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Abraham Sofaer Biography (1896-1988)

Born October 1, 1896, in Rangoon, Burma; died of congestive heart failure, January 21, 1988, in Woodland Hills, CA; son of Isaac and Rahma (Solomon) Sofaer; married Psyche Angela Christian; children: one son, four daughters.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Birth Details

October 1, 1896

Rangoon, Burma

Death Details

January 21, 1988

Woodland Hills, California, United States

Famous Works

• Credits; STAGE DEBUT
• The Merchant of Venice, Charles Doran Shakespeare Company, Palace Theatre, Newark-on-Trent, U.K., 1921.
• Credits; LONDON DEBUT
• Bishop of Avila and other roles, Gloriana, Little Theatre, 1925.
• Credits; BROADWAY DEBUT
• Isaac Cohen, The Matriarch, Longacre Theatre, 1930.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL STAGE APPEARANCES
• Claude Montague, Scotch Mist, St. Martin's Theatre, London, 1926.
• Zasha, The Mountain, Shaftesbury Theatre, London, 1926.
• Bazilio, The Marriage of Figaro, Court Theatre, London, 1926.
• Comte de Sallaz, Israel, Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, U.K., 1927.
• the Arab, The Beetle, Strand Theatre, London, 1928.
• the Pack Pedlar, Black Velvet, Arts Theatre, London, 1929.
• Odderitto, The Man in Dress Clothes, Lyceum Theatre, London, 1929.
• Professor Fell, Before Midnight, Little Theatre, London, 1929.
• Isaac Cohen, The Matriarch, Royalty Theatre, London, 1929.
• Feste, Twelfth Night, and Claudius, Hamlet, both Embassy Theatre, London,1930.
• Abraham Kaplan, Street Scene, Globe Theatre, London, 1930.
• Ali and Ben Hussein, If, Arts Theatre, 1931.
• Piderit, Twelve Thousand, and Count Mario Grazia, The Mask and the Face,both Embassy Theatre, 1931.
• Leone, Volpone, and Leonti Levine, The Bear Dances, both Garrick Theatre,London, 1932.
• Brutus, Julius Caesar, His Majesty's Theatre, London, 1932.
• Biron, Love's Labour's Lost, Westminster Theatre, London, 1932.
• Chief Rabbi Forbach, Miracle at Verdun, Comedy Theatre, London, 1932.
• Dr. Zodiac, He Wanted Adventure, Saville Theatre, London, 1933.
• Rufus Sonnenberg, Success Story, Fulham Theatre, then Cambridge Theatre,both London, 1934.
• the Messenger, Antony and Cleopatra, Bolingbroke, Richard II, Don Pedro,Much Ado about Nothing, Bishop of Beauvais, Saint Joan, Gremio, The Taming ofthe Shrew, title role, Othello, Theseus, Hippolytus, title role, Henry IV, Part II, and Claudius, Hamlet, all Old Vic Company, Sadler's Wells Theatre, London, 1934-35.
• Count de Reinach, The Great Experiment, St. Martin's Theatre, 1936.
• title role, Professor Bernhardi, Embassy Theatre, then Phoenix Theatre, London, both 1936.
• Disraeli, Victoria Regina, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1936, thenMartin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1938.
• Shylock, The Merchant of Venice, Shubert Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1938.
• Jonah Goodman, The Gentle People, Strand Theatre, 1939.
• King of France, King John, and Jason, Medea, both Old Vic Company, New Theatre, London, 1941.
• Ross, Macbeth, Piccadilly Theatre, London, 1942.
• title role, Othello, and Leontes, The Winter's Tale, both Shakespeare Memorial Company, Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-on-Avon, U.K., 1942.
• Master Absolon Beyer, The Witch, Arts Theatre, 1944.
• Claudius, Hamlet, Haymarket Theatre, London, 1945.
• Rabbi, Skipper Next to God, Embassy Theatre, 1945.
• Nils Krogstad, A Doll's House, Winter Garden Theatre, London, 1946.
• Ernesti, The Silver Trumpets, New Lindsey Theatre, London, 1946.
• Edward Max, Native Son, Boltons Theatre, London, 1948.
• Kurt Auerbach, The Least of These, Strand Theatre, 1948.
• Evangelist, The Pilgrim's Progress, Covent Garden Theatre, London, 1948.
• Svengali, Trilby, Bedford Theatre, London, 1950.
• Samson, Samson Agonistes, St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London, 1951.
• Zeus, The Flies, Group Theatre Company, New Theatre, 1951.
• Also appeared with the Charles Doran Shakespeare Company, 1921-23; as Vasco, Command Performance, 1933; and in In the Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer,Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, CA, 1967.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL STAGE WORK
