Gerő Jenő
About Gerő Jenő
Gerő Jenő (2 February 1883 to 12 February 1955) worked in Hungary and then the United States, playing character parts on stage and in film. He was born Jakab Grünwald and also went by Gärtner Sándor; English-speaking audiences knew him as S. Z. Sakall.
He took supporting parts in a long run of Hollywood pictures, among them Casablanca (1942), where he played the head waiter Carl, Christmas in Connecticut (1945), In the Good Old Summertime (1949) and Lullaby of Broadway (1951), several of them musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. The studio head Jack L. Warner gave him the nickname "Cuddles", drawn from his round figure and his warmth off camera.
His short part in Casablanca kept his name in circulation long after, and he was counted among the veteran character players of the period. Writing about the film later, Harlan Lebo, a media analyst at the University of Southern California, singled out the liveliness he brought to the screen.
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Gerő Jenő?
Gerő Jenő was a character actor who worked in Hungary and then the United States, known to English-speaking audiences as S. Z. Sakall.
What role did S. Z. Sakall play in Casablanca?
In Casablanca (1942), Gerő Jenő, billed as S. Z. Sakall, played the head waiter Carl.
Which other Hollywood films did S. Z. Sakall appear in?
His supporting parts included Christmas in Connecticut (1945), In the Good Old Summertime (1949) and Lullaby of Broadway (1951), several of them musicals.
Why was S. Z. Sakall called Cuddles?
Studio head Jack L. Warner gave him the nickname Cuddles, drawn in part from his warmth off camera.
What was Gerő Jenő's birth name?
Gerő Jenő was born Jakab Grünwald on 2 February 1883 and also went by Gärtner Sándor; he died on 12 February 1955.
