Today in Comics History, March 10: Happy birthday, Sam Jaffe!

Sam Jaffe! Born in 1891, so we probably can't be goin' over to his house to celebrate. But I'm lifting a frosy mug of high-proof root beer to the actor, musician, and teacher who appeared in many films and TV series, like The Asphalt Jungle, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Ben-Hur, Gunga Din, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and as the High Lama of Shangri-La in Lost Horizon (when he was 45!). He also played a thematically similar role (at the age of 70) in the medical series Ben Casey.


cover of Ben Casey #7 (Dell, August 1963)
Jaffe portrayed Dr. David Zorba, the mentor to Ben Casey (Vince Edwards), who provided him with much sage advice on medicine and surgery...and life.



from Ben Casey #7; script by Carl Memling, pencils by John Tartaglione, inks by Vince Colletta
In fact, it was the voice of Jaffe that narrated the opening credits of Ben Casey and delineated the show's theme:♂ ♀ ❊ + ∞. Say that three times fast!


Tell us what the theme of the episode is, Dr. Zorba! (He's always doin' that.)


Ben Casey was a very popular show that ran for five seasons! You know what that means...THE SECOND LAW OF COMICS OUGHTA BE FUN!


from "Stupidity on Televsion" in MAD #83 (December 1963), script by Stan Hart, pencils and inks by Mort Drucker
Sam Jaffe also appeared in comics because he was in the movie Gunga Din:


from Movie Comics #1 (DC, April 1939), photograph airburshed and colored by Jack Adler and Emery Gondor
But...I'm not gonna show you any appearances of Jaffe as the title character from the story inside the comic book. Reason? That's Jewish Russian American Sam Jaffe playing the role of an East Indian boy, and with considerable browning make-up (that's even more evident in the "natural colors" Adler and Gondor used to colorize movie stills). It's pretty garish and awkward. Why wasn't the role played by an Indian actor? Well, how many Indian actors do you think there were in Hollywood in 1939? Actually, one: Sabu, who was the directors' first choice, but became unavailable. Jaffe was hired in his place. Many years later, Jaffe was asked how he portrayed an Indian Hindu. Jaffe replied he kept telling himself to "Think Sabu." (Also, he was 47 when he played this role of an Indian youth.)

I pause here momentarily to note that the Sam Jaffe we're celebrating today is not this Sam Jaffe from a typically-illustrated 1990s Image comic. It's not very subtle, is it? Is her torso made of taffy?


from The Tenth: The Black Embrace #2 (Image, April 1999); co-plot, script, and pencils by Tony Daniels; co-plot by Scott Lobdell; inks by Marlo Alquiza, Kevin Conrad, and Tony Daniel;
So a very happy birthday to ya, real Sam Jaffe! How to you plan to celebrate for your birthday dinner?


from Ben Casey #7