Irving Pichel Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Irving Pichel was an American actor and director. He was born in Pittsburgh on June 24, 1891 and died on June 13, 1954 in Los Angeles.
Pichel gained fame thanks to his portrayal of the protagonist in Eugene O'Neill's theater production Lazarus Laughed in 1927. Read the full biography

Irving Pichel was an American actor and director. He was born in Pittsburgh on June 24, 1891 and died on June 13, 1954 in Los Angeles.
Pichel gained fame thanks to his portrayal of the protagonist in Eugene O'Neill's theater production Lazarus Laughed in 1927. Among his best-known film roles are Sandor in “Dracula's Daughter” in 1936 and Fagin in “Oliver Twist” in 1933. Pichel also directed numerous films, including “The Miracle of the Bells” in 1948, “The Lord and the Mermaid” in 1948 and “Men in the Moon” in 1950. He also worked as a narrator in “How my valley was green" in 1941 and lent his voice to the character of Jesus in the film "The Great Commandment" in 1939.
In the 1940s, Pichel played small roles in several films he directed. His last films as director were "Martin Luther" in 1953 and "Day of Triumph" in 1954.
In 1947, Pichel was one of nineteen members of the Hollywood community who were subpoenaed by the House Un-American Activities Committee during America's Second Red Scare. This group became known as the "Hollywood Nineteen" or the "Hostile Nineteen". Although Pichel was never called to testify, his name was blacklisted from Hollywood and he left the United States.