One of the fun things about watching Columbo is spotting familiar faces in the supporting cast. Some actors, like Vito Scotti and Michael Lally, turned up so often that they practically became part of the scenery. Another member of that unofficial club was Ben Frommer, a veteran character actor who made at least four appearances in the series.
Born on June 12th, 1913, in Poland, Frommer immigrated to the United States with his parents while still young. The family settled in New York, where he got his first taste of show business working as a page in local nightclubs.
He eventually made his way to Hollywood in the late 1930s, beginning an acting career that would span more than four decades and include appearances in over 100 movies and numerous television programs.
His first appearance came in Season 2's The Most Crucial Game (1972), starring Robert Culp as murderous football executive Paul Hanlon. Frommer appears as a photographer at the basketball scrimmage, one of the many background performers who help populate the sporting event.
He returned in Season 3's A Friend in Deed (1974), featuring Richard Kiley as corrupt police commissioner Mark Halperin. This time Frommer played a bartender.
In Season 5's Identity Crisis (1975), starring Patrick McGoohan as CIA operative Nelson Brenner, Frommer played Arthur, a hot dog vendor. It's probably Frommer's meatiest role, no pun intended.
Frommer also appeared as a cook in Season 5's A Case of Immunity (1975), starring Hector Elizondo as the murderous diplomat Hassan Salah.
None of these were major roles, and most went uncredited on screen.
He appeared in Ed Wood's notoriously low-budget science-fiction film Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959), a movie that would eventually achieve cult status as one of Hollywood's most famously bad productions.
He also had a small role as a convict in Mel Brooks' classic comedy Blazing Saddles (1974).
Later film appearances included Car Wash (1976), Psycho II (1983), and Brian De Palma's Scarface (1983), starring Al Pacino. He even provided the voice of Palumbo in Ralph Bakshi's animated film American Pop (1981).
On television, Frommer was particularly recognizable to fans of the 1960s comedy F Troop, where he made recurring appearances as the Native American character Smokey Bear, also known as Papa Bear.
His other television credits included The Odd Couple, Hawaii Five-O, Kojak, Adam-12, The Six Million Dollar Man, Lost in Space, The Incredible Hulk, Quincy, M.E., and Battlestar Galactica.
He also worked in animation, contributing voices to Warner Bros. cartoon productions.
That's a pretty impressive résumé for an actor whose name probably isn't familiar to most television viewers.
He also established himself as an independent publicist, representing fellow performers including Forrest Tucker and Lee Majors.
That's an especially interesting connection for Columbo fans because Tucker played construction magnate Bo Williamson in Season 1's Blueprint for Murder.
Although Frommer spent much of his professional life working in Hollywood, relatively little has been published about his private life.
We do know that his family survived him, including his two sons, a brother, a sister, and two granddaughters.
Ben Frommer died on May 9th, 1992, in Tarzana, California, at the age of 78.
Born on June 12th, 1913, in Poland, Frommer immigrated to the United States with his parents while still young. The family settled in New York, where he got his first taste of show business working as a page in local nightclubs.
He eventually made his way to Hollywood in the late 1930s, beginning an acting career that would span more than four decades and include appearances in over 100 movies and numerous television programs.
A familiar face on Columbo
Frommer was never one of Columbo's headline stars, but he was exactly the sort of dependable character actor who helped make the show's fictional Los Angeles feel like a real, bustling city.His first appearance came in Season 2's The Most Crucial Game (1972), starring Robert Culp as murderous football executive Paul Hanlon. Frommer appears as a photographer at the basketball scrimmage, one of the many background performers who help populate the sporting event.
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| Frommer in green |
He returned in Season 3's A Friend in Deed (1974), featuring Richard Kiley as corrupt police commissioner Mark Halperin. This time Frommer played a bartender.
In Season 5's Identity Crisis (1975), starring Patrick McGoohan as CIA operative Nelson Brenner, Frommer played Arthur, a hot dog vendor. It's probably Frommer's meatiest role, no pun intended.
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Frommer also appeared as a cook in Season 5's A Case of Immunity (1975), starring Hector Elizondo as the murderous diplomat Hassan Salah.
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None of these were major roles, and most went uncredited on screen.
Beyond Columbo
Frommer's film career stretched all the way back to the early 1940s, and his credits include some surprisingly recognizable titles.He appeared in Ed Wood's notoriously low-budget science-fiction film Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959), a movie that would eventually achieve cult status as one of Hollywood's most famously bad productions.
He also had a small role as a convict in Mel Brooks' classic comedy Blazing Saddles (1974).
Later film appearances included Car Wash (1976), Psycho II (1983), and Brian De Palma's Scarface (1983), starring Al Pacino. He even provided the voice of Palumbo in Ralph Bakshi's animated film American Pop (1981).
On television, Frommer was particularly recognizable to fans of the 1960s comedy F Troop, where he made recurring appearances as the Native American character Smokey Bear, also known as Papa Bear.
His other television credits included The Odd Couple, Hawaii Five-O, Kojak, Adam-12, The Six Million Dollar Man, Lost in Space, The Incredible Hulk, Quincy, M.E., and Battlestar Galactica.
He also worked in animation, contributing voices to Warner Bros. cartoon productions.
That's a pretty impressive résumé for an actor whose name probably isn't familiar to most television viewers.
A second career behind the scenes
Interestingly, acting wasn't Frommer's only contribution to Hollywood.He also established himself as an independent publicist, representing fellow performers including Forrest Tucker and Lee Majors.
That's an especially interesting connection for Columbo fans because Tucker played construction magnate Bo Williamson in Season 1's Blueprint for Murder.
Family and personal life
Frommer married Hilda Valerie Cohen on October 23rd, 1949. They had two sons, Ed and Gary, and remained married until Hilda's death in July 1977.Although Frommer spent much of his professional life working in Hollywood, relatively little has been published about his private life.
We do know that his family survived him, including his two sons, a brother, a sister, and two granddaughters.
Ben Frommer died on May 9th, 1992, in Tarzana, California, at the age of 78.
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