Zero Mostel (Am. 1915-1977) "Unknown Meeting" Oil on canvas board, framed Signed l.r., titled, inscribed "No. 438," "Monhegan Show #2," "Collection: tmostel", ACA Galleries label, and two exhibition labels on backing 17" x 13 1/4" actual, 24" x 20 1/4" framed
Zero Mostel (American, 1915-1977) Modernist Painting oil and mixed media on paper signed and dated lower right 35 1/2 x 24 inches (sight) 37 x 27 inches (frame)
Zero Mostel. 1971 large abstract expressionist painting. Oil and mixed media on paper. Framed under glass. Signed and dated lower right. Sheet size: 31.5 x 22.25in. Overall: 37 x 27in.
Zero Mostel. 1971 large abstract portraits. Oil and mixed media on paper. Framed under glass. Signed and dated lower right. Sheet has come loose from its mounts within frame. Sheet size: 22.25 x 31.5in. Overall: 27.5 x 36.25in.
AMERICAN ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST PAINTING C. 1963 ZERO MOSTEL (American 1915-1977) I Love Chaplin -1963 Oil on board Double signed lower right and dated 63. Verso inscribed with title. 14 inches x 10.25 inches. Overall including frame 21.5 inches x 17.5 inches Provenance: The estate of Patricia (Pat) Percy Amarantides (1934-2023) Orlando, Florida. A puppeteer and painter and closely associated with Frank Lloyd Wright and publisher Ben Raeburn (1911-1997). Painter, comedian, actor, Mostel is probably best known for his portrayal of comic characters including Tevye on stage in Fiddler on the Roof, Pseudolus on stage and on screen in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Max Bialystock in the original film version of Mel Brooks' The Producers (1967).
ORIGINAL ZERO MOSTEL ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST PAINTING ZERO MOSTEL (American 1915-1977) Portrait of a man in bowler hat Oil and tempera on board Signed on verso "Zero" in pencil 30 inches x 15 inches Provenance: The estate of Patricia (Pat) Percy Amarantides (1934-2023) Orlando, Florida. A puppeteer and painter and closely associated with Frank Lloyd Wright and publisher Ben Raeburn (1911-1997). Painter, comedian, actor, Mostel is probably best known for his portrayal of comic characters including Tevye on stage in Fiddler on the Roof, Pseudolus on stage and on screen in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Max Bialystock in the original film version of Mel Brooks' The Producers (1967).
4 ORIGINAL WORKS BY ZERO MOSTEL Comprising four original works of art by Zero Mostel (American 1915-1977) including an oil on canvas titled "Bloom in Night", signed and titled on tacking edge, 12" x 16" (unframed), an oil on Masonite abstract with text signed Zero and dated 1973, measuring 13 inches x 9 inches (unframed), a pen and ink drawing of a large seated man, 10 inches x 7.5 inches, overall including frame 15 inches x 12 inches. And an aquatint etching of a Rabbi, signed lower right, image size 8 inches x 5 inches, overall including frame 15.75 inches x 12.5 inches. Provenance: The estate of Patricia (Pat) Percy Amarantides (1934-2023) Orlando, Florida. A puppeteer and painter and closely associated with Frank Lloyd Wright and publisher Ben Raeburn (1911-1997).
2 ORIGINAL ZERO MOSTEL PAINTINGS ZERO MOSTEL American (1915-1977) A Self Portrait and Standing Figures - a pair of paintings Each oil on Masonite One signed and titled on verso, the other signed lower right 7.5 inches x 5.5 inches and 8 inches x 10 inches. Largest measurement including frame 12.25 inches x 14.5 inches. Provenance: The estate of Patricia (Pat) Percy Amarantides (1934-2023) Orlando, Florida. A puppeteer and painter and closely associated with Frank Lloyd Wright and publisher Ben Raeburn (1911-1997). Painter, comedian, actor, Mostel is probably best known for his portrayal of comic characters including Tevye on stage in Fiddler on the Roof, Pseudolus on stage and on screen in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Max Bialystock in the original film version of Mel Brooks' The Producers (1967).
