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Gregory Gaye | |
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.jpg) Gaye inSeven Doors to Death (1944) | |
| Born | Grigoriy Grigoryevich Ge[citation needed] (1900-10-10)October 10, 1900 |
| Died | August 23, 1993(1993-08-23) (aged 92) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1928–1979 |
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Gregory Gaye (bornGrigoriy Grigoryevich Ge;[citation needed] October 10, 1900 – August 23, 1993) was a Russian-Americancharacter actor. The son of an actor, he was born inSt. Petersburg,Russia. He was the uncle of actorGeorge Gaynes.
He was a cadet in theImperial Russian Navy and began his stage career inEurope and in theOrient before going to the United States after theRussian Revolution in 1923.[1] He appeared in small roles in over a hundred movies.[2]
His first role was a bit part in the 1928John Barrymoresilent filmTempest, set during the Russian Revolution. His first credited role was as Prince Ordinsky in the 1929Will Rogers comedyThey Had to See Paris. Gaye appeared in three of Rogers' movies including;Young as You Feel andHandy Andy.
Later in 1929, Gaye received a bit part in theJohn Ford filmThe Black Watch starringVictor McLaglen (John Wayne andRandolph Scott also had bit parts in this movie). In 1930, Gaye received a good role as Baslikoff, a suave violinist, chasingGloria Swanson in the romance comedyWhat a Widow! Later that year, he appeared as Vologuine in theVictor Fleming filmRenegades withMyrna Loy andBela Lugosi. In 1932, Gaye played Rudolph Kammerling in the comedyOnce in a Lifetime about a Hollywood studio during the transition from silents to talkies.
In 1934, Gaye played Mr. Kolinoff inWarner Bros.'sBritish Agent starringLeslie Howard. Two years later, Gaye received a good role as Baron Kurt Von Obersdorf inDodsworth starringWalter Huston andMary Astor. Later that year, again playing an aristocrat, as Count Raul Du Rienne inUnder Your Spell. Also in 1936, he received another good role as Enrico Borelli in the mysteryCharlie Chan at the Opera starringBoris Karloff.
In 1937, Gaye portrayed apianist named Dmitri 'Didi' Shekoladnikoff in the comedyMama Steps Out starringGuy Kibbee. Next, Gaye plays a German Captain Freymann inLancer Spy starringGeorge Sanders andPeter Lorre. Gaye continued to play the role of aristocrats like Count Frederic Brekenski in Warner Bros.'sTovarich starringClaudette Colbert,Charles Boyer andBasil Rathbone. The following year, Gaye played another aristocratic count inLove, Honor and Behave starringPriscilla Lane. Later that year, Gaye received the part of Popoff in the comedyToo Hot to Handle starringClark Gable and Myrna Loy.
Gaye, in a role he was getting used to, played Count Georges De Remi inParis Honeymoon starringBing Crosby in 1939. Later that year, he played Vitray in20th Century Fox'sThe Three Musketeers starringDon Ameche. Next that year, Gaye received a good part as exiled Count Alexis Rakonin, the waiter, inMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Oscar-nominated classicNinotchka starringGreta Garbo.
As World War II raged in Europe, Gaye's parts started to move away from aristocrats and towardNazis. In 1941, Gaye played Von Mueller inThey Dare Not Love starringGeorge Brent andPaul Lukas. The movie takes place in Austria during the war. Next, he played a waiter inI Wake Up Screaming starringBetty Grable andVictor Mature. Next he played Becker in the war dramaFlight Lieutenant starringPat O'Brien andGlenn Ford.
In 1942, Gaye played a Nazi spy and saboteur named Feldon in Columbia's spy serialSecret Code. Next, he played a Nazi named Karl in the comedyFall In.
Later in 1942, at age 41, he landed a small role inCasablanca as an official ofHitler'sReichsbank. In the movie, he tries to gain entrance to the back-room casino, but is stopped by Abdul (Dan Seymour). He tells Rick, "I have been in every gambling room betweenHonolulu and Berlin, and if you think I'm going to be kept out of a saloon like this, you're very much mistaken." Rick tells him, "your cash is good at the bar." He responds, "What? Do you know who I am?" To which Rick replies, "I do, you're lucky the bar is open to you." Gaye angrily responds, "This is outrageous! I shall report it to the Angrif" and storms away.
