Leon Belasco

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]

Belasco's recordings include "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking"/"Many Moons Ago" (Vocalion 2590-B, 1934)^[4]

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).^[5] 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]

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).

Belasco married actress Julia Bruner in New York City on 14 April 1935.^[6] They were divorced on 5 June, 1939.^[7]

Belasco was Jewish and in a 1943 article in the Colorado Intermountain Jewish News, he was listed among a number of other well-known Jews in the film industry who had joined the military during World War II. Belasco's name appeared alongside those of Don Castle, Melvyn Douglas, George E. Stone, Sid Silvers, Billy Halop, Max Baer, Fritz Feld, Max Rosenbloom, and Tony Martin.^[8]

Belasco died on June 1, 1988, in Orange, California, aged 85.^[9] He was cremated, and his ashes scattered.^{[citation needed]}