3 ORIGINAL ZERO MOSTEL PAINTINGS ZERO MOSTEL (American 1915-1977) A Clown, A Rooster, and Macey's Thanksgiving Day Balloon - a group of three -circa 1945 Watercolor on card Each signed in pencil on lower margin Each 10 inches x 7.5 inches (unframed) Provenance: The estate of Patricia (Pat) Percy Amarantides (1934-2023) Orlando, Florida. A puppeteer and painter and closely associated with Frank Lloyd Wright and publisher Ben Raeburn (1911-1997). Painter, comedian, actor, Mostel is probably best known for his portrayal of comic characters including Tevye on stage in Fiddler on the Roof, Pseudolus on stage and on screen in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Max Bialystock in the original film version of Mel Brooks' The Producers (1967).
AMERICAN ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST PAINTING C. 1963 ZERO MOSTEL (American 1915-1977) Man Smoking -1963 Oil on board Signed with dedication lower right and dated 63 11 inches x 8 inches. Overall including glazed frame 20 inches x 16.5 inches Provenance: The estate of Patricia (Pat) Percy Amarantides (1934-2023) Orlando, Florida. A puppeteer and painter and closely associated with Frank Lloyd Wright and publisher Ben Raeburn (1911-1997). Painter, comedian, actor, Mostel is probably best known for his portrayal of comic characters including Tevye on stage in Fiddler on the Roof, Pseudolus on stage and on screen in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Max Bialystock in the original film version of Mel Brooks' The Producers (1967).
SIGNED AMERICAN ABSTRACT ZERO MOSTEL ZERO MOSTEL (American 1915-1977) Seated Figure -1970 Oil on board Signed lower right and dated 1970 21 inches x 15 inches (unframed) Provenance: The estate of Patricia (Pat) Percy Amarantides (1934-2023) Orlando, Florida. A puppeteer and painter and closely associated with Frank Lloyd Wright and publisher Ben Raeburn (1911-1997). Painter, comedian, actor, Mostel is probably best known for his portrayal of comic characters including Tevye on stage in Fiddler on the Roof, Pseudolus on stage and on screen in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Max Bialystock in the original film version of Mel Brooks' The Producers (1967).
Zero Mostel New York., (1915 - 1977) seated female nude, 1959 ink and watercolor on paper Signed and dated lower right. Biography from the Archives of askART: Zero Mostel was born Samuel Joel Mostel on February 28, 1915 in Brooklyn, New York, one of eight children of an Orthodox Jewish family. Raised in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the young Zero, known as Sammy, developed his talent for painting and drawing at art classes provided by the Educational Alliance, an institution serving Jewish immigrants and their children. Sammy often would go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to copy the paintings. Sam Mostel matriculated at the City College of New York, then entered a master's program in art at New York University after graduating from CCNY in 1935. He dropped out after a year and worked at odd jobs before being hired by the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project to teach drawing and painting at the 92nd Street "Y", the famous Young Men and Young Women's Hebrew Association located on Manhattan's 92nd St., in 1937. Mostel married Clara Sverd, a CCNY classmate, in 1939, but the marriage was troubled due to personality conflicts. The couple separated in 1941 and divorced in 1944. While still teaching, Mostel supplemented his income by providing gallery lectures at various museums under the aegis of the WPA. His lectures were full of jokes as Mostel personally was a clown, and subsequently he was hired to perform at private parties. Mostel auditioned as a comedian at the downtown nightclub Cafe Society in late 1941, a jazz club. Initially rejected, owner Barney Josephson hired Mostel after Pearl Harbor, figuring his patrons, now at war, could use some laughs. It was Ivan Black, the club's press agent, who gave Sam Mostel the nickname Zero, explaining, "Here's a guy who's starting from nothing." Debuting at the Cafe Society on February 16, 1942, Zero was a hit with audiences and the critics, Simultaneously, Zero