EUROPEAN FACIALS

MICRODERMABRASION

DIAMOND PEEL

Committed Couple

"Hal is doing a great job as our national
spokesman, helping to make people
aware of our land-preservation efforts in
Israel and the critical water shortage,"
said Richard Krosnick of Chicago, direc-
tor of the JNF zone that covers Detroit.
"This is not just an image thing for him.
He really knows about the problems and
cares about working to provide the solu-
tions. And Frances [Linden] also is com-
mitted to JNF. We're happy to have
them on board."
On a regular basis, Linden combines
his travels on the JNF circuit with his
work as an entertainer. Born Hal
Lipshitz in the Bronx, he changed his
name after repeatedly seeing "Linden,
New Jersey" signs on the turnpike and
liking the sound of the word. He had
taken clarinet lessons, attended Music &
Art High School in Manhattan, and
switched to the saxophone to play in
dance bands because the dances attracted
girls more than classical clarinet concerts.
"My parents instilled not only Jewish
culture, but also the culture of music
into my life — but they still wanted me
to become an accountant," Linden
reflected. "So I took business courses at
Bernard Baruch City College. After I
graduated, I still had that show business
urge, so I joined the old Sammy Kaye
Dance Band, then played in a band
while in the army. After that, I studied
voice and drama at the American
Theatre Wing School."
Linden's big break came while he was
singing with the Ray Charles Singers on
Perry Como's TV program. Frances was
appearing as a dancer in the Broadway
hit The Bells Are Ringing and helped get
him an audition as an understudy to
Sydney Chaplin, who was starring oppo-
site Judy Holiday (both Jewish perform-
ers).
"I had to marry Frances (42 years
ago) because, after all, she got me my
first big job," Linden quipped.
He immediately quit the Como show
and stopped playing bar mitzvahs and
weddings, which he had done to supple-
ment his income — even selling his sax-
ophone — but he still plays the clarinet
in his act.
"Some of those weddings were horri-
ble," he recalled. "One time, a 6-foot-2
bride was marrying a short European fel-
low who couldn't talk English — obvi-
ously an arranged marriage. They gave
him a regular, hard-drinking glass to
break at the end of the ceremony and he
kept stomping on it, but couldn't break
it. Then the glass shot down the aisle,
and he chased it, still trying to break it.
Everyone was roaring."

Versatile Actor

Linden starred in several other top
Broadway shows, then won the presti-
gious Tony in 1970-71 for his role in
the musical The Rothschilds. He caught
the eye of producer Danny Arnold,
who cast him in the lead role on
Barney Miller, a memorable TV come-
dy set in a police precinct. Linden said
he still keeps in touch with co-stars
Abe Vigoda, the veteran actor, and
Steve Landesberg, a standup comedi-
an.
The show ran from 1975-1982, but
folded "because the cast got tired and
the writing deteriorated," said Linden.
"Arnold was a perfectionist as a pro-
ducer and he wouldn't put up with
inferior writing talent and poor mater-
ial. But [the series is] still running
strong in syndication."
Ironically, Linden never won an
Emmy for Barney Miller, but did gar-
ner the coveted award for FYI, an
ABC public-service series, and two
Hal Linden specials. He received a
Peabody Award for Animals, Animals,
Animals. He also made other TV spe-
cials and movies.
Linden's other Broadway roles
included Pajama Game, Three Men on
a Horse, IM Not Rappaport, Man of La
Mancha and The Sisters Rosensweig. He
revealed that he starts rehearsals in
December for a role as a Holocaust
survivor in a drama about circum-
stances surrounding former President
Ronald Reagan's 1985 visit to the
Bittburg Cemetery in Germany Titled
The Gathering, the play opens on
Broadway in April.
Before that, Linden plans to attend
the JNF convention in New York,
then take his family to Israel to review
the JNF's progress in alleviating the
water shortage and dedicate a reservoir
in memory of his parents. Residents of
West Los Angeles, the Lindens have
four children, Amelia, Jennifer, Nora
and Ian, and three grandchildren.
The JNF spokesman said his associa-
tion with the organization began when
"one of my golfing friends suggested to
me that I get involved with JNF.
"Then I checked around and real-
ized how many Jewish people are asso-
ciated with the organization," Linden
said. "I thoroughly investigated the
JNF and studied up on its work and
its importance to Israel and Jews
around the world. My wife and I even
visited Israel and learned firsthand
about the water problem and other
issues, and we saw what has to be
done. I decided to take on the cause.
And I'm committed to it." ❑

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