Leon Askin
Encyclopedia
Leon Askin was an Austria
n actor
best known for portraying the character "General Burkhalter" on the TV sitcom Hogan's Heroes
.
, the son of Malvine (Susman) and Samuel Aschkenazy.
, invariably portraying foreign characters who speak English with a strong accent. Askin appeared as the great Polish composer Rubinstein in a Disneyland anthology episode of the life of Peter Tchaikovsky . Fans of the television series Adventures of Superman
recall his portrayals of an eastern European diamond smuggler in a black-and-white episode, and as a South American prime minister in a color episode. In 1961, he was prominently featured in Billy Wilder
's film One, Two, Three
, co-starring with James Cagney
. He gained wide recognition and popularity by appearing as the stern General Albert Burkhalter in the sitcom Hogan's Heroes
in the late 1960s. In 1979 he portrayed the character Mr. Hoffmire of Hoffmire’s Bakery, judging a pie contest in an episode in the third season of Three’s Company titled, “The Bake-off”. In 1982 he had a brief appearance as a Moscow Anchorman in the film Airplane II: The Sequel
.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
best known for portraying the character "General Burkhalter" on the TV sitcom Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes is an American television sitcom that ran for 168 episodes from September 17, 1965, to March 28, 1971, on the CBS network. The show was set in a German prisoner of war camp during the Second World War. Bob Crane had the starring role as Colonel Robert E...
.
Early life
Askin was born Leon Aschkenasy into a Jewish family in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, the son of Malvine (Susman) and Samuel Aschkenazy.
Career
Askin emigrated to the United States in 1940 and, after the war, went to HollywoodHollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, invariably portraying foreign characters who speak English with a strong accent. Askin appeared as the great Polish composer Rubinstein in a Disneyland anthology episode of the life of Peter Tchaikovsky . Fans of the television series Adventures of Superman
Adventures of Superman (TV series)
Adventures of Superman is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The show is the first television series to feature Superman and began filming in 1951 in California...
recall his portrayals of an eastern European diamond smuggler in a black-and-white episode, and as a South American prime minister in a color episode. In 1961, he was prominently featured in Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder was an Austro-Hungarian born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist, and journalist, whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age...
's film One, Two, Three
One, Two, Three
One, Two, Three is a 1961 American comedy film directed by Billy Wilder and written by him and I.A.L. Diamond. It is based on the 1929 Hungarian one-act play Egy, kettö, három by Ferenc Molnár, with a "plot borrowed partly from" Ninotchka, a 1939 film co-written by Wilder...
, co-starring with James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
. He gained wide recognition and popularity by appearing as the stern General Albert Burkhalter in the sitcom Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes is an American television sitcom that ran for 168 episodes from September 17, 1965, to March 28, 1971, on the CBS network. The show was set in a German prisoner of war camp during the Second World War. Bob Crane had the starring role as Colonel Robert E...
in the late 1960s. In 1979 he portrayed the character Mr. Hoffmire of Hoffmire’s Bakery, judging a pie contest in an episode in the third season of Three’s Company titled, “The Bake-off”. In 1982 he had a brief appearance as a Moscow Anchorman in the film Airplane II: The Sequel
Airplane II: The Sequel
Airplane II: The Sequel is an American comedy sequel to the 1980 film Airplane!. First released on December 10, 1982, the film was written and directed by Ken Finkleman and stars Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges, Chad Everett, William Shatner, Rip Torn, and Sonny Bono.-Plot:In the near...
.