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Brother Theodore

Brother Theodore

8 movies on Netflix

Biography

Brother Theodore was a German-American performer who drew audiences with rambling, stream-of-consciousness monologues, a style he called stand-up tragedy. His stage career began in California during the mid-1940s, and by the 1950s a cult following had grown around him in New York City. He was booked on The Merv Griffin Show 36 times and guested with Johnny Carson, Dick Cavett and Joey Bishop. After retiring in the mid-1970s he was coaxed back for weekend midnight shows at a Manhattan club, and the 1980s brought 16 appearances on Late Night with David Letterman. His screen roles were small parts in B-movies, among them So Dark the Night (1946), Horror of the Blood Monsters (1970) and The 'Burbs (1989), plus bit work in two Orson Welles films, The Stranger (1946) and The Third Man. He voiced Gollum in the animated The Hobbit and The Return of the King (1980), and Rukh in The Last Unicorn (1982). He died in 2001.

94years old at death

Born November 11, 1906Vienna
Died April 5, 2001New York City
Star sign: ScorpioThe sign runs October 23 to November 21
Theodor Gottlieb (birth name)Also credited as Theodore Gottlieb and Theodore Isidore Gottlieb

Movie Career

Films: 8
Career span: 43 years1946 to 1989

Genres

Adventure50%, 4 films
Animation38%, 3 films
Comedy25%, 2 films
Crime25%, 2 films
Family25%, 2 films

First and latest

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Big break
Magicians Dorothy Dietrich and Dick Brooks pulled Brother Theodore out of retirement and booked him for special weekend midnight performances at the Magic Towne House on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
A role that slipped away
Theodore said on a David Letterman appearance that he played a supermarket cashier in Leonard Part 6 with Bill Cosby, but after a day of shooting he was fired for repeatedly mocking the star.
First role
Theodore began working as a monologuist in California in the mid-1940s, giving dramatic recitals of Poe and darkly humorous monologues. A 1946 advertisement shows him doing a one-man show of sinister humor every week at the Gateway Playhouse on Sunset Boulevard.
Beyond film
Brother Theodore took up a nearly two-decade run of Saturday night performances at the 13th Street Repertory Theatre in Greenwich Village beginning in 1982.

Brother Theodore movies on Netflix

That's Adequate1989IMDb rating 4.9as Doctor Dismal
The 'Burbs1989IMDb rating 6.8as Uncle Reuben Klopek
The Last Unicorn1982IMDb rating 7.3as Ruhk (voice)
The Return of the King1980IMDb rating 5.7as Gollum / Smeagol (voice)
The Hobbit1977IMDb rating 6.7as Gollum (voice)
Horror of the Blood Monsters1970IMDb rating 3.1as Opening Narrator (voice)
So Dark the Night1946IMDb rating 6.3as Georges
The Stranger1946IMDb rating 7.3as Fairbright

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

The Hobbit1977 Adventure, Animation, Family, Fantasyas Gollumvoice
IMDb rating 6.719K votes
The 'Burbs1989 Comedy, Mysteryas Uncle Reuben Klopek
IMDb rating 6.894K votes
The Return of the King1980as Gollum / Smeagolvoice
IMDb rating 5.75.7K votes
The Last Unicorn1982as Ruhkvoice
IMDb rating 7.334K votes
So Dark the Night1946as Georges
IMDb rating 6.31.6K votes
The Stranger1946as Fairbright
IMDb rating 7.331K votes
Horror of the Blood Monsters1970as Opening Narratorvoice
IMDb rating 3.11.2K votes
That's Adequate1989as Doctor Dismal
IMDb rating 4.9323 votes

Most often with

Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass directed three of these films together. Paul Frees appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

John Huston

John Stephenson

Glenn YarbroughArthur Rankin Jr.Director, 3 films Jules BassDirector, 3 films

Films together

Paul Frees3 films together, 1977 to 1982
Paul Frees's page
- The Last Unicorn1982IMDb rating 7.3Theodore as RuhkvoiceFrees as Mabrukvoice
- The Return of the King1980IMDb rating 5.7Theodore as Gollum / SmeagolvoiceFrees as Orc / Goblin / Uruk-Hai / Captain Shagrat / Lieutenant Snaga / Orc Sergeant / Lord Elrondvoice
- The Hobbit1977IMDb rating 6.7Theodore as GollumvoiceFrees as Bombur/Troll #1voice
John Huston2 films together, 1977 to 1980
John Huston's page
- The Return of the King1980IMDb rating 5.7Theodore as Gollum / SmeagolvoiceHuston as Gandalfvoice
- The Hobbit1977IMDb rating 6.7Theodore as GollumvoiceHuston as Gandalf the Greyvoice
John Stephenson2 films together, 1977 to 1980
John Stephenson's page
- The Return of the King1980IMDb rating 5.7Theodore as Gollum / SmeagolvoiceStephenson as Gondorian Guard / Dwimmerlaik - The Witch-King of Angmarvoice
- The Hobbit1977IMDb rating 6.7Theodore as GollumvoiceStephenson as Dori/Great Goblin/Bardvoice
Orson Bean2 films together, 1977 to 1980
Orson Bean's page
- The Return of the King1980IMDb rating 5.7Theodore as Gollum / SmeagolvoiceBean as Frodo Baggins / Bilbo Bagginsvoice
- The Hobbit1977IMDb rating 6.7Theodore as GollumvoiceBean as Bilbo Bagginsvoice
Glenn Yarbrough2 films together, 1977 to 1980
Glenn Yarbrough's page
- The Return of the King1980IMDb rating 5.7Theodore as Gollum / SmeagolvoiceYarbrough as The Minstrelvoice
- The Hobbit1977IMDb rating 6.7Theodore as GollumvoiceYarbrough as The Balladeervoice
Arthur Rankin Jr.Director, 3 films, 1977 to 1982
All films by Arthur Rankin Jr.
- The Last Unicorn1982IMDb rating 7.3Theodore as Ruhkvoice
- The Return of the King1980IMDb rating 5.7Theodore as Gollum / Smeagolvoice
- The Hobbit1977IMDb rating 6.7Theodore as Gollumvoice
Jules BassDirector, 3 films, 1977 to 1982
All films by Jules Bass
- The Last Unicorn1982IMDb rating 7.3Theodore as Ruhkvoice
- The Return of the King1980IMDb rating 5.7Theodore as Gollum / Smeagolvoice
- The Hobbit1977IMDb rating 6.7Theodore as Gollumvoice

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.