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108-452: George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as Ship of Fools (1965) and King Rat (1965), he co-starred in the classic drama Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966). Through the next decade and a half, Segal consistently starred in notable films across

216-480: A Bachelor of Arts in performing arts and drama. He played banjo at Haverford and also at Columbia, where he played with a dixieland jazz band that had several different names. When he booked a gig, he billed the group as Bruno Lynch and his Imperial Jazz Band. The group, which later settled on the name Red Onion Jazz Band, played at Segal's first wedding. Segal served in the United States Army during

324-614: A Bleecker Street coffeehouse and whose ranks included Buck Henry and Theodore J. Flicker . Segal continued to perform on Broadway with roles in Gideon (1961–62) by Paddy Chayefsky , which ran for 236 performances, as well as Rattle of a Simple Man (1963), an adaptation of a British hit, with Tammy Grimes and Edward Woodward . He was signed to a Columbia Pictures contract in 1961, making his film debut in The Young Doctors . Segal made several television appearances in

432-475: A bar mitzvah , he said: I'm afraid not. I went to a Passover Seder at Groucho Marx 's once and he kept saying, "When do we get to the wine?" So that's my [Jewish] experience. I went to [a friend's] bar mitzvah, and that was the only time I was in Temple Beth Shalom. [Jewish life] wasn't happening that much at the time. People's car tires were slashed in front of the temple. I was once kicked down

540-465: A flight of stairs by some kids from [the local parochial school]. Segal became interested in acting at the age of nine, when he saw Alan Ladd in This Gun for Hire . "I knew the revolver and the trench coat were an illusion and I didn't care," said Segal. "I liked the sense of adventure and control." He also started playing the banjo at a young age, later stating: "I started off with the ukulele when I

648-400: A grandchild of the family receives sufficient Jewish education to take on the responsibility. If a person has no children capable of asking, the responsibility falls to their spouse, or another participant. The need to ask is so great that even if a person is alone at the seder they are obligated to ask themselves and to answer their own questions. The question about reclining substitutes for

756-629: A heroic ride inspector in Rollercoaster (1977), and as a wealthy serial restaurant entrepreneur in Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978). Other films starring Segal from this time include The Girl Who Couldn't Say No (1968), Russian Roulette (1975), and The Black Bird (1975). Segal co-hosted the 48th Academy Awards in 1976, alongside Gene Kelly , Goldie Hawn , Walter Matthau , and Robert Shaw . During

864-699: A leader of the FLN in Lost Command (1966), and a Cagney -esque gangster in Roger Corman 's The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967). Segal also appeared in several prominent television films, playing Biff in an acclaimed production of Death of a Salesman (1966) next to Lee J. Cobb , a gangster in an adaptation of The Desperate Hours (1967), and George in an adaptation of Of Mice and Men (1968). The latter two films were both directed by Ted Kotcheff , with whom he worked again several times. Segal

972-719: A million Jews in Germany. What are they going to do, kill all of us?" Glocken tells him that he may be the biggest fool on the ship. An American artist couple, David and Jenny, have a passionate but rocky relationship. David is disconsolate at his lack of success as a socially committed artist; the independent Jenny finds his art unsellable and is not sufficiently willing to build him up. He is dismissive of her artistic talent, which she herself undervalues. David expresses that whoever shares his life will need to accept that his art will always supersede her. Jenny fears that their life together will be endlessly fighting with neither willing to put

1080-429: A party for almost the entire cast and crew except Gila Golan , whose performance Mann was reputedly not happy with. Although well received by audiences, Ship of Fools was compared to Grand Hotel . "Preachy and melodramatic" was another criticism, although the cast was universally praised. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times said of the film: Stanley Kramer has fetched a powerful, ironic film ... there

1188-531: A prize or reward. In other homes, the children hide the afikoman and a parent must look for it; when the parents give up, the children demand a prize (often money) for revealing its location. The order and procedures of the Seder are stated and printed in the text of the Passover Haggadah , a copy of which is in front of all participants. Jewish children learn the following words, denoting the order of

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1296-532: A prostitute; she then slaps him repeatedly, crying out for help. The ship arrives in Tenerife where the deported workers from steerage disembark. The doctor briefly considers staying with the Condesa, but the captain calls him foolish, contending that the Condesa manipulated him for drugs. After an emotionally painful farewell with the doctor, the Condesa is forced to exit the ship under Civil Guard escort. When

1404-492: A question about eating roasted meat, that was present in the mishnah but removed by later authorities due to its inapplicability after the destruction of the temple : Roasted sacrifices were no longer possible after the destruction, and roasted meat was therefore disallowed on seder night, to avoid ambiguity. The questions are answered with the following: The four questions have been translated into over 300 languages. The traditional Haggadah speaks of " four sons " – one who

1512-640: A romantic comedy starring Segal and Barbra Streisand and written by his former improv teammate Buck Henry, was particularly popular; and though Segal played against type as a dangerous computer scientist in The Terminal Man (1974), he used his popular appeal as a card shark in The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox (1976), as a suburbanite-turned-bank robber in Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), as