began appearing in the play "Cafe Crown" at the Cort Theatre, which opened on January 23, 1942 and played through May 23rd, closing after 141 performances. Zero made some impromptu appearances on stage, but he wasn't officially part of the cast of the play, which was staged by Elia Kazan and starred Morris Carnovsky, Sam Jaffe (a future blacklistee), Whit Bissell, and Sam Wanamaker. Zero made his formal Broadway debut in "Keep 'em Laughing" on April 24, 1942 at the 44th Street Theatre. The show ran for 77 performances. Within a year, he was touring the national nightclub circuit and appearing on radio. He had a brief stint in the Army in 1943, but was quickly discharged due to an unspecified physical disability. Zero spent the rest of the war entertaining the troops overseas. Zero married Kathryn Harkin, a former Radio City Music Hall Rockette, on July 2, 1944, an act that ruined his relationship with his Orthodox Jewish parents as his new wife was a gentile. The two remained a married couple until his death and produced two sons: Josh Mostel, who was born in 1946, and Tobias, who was born in 1949. In the post-war years, Zero began to branch-out as a straight actor. On October 19, 1948, he made his television debut in the series Off the Record, which was broadcast on the DuMont network, following it up with an appearance on October 26, 1948. He later appeared in the The Ford Theatre Hour (1948) episode The Man Who Came to Dinner, which was broadcast on January 16, 1949 on NBC. He was reunited with his "Cafe Crown" director Elia Kazan in the Oscar-winner's movie Panic in the Streets (1950) (1950). In the movies, Zero often played heavies due to his physique, roles that downplayed his unique gift for comedy. Zero had long been a leftist politically, and had made contributions to progressive causes. His nightclub act lampooned the red-baiters rampant at the time, and featured the character of a pompous senator called Polltax T. Pellagra. When he and the wife of his good friend 'Jack Gilford' were named by Jerome Robbins before the House Un-American Activities Committee as being communists, Zero was subpoenaed to testify by HUAC. Mostel testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee on October 14, 1955. In a playful mood, he told the Committee that he was employed by "19th Century-Fox." Zero denied he was a Communist, but refused to name names. He told the Committee that he would gladly discuss his own conduct but was prohibited by religious convictions from naming others. Consequently, he was blacklisted during the 1950s. Shut-out from the movies, he also lost many lucrative nightclub gigs, and he had to make due by playing gigs for meager salaries and by selling his paintings. In the 1950s, Mostel bumped into Elia Kazan on the street in New York City, and the two reminisced. Kazan said Mostel chided him for putting Mostel through the paces in Panic in the Streets, forcing him to run more than he ever had. The two retired to a bar, and as they began to drink, Mostel kept muttering, in reference to Kazan's naming names before HUAC, "Ya shouldn't a done that. Ya shouldn't a done that." There was no blacklist in the theater, and his friend Burgess Meredith, a noted liberal, offered Zero the lead role in his 1958 Off-Broadway production of Ulysses in Nighttown, based on the Nighttown episode of James Joyce's novel Ulysses, that Meredith was directing. Mostel's performance as Leopold Bloom, Joyce's Jewish Everyman, was a great hit with audiences and critics alike, and he won an "Obie," the Off-Broadway equivalent of a Tony. Zero also starred in productions of Nighttown in London and Paris. By the end of 1959, Zero again was appearing on television, cast in the "Play of the Week" episode The World of Sholom Aleichem, which was broadcast on December 14, 1959 in syndication. He also was cast in a Broadway play, The Good Soup. Zero never opened in the play as he was hit by a bus on January 13, 1960. His left leg was severely injured, and required four operations. Zero was in the hospital for five months but regained the use of the leg. He made a triumphant return to Broadway in the fall of 1960, starring in Ionesco's absurdist tour-de-force