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Leon Belasco
Leon Belasco
	Belasco in Topper Takes a Trip (1938)
Born	Leonid Simeonovich Berladsky; 11 October 1902; Odessa, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	1 June 1988 (aged 85); Orange, California, U.S.
Nationality	Russian-American
Occupations	Actor; musician;
Years active	1926–1983

Leon Belasco (born Leonid Simeonovich Berladsky; 11 October 1902 – 1 June 1988) was a Russian-American actor and musician who had a career in film and television that spanned from the 1920s to the 1980s, appearing in more than 100 films.

Musical career

Born in Odessa, Russian Empire, Belasco attended St. Joseph College in Yokohama, Japan, and trained as a musician in Japan and Manchuria. He was briefly the concertmaster of the Japanese-Russian Symphony Orchestra, a predecessor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra.^[1]

When he moved on his own to California in 1921 (leaving his parents and brother behind in Harbin, Manchuria), Belasco found occasional work in Hollywood. He made his film debut in 1926 in the silent film The Best People. To supplement his income, he played the violin. Later he formed his own band, which mainly performed in hotels in and around New York City. The Andrews Sisters were introduced through his band.^[2]

In 1933, Belasco and his orchestra were heard on the Oldsmobile Program on CBS radio.^[3]

Film career

During a season break from a hotel engagement, he returned to Hollywood, first appearing in Broadway Serenade and Topper Takes a Trip (1938). He acted in 13 films in 1942, including Holiday Inn, Casablanca, Yankee Doodle Dandy, and Road to Morocco.^[2]

He appeared with the Marx Brothers in their last film together, Love Happy (1949).^[4] Being able to speak Russian, he was a dialogue director in Norman Jewison's 1966 comedy The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming.

Belasco often played eccentric or befuddled European and ethnic characters.^[2] He also played heavier roles in espionage dramas. On radio, he played a thieving informant in The Man Called X. His best-known television role was as Appopoplous the landlord in My Sister Eileen (1960).^[1] His last film was Superdad (1973), and his final television movie was Woman of the Year (1976).^[2]

Television career

Beginning in 1953,^[2] Belasco appeared in a variety of television shows, including Maverick (1961), Twilight Zone (1963), My Favorite Martian,(1965) The Lucy Show (1963), The Beverly Hillbillies (1964-1967), My Three Sons (1966), The Dick Van Dyke Show (1966), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1966), Little House on the Prairie (1978) and Trapper John, M.D. (1980).

On his death in 1988 in Orange, California, Belasco was cremated, and his ashes scattered.