1620-625: A seder is held on the first night; where eight days are observed, seders are often held on the first two nights, the 15th and 16th of Nisan. The Seder is a ritual involving a retelling of the story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt , taken from the Book of Exodus ( Shemot ) in the Torah . The Seder itself is based on the Biblical verse commanding Jews to retell

1728-485: A socialist. His oldest brother, John, worked in the hops brokerage business and was an innovator in the cultivation of new hop varieties; he had a farm in Grandview, Washington where George often helped in the summers. The middle brother, Fred, was a screenwriter; and his sister Greta died of pneumonia before Segal was born. Segal's family was Jewish , but he was raised in a secular household. When asked if he had had

1836-527: A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Television. Segal was married three times. He married film editor Marion Segal Freed in 1956, who would go on to work as an associate producer or editor on three of his films. They had two daughters and were together until their divorce in 1983. From 1983 until her death in 1996, he was married to Linda Rogoff, a one-time manager of The Pointer Sisters whom he met at Carnegie Hall when he played

1944-522: A variety of genres including The Quiller Memorandum (1966), The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967), No Way to Treat a Lady (1968), Where's Poppa? (1970), The Owl and the Pussycat (1970), The Hot Rock (1972), Blume in Love (1973), A Touch of Class (1973), California Split (1974), The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox (1976), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), Who Is Killing

2052-487: A white robe called a kittel . For the first half of the Seder, each participant will only need a plate and a wine glass. At the head of the table is a Seder plate containing various symbolic foods that will be eaten or pointed out during the course of the Seder. Placed nearby is a plate with three matzot and dishes of salt water for dipping. Each participant receives a copy of the Haggadah: an ancient text that contains

2160-411: Is imbibed at a specific point in the Seder. The first is for Kiddush ( קידוש ), the second is for ' Maggid ' ( מגיד ), the third is for Birkat Hamazon ( ברכת המזון ) and the fourth is for Hallel ( הלל ). The Four Cups represent the four expressions of deliverance promised by God Exodus 6:6–7: "I will bring out," "I will deliver," "I will redeem," and "I will take." The Vilna Gaon relates

2268-405: Is in sympathy with the doctor's humanitarian insistence that the laborers in steerage be treated like human beings rather than cargo. Their shared sympathies soon evolve into love, though both realize it is a hopeless passion. The doctor conceals having a heart condition. Selected passengers—mostly Germans—are invited to dine each night at the captain's table. Some are amused and others offended by

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2376-456: Is such wealth of reflection upon the human condition in Ship of Fools and so subtle an orchestration of the elements of love and hate, achieved through an expert compression of the novel by Mr. Kramer and his script writer, Abby Mann, that it is really not fair to tag it with the label of any previous film. It has its own quiet distinction in the way it illuminates a theme. Crowther also singled out

2484-419: Is the object of the Seder experience, much effort is made to arouse the interest and curiosity of the children and keep them awake during the meal. To that end, questions and answers are a central device in the Seder ritual. By encouraging children to ask questions, they will be more open to hearing the answers. The most famous question which the youngest child asks at the Seder is the " Ma Nishtana " – 'Why

2592-533: Is the special plate containing symbolic foods used during the Passover Seder. Each of the six items arranged on the plate has special significance to the retelling of the story of the Exodus from Egypt. The seventh symbolic item used during the meal – a stack of three matzot – is placed on its own plate on the Seder table. The six items on the Seder plate are: Since the retelling of the Exodus to one's child

2700-416: Is this night different from all other nights?' After the asking of this questions, the main portion of the Seder, Magid , discusses the answers in the form of a historical review. Also, at different points in the Seder, the leader of the Seder will cover the matzot and lift their cup of wine; then put down the cup of wine and uncover the matzot – all to elicit questions from the children. In some traditions,

2808-520: Is to say that for that child one asks "Why?" and, like the simple child, has no answer. Four verses in Deuteronomy (26:5–8) are then expounded, with an elaborate, traditional commentary. ("And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God: 'A wandering Aramean was my parent, and they went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous. And

2916-507: Is told, "It is because of what the Almighty did for me when I left Egypt." Some modern Haggadahs mention "children" instead of "sons", and some have added a fifth child. The fifth child can represent the children of the Shoah who did not survive to ask a question or represent Jews who have drifted so far from Jewish life that they do not participate in a Seder. For the former, tradition

3024-452: Is unloaded in a coffin with his estranged wife and sons in attendance. At disembarkation, as in a parade, most characters proceed with "business as usual", having learned nothing on the voyage. The last passenger to leave the " Ship of Fools " is Glocken, who speaks directly to camera, as he did in the opening minutes of the film. Glocken asks the film's audience if they are thinking, "What has all this to do with us? Nothing", then exits into

3132-518: Is wise, one who is wicked, one who is simple, and one who does not know to ask. This is based upon the rabbis of the Jerusalem Talmud finding four references in the Torah to responding to your son who asks a question. Each of these sons phrases his question about the seder in a different way. The Haggadah recommends answering each son according to his question, using one of the three verses in