Rhinoceros, for which he won a Tony award. He was cast in another "Play of the Week" episode, this time in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, which was broadcast on April 3, 1961 in syndication. Zero and his friend Jack Gilford, who had also been blacklisted due to Jerome Robbins having named names and hadn't worked for many years, were both cast in the Broadway musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. However, the show, under director George Abbott, was troubled. When Stephen Sondheim pitched Robbins to producer Harold Prince as the savior of Forum," which was floundering in its out-of-town tryouts, Prince phoned Mostel to ask whether he would be prepared to work with Robbins. "Are you asking me to eat with him?" asked Mostel. "I'm just asking you to work with him," Prince replied. "Of course I'll work with him," Mostel said. "We of the left do not blacklist." When Robbins showed up at his first rehearsal, everyone was terrified of him because of his reputation as a tough taskmaster and perfectionist. Robbins made the rounds of the cast, shaking hands. When he got to Mostel, there was silence. Then Mostel boomed, "Hiya, Loose Lips!" Everyone burst out laughing, including Robbins, and the show went on. Robbins was uncredited for staging and choreographing Forum, which opened at the Alvin Theatre on May 8, 1962. Forum was a great hit, running for 964 performances at the Alvin and at the Mark Hellinger Theatre and later at the Majestic, closing on August 29, 1964. Forum won six Tony awards, including Best Musical and Best Director for George Abbott. Mostel won his second Tony, and Gilford was nominated for the Tony for Best Featured Actor. Zero followed up this triumph with his legendary turn as Tevye, the milkman with marriageable daughters in Fiddler on the Roof, based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem. With direction and choreography credited to Jerome Robbins, Fiddler on the Roof opened at the Imperial Theatre on September 22, 1964 and did not close until almost eight years later, at the Broadway Theatre on July 2, 1972, with a stop at the Majestic in between during the late '60s. After seven previews, Fiddler racked up a total of 3,242 performances, making it one of the greatest Broadway smashes ever. After wining nine Tony awards in 1965, including Best Musical, Best Director, and Best Actor in A Musical (Zero's third Tony), the show was awarded a 10th Tony, a Special Award in 1972 when Fiddler became the longest-running musical in Broadway history. Zero was cast in the 1966 movie version of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966), and then concentrated on movies and television for the rest of his career. Most of his projects, with the exception of Mel Brooks' The Producers (1968), did not fully utilize his talents. It was a major blow when director Norman Jewison cast the Israeli actor Topol as Tevye in his movie adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof (1971), passing over the legend who had created the role. Topol got an Oscar nomination, but faded quickly out of American movies. The movie of Fiddler, a huge roadshow hit in 1971, also faded out of American consciousness. One wonders if with Zero in the role, the movie would now be considered a classic and constantly revived on television. In 1974, Zero reprised his Leopold Bloom in a Broadway production of Ulysses in Nighttown, again directed by Burgess Meredith, which netted him a Tony Award nomination as Best Actor in a Play. He turned in an affecting performance as a blacklisted comedian in Martin Ritt's movie about the blacklist, The Front (1976). He also had a success with a Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof in December 1976. Zero was cast as Shylock in Arnold Wesker's The Merchant, a pro-Jewish re-imagining of 'William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Mostel had great hopes that his Shylock would be the crowning achievement of his career and put him back on top. His huge talent and larger-than-life persona seemed to do better on stage. This was not to come to pass. He fell ill after a tryout performance in Philadelphia in September and was hospitalized. On September 8, 1977, Zero Mostel died from an aortic aneurysm at the age of sixty-two. One of the greatest, most unique, and definitely irreplaceable talents to grace the American stage and movies had passed away. We are unlikely to look on his likes again. Submitted by Mark Golden of Golden Artist Colors, Inc. Source: IMDb http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0609216/bio