AfterCasablanca, Gaye received many small, and mostly uncredited roles throughout the 1940s and 1950s. In 1944, he received a bit part as a Russian correspondent Peter Voroshevski, who again is stopped at the door and not allowed in the trial, inThe Purple Heart starringDana Andrews andRichard Conte, based on the captured pilots from theDoolittle Raid over Tokyo. In the mysterySeven Doors to Death, Gaye received a large part as Henry Gregor. Later in 1944, he appeared in the spy thrillerThe Conspirators.
In 1945, Gaye appeared in seven movies. One of them was a war drama,Paris Underground, about two women trying to help downed Allied pilots escape Nazi-occupied France. He also played the part of Joe Sapphire in a small crime dramaThe Tiger Woman. In another, he again plays a German banker, this time inCornered, starringDick Powell.
After that year, the roles became scarcer. In 1946, Gaye received a role in a small mysteryPasskey to Danger. The following year, he played a book forger in the mysteryThe Trespasser, starringDale Evans. Next, he received a bit part as a Maitre d'hotel in the comedyThe Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, starringCary Grant.
Gaye continued to land parts into the 1950s. He got a small role inCargo to Capetown, starringBroderick Crawford. He also received a part in Republic's science-fiction serialFlying Disc Man from Mars (it was released as a feature film calledMissile Monsters in 1958). He appeared in the adventure filmMask of the Avenger, starringAnthony Quinn. This was followed with an appearance in the thrillerPeking Express. Next was a part as Ali inColumbia'sThe Magic Carpet, starringLucille Ball. In 1952, he appeared as Paul Shushaldin inRaoul Walsh's historical adventureThe World in His Arms, starringGregory Peck andAnn Blyth. The following year, he appeared inSavage Mutiny, starringJohnny Weissmuller (one of two movies they appeared in together). Later, he got a small role inSouth Sea Woman, starringBurt Lancaster andVirginia Mayo. In 1955, Gaye portrayed an ex-Nazi mad scientist who teams up with a mobster to bring dead gangsters to life in Columbia's science-fiction B horror movieCreature with the Atom Brain. Gaye appeared inKelly and Me, starringVan Johnson, in 1957 and the following year as Vladimir Klinkoff inAuntie Mame, starringRosalind Russell. He also played "The Ruler" in the Republic Films serialCommando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe.
In 1960, he played a casino owner named Freeman inOcean's Eleven, starringFrank Sinatra,Dean Martin andSammy Davis Jr. The following year, he playedJoan Blackman's father,Elvis Presley's co-star inBlue Hawaii.
In 1962, he portrayed a salesman inVincente Minnelli's World War II dramaThe Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, starring Glenn Ford, Paul Lukas and Charles Boyer. Later that year, Gaye appeared as GeneralErwin Rommel inHitler, starringRichard Basehart in the title role. The next year, he played a Russian reporter inThe Prize, starringPaul Newman andEdward G. Robinson.
It would be three years before Gaye got another role. He had a small role portraying theSovietU.N.ambassador inBatman in 1966. Three years after that in 1969, he received his next part, a small uncredited role in theAlfred Hitchcock thrillerTopaz.
Gaye did not appear in any more movies until the late 1970s. He appeared in a couple of television movies before, at age 79, he did his last movie, the science-fiction disaster filmMeteor where he had a small role as the Soviet Premier in 1979.
Gaye also performed on television. In 1953, he played the evil ruler who tries to destroy the earth in the television seriesCommando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe. Between 1954 and 1970, Gaye appeared as a guest on a number of television shows, including five guest appearances onThe F.B.I.
Gaye died in 1993 inStudio City, California. He was predeceased, in 1985, by second wife Frances Lee, whom he had married in 1944.[3] He was cremated and his ashes are held privately.[citation needed]
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