, he was Mr. Hoffmeier from Hoffmeier’s Bakery in an episode of Three’s Company.
Film Roles
His other film roles include movies like Road to Bali (1952), Desert Legion (1953), and Knock on Wood (1954). He was also in Secret of the Incas (1954) and Valley of the Kings (1954). Later films include Do Not Disturb (1965) and What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? (1966).
He appeared in Double Trouble (1967) and The Caper of the Golden Bulls (1967). Other roles were in The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz (1968) and Guns for San Sebastian (1968). In 1974, he had a part in the comedy Young Frankenstein, but his scenes were not included in the final movie. His last film role was in 2001.
Death
Leon Askin passed away peacefully in Vienna on June 3, 2005. He was 97 years old. He is buried at the Vienna Central Cemetery.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Assignment – Paris! | Franz | Uncredited |
| 1952 | Road to Bali | King Ramayana | |
| 1953 | Desert Legion | Maj. Vasil | |
| 1953 | South Sea Woman | Pierre Marchand | |
| 1953 | China Venture | Wu King | |
| 1953 | The Robe | Abidor | |
| 1953 | The Veils of Bagdad | Pasha Hammam | |
| 1954 | Knock on Wood | Laslo Gromeck | |
| 1954 | Secret of the Incas | Anton Marcu | |
| 1954 | Valley of the Kings | Valentine Arko | |
| 1955 | Carolina Cannonball | Otto | |
| 1955 | Son of Sinbad | Khalif | |
| 1955 | Spy Chasers | Col. Alex Baxis | |
| 1958 | Der Schinderhannes | Rochus Eppelsheimer | |
| 1959 | The Last Blitzkrieg | Sergeant Steiner | |
| 1959 | Abschied von den Wolken | Gen. Cordobas | |
| 1960 | Mistress of the World | Fernando | |
| 1960 | Pension Schöller | Fritz Bernhardi | |
| 1960 | Until Money Departs You | Dr. Plauert | |
| 1960 | Weit ist der Weg | Luiz | |
| 1961 | Immer Ärger mit dem Bett | Luigi Papagallo | |
| 1961 | Blind Justice | Strafverteidiger Dr. Leupold | |
| 1961 | One, Two, Three | Peripetchikoff | |
| 1962 | Lulu | Dr. Goll | |
| 1962 | The Testament of Dr. Mabuse | Flocke | |
| 1962 | Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace | Charles | |
| 1965 | John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! | Samir | |
| 1965 | Do Not Disturb | Langsdorf | |
| 1966 | What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? | Col. Kastorp | |
| 1967 | Double Trouble | Inspector de Groote | |
| 1967 | The Caper of the Golden Bulls | Morchek | |
| 1967 | The Perils of Pauline | Commisar | |
| 1968 | The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz | Oscar | |
| 1968 | Guns for San Sebastian | Vicar General | |
| 1968 | A Fine Pair | Chief Wellman | |
| 1968 | Die Funkstreife Gottes | Felix | |
| 1968 | Lucrezia | Alessandro VI | |
| 1969 | The Maltese Bippy | Axel Kronstadt | |
| 1969 | Death Knocks Twice | Pepe Mangano | |
| 1972 | Hammersmith Is Out | Dr. Krodt | |
| 1973 | Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls | Thor | |
| 1973 | Genesis II | Overseer | |
| 1973 | The World's Greatest Athlete | Dr. Gottlieb | |
| 1974 | Young Frankenstein | Herr Waldman | Uncredited / Scene Deleted |
| 1974 | Karl May | Klotz-Sello | |
| 1974 | Perahim – die zweite Chance | ||
| 1975 | Parapsycho – Spectrum of Fear | ||
| 1981 | Going Ape! | Zebrewski | |
| 1982 | Airplane II: The Sequel | Moscow Anchorman | |
| 1983 | Frightmare | Wolfgang | |
| 1984 | A Stroke of Genius | ||
| 1985 | Savage Island | Luker | |
| 1985 | Stiffs | Funeral Director | |
| 1985 | First Strike | ||
| 1986 | Odd Jobs | Don Carlucci | |
| 1987 | Deshima | Frank Nievergelt | |
| 1994 | OcchioPinocchio | The Psychiatrist | |
| 1994 | Höhenangst | Vater Gusenleitner | |
| 1994 | Adolf Lanz – Mein Krampf | Josef Lanz von Liebenfels | |
| 1995 | Tödliche Liebe | ||
| 1998 | Black Flamingos – Sie lieben euch zu Tode | ||
| 1999 | Kubanisch rauchen | Waranovsky | |
| 2001 | Ene mene muh – und tot bist du | (final film role) |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-1971 | Hogan's Heroes | General Burkhalter | 68 episodes |
| 1983 | Kottan ermittelt | Rudolf Wasservogel | 3 Episodes |
| 1985 | Diff'rent Strokes | Doshenko |
Awards and Honors
Leon Askin received several awards and honors for his work and contributions:
- 1988: Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art
- 1994: Silver Medal for Service to the City of Vienna
- 1996: Given the title "professor"
- 2001: Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class
- 2002: Gold Medal of Honour for Services to the city of Vienna
- 2003: Goldener Rathausmann of Vienna, to celebrate his 75th birthday
- 2007: A public square in Vienna-Penzing was named Leon-Askin-Platz.
- 2007: A statue (bust) of Leon Askin was placed in Türkenschanzpark in Vienna.
- 2007: A special plaque was put up at Hütteldorferstrasse 349 in Vienna-Penzing, marking 100 years since his birth.
- 2009: A public housing building in Vienna-Alsergrund was named after him.
- 27 May 2010: Leon-Askin-Park in Ottakring (Vienna's 16th District) was named after Askin.
Images for kids
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Askin in Road to Bali (1952)
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Askin in Summer 2001
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Leon Askin's grave located at Vienna Central Cemetery.
See also
In Spanish: Leon Askin para niños
