British actor Bernard Fox has died from a heart attack in Los Angeles, California.
Fox was 89 years old. Baby Boomers will remember Fox best for his regularly recurring guest role as Dr. Bombay on the television series “Bewitched” and his character Colonel Crittendon on the “Hogan’s Heroes” series.
Both roles required unique comedy instincts, which came naturally to the actor who began his career as a toddler. In a recent interview, Fox admitted that many of his lines on “Bewitched” were improvised, as were some of the physical comedy antics on “Hogan’s Heroes.”
Fans might not realize that the Colonel Crittendon character had a basis in Fox’s real life experience. During World War II the actor left the stage to join the Royal Navy and fight the Germans.
Crittendon’s circumstances might have echoed Fox’s military life, but Dr. Bombay was modeled directly on an officer Fox served under during the war. The actor intentionally wove his former officer’s outrageous personality into the equally outrageous “Bewitched” character.
Although the “Hogan’s Heroes” and “Bewitched” roles are Fox’s best known work, the actor spend most of his life perfecting his craft. Born into a family of actors, Fox was on the stage before his second birthday.
He continued working into his later years, with cameo appearances on feature films such as “A Night to Remember,” “Titanic,” and “The Mummy.” Fox’s legacy, however, will always revolve around the two zany television characters that entertained hundreds of thousands of viewers weekly.