3240-514: The Kiddush and drinking at least a majority of the first cup of wine. On Shabbat, it is preceded by a reading from the Book of Genesis recounting God's rest on the seventh day of creation and includes an extended doxology on the blessings of Shabbat. Technically, according to Jewish law , whenever one partakes of fruits or vegetables dipped in liquid while remaining wet, one must wash one's hands if

3348-455: The Gaon of Vilna do recite a blessing. Each participant dips a vegetable into either salt water (an Ashkenazi custom; said to serve as a reminder of the tears shed by their enslaved ancestors), vinegar (a Sephardi custom) or charoset (an older Sephardi custom, still common among Yemenite Jews). Another custom mentioned in some Ashkenazi sources and probably originating with Meir of Rothenburg ,

George Segal - Misplaced Pages Continue

3456-647: The Korean War . While there, he played in a band called Corporal Bruno's Sad Sack Six. After college and the army, Segal eventually studied at the Actors Studio with Lee Strasberg and at HB Studio with Uta Hagen and got a job as an understudy in the 1956 off-Broadway production of The Iceman Cometh starring Jason Robards . He appeared in Antony and Cleopatra for Joseph Papp and joined an improvisational group called The Premise, which performed at

3564-1092: The West End . From 1997 to 2003, Segal had his most prominent role in years when he starred in the NBC workplace sitcom Just Shoot Me! as Jack Gallo , the successful yet often oblivious owner and publisher of a New York City fashion magazine. For this role, he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 1999 and 2000 as well as a Satellite Award in 2002. The show, which also starred David Spade and Laura San Giacomo , among others, and which once aired between iconic sitcoms Friends and Seinfeld , lasted for seven seasons and 148 episodes. After finishing his run on Just Shoot Me , Segal appeared in supporting roles in films such as Heights (2005) and 2012 (2009). He and Jill Clayburgh cameoed as Jake Gyllenhaal 's parents in Love & Other Drugs (2010), reuniting

3672-587: The "excluded" passengers, who tend to be sympathetic and supportive of others. The ship's medical officer, Dr. Schumann, takes a special interest in La Condesa , a Spanish countess being deported from Cuba who has an opiate addiction which he reluctantly accommodates with prescriptions. Under arrest, she is being transported to a Spanish prison in Tenerife for illegally hiding and helping arm agitators. The 600 laborers in steerage , deported to Spain because of

3780-455: The 1970s and 1980s, Segal appeared as a frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson , and occasionally as a guest host. His appearances were marked by eccentric banter with Johnny Carson and were usually punctuated by bursts of banjo playing. In addition to playing banjo while appearing on The Tonight Show , Segal played the instrument in several of his acting roles and sang in others, such as Blume in Love . George Segal and

3888-619: The Boys (1991), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), Flirting with Disaster (1996), 2012 (2009), and Love & Other Drugs (2010). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and won two Golden Globe Awards , including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance in A Touch of Class . On television, he

3996-658: The Boys (1991), To Die For (1995), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), Flirting with Disaster (1996), It's My Party (1996), and The Cable Guy (1996). Additionally, he had guest appearances on various shows such as Murder She Wrote and The Larry Sanders Show and continued to appear in television films such as Seasons of the Heart (1994), Houdini (1998), and The Linda McCartney Story (2000). In 1999, he briefly performed in Yasmina Reza 's Art on Broadway, and in 2001 he reprised his performance in

4104-507: The Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. And we cried unto the Lord, the God of our parents, and the Lord heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression. And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a strong hand and an outstretched arm , and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders .") The Haggadah explores

4212-588: The Exodus narrative, at the beginning of the 15th of Nisan in Ancient Egypt, the Jewish people were enslaved to Pharaoh. After the tenth plague struck Egypt at midnight, killing all the first-born sons from the first-born of Pharaoh to the first-born of the lowest Egyptian to all the first-born of the livestock in the land (Exodus 12:29), Pharaoh let the Hebrew nation go, effectively making them free people for

4320-516: The Four Cups to four worlds: this world, the Messianic age, the world at the revival of the dead, and the world to come . The MaHaRaL connects them to the four Matriarchs: Sarah , Rebeccah , Rachel , and Leah . (The three matzot , in turn, are connected to the three Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.) Abarbanel relates the cups to the four historical redemptions of the Jewish people:

4428-467: The Great Chefs of Europe? (1978), and The Last Married Couple in America (1980). He was one of the first American film actors to rise to leading man status with an unchanged Jewish surname, helping pave the way for other major actors of his generation. Later in his career, he appeared in supporting roles in films such as Carbon Copy (1981), Stick (1985), Look Who's Talking (1989), For

George Segal - Misplaced Pages Continue

4536-457: The Haggadah's lead by asking their own questions at various points in the Haggadah and offering prizes such as nuts and candies for correct answers. The afikoman , which is hidden away for the "dessert" after the meal, is another device used to encourage children's participation. In most families, the leader of the Seder hides the afikoman and the children must find it, whereupon they receive