• Director, The Merchant of Venice, Shubert Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1938.
• Credits; MAJOR TOURS
• Rajah of Rukh, The Green Goddess, U.K. cities, 1925.
• Leon, Dawn, U.K. cities, 1927.
• Doctor Chan Fu, The Silent House, U.K. cities, 1928.
• De Levis, Loyalties, U.K. cities, 1929.
• Hector Frome, Justice, U.K. cities, 1929.
• Disraeli, Victoria Regina, U.S. cities, 1937.
• Macduff, Macbeth, U.K. cities, 1940.
• King of France, King John, Old Vic Company, U.K. cities, 1941.
• Doctor Gortler, I Have Been Here Before, U.K. cities, 1944.
• Also appeared on tours of U.K. cities with Harold V. Neilson's Company for four years, performing nearly one hundred Shakespearean roles including thetitle role, Othello, Shylock, The Merchant of Venice, Brutus, Julius Caesar,and Malvolio, Twelfth Night.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL FILM APPEARANCES
• Dubois, The Dreyfus Case (also known as Dreyfus), Columbia, 1931.
• Fahmy, The House Opposite, Pathe, 1931.
• Mahmed Pasha, Stamboul, Paramount, 1931.
• Lieutenant Joseph, The Flying Squad, British Lion, 1932.
• Ali Ben Achmed, Insult, Paramount, 1932.
• Mehett Salos, The Flag Lieutenant, Gaumont, 1932.
• Baki, Ask Beccles, Paramount, 1933.
• Myers, High Finance, Warner Brothers/First National, 1933.
• holy man, Karma, India and British Film, 1933.
• Mr. Beal, Little Miss Nobody, Warner Brothers, 1933.
• Ali, Trouble, United Artists, 1933.
• Don Pablo y Gonzales, The Admiral's Secret, RKO, 1934.
• Skelton, Oh, No Doctor!, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), 1934.
• street bookseller, The Private Life of Don Juan (also known as Don Juan),United Artists, 1934.
• Nell Gwyn, United Artists, 1935.
• Zapportas, The Wandering Jew, Olympic, 1935.
• Doctor Menasseh, Rembrandt, United Artists, 1935.
• the Jew, Things to Come, United Artists, 1936.
• Ali, Crooks Tour, Anglo American, 1940.
• Heini Meyer, A Voice in the Night (also known as Freedom Radio), Columbia, 1941.
• the Judge, Stairway to Heaven (also known as A Matter of Life and Death),Universal, 1946.
• French judge, Dual Alibi, British National, 1947.
• Disraeli, Ghosts of Berkeley Square, British National, 1947.
• Doctor Kohima, Calling Paul Temple, Nettleford, 1948.
• Luis de Santangel, Christopher Columbus, Universal, 1949.
• Commandant, Cairo Road, Associated British Films/Pathe, 1950.
• judge, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, MGM, 1951.
• Paul, Quo Vadis, MGM, 1951.
• Chancellor, Judgment Deferred, Associated British Films, 1952.
• Fatumak, His Majesty O'Keefe, Warner Brothers, 1953.
• Incacha, The Naked Jungle, Paramount, 1953.
• Appuhamy, Elephant Walk, Paramount, 1954.
• Surabhai, Bhowani Junction, MGM, 1956.
• Don Carlos, The First Texan, Allied Artists, 1956.
• Tutush, Omar Khayyam, Paramount, 1957.
• Indian, Out of the Clouds, Rank, 1957.
• Hassim, The Sad Sack, Paramount, 1957.
• Indian chief, The Story of Mankind, Warner Brothers, 1957.
• abbot, Taras Bulba, United Artists, 1962.
• Calgo, Captain Sinbad, MGM, 1963.
• Professor Pietro Baglioni, "Rappaccini's Daughter" in Twice Told Tales (also known as Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Twice Told Tales"), United Artists, 1963.
• Joseph of Arimathaea, The Greatest Story Ever Told, United Artists, 1965.
• Doctor Von Steiner, Journey to the Center of Time, American General Pictures/Western International, 1967.
• swami, Head, Columbia, 1968.
• proprietor, Justine, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1969.
• Pablo Rojas, Che!, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1969.
• White Buffalo, Chisum, Warner Brothers, 1970.
• Also appeared in King of Kings, MGM, 1961.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL TELEVISION APPEARANCES; EPISODIC
• Dr. Stillman, "The Mighty Casey," The Twilight Zone, CBS, 1960.
• Thasian, "Charlie X," Star Trek, NBC, 1966.
• Also "Revenge of the Gods," The Time Tunnel, ABC, 1966; "The Flaming Planet," Lost in Space, CBS, 1968.

Further Reference

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

• Variety, February 3, 1988.