Zero Mostel (American, 1915-1977), The Owl, oil on canvas, signed lower left, image: 19.69"h x 15.75"w (50 x 40 cm), overall (with frame): 28.74"h x 24.8"w (73 x 63 cm) Provenance: Created by the legendary performer Zero Mostel, known as "The Owl," this work was exhibited at the Jewish Museum in 1977 as a memorial following his passing.; Judaica collection from Abe Wintner, Los Angeles. Abe Wintner is one of America's top 100 collectors. For additional information, including condition reports, please email Clars Los Angeles at ask@ClarsLA.com. The absence of a condition statement does not mean that the lot is in perfect condition
Samuel Joel 'Zero' Mostel, American (1915-1977). Areas of palette knife painting in 'Moon Models', mounted in gilt wood frame. Written on verso 'Moon Models 1971 Z. Mostel'. Measures 45"H x 38.5"W framed; 35.25"H x 29.5"W visual. Condition: good condition, some small abrasions to frame, please see all photos. Contact AAG for more detailed information if needed. AAG is not responsible for any errors or omissions to any lots. All sales are final and sold as is. This lot cannot be shipped in house. For an instant guaranteed third party shipping quote through Quality Packing and Shipping visit: https://www.qualitypackship.com/abington-copy-1 or contact our other third party shippers.
Lot 95 Zero Mostel American (1915-1977) Self Portrait oil on canvas signed lower right 23 x 18 inches Provenance: the estate of Jerome Lurie, labor attorney and law partner of Sidney E. Cohn
Zero Mostel (American, 1915-1977) charcoal painting on paper depicting an orthodox boy. Signed lower right. The auction label showing detailed information about the artwork on verso.
Zero Mostel (American, 1915-1977) charcoal painting on paper depicting a boy profile. Signed lower right. Framed. The auction label showing detailed information about the artwork on verso.
Zero Mostel (American, 1915-1977) charcoal painting on paper depicting an orthodox boy. Signed lower right. The auction label showing detailed information about the artwork on verso.
Lot 51 Zero Mostel American (1915-1977) Self Portrait oil on canvas signed lower right 23 x 18 inches Provenance: the estate of Jerome Lurie, labor attorney and law partner of Sidney E. Cohn
Lot 53 Zero Mostel American (1915-1977) Heads ink and gouache on paper signed lower right sight: 13 1/2 x 10 1/2 inches Provenance: the estate of Jerome Lurie, labor attorney and law partner of Sidney E. Cohn
Zero Mostel American, 1915-1977 Portrait of Luther Adler as Teyve Signed and inscribed To Luther/with my love/Mostel (lr) Graphite on paper 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches (21.6 x 14 cm) Provenance: Collection of Josh Mostel Luther Adler succeeded Mostel as Teyve in Fiddler on the Roof.
Zero Mostel American, 1915-1977 Untitled Oil on paper laid to Masonite Sheet 12 x 15 3/4 inches (30.5 x 40 cm), overall 15 3/4 x 17 7/8 inches (40 x 45.4 cm) Unframed Provenance: Collection of Josh Mostel
Zero Mostel American, 1915-1977 Untitled Figure Oil on illustration board 21 x 14 5/8 inches (53.3 x 37.2 cm) Unframed Provenance: Collection of Josh Mostel
Two (2) Portrait drawings on paper, including Zero Mostel, Hector Xavier. 1st item: Zero Mostel (New York, 1915-1977) graphite and pastel on paper drawing depicting a seated woman wearing beaded necklaces and a floral shawl, her left hand adjusting her shoe. Signed and dated "Mostel 1959" lower right. Housed under glass in a carved wooden frame with off white linen and gilt wood liner. Sight - 14" H x 10 1/4" W. Framed - 22 3/4" H x 19" W. 3rd item: Hector Xavier (Mexico, 1921-1994) ink on paper drawing titled "Valle de Majo" depicting a seated man with hat and walking stick. Signed, titled, and dated 1962 lower right. 12 5/8" H x 9 3/4" W. All items mid 20th century.