4644-503: The Imperial Jazzband released the album A Touch of Ragtime in 1974, with Segal on banjo. He made frequent television appearances with the "Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band", whose members included actor Conrad Janis on trombone, and in 1981 they performed live at Carnegie Hall . Segal reunited with his Touch of Class co-star Jackson and director Frank in another European-set romantic comedy, Lost and Found (1979), but

4752-419: The L'Étoile de Cristal for her performance in a leading role. The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: The film has been issued on VHS, laserdisc and DVD. The film's standalone DVD release is an open matte 1.33:1 transfer with no supplements. The film was later reissued in widescreen with supplements in a Stanley Kramer box set from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment . Currently,

4860-465: The Red Sea" in the aftermath of the Exodus. Before Magid, some Sephardi families have a custom to sing "Bivhilu yatzanu mi-mitzrayim" (translated: 'In haste we left Egypt'). While this is being sung, the head of the household walks around the table with the Seder plate and waves it over each individual's head. The story of Passover, and the change from slavery to freedom is told. At this point in

4968-464: The Seder are a primary vehicle for the transmission of the Jewish faith from grandparent to child, and from one generation to the next. Attending a Seder and eating matzah on Passover is a widespread custom even among those who are not religiously observant. Family members come to the table dressed in their holiday clothes. There is an Orthodox Ashkenazi tradition for the person leading the Seder to wear

5076-451: The Seder is not for the wicked son because the wicked son would not have deserved to be freed from Egyptian slavery.) Where the four sons are illustrated in the Haggadah, this son has frequently been depicted as carrying weapons or wearing stylish contemporary fashions. The simple son, who asks, "What is this?" is answered with "With a strong hand the Almighty led us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage." The one who does not know to ask

5184-491: The Seder, Moroccan Jews have a custom of raising the Seder plate over the heads of all those present while chanting "Bivhilu yatzanu mimitzrayim, halahma anya b'nei horin" ('In haste we went out of Egypt [with our] bread of affliction, [now we are] free people'). The matzot are uncovered, and referred to as the "bread of affliction". Participants declare (in Aramaic ) an invitation to all who are hungry or needy to join in

5292-527: The Seder, participants lean to the left – when drinking the four cups of wine, eating the Afikoman, and eating the korech sandwich. Jews generally observe one or two seders: in Israel, one seder is observed on the first night of Passover; traditional Diaspora communities (to the general exception of Reform and Reconstructionist Jews) also hold a seder on the second night. Seders have been observed around

5400-463: The Seder, with a rhyme and tune at their Jewish schools: Kaddesh ( קדש ). Urchatz ( ורחץ ). Karpas ( כרפס ). Yachatz ( יחץ ). Maggid ( מגיד ). Rochtzah ( רחצה ). Motzi Matzah ( מוציא מצה ). Maror ( מרור ). Korech ( כורך ). Shulchan Orech ( שלחן עורך ). Tzafun ( צפון ). Barech ( ברך ). Hallel ( הלל ). Nirtzah ( נרצה ). Kadeish ( קדש ) is Hebrew Imperative for Kiddush . It should be recited as soon as

5508-436: The Seder. Halakha requires that this invitation be repeated in the native language of the country. The Mishna details questions one is obligated to ask on the night of the seder. It is customary for the youngest child present to recite the four questions. Some customs hold that the other participants recite them quietly to themselves as well. In some families, this means that the requirement remains on an adult "child" until

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5616-425: The Torah that refer to this exchange. The wise son asks "What are the statutes, the testimonies, and the laws that God has commanded us to do?" One explanation for why this very detailed-oriented question is categorized as wise, is that the wise son is trying to learn how to carry out the seder, rather than asking for someone else's understanding of its meaning. He is answered fully: "You should reply to him with [all]

5724-484: The anti-Semitic rants of a German (originally Austrian) businessman, Rieber, who begins an affair with Lizzi, who admires him until learning he is married. Rieber pontificates on topics such as "how we can expunge foreign influences and restore Germany to its national greatness" and the desirability of "exterminating the unfit at birth". The captain is reassured by Rieber's rants, believing that nobody can ever take his party seriously. Though Jews and dwarfs are excluded from

5832-712: The banjo with his band the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band. He married his former George School boarding school classmate Sonia Schultz Greenbaum in 1998. Later in his life, Segal lived part-time in Sonoma County when he was not filming The Goldbergs in Los Angeles . Segal died of complications from bypass surgery in Santa Rosa, California , on March 23, 2021, at age 87. Ship of Fools (film) Ship of Fools , which

5940-648: The beginning of the Jewish holiday of Passover . It is conducted throughout the world on the eve of the 15th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar (i.e., at the start of the 15th; a Hebrew day begins at sunset). The day falls in late March or in April of the Gregorian calendar . Passover lasts for seven days in Israel and, among most customs , eight days in the Jewish diaspora . Where seven days of Passover are observed,

