| The oily character of Dr. Zachary Smith was portrayed by Jonathan Harris - a Bronx-born pharmacist son of poor Russian Jews who trained himself to speak like a British stage actor. We soon realised in watching 'Lost in Space' (1965-1968) that the show and the rest of the characters were as cardboard as the sets, saved only by the way Harris put the arch into arch villainy. But most of us probably had our first experience with camp humour (if you don't count Daffy Duck) via Smith. Perhaps it was this recognition that, rather than consigning the character to our youth, cemented him in our adult memories. He was also the first actor tb be credited as a "Special Guest Star" on a broadcast program. Harris acted in film and TV before and after Lost in Space. He made his Broadway debut in 1942, his Hollywood debut 11 years later alongside James Mason and Alan Ladd in Botany Bay, and in recent years was introduced to a new audience of little 'uns as the voice of Manny the preying mantis in A Bug's Life and The Fixer in Toy Story II. But he never stopped being Dr Zachary Smith, and thanks to re-runs we can rest assured that somewhere in the world, someone is hearing "never fear, Smith is here". The second of three children, Harris was born Jonathan Daniel Charasuchin to a poor family, in The Bronx, New York. His Russian - Jewish father, Sam Charasuchin, was eking out a living in Manhattan's garment district and his wife Jennie Charasuchin, was an estranged but practical stay-at-home mother. Jonathan was also of Polish descent. His family resided in a six-tenant apartment complex. To raise money, his mother took in boarders, some of whom were given Jonathan's bed, forcing Jonathan to sleep in the dining room. From the age of 12, he worked as a pharmacy clerk. While there was little money for luxuries, Jonathan's father took efforts to expand his son's cultural horizons. This included trips to the Yiddish Theatre, where he was encouraged by his father to listen to opera. Young Jonathan was enthralled. He discarded his Bronx accent and began to cultivate more sophisticated English tones. Although he could seldom afford tickets, Broadway plays were also an interest. Before graduation from James Monroe High School in 1931 (at age 16), he had also become interested in archeology, Latin, romantic poetry and, inevitably, Shakespeare. He didn't fit amongst his peers with the exception of his girlfriend, Gertrude Bregman, whom he subsequently married. In 1932, aged 17, he legally changed his named from "Charasuchin" to "Harris", apparently without informing his parents. That same year, Harris' work at the pharmacy led him to attending Fordham University in New York, where he majored in Pharmacology. He graduated in 1936, and worked in several drugstores. Throughout his long life, Jonathan had 12 hobbies: cooking, watching movies, reading, traveling, painting, magic, playing piano, listening to opera, spending time with children, gardening and knitting. He also did some dancing in his spare time, as well. According to the A&E Biography, on one episode of Lost In Space, Jonathan's character did a groovy 1960s dance with John & Maureen's 2 younger children. AS noted, Jonathan married his longtime high school sweetheart, Gertrude Bregman, and they remained so from 1938 until his death. They have a son, Richard (born 1942.) In late 2002, Harris and the rest of the surviving cast of the TV series were preparing for a two-hour movie entitled Lost In Space: The Journey Back Home. However, just before the movie was about to film, he was taken to the hospital where he had a back problem, which led to his suffering heart failure. Harris died on November 3, 2002, in Encino, California of a blood clot to the heart, just three days before his 88th birthday. He was survived by his son Richard. His wife Gertrude recently passed away. I wanted to share this with you all to show what a great man Mr. Harris was. |