ARTIST: Samuel Joel Mostel (New York, 1915 - 1977) NAME: Bear YEAR: 1960s MEDIUM: mixed media on board CONDITION: Excellent. Framed under glass. Wear to frame. SIGHT SIZE: 28 x 18 inches / 70 x 45 cm FRAME SIZE: 36 x 26 inches / 90 x 65 cm SIGNATURE: Lower right PROVENANCE: was owned by artist's close friend, screenwriter Ian McLellan Hunter. SIMILAR ARTISTS: Robert Philipp CATEGORY: antique vintage painting SKU#: 116014 WARRANTY: 7 days returns accepted if item doesn't match description US Shipping $120 + insurance. Samuel Joel Mostel (New York, 1915 - 1977) Zero Mostel, byname of Samuel Joel Mostel, (born February 28, 1915, New York, New York, U.S.—died September 8, 1977, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), American actor, singer, and artist best known for his comedic acting. Mostel studied and taught art in the 1930s while pursuing the career of a serious painter. He began entertaining at parties to earn money to buy paints and made his nightclub debut in 1942. This was followed by other nightclub appearances, radio work, and his first film role. After World War II he became a dramatic film actor. Mostel’s career was suspended, however, after a 1955 appearance before the House Un-American Activities Committee. In 1958 he began to work in the legitimate theatre in New York City, earning acclaim for his performance as Leopold Bloom in Ulysses in Nighttown, and in 1961 he gave an award-winning performance in Rhinoceros by Eugène Ionesco. This was followed in 1962 by the lead role in the musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and in 1964 by the lead in another musical, Fiddler on the Roof. These successes brought him once more into motion-picture work, first with a reprise of A Funny Thing (1966) and then in the Mel Brooks comedy The Producers (1968). He also played a major role in The Front (1976), a serious film about the blacklisting era in Hollywood. Mostel continued to paint throughout his career.
Zero Mostel (New York, 1915-1977) graphite and pastel on paper drawing depicting a seated woman wearing beaded necklaces and a floral shawl, her left hand adjusting her shoe. Signed and dated "Mostel 1959" lower right. Housed under glass in a carved wooden frame with off white linen and gilt wood liner. Sight - 14" H x 10 1/4" W. Framed - 22 3/4" H x 19" W. Mid 20th century.
ZERO MOSTEL (NY, 1915-1977) "The Kiss", oil and rag on masonite, unsigned, artist identified and title given on ACA Galleries at 20 East 73rd St., NY label verso. Housed in a carved and gilt Italian frame, OS: 22" x 19 1/2", SS: 17 3/4" x 15 1/4". Good condition.
Zero Mostel (American, 1915-1977), Two Women, and Boy on Horse, each signed "Zero Mostel" and dedicated "to Clara and Jean", matted and framed under glass, each 10"h x 14"w (sight). 18"h x 22"w (frame)
ZERO MOSTEL (American, 1915-1977), self-portrait in hat, oil on canvas board, signed lower left. Craquelure, dirt and grime, minor scattered losses. Board 20''h, 16''w. (Fine Art)
Zero Mostel (New York, 1915-1977) SAM STRETCHED OUT WITH HANDS CROSSED (actor Shalom 'Sam' Jaffe, 1891-1984) ink drawing, framed, signed sight H12" W12" Provenance: Private collection
ZERO MOSTEL (American, 1915-1977), self portrait in hat, oil on canvas board, signed lower left. Craquelure, dirt and grime, minor scattered losses. Board 20''h, 16''w. (Fine Art)
Charcoal self portrait by Zero Mostel (1915 - 1977) American stage and screen actor, best known for his performance as Tevye in Broadway's Fiddler on the Roof. Framed 17" x 15". Accompanied by black and white photograph of the actor.