6048-449: The blessings, the prayers, the stories and the songs, written in the Haggadah, a book that determines the order of Passover and tells the story of the Exodus from Egypt. And all the mitzvot (religious commandments or rites) in the "order" are done in a fixed order in every Jewish home. The Seder is most often conducted in the family home, although communal Seders are also organized by synagogues, schools and community centers, some open to

6156-442: The captain tells the distraught doctor she isn’t worth his anguish, the doctor replies, "When I think of the things I have seen on this ship, the stupid cruelties, the vanities…she looked into the garbage dump, she did something about it, and we are the intelligent, civilized people who carry out orders we are given no matter what they may be." The doctor dies of a heart attack before the ship reaches Bremerhaven ; upon arrival his body

6264-688: The captain's table when Rieber learns Freytag's wife is Jewish. Eventually Freytag discloses that he is separated from his Jewish wife, having found his marriage too detrimental for his career. Lowenthal, displaying the Iron Cross he earned in World War I , counsels Glocken regarding tactical accommodation to the Nazis, stating that Germany has been good for the Jews and the Jews have been good for Germany, "We are Germans first and Jews second...There are nearly

6372-538: The cast of Columbia Pictures ' medical drama The New Interns (1964), and the studio then put him under long-term contract. The role ultimately earned him the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year , alongside Harve Presnell and Chaim Topol . In 1965, Segal played an egocentric painter in an ensemble cast led by Vivien Leigh and Lee Marvin in Stanley Kramer 's acclaimed drama Ship of Fools , which

6480-481: The choosing of Abraham, the Exodus from Egypt, the survival of the Jewish people throughout the exile, and the fourth which will happen at the end of days. The four cups might also reflect the Roman custom of drinking as many cups as there are letters in the name of the chief guest at a meal, which in the case of the Seder is God himself whose Hebrew name has four letters. The special Passover Seder plate ( ke'arah )

6588-787: The co-stars 46 years after they first worked together in The Terminal Man . Additionally, Segal worked more frequently as a voice actor, including a role in the English-language version of Studio Ghibli 's The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) and a comedic reprisal of his Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? role in a 2018 episode of The Simpsons . His most recent film performance was alongside Christopher Plummer in Elsa & Fred (2014). In other roles, Segal played talent manager Murray Berenson in three episodes of

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6696-403: The complete Seder service. Men and women are equally obliged and eligible to participate in the Seder. Traditionally, each participant at the Seder table recites the Haggadah in the original Hebrew and Aramaic. Halakha (the collective body of Jewish religious laws) requires that certain parts be said in language the participants can understand, and critical parts are often said in both Hebrew and

6804-436: The courage to make the film--was almost unbelievable." Leigh's performance was tinged by paranoia and resulted in outbursts that marred her relationship with other actors, although both Simone Signoret and Lee Marvin were sympathetic and understanding. In particular, during one scene shoot, she hit Lee Marvin so hard with a spiked shoe, that it bruised his face. At the conclusion of filming, screenwriter Mann reportedly threw

6912-421: The crowd. Music by Ernest Gold Lyrics by Jack Lloyd Katherine Anne Porter's novel Ship of Fools was published in 1962. The essayist and short story author's only novel was the culmination of a 20-year-long project that was based on her reminiscences of a 1931 ocean cruise she had taken from Veracruz to Germany. Producer David O. Selznick wanted to purchase the film rights, but United Artists owned

7020-511: The dancers, who treats him with gentleness when he pays. Mary Treadwell, a divorced fading beauty hoping to recapture her youth in Paris, is "too far from the cradle" to interest the captain. She disdains the lieutenant who shows interest, dismissing him first as doing his duty to "unattended" women and later as insignificant. When fellow American, former baseball player Bill Tenny is seated at her table, she finds him crass. Bill expresses surprise at

7128-522: The early 1960s, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents , Armstrong Circle Theatre , and Naked City , and appeared in the well-known World War II film The Longest Day (1962). He also had a small role in Act One (1963) and a more prominent part in the western Invitation to a Gunfighter (1964) alongside Yul Brynner . Segal came to Hollywood from New York City to star in a TV series with Robert Taylor that never aired. Nonetheless, he joined

7236-498: The eccentric but lovable grandfather of a semi-autobiographical family based on that of series creator Adam F. Goldberg . The long-running series entered its eighth season in 2021, and Segal was part of the regular cast up until his death in March of that year. Throughout the show, Segal had appeared in most, though not all, episodes and, as in some of his earlier roles, he played the banjo several times on-screen. In 2017, Segal received

7344-411: The film is also available in a budget-priced two-disc, four-movie collection DVD licensed from Sony to Mill Creek Entertainment. All four films are presented in their original theatrical aspect ratios and are anamorphically enhanced. The film has been released on Blu-ray in a double feature pack with the film Lilith via Mill Creek. Passover Seder The Passover Seder is a ritual feast at

