Joseph Furst
Encyclopedia
Joseph Fürst was an Austrian international film and television actor known for his English language roles.
Furst was regularly featured in UK television drama series of the 1960s and early 1970s with appearances in The Saint
, The Champions
, Doomwatch
, The Persuaders!
, and as the mad (and well remembered) Professor Zaroff in the Doctor Who
story The Underwater Menace
. Many people believe his accent in this role to have been put on; this is incorrect, it is in fact his real accent.
Joseph Furst's notable film appearances included 55 Days at Peking
(1963), The Brides of Fu Manchu
(1966), Inn of the Damned (1975), and Diamonds Are Forever
(1971) as Dr Metz.
He emigrated to Australia
and starting in the mid 1970s acted in several guest roles on Australian television drama series. His roles included several appearances in the top-rated police drama Division 4
produced by Crawford Productions
in the 1970s. He also had on-going roles in soap opera
Number 96
in 1976 as deli owner Carlo Lenzi who romanced Norma Whittaker (Sheila Kennelly
), and as Heinrik Smeaton in The Young Doctors
in 1979. He later guest starred in four episodes of A Country Practice
in the early 1980s.
Joseph was interviewed by Dwayne Bunney and Dallas Jones for "Loose Cannon" and spoke about his career in an interview to be an extra feature for the reconstruction of the missing Doctor Who story "The Underwater Menace". This interview took place shortly before his death.
Furst was regularly featured in UK television drama series of the 1960s and early 1970s with appearances in The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
, The Champions
The Champions
The Champions is a British espionage/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure series consisting of 30 episodes broadcast on the UK network ITV during 1968–1969, produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company...
, Doomwatch
Doomwatch
Doomwatch is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC, which ran on BBC One between 1970 and 1972. The series was set in the then present-day, and dealt with a scientific government agency led by Doctor Spencer Quist , responsible for investigating and combating various...
, The Persuaders!
The Persuaders!
The Persuaders! is a 1971 action/adventure series, produced by ITC Entertainment for initial broadcast on ITV and ABC. It has been called "the last major entry in the cycle of adventure series that had begun eleven years earlier with Danger Man in 1960", as well as "the most ambitious and most...
, and as the mad (and well remembered) Professor Zaroff in the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
story The Underwater Menace
The Underwater Menace
The Underwater Menace is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 14 January 1967 to 4 February 1967. The story constitutes Jamie McCrimmon's first journey with the Doctor as a travelling companion.-Plot:The TARDIS...
. Many people believe his accent in this role to have been put on; this is incorrect, it is in fact his real accent.
Joseph Furst's notable film appearances included 55 Days at Peking
55 Days at Peking
55 Days at Peking is a 1963 historical epic film starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, and David Niven, made by Samuel Bronston Productions, and released by Allied Artists. The movie was produced by Samuel Bronston and directed by Nicholas Ray, Andrew Marton , and Guy Green...
(1963), The Brides of Fu Manchu
The Brides of Fu Manchu
The Brides of Fu Manchu is a 1966 British/German Constantin Film co-production adventure crime film based on the fictional Asian villain Fu Manchu, created by Sax Rohmer. It was the second film in a series, and was preceded by The Face of Fu Manchu. The Vengeance of Fu Manchu followed in 1967, The...
(1966), Inn of the Damned (1975), and Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds Are Forever (film)
Diamonds Are Forever is the seventh spy film in the Eon Productions James Bond series, and the sixth and final Eon Productions film to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film is based on Ian Fleming's 1956 novel of the same name, and is the second of four James Bond films...
(1971) as Dr Metz.
He emigrated to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and starting in the mid 1970s acted in several guest roles on Australian television drama series. His roles included several appearances in the top-rated police drama Division 4
Division 4
Division 4 was an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for the Nine Network between 1969 and 1975 for 300 episodes....
produced by Crawford Productions
Crawford Productions
Crawford Productions is an Australian television production company founded by Hector Crawford; the present incarnation of the company, Crawfords Australia, is now a subsidiary of the WIN television corporation.-History:...
in the 1970s. He also had on-going roles in soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Number 96
Number 96 (TV series)
Number 96 was a popular Australian soap opera set in a Sydney apartment block. Don Cash and Bill Harmon produced the series for Network Ten, which requested a Coronation Street-type serial, and specifically one that explored adult subjects...
in 1976 as deli owner Carlo Lenzi who romanced Norma Whittaker (Sheila Kennelly
Sheila Kennelly
Sheila Kennelly is an English born Australian actress of theatre, television and film, with a vast repotoire spanning over 50 years in the industry, born in Sussex, UK she has played several television soap opera and comedy roles starting in the 1970s....
