David Hurst
Introduction '''David Hurst''' (born '''Heinrich Theodor Hirsch'''; 8 May 1926 – 15 September 2019) was a German actor, best known for his role in the film ''Hello, Dolly'' as Rudolph the headwaiter.
Biography ===Early life and career===Hurst grew up in a family of actors. As a Jewish child living in 1930s Germany, he faced persecution from the Nazi regime. After the pogroms of Kristallnacht, the British government allowed for the rescue of Jewish children from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland and the Free City of Danzig. He was one of the nearly 10,000 children in 1938–1939 moved with the Kindertransport to the United Kingdom. He was separated from his mother at 12 years old, and never saw her again.Housed in a manor in Northern Ireland, he lived with other young emigrants in the care of the family of an estate manager. His first stage experience was in Belfast at a repertory theatre, where he also changed his name from Heinrich Hirsch to David Hurst. During the Second World War he joined the British army, but because of his German background he was assigned to Entertainments National Service Association, where he performed as an actor and a comedian.His first film role was as Wolfgang Winkel in ''The Perfect Woman'' (1949), a role Hurst had previously played in the West End to critical praise. He went on to appear in many British films of the 1950s.===United States===In 1957, Hurst moved to the United States. He spent most of his time in California, but often performed on Broadway. In 1960, he created the role of Merlin in the original Broadway production of ''Camelot'' opposite Richard Burton.Throughout the 1950s and 1960s he played in film, television and theatre. In 1959 he received the Clarence Derwent Award and in 1964, he was awarded the Obie Award from ''The Village Voice'' for his off-Broadway performance in ''A Month in the Country''.He performed in the film version of ''Hello, Dolly'' (1969) as Rudolph the headwaiter alongside Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau. This was his most notable role in America. He also had roles in the films ''Kelly's Heroes'' (1970) and ''The Boys From Brazil'' (1978). Hurst also appeared in numerous TV series including ''Mission: Impossible'', ''Serpico'' and ''Star Trek''.Throughout his career he worked as a visiting professor at Yale, Boston University and Carnegie Mellon.===Return to Germany===In the 1980s he appeared in several German-American co-productions, and visited his half-brother Wolfgang Heinz in East Berlin. Hurst decided to remain in Germany, and worked in Vienna and Berlin with a fellow erstwhile emigrant (and Actors Studio colleague), theatre director George Tabori. From 1991 Hurst worked at the Burgtheater, Vienna, eventually returning to live in Berlin in 2000, when he retired from acting. He died there on 15 September 2019 after suffering a stroke and pneumonia.
Appearances ===Theatre=== Play Role Theatre Dates ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''  Ensemble  Broadway  21 September – 17 October 1954 ''Look After Lulu!'' The Policeman  Broadway  3 March – 4 April 1959 ''Under The Sycamore Tree''  The Scientist  Cricket Theatre  7 March – 10 April 196041 performances ''Camelot''  Merlin  Broadway  3 December 1960 – 5 January 1963 ''The Lunatic View''  Young Man  Lucille Lortel Theatre  November 1962 ''A Month in the Country''  Ignaty Ilyitch Shpigelsky  Maidman Playhouse  1963 – 196448 performances ''Electra''  Paedagogus  Delacorte Theater  5  – 29 August 196422 performances(New York Shakespeare Festival) ''Henry IV''  Dr. Dionysius Genoni  Broadway  28 April  – 28 May 1973 ''Dracula''  Abraham Van Helsing  Broadway  20 October 1977  – 6 January 1980 ''The Faithful Brethren of Pitt Street''  Joseph Knaitsch  Orpheum Theatre  5 – 20 November 198820 performances===Films=== Year