7452-479: The film was not a success. Neither was The Last Married Couple in America (1980) with Natalie Wood . Segal famously pulled out of the lead role in Blake Edwards ' hit comedy 10 (1979), resulting in his being replaced by Dudley Moore and sued by Edwards. With a few exceptions, in films such as Denzel Washington 's film debut Carbon Copy (1981), Burt Reynolds 's crime drama Stick (1985), and

7560-445: The fruit or vegetable remains wet. However, at other times of the year, one has either already washed their hands before eating bread, or dry the fruit or vegetable, in which case one need not wash their hands before eating the fruit or vegetable. According to most traditions, no blessing is recited at this point in the Seder, unlike the blessing recited over the washing of the hands before eating bread. However, followers of Rambam or

7668-475: The general public. It is customary to invite guests, especially strangers and the needy. The Seder is integral to Jewish faith and identity: as explained in the Haggadah, if not for divine intervention and the Exodus, the Jewish people would still be slaves in Egypt. Therefore, the Seder is an occasion for praise and thanksgiving and for re-dedication to the idea of liberation. Furthermore, the words and rituals of

7776-480: The greatest gambling film of all time. In one of his most successful roles, Segal played a philandering husband in Melvin Frank 's continental romantic comedy A Touch of Class (1973) opposite Glenda Jackson . The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture , Jackson won an Oscar for her performance, and Segal won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy , which

7884-627: The instrument in several of his acting roles and on late-night television. George Segal Jr. was born in New York City, the youngest of four children, to Fannie Blanche Segal ( née Bodkin) and George Segal Sr., a malt and hop agent. He spent much of his childhood in Great Neck, New York . All four of Segal's grandparents were Russian-Jewish immigrants, and his maternal grandparents changed their surname from Slobodkin to Bodkin. A paternal great-grandfather ran for governor of Massachusetts as

7992-427: The laws of pesach: one may not eat any dessert after the paschal sacrifice." The wicked son, who asks, "What is this service to you?", is characterized by the Haggadah as isolating himself from the Jewish people, standing by objectively and watching their behavior rather than participating. Therefore, he is rebuked by the explanation that "It is because God acted for my sake when I left Egypt." (This implies that

8100-580: The lead role in Sidney Lumet 's Bye Bye Braverman (1968), starred with Robert Redford in Peter Yates 's diamond heist comedy The Hot Rock (1972), starred in the title role of Paul Mazursky 's acclaimed romantic comedy Blume in Love (1973), and starred alongside Elliott Gould as a gambling addict in Robert Altman 's classic California Split (1974), considered by some to be

8208-402: The low market price of Cuban sugar, cheer the activist Condesa as she boards the ship under police escort. The Condesa reveals to the doctor that she was motivated by seeing the impoverished conditions under which the 5,000 laborers lived, under patronage of the man with whom she lived in luxury, supported by their labor. While she manipulates the doctor to cope with her sense of doom, her activism

8316-458: The many deeds performed for the Jewish people, it would have been enough to obligate us to give thanks. Some sing instead The Women's Dayenu , a feminist variant of Dayenu , by Michele Landsberg . After Dayenu is a declaration (mandated by Rabban Gamliel) of the reasons of the commandments of the Paschal lamb , Matzah , and Maror , with scriptural sources. Then follows a short prayer, and

8424-405: The matzah (the "bread of freedom" as well as the "bread of affliction") and ' afikoman ', and drink the four cups of wine, in a reclining position, and dip vegetables into salt water (the dipping being a sign of royalty and freedom). There is an obligation to drink four cups of wine during the Seder. The Mishnah says ( Pesachim 10:1) that even the poor are obliged to drink the four cups. Each cup

8532-593: The meaning of those verses, and embellishes the story. This telling describes the slavery of the Jewish people and their miraculous salvation by God. This culminates in an enumeration of the Ten Plagues : With the recital of the Ten Plagues, there is a late custom, which arose in German-Jewish circles, that each participant removes a drop of wine from their cup using a fingertip at the mention of each of

8640-458: The native language. The leader will often interrupt the reading to discuss different points with his or her children, or to offer an insight into the meaning or interpretation of the words. In some homes, participants take turns reciting the text of the Haggadah, in the original Hebrew or in translation. It is traditional for the head of the household and other participants to have pillows placed behind them for added comfort. At several points during

8748-461: The open hostility toward the Jews onboard; she sarcastically replies that "maybe he was too busy lynching Negroes to take time out for the Jews." Tenny pesters one of the flamenco dancers, believing that buying a magnum of champagne entitles him to her favors. She gives him the cabin number of the "snotty" Mrs. Treadwell. In a drunken stupor, Tenny accosts Mrs. Treadwell, who momentarily responds passionately until she realizes that he has mistaken her for

8856-541: The other’s needs before their own. Passengers are entertained nightly by a troupe of flamenco musicians and dancers, whose leader pimps the women in the troupe. Johann, an unpaid caregiver to Herr Graf, his invalid uncle, ignores the wholesome and insecure Elsa, who is traveling with her parents. Instead, Johann is attracted to one of the dancers, who rejects him for inability to pay. Johann threatens his stingy uncle if he does not give him money which has been promised to him in his uncle's will. He loses his virginity to one of

