Tenen Holtz
Elihu "Elye" Tenenholtz was born in the Russian hamlet of Azran, near the city of Rovne, in 1887 and came to the US at the age of ten. His first appearance in amateur Yiddish theatricals occurred in 1903, in staged readings of the works of Yiddish author Sholom Aleichem, the first person to do that. He augmented his theater appearances by writing for and editing a Yiddish satirical magazine under the pen-name "Moishe McCarthy". In 1916 he made the leap to the professional Yiddish stage and, befriended by the great doyenne Bessie Thomashevsky, helped her pen her memoirs, the first publication documenting a Yiddish actor's life. By 1920 he was appearing on both the Yiddish art stage with Maurice Schwartz and on Broadway, quickly rising to the top leadership of the Hebrew Actors' Union, the first arts union in America. In 1925 he co-founded a theater company with Celia Adler, half-sister of Luther Adler and "Method" teacher Stella Adler. In 1926 he was summoned to Hollywood and given a five-year contract at MGM. Like most Jewish actors, when he arrived in Hollywood he changed his name (choosing to bifurcate it into "Tenen Holtz"). During that time he regularly appeared in films alongside such stars as Greta Garbo, Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow and Marion Davies and under directors like King Vidor and Victor Fleming. This period would prove to be Tenenholtz's most prolific and would account for the majority of the 50+ films in which he would appear. While in Hollywood he helped jump start its fledgling Yiddish theater, founding a popular Yiddish theater company that included other transplanted Yiddish actors including Muni Weisenfreund (aka Paul Muni, father and son Rudolph Schildkraut and Joseph Schildkraut. When his contract at MGM ended, he moved over to Warner Brothers where he made films with Leslie Howard under the direction of Michael Curtiz. By the late 1930s the only calls he got were from Poverty Row studios, so Tenenholtz moved to nearby Monrovia and opened a chicken ranch. Though he would occasionally go back in front of the camera, he retired from film. By the time TV emerged, he landed a few roles on shows such as Perry Mason (1957) and Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955). He died in 1971.
Filmography
Henry Goes Arizona
as Boris - a Ranch Hand (uncredited)
Henry Goes Arizona
as Boris - a Ranch Hand (uncredited)
Mutiny on the Blackhawk
Mutiny on the Blackhawk
Bridal Suite
as Hotel Runner at Train Station
Bridal Suite
as Hotel Runner at Train Station
Let Freedom Ring
as Hunky (uncredited)
Let Freedom Ring
as Hunky (uncredited)
Cipher Bureau
as Simon Herrick
Cipher Bureau
as Simon Herrick
International Crime
as Starkhov
International Crime
as Starkhov
Nothing Sacred
as Tearful Waiter (uncredited)
Nothing Sacred
as Tearful Waiter (uncredited)
British Agent
as Lenin
British Agent
as Lenin
The Notorious Sophie Lang
as Bystander (uncredited)
The Notorious Sophie Lang
as Bystander (uncredited)
Hollywood Mystery
as Benjamin Vogel
Hollywood Mystery
as Benjamin Vogel
Money Means Nothing
as Mr. Silverman
Money Means Nothing
as Mr. Silverman
Dinner at Eight
as Butler (uncredited)
Dinner at Eight
as Butler (uncredited)
The Chief
as Bald Henchman at Cabin
The Chief
as Bald Henchman at Cabin
Big Executive
as Pawnbroker
Big Executive
as Pawnbroker
Bombshell
as White - Lola's Agent (uncredited)
Bombshell
as White - Lola's Agent (uncredited)
Broadway to Hollywood
as Booking Agent
Broadway to Hollywood
as Booking Agent
Hard to Handle
as Tailor (uncredited)
Hard to Handle
as Tailor (uncredited)
Whistling in the Dark
as Herman
Whistling in the Dark
as Herman
Faithless
as Diner Proprietor
Faithless
as Diner Proprietor
Cock of the Air
as Tall Waiter
Cock of the Air
as Tall Waiter
Devotion
as Waiter
Devotion
as Waiter
Sporting Blood
as Gus, Bald Gambling Mobster (uncredited)
Sporting Blood
as Gus, Bald Gambling Mobster (uncredited)
Laughing Sinners
as Poker-Playing Salesman
Laughing Sinners
as Poker-Playing Salesman
Gentleman's Fate
as Tony
Gentleman's Fate
as Tony
All Teed Up
as Senator Brown
All Teed Up
as Senator Brown
Whispering Whoopee
as Mr. Holtz
Whispering Whoopee
as Mr. Holtz
The Kibitzer
as Meyer
The Kibitzer
as Meyer
Lilies of the Field
as Paymaster
Lilies of the Field
as Paymaster
House of Horror
as Brown
House of Horror
as Brown
The Duke Steps Out
as Jake, Duke's manager
The Duke Steps Out
as Jake, Duke's manager
Show People
as Casting Director
Show People
as Casting Director
The Ol' Gray Hoss
as Man with Sooty on Face
The Ol' Gray Hoss
as Man with Sooty on Face
The Cardboard Lover
as Albine
The Cardboard Lover
as Albine
Detectives
as Orloff
Detectives
as Orloff
The Trail of '98
as Mr. Bulkey
The Trail of '98
as Mr. Bulkey
Bringing Up Father
as Ginsberg Feitelbaum
Bringing Up Father
as Ginsberg Feitelbaum
The Garden of Eden
as Headwaiter at Palais de Paris (uncredited)
The Garden of Eden
as Headwaiter at Palais de Paris (uncredited)
The Latest from Paris
as Abe Littauer
The Latest from Paris
as Abe Littauer
The Law of the Range
as Cohen
The Law of the Range
as Cohen
Frisco Sally Levy
as Isaac Solomon Lapidowitz
Frisco Sally Levy
as Isaac Solomon Lapidowitz
Long Pants
as Minor Role (uncredited)
Long Pants
as Minor Role (uncredited)
The Demi-Bride
as Gaston
The Demi-Bride
as Gaston
Upstage
as Sam Davis
Upstage
as Sam Davis
Exit Smiling
as Tod Powell
Exit Smiling
as Tod Powell
Salome of the Tenements
as Banker Ben (as Elihu Tenenholz)
Salome of the Tenements
as Banker Ben (as Elihu Tenenholz)