Who wants to be a star when you can be in 400 films anyway? One 1930/40s Hollywood supporting actor did just that.

German by birth and with a slight lisp, his accent lent a little magic to every line he uttered. There was no specific forte for him, he played them all.

Fritz Feld could be a head waiter with a very superior air or a slightly paranoid artist complete with gown, pallet and black beret.

A screenwriter in his early days, Feld was founder of the Hollywood Playhouse. He married character actress Virginia Christine, who spent a large amount of time advertising coffee.

Even when looking dishevelled after making Bette Davis look anything from dowdy to grandiose in Pocket Full Of Miracles (US Studios, 1961), starring Glenn Ford and Bette Davis, Fritz still looked good.

Remember him as the not-quite-on-the-ball psychologist in Bringing Up Baby (RKO Studios 1938), starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.

When agitated, he would often use the American expression "phooey". His pronunciation of it, though, was an elongated letter F, which lasted about seven seconds before adding "ooey".

He died in 1993 aged 93, a lovable character.

-Gordon Dean, Lancing