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88
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1988
Continued from Page 86
near
Expires Sept. 30, 1988
I
Michael Lembeck
nothing like this busines on
earth!'
Of course, some businesses
don't need as many partners;
theater is such a collaborative
process — and an exhausting
one. "Theater does take a
piece out of you," says a
slightly worn-out Lembeck,
propping his feet up on a well-
worn couch. How about
"Mike"? The actor smiles.
"This one has taken a large
chunk."
But then, as the title
character, Lembeck is a
chunk of the musical's action.
"I'm on all but a few pages."
Not that he minds being
center stage. Yet Lembeck
also doesn't mind sharing the
wealth — especially when the
booty is provided by such
legendary actors/comics as
Sid Caesar, Milton Berle and
Danny Thomas as it was in
"Side by Side." Lembeck was
on the side of the angels in
that recent CBS telefilm,
starring as Berle's artsy son.
Lembeck uses television as
a canvas for some fine work.
One of his favorite roles was
as a 1960s activist Abbie
Hoffman in Home Box Of-
fice's "Conspiracy: The Trial
of the Chicago 8!'
"That was the job of a
lifetime," smiles Lembeck. "I
read everything that Abbie
wrote. You know, he hung
around the set during filming.
He was extremely helpful."
Lembeck thinks a moment.
"In terms of essence, Abbie
parallels Mike Todd," both
larger-than-life characters
pocketing headlines like
others pocket small change.
"Abbie didn't just protest —
he chained himself to a
fence," marvels Lembeck.
"He's so passionate about his
beliefs!"
Lembeck is also passionate
— about having been without
passion in his life. "I've gone
through a lot of dramatic
changes in recent years," he
says. "It bothered me that I
was without passion for so
long. Now I seek it out every
day. I stopped doing the kind
of work that was dissatisfy-
ing."
Lembeck strokes his chin,
listening to an inner
metronome, one ticking off a
more peaceful metier than he
had known before. "I will not
punch a clock to pay a mort-
gage. I will not take roles
anymore just to support a
lifestyle," he says.
Instead, he'll gamble that
the good roles will come to the
good guys, such as "Mike"
has arrived on his doorstep
now.
"Mike Todd was a gambler,
too," says Lembeck. "In fact,
he believed that he couldn't
win unless he lost. He wanted
to go back to square one."
Lembeck squares his need
to satisfy his soul before his
banker with what his dad
taught him. "My father gave
me a legacy, a wonderful
legacy of honesty," he says.
A smile breaks on the son's
lips as he talks about his
father. Besides being an ac-
complished actor, Harvey
Lembeck ran a successful
comedy workshop on the West
Coast, which son Michael and
daughter Helene are now
operating. "It's in its 25th
year. We're pumpin'," says
Michael. "It's so satisfying to
continue his work."
In a way, Lembeck is conti-
nuing his father's dreams.
"We even walk the same,"
"Abbie didn't just
protest — he
chained himself to
a fence," marvels
Lembeck. "He's so
passionate about
his beliefs."
muses the son. "All Lembeck
men walk the same. It's a
high-energy walk. His spirit
even courses through my son
Sam's veins?'
Harvey Lembeck never
really walked through a role
— he ran on all pilots. What
an inspiration, says his son.
"He was a father, a friend, an
agent."
And a teacher, perhaps the
best teacher of all. "He let me
learn my own way," says
Lembeck.
If there was any discord, it
showed up only in fictional
form. "We worked together on
an episode of 'The Partridge
Family.' I played a striking
employee; he was my boss,"
says Lembeck.
A better boss you couldn't
find, says the son. A boss
whose paychecks were filled
with hours of humor and
kindness — and a touch or
two of heritage.
"A lot of Yiddish was
spoken at home," recalls
Lembeck. "There was a feel-
ing for the cultural aspects of
Judaism. There was quite a
celebration of life in the
Lembeck household."
That celebration continues
with Michael and his son
Sam. Just like what he learn-
ed from his own father, papa
Michael knows how to offer
support.
"Today Sam wants to be a
photographer. Last week he
wanted to be a sushi chef.
Last year, a car salesman."
Michael shrugs his
shoulders. "Kids. You have to
support them."
Harvey would be so proud.