Line #22 Creator/ZeroMostel

Context Creator / ZeroMostel

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1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zero_mostel_producers.jpeg]]
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3	->''"The freedom of any society varies proportionately with the volume of its laughter."''
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5	Samuel Joel "Zero" Mostel (February 28, 1915 – September 8, 1977) was an American actor, comedian, and singer of stage and screen.
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7	Among his accomplishments was originating the role of Tevye in ''Theatre/FiddlerOnTheRoof'' and playing Max Bialystock in ''Film/TheProducers''.
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9	Mostel was, like many Hollywood performers, [[UsefulNotes/TheHollywoodBlacklist blacklisted]] in the witch hunt against suspected Communists during the 1950s; he was accused of being a Communist Party member due to his left-wing politics, declining to name names when [[HauledBeforeASenateSubcommittee called before the HUAC]] and lecturing them on political matters. Though a hero for this among the blacklisted community, he could not act again in a major film until the 1960s. (In fact, he had been effectively banned even prior to this by the major studios as punishment for having protested at films which were alleged as racist). This experience would greatly inform Mostel's last film performance as Hecky Brown, a blacklisted actor, in ''Film/TheFront''.[[note]] The role was based on Mostel's friend Philip Loeb, an actor who'd killed himself over his own blacklisting in 1955. [[/note]] The date of his blacklisting appears with his name in the film's closing credits, along with those of several other formerly-blacklisted cast and crew.
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11	----
12	!!Roles on this wiki:
13	[[foldercontrol]]
14	[[folder:Film roles]]
15	* ''Film/PanicInTheStreets'' (1950): Raymond Fitch
16	* ''Film/{{Sirocco}}'' (1951): Balukjiaan
17	* ''Film/{{The Enforcer\|1951}}'' (1951): Big Babe Lazick
18	* ''Film/AFunnyThingHappenedOnTheWayToTheForum'' (1966): Pseudolus
19	* ''Film/TheProducers'' (1968): Max Bialystock
20	* ''Film/TheGreatBankRobbery'' (1969): Rev. Pious Blue
21	* ''Film/TheAngelLevine'' (1970): Morris Mishkin
22	* ''Film/TheHotRock'' (1972): Abe Greenberg
23	* ''Film/{{Rhinoceros}}'' (1974): John
24	* ''Film/JourneyIntoFear'' (1975): Kopelkin
25	* ''Film/TheFront'' (1976): Hecky Brown
26	* ''WesternAnimation/WatershipDown'' (1978): Kehaar (voice)
27	[[/folder]]
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29	[[folder:Television roles]]
30	* ''Series/RowanAndMartinsLaughIn'' (1970): Guest Performer (2 episodes)
31	* ''Series/{{The Electric Company\|1971}}'' (1972–77): Spell Binder (voice)
32	* ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' (1977): Himself/Guest Star (1 episode)
33	[[/folder]]
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35	[[folder:Theatre roles]]
36	* ''Theatre/{{Rhinoceros}}'' (1961): Jean
37	* ''Theatre/AFunnyThingHappenedOnTheWayToTheForum'' (1962): Pseudolus
38	* ''Theatre/FiddlerOnTheRoof'' (1964): Tevye
39	[[/folder]]

Context Creator / ZeroMostel