Title Role Notes 1949  ''The Perfect Woman''  Wolfgang Winkel  1950  ''Tony Draws a Horse''  Ivan  ''Soho Conspiracy''  Franco  1951  ''Smart Alec''  Poppi  1952  ''So Little Time''  Blumel / Baumann  ''Old Mother Riley Meets the Vampire''  Mugsy  ''Venetian Bird''  Minelli  ''Top Secret''  Professor Deutsch  1953  ''Rough Shoot''  Lex  ''Always a Bride'' Beckstein  1954  ''River Beat''  Paddy McClure  ''Mad About Men''  Signor Mantalini  1955  ''One Good Turn''  Professor Dofee  ''As Long as They're Happy''  Dr. Hermann Schneider  ''All for Mary''  M. Victor  1956  ''The Intimate Stranger''  Dave Pearson  Uncredited 1957  ''After the Ball''  Perelli  1964  ''The Confession''  Gustave  1968  ''How to Steal the World''  Dr. Jan Vanovech  (archive footage) 1969  ''The Maltese Bippy''  Dr. Charles Strauss  ''Hello, Dolly!'' Rudolph Reizenweber  1970  ''Kelly's Heroes''  Col. Dankhopf  1973  ''Orville and Wilbur''  Chanute  1978  ''The Boys from Brazil''  Strasser ===Television=== Year Title Role Notes 1956  ''The Adventures of Aggie''  Lazareff  Episode: "Snap Judgment" 1957  ''Armstrong Circle Theatre''  Government official  Episode: "The Shepherd of Paris"  1958  ''DuPont Show of the Month''  Mr. Stryver  Episode: "A Tale of Two Cities" ''Kraft Television Theatre''   2 Episodes: "Riddle of a Lady" and "Next Door to Death" 1960  ''Play of the Week''   2 Episodes: "Tiger at the Gates" and "The Emperor's Clothes" ''Dow Hour of Great Mysteries''  Baron  Episode: "The Dachet Diamonds"  1962  ''Car 54, Where Are You?'' Robin Stuart, playwright  Episode: "That's Show Business" 1964  ''The Defenders''  Dr. Schaeffer  Episode: "Drink Like a Lady" 1965  ''Look Up and Live''   2 Episodes: "The Initiation" and "The Judgment" ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' Dr. Leland Mayes Elmont  Episode: "The Brain-Killer Affair" ''The Patty Duke Show''  Dennis Latouche  Episode: "It Takes a Heap of Livin'" 1966  ''Hawk''  Louis Anselmi  Episode: "The Longleat Chronicles" ''The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.'' Matthew Brecker  Episode: "The Mata Hari Affair" 1967  ''Hallmark Hall of Fame''  Petrovini  Episode: "Anastasia" ''Mission: Impossible''  Victor Grigov  Episode: "The Astrologer" ''Mannix''  Vladek  Episode: "The Many Deaths of Saint Christopher" 1968  ''To Die in Paris''  Pirot  TV movie ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' Dr. Jan Vanovech  Episode: "The Seven Wonders of the World Affair" ''It Takes a Thief''  Captain Kovich  Episode: "When Boy Meets Girl" ''The Monkees''  The Baron  Episode: "Monkees Race Again" ''The Flying Nun''  Gus Mendoza – Sister Sixto's Uncle  Episode: "A Fish Story" ''Run for Your Life''  Heinrich Kleist  Episode: "The Exchange" 1969  ''Star Trek''  Hodin  Episode: "The Mark of Gideon"  ''Mission: Impossible''  Dr. Oswald Beck Episode: "The Test Case" ''The Flying Nun''  Benito Gomez  Episode: "The Lottery" 1970  ''The Mod Squad''  Consulate General Fohgib  Episode: "The Exile" ''The F.B.I.'' Alex Keeler  Episode: "The Traitor" 1971  ''Dark Shadows''  Justin Collins  3 episodes ''NET Playhouse''  Chanute  Episode: "The Wright Brothers" 1976  ''Serpico''  Ducek  Episode: "The Indian" 1977 ''Nero Wolfe''  Fritz  TV film broadcast 1979 ''McCloud''  Colonel Andrei Krasnavian  Episode: "The Moscow Connection" ''Insight''   Episode: "Arnstein's Miracle" 1978  ''Child of Glass''  Jacques Dumaine  TV film ''Eight Is Enough''   Episode : "The Hipbone's Connected to the Thighbone" ''Quincy, M.E.'' Dr. Fred Webber  Episode: "Dead and Alive" 1979  ''Ryan's Hope''  Dr. Nelson  Uncredited, 1 episode 1980  ''Charlie's Angels''  Stovich  Episode: "Angel in Hiding" 1981  ''Skokie''  Sol Goldstein  TV film, (final film role)
References
External links * * * *  David Hurst at the University of Wisconsin's  Actors Studio audio collection