8964-496: The popular family comedy Look Who's Talking (1989), Segal received fewer prominent roles in the 1980s. Instead, he began to star more frequently in television films, such as The Deadly Game (1982) for which he received a CableAce Award nomination for best actor in a theatrical or non-musical production, The Cold Room (1984), and The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood (1984). He also starred in two short-lived television series,

9072-423: The property and demanded $ 400,000. The novel was adapted for film by Abby Mann . Producer and director Stanley Kramer, who ended up with the film, planned to star Vivien Leigh but was initially unaware of her fragile mental and physical health. The film proved to be her last film and in later recounting her work, Kramer remembered her courage in taking on the difficult role, "She was ill, and the courage to go ahead,

9180-458: The questions are asked by the assembled company in chorus rather than by a child, and are put to the leader of the seder, who either answers the question or may direct the attention of the assembled company to someone who is acting out that particular part of the Exodus. Physical re-enactment of the Exodus during the Passover seder is common in many families and communities. Families will follow

9288-562: The same year, Segal played banjo and sang with The Smothers Brothers when they performed Phil Ochs 's " Draft Dodger Rag " on their CBS television show . For over ten years after his success with Woolf , Segal received many notable film roles, often working with major filmmakers and becoming a significant figure in the New Hollywood movement. He starred in Carl Reiner 's celebrated dark comedy Where's Poppa? (1970), played

9396-411: The second half of the night. Thus, Seder participants recall the slavery that reigned during the first half of the night by eating matzah (the "poor person's bread"), maror (bitter herbs which symbolize the bitterness of slavery), and charoset (a sweet paste, possibly representing the mortar which the Jewish slaves used to cement bricks). Recalling the freedom of the second half of the night, they eat

9504-414: The semi-autobiographical sitcom Take Five (1987) and the crime drama Murphy's Law (1988–89). In 1985, he returned to Broadway in a short-lived production of Requiem for a Heavyweight by Rod Serling and in 1990 toured in a play called Double Act . He later reflected on his career trajectory: In the first 10 years, I was playing all different kinds of things. I loved the variety, and never had

9612-407: The sense of being a leading man but a character actor. Then I got frozen into this "urban" character. About the time of "The Last Married Couple in America" (1980) I remember Natalie (Wood) saying to me ... "It's one typed role after another, and pretty soon you forget everything. You forget why you're here, why you're doing it." Then my marriage started to fall apart ... I was disenchanted, I

9720-527: The ship is carrying 600 displaced workers, far more than the ship is certified to carry and they're assigned to squalid conditions in steerage . They are all being deported back to Spain by the order of the Cuban dictator, Gerardo Machado . Many passengers bound for Nazi Germany are happy, some are apprehensive, while others downplay the significance of fascist politics. Passenger attitudes differ among those who feel "superior", who exclude and demean others, and

9828-609: The story of the Exodus from Egypt: "You shall tell your child on that day, saying, 'It is because of what the L ORD did for me when I came out of Egypt. ' " (Exodus 13:8) At the seder, Jews read the text of the Haggadah , an ancient Tannaitic work. The Haggadah contains the narrative of the Israelite exodus from Egypt, special blessings and rituals, Talmudic commentaries, and Passover songs . Seder customs include telling

9936-406: The story, discussing the story, drinking four cups of wine , eating matzah , partaking of symbolic foods, and reclining in celebration of freedom. The Seder is among the most commonly celebrated Jewish rituals, performed by Jews all over the world. Seder is a transliteration of the Hebrew סדר, which means 'order' or 'procedure'. The name also expresses the conduct of the meal, all the dishes,

10044-535: The synagogue services are over but not before nightfall. This Kiddush is similar to that which is recited on all of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals , but also refers to matzot and the exodus from Egypt. Acting in a way that shows freedom and majesty, many Jews have the custom of filling each other's cups at the Seder table. The Kiddush is traditionally said by the father of the house, but all Seder participants may participate by reciting

10152-520: The table, the Hutten’s dog, Baby, is allowed. When an animal-loving steerage laborer drowns saving Baby, who was thrown overboard by mischievous children, the Huttens worry about Baby and ignore the dead rescuer. The Jewish Lowenthal is seated at a side table with a dwarf named Glocken, and the two bond over their social exclusion. Later Freytag, a German passenger, is shocked to find himself forbidden from

10260-556: The television series Entourage (2009), guest starred in shows such as Boston Legal , Private Practice , and Pushing Daisies , appeared in comedic short videos such as Chutzpuh, This Is , and starred in the TV Land sitcom Retired at 35 (2011–2012), alongside his Bye Bye Braverman co-star Jessica Walter . Segal had another success when he starred in the ABC sitcom The Goldbergs (2013–2021), playing Albert "Pops" Solomon,