), and as Heinrik Smeaton in The Young Doctors
The Young Doctors
The Young Doctors is an Australian early evening soap opera. The series was set in the fictional Albert Memorial hospital and primarily concerned with romances between younger members of the hospital staff, screened on the Nine Network from Monday, 8 November 1976 until Wednesday, 30 March...
in 1979. He later guest starred in four episodes of A Country Practice
A Country Practice
A Country Practice is an Australian television drama series. One of the longest-running of its kind, produced by James Davern of JNP Productions, it ran on the Seven Network for 1,058 episodes from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. It was produced in ATN-7's production facility at Epping,...
in the early 1980s.
Joseph was interviewed by Dwayne Bunney and Dallas Jones for "Loose Cannon" and spoke about his career in an interview to be an extra feature for the reconstruction of the missing Doctor Who story "The Underwater Menace". This interview took place shortly before his death.
Selected filmography
- Exodus (1960)
- OffbeatOffbeat (film)Offbeat is a 1961 British crime film directed by Cliff Owen and starring William Sylvester, Mai Zetterling, and John Meillon. In the film, an MI5 officer goes undercover to catch a criminal gang.-Cast:* William Sylvester - Layton / Steve Ross...
(1961) - Very Important PersonVery Important Person (film)Very Important Person is a 1961 British comedy film, directed by Ken Annakin, and written by Henry Blyth and Jack Davies. In the United States, the film was re-titled A Coming Out Party....
(1961) - Freud: The Secret Passion (1962)
- 55 Days at Peking55 Days at Peking55 Days at Peking is a 1963 historical epic film starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, and David Niven, made by Samuel Bronston Productions, and released by Allied Artists. The movie was produced by Samuel Bronston and directed by Nicholas Ray, Andrew Marton , and Guy Green...
(1963) - The High Bright SunThe High Bright SunThe High Bright Sun is a 1964 British action film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Dirk Bogarde, George Chakiris and Susan Strasberg. It is set in Cyprus during the EOKA uprising against British rule in the 1950s...
(1964) - The Brides of Fu ManchuThe Brides of Fu ManchuThe Brides of Fu Manchu is a 1966 British/German Constantin Film co-production adventure crime film based on the fictional Asian villain Fu Manchu, created by Sax Rohmer. It was the second film in a series, and was preceded by The Face of Fu Manchu. The Vengeance of Fu Manchu followed in 1967, The...
(1966) - Drop Dead DarlingDrop Dead DarlingDrop Dead Darling is a 1966 British comedy crime film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Tony Curtis, Rosanna Schiaffino, Lionel Jeffries and Zsa Zsa Gabor.-Plot:...
(1966) - Theatre of Death (1967)
- HammerheadHammerhead (film)Hammerhead is a 1968 British thriller film directed by David Miller and starring Vince Edwards, Judy Geeson and Diana Dors. A criminal mastermind attempts to steal NATO secrets, while an American agent is hot on his trail. It is based on the novel by James Mayo, and produced by Irwin Allen and...
(1968) - EyewitnessEyewitness (1970 film)Eyewitness is a 1970 British drama film directed by John Hough.-Cast:* Mark Lester as Ziggy* Lionel Jeffries as Grandpa* Susan George as Pippa* Jeremy Kemp as Inspector Galleria* Peter Vaughan as Paul Grazzini* Tony Bonner as Tom Jones...
(1970) - Goodbye GeminiGoodbye GeminiGoodbye Gemini is a 1970 thriller directed by Alan Gibson from the novel Ask Agamemnon by Jenni Hall.-Plot:Jacki and Julian Dewar, a pair of fraternal twins, arrive via bus to London; they are home from university on Spring break, and their father is in Mexico on business...
(1970) - Diamonds Are ForeverDiamonds Are Forever (film)Diamonds Are Forever is the seventh spy film in the Eon Productions James Bond series, and the sixth and final Eon Productions film to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film is based on Ian Fleming's 1956 novel of the same name, and is the second of four James Bond films...
(1971) - Inn of the Damned (1975)