Selected filmography

The Saint in New York (1938) - Driver (uncredited)
Dramatic School (1938) - Nightclub Announcer (uncredited)
Topper Takes a Trip (1938) - Bellboy
Fisherman's Wharf (1939) - Luigi
Beauty for the Asking (1939) - Beauty Shop Owner (uncredited)
Broadway Serenade (1939) - 'Squeaker'
The Flying Irishman (1939) - Russian Commentator (uncredited)
Good Girls Go to Paris (1939) - Nightclub Violinist (uncredited)
Man About Town (1939) - Arab Petitioner in Show (uncredited)
Lady of the Tropics (1939) - Assistant to Manager (uncredited)
On Your Toes (1939) - Mishka - Slave in Ballet (uncredited)
Legion of Lost Flyers (1939) - 'Frenchy' Rogian
I Take This Woman (1940) - Pancho (uncredited)
It's a Date (1940) - Captain of Waiters (uncredited)
My Favorite Wife (1940) - Waiter - Pacific Club Poolside (uncredited)
The Lady in Question (1940) - Barber (uncredited)
Lucky Partners (1940) - Nick #1
The Mummy's Hand (1940) - Ali
Spring Parade (1940) - Violinist Orchestra Leader
Melody and Moonlight (1940) - Maestro (uncredited)
Tugboat Annie Sails Again (1940) - Headwaiter (uncredited)
Comrade X (1940) - Comrade Baronoff - Hotel Manager (uncredited)
Where Did You Get That Girl? (1941) - Hayden
Tall, Dark and Handsome (1941) - Alfredo Herrera
Abdul the Bulbul-Ameer (1941, Short) - (voice, uncredited)
A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob (1941) - First Taxi Driver (uncredited)
They Dare Not Love (1941) - Pierre (uncredited)
I'll Wait for You (1941) - Mr. Lapagos, the Tailor
Kisses for Breakfast (1941) - Piano Accompanist (uncredited)
Ringside Maisie (1941) - Shady Lawn Band Leader (uncredited)
Hold Back the Dawn (1941) - Mr. Spitzer (uncredited)
It Started with Eve (1941) - Couturier (uncredited)
Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941) - Pianist (uncredited)
Nothing but the Truth (1941) - Dr. Zarak
Niagara Falls (1941) - Head Waiter
The Chocolate Soldier (1941) - Waiter at the Double Eagle (uncredited)
Skylark (1941) - Long-Haired Man in Subway Car
The Night of January 16th (1941) - Airplane Steward (uncredited)
Design for Scandal (1941) - Alexander Raoul
Playmates (1941) - Prince Maharoohu (uncredited)
Roxie Hart (1942) - Waiter (uncredited)
The Night Before the Divorce (1942) - Leo - the Headwaiter
Always in My Heart (1942) - Luke (uncredited)
Kid Glove Killer (1942) - Chris Spyro - Cook (uncredited)
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) - Magician (uncredited)
Night in New Orleans (1942) - Waiter in Tavern (uncredited)
Holiday Inn (1942) - Flower Shop Proprietor (uncredited)
Give Out, Sisters (1942) - Waiter
Henry Aldrich, Editor (1942) - Leon Brink
Between Us Girls (1942) - Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Highways by Night (1942) - Howard (uncredited)
Road to Morocco (1942) - Yusef (uncredited)
That Other Woman (1942) - Walter
Casablanca (1942) - Dealer in Rick's Café (uncredited)
Over My Dead Body (1942) - Pierre
It Comes Up Love (1943) - Orchestra Leader
Hers to Hold (1943) - Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
The Heat's On (1943) - Shore - the Agent (uncredited)
She's for Me (1943) - Acton
The Gang's All Here (1943) - Waiter (uncredited)
Chip Off the Old Block (1944) - Pianist (uncredited)
And the Angels Sing (1944) - Waiter (uncredited)
Pin Up Girl (1944) - Mario (uncredited)
Meet the People (1944) - Milo (uncredited)
San Diego, I Love You (1944) - Violinist (uncredited)
The Conspirators (1944) - Vincent's Waiter (uncredited)
An American Romance (1944) - Cigar Store Proprietor (uncredited)
Storm Over Lisbon (1944) - Fado Singer (uncredited)
Night Club Girl (1945) - Gaston
See My Lawyer (1945) - Violinist (uncredited)
Earl Carroll Vanities (1945) - Baron Dashek
Hollywood and Vine (1945) - Cedric Borris
Wonder Man (1945) - Pianist (uncredited)
Easy to Look At (1945) - Phillipe
Out of This World (1945) - Leon (uncredited)
Yolanda and the Thief (1945) - Taxi Driver
Swing Parade of 1946 (1946) - Pete
Suspense (1946) - Pierre Yasha
Holiday in Mexico (1946) - Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
Little Iodine (1946) - Simkins
It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) - Musician (uncredited)
Philo Vance Returns (1947) - Alexis Karnoff
Three Daring Daughters (1948) - Ship Bandleader (uncredited)
I, Jane Doe (1948) - Duroc
For the Love of Mary (1948) - Igor
Adventures of Don Juan (1948) - Don de Cordoba (uncredited)
Every Girl Should Be Married (1948) - Violinist
Jiggs and Maggie in Jackpot Jitters (1949) - Gambler (uncredited)
Holiday in Havana (1949) - Luis Amantado (uncredited)
Love Happy (1949) - Mr. Lyons
Everybody Does It (1949) - Prof. Hugo
Bagdad (1949) - Beggar
Nancy Goes to Rio (1950) - Prof. Gama (uncredited)
Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town (1950) - Beauty Salon Manager (uncredited)
Please Believe Me (1950) - The Croupier
Love That Brute (1950) - François Ducray aka Frenchy
The Flame and the Arrow (1950) - Arturo of Milan / Players' Impresario / Court Announcer (uncredited)
Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950) - Hassam—Auctioneer
The Toast of New Orleans (1950) - Dominiques' Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
Bomba and the Hidden City (1950) - Raschid
Cuban Fireball (1951) - Hunyabi
Little Egypt (1951) - Moulai
Havana Rose (1951) - Renaldi
The Golden Horde (1951) - Nazza the Astrologer (uncredited)
The Fabulous Senorita (1952) - Señor Gonzales
Gobs and Gals (1952) - Peter
Son of Ali Baba (1952) - Babu
Jalopy (1953) - Prof. Bosgood Elrod
Call Me Madam (1953) - Leader (uncredited)
Geraldine (1953) - Professor Dubois
Can-Can (1960) - Arturo - orchestra leader
My Six Loves (1963) - Mario
The Art of Love (1965) - Prince
Superdad (1973) - Limousine Driver
Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976) - Fromberg Butler With Phone Call (uncredited)

References

^ ^a ^b Hal Erickson (2012). "Leon Belasco - Full Biography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Leon Belasco as a Dealer". mcgady.net. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
^ Sies, Luther F. (2014). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920-1960, 2nd Edition. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-5149-4. P. 494.
^ "Leon Belasco". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2008. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2010.