10368-458: The ten plagues. Although this night is one of salvation, Don Isaac Abravanel explains that one cannot be completely joyous when some of God's creatures had to suffer. A mnemonic acronym for the plagues is also introduced: "D'tzach Adash B'achav" , while similarly spilling a drop of wine for each word. At this part in the Seder, songs of praise are sung, including the song Dayenu , which proclaims that had God performed any single one of

10476-485: The work of Oskar Werner. Similarly, Variety noted, "Director-producer Stanley Kramer and scenarist Abby Mann have distilled the essence of Katherine Anne Porter's bulky novel in a film that appeals to the intellect and the emotions." The film was banned in Francoist Spain because of its anti-fascist stance. On Rotten Tomatoes , Ship of Fools holds a rating of 58% from 24 reviews. Vivien Leigh won

10584-562: The world, including in remote places such as high in the Himalaya mountains in Kathmandu, Nepal . The rituals and symbolic foods evoke the twin themes of the evening: slavery and freedom. It is stated in the Haggadah that "In every generation everyone is obligated to see themselves as if they themselves came out of Egypt" – i.e., out of slavery. The rendering of time for Jews is that a day began at sunset and ended at sunset. According to

10692-601: Was a kid in Great Neck. A friend had a red Harold Teen model; it won my heart. When I got to high school, I realized you couldn't play in a band with a ukulele , so I moved on to the four-string banjo." When his father died in 1947, Segal moved to New York City with his mother. He graduated from George School , a Quaker boarding school in Pennsylvania , in 1951 and attended Haverford College . He graduated from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1955 with

10800-529: Was based on Katherine Anne Porter 's 1962 novel of the same name , was highly regarded, with reviewers praising the cast's performance but also noting, at 150 minutes, the movie's overlong (for 1965) runtime. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards in 1966, including for Best Picture , Best Actor for Oskar Werner , Best Actress for Simone Signoret , and Best Supporting Actor for Michael Dunn . It won for Best Art Direction, Black-and-White and Best Cinematography, Black-and-White . Ship of Fools

10908-403: Was best known for his regular roles in two popular sitcoms, playing Jack Gallo on Just Shoot Me! (1997–2003) and Albert "Pops" Solomon on The Goldbergs (2013–2021). Segal was also an accomplished banjo player. (In addition to the banjo, he frequently played other small lute instruments such as the ukulele and dobro on TV and in his movies.) He released three albums and performed with

11016-522: Was later selected to the National Film Registry , is arguably Segal's best known and, for his role, he was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe. The same year, Segal released his debut LP, The Yama Yama Man . The title track is a ragtime version of the 1908 tune " The Yama Yama Man " with horns and banjos. Segal released the album at a time when he appeared regularly playing banjo on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson . In

11124-662: Was loaned to Warner Bros. for Mike Nichols ' directorial debut Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), a now-classic adaptation of the Edward Albee play . Nichols had previously directed Segal in a 1964 Off-Broadway play titled The Knack and cast him again in Woolf after Robert Redford had turned down the role. In the four-person ensemble piece, Segal played the young faculty member, Nick, alongside Elizabeth Taylor , Richard Burton , and Sandy Dennis . The film, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture and

11232-593: Was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture . The same year, he also had the title role of a scheming POW in the well-regarded war drama King Rat (a role originally meant for Frank Sinatra ) and received acclaim for both performances. In other notable film appearances, he played a secret service agent on assignment in Berlin in The Quiller Memorandum (1966) (a role originally meant for Charlton Heston ), an Algerian paratrooper who becomes

11340-475: Was the only English-language film in the nearly 70-year acting career of German film actor Heinz Rühmann, one of the most famous German actors of the 20th century. The action on the Ship of Fools takes place almost entirely on board a passenger ship in 1933, between Veracruz Mexico and Bremerhaven , Germany. Most of the scenes unfold on the First Class deck or among the upper middle-class passengers, but

11448-620: Was the second Golden Globe of his career. During this time, he had many other leading roles in various genres. He played a perplexed police detective in No Way to Treat a Lady (1968), a war-weary platoon commander in The Bridge at Remagen (1969), a man laying waste to his marriage in Loving (1970), and a hairdresser-turned- junkie in Born to Win (1971). The Owl and the Pussycat (1970),

11556-434: Was to dip the karpas in wine. Three matzot are stacked on the seder table; at this stage, the middle matzah of the three is broken in half. The larger piece is hidden, to be used later as the afikoman , the "dessert" after the meal. The smaller piece is returned to its place between the other two matzot. Moroccan Jewish custom is that when the matzah is split, a passage is recited describing how "in this manner God split

11664-630: Was turning in on myself, I was doing a lot of self-destructive things ... there were drugs ... I'm also sure I was guilty of spoiled behavior. I think it's impossible when that star rush comes not to get a little full of yourself, which is what I was. Nevertheless, after this relatively dry period, Segal re-established himself as a successful character actor in the 1990s. Though he appeared in some less-acclaimed films, he also worked with directors such as Mark Rydell , Gus Van Sant , Barbra Streisand, David O. Russell , Randal Kleiser , and Ben Stiller , respectively, in well-received films such as For

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