Jewish Hollywood Stars Who Served During WW II

With Veterans’ Day fast approaching, I thought it would be interesting to look at the Jewish men and women of Hollywood who put their careers aside to serve their country in uniform during World War II.

Although Jewish Americans represented only about 3.3% of the nation’s population during World War II, more than 550,000 served in the U.S. Armed Forces, accounting for approximately 4.23% of all American military personnel? Their contribution was disproportionately higher to their share of the population and reflected a remarkable commitment to the defense of their country.

Hollywood produced its share of larger-than-life Jewish personalities, but some of its most recognizable Jewish actors, comedians, and entertainers had another distinction before becoming household names: they served in the United States Armed Forces during World War II. Their experiences ranged from frontline combat in Europe to military communications, aviation, naval service, and entertaining American troops overseas.

Their stories have another interesting dimension: several were born with distinctly Jewish names that they later changed upon entering show business. In Hollywood’s early decades, antisemitism was widespread, and Jewish performers sometimes encountered prejudice from studio executives, agents, and audiences. Some adopted shorter, more memorable names to improve their professional prospects; others deliberately chose names that sounded less recognizably Jewish. Although individual motivations varied, these changes reflected the broader pressures of assimilation in American society.

Among the best-known was Mel Brooks, born Melvin Kaminsky, who served as a combat engineer with the U.S. Army’s 78th Infantry Division. Deployed to the European Theater, he helped clear German mines and build bridges and experienced the dangers of the Battle of the Bulge. The future comedy legend had first faced the very real dangers of war before making audiences laugh.

Carl Reiner was drafted in 1942 and served in the Army Air Forces. In addition to his radio duties, he used his entertainment talents to perform for American troops in the Pacific, including servicemen stationed on Guam and Iwo Jima. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Reiner retained his birth name throughout his career.

Kirk Douglas, born Issur Herschelovich Danielovitch, grew up in a Russian Jewish immigrant family. Known as Izzy Demsky after his family adopted the surname Demsky in America, he eventually chose the professional name Kirk Douglas. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a communications officer. His transformation from Issur Danielovitch to Kirk Douglas became one of Hollywood’s most recognizable examples of a Jewish performer adopting a new professional identity.

Walter Matthau, born Walter John Matthow to Jewish immigrant parents, served in the Army Air Forces as a radio operator aboard B-24 bombers. His surname was eventually simplified to Matthau.

The women of Hollywood also answered the call. Beatrice Arthur, born Bernice Frankel, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Women’s Reserve in 1943. She served as a typist and motor transport specialist and attained the rank of staff sergeant. She later became famous for her roles in Maude and The Golden Girls.

Tony Curtis, born Bernard Herschel Schwartz, served aboard the USS Proteus, a submarine tender in the Pacific, and witnessed the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay in September 1945. When he entered Hollywood, he adopted the name Tony Curtis.

Other familiar faces also wore uniforms. Harvey Korman served in the U.S. Navy near the end of the war. Peter Falk, later beloved as television’s Lieutenant Columbo, served as a cook in the U.S. Merchant Marine after being rejected by the Marines because of his artificial eye. Nehemiah Persoff served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1945 before embarking on a long career as a character actor.

One particularly poignant story is that of John Banner, an Austrian-born Jewish refugee who escaped Nazi persecution and subsequently served in the U.S. Army Air Forces from 1942 to 1945 as a supply sergeant. He later became famous for portraying the seemingly oblivious German Sergeant Schultz in the television comedy Hogan’s Heroes. The irony was unmistakable: a Jewish refugee who had escaped the Nazis became famous for playing a German soldier in a comedy about a prisoner-of-war camp.

The list extends well beyond these names. Comedian Buddy Hackett, born Leonard Hacker, served in an antiaircraft battery position before adopting his stage name. Jack Klugman, born Jacob Joachim Klugman, served in the U.S. Army. Eli Wallach and Martin Balsam also served during the war. Norman Fell, born Norman Feld, shortened his surname as he pursued an acting career. Canadian-born Lorne Greene, whose birth name was Hyman Greene, served in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Larry Storch served in the U.S. Navy, while actor Joe Turkel served in the U.S. Army in the European Theater.

The name changes are more than Hollywood trivia. They offer a glimpse into a period when Jewish Americans, including some of the country’s most talented performers, sometimes felt compelled to make their identities more acceptable to a society in which antisemitism remained widespread. Whether motivated by career considerations, personal preference, or pressure from the entertainment industry, these decisions reflected the realities of their time.

There is something particularly meaningful about remembering these men and women. Before they became entertainers who made millions laugh, cry, and think, they were Americans who put aside their personal ambitions and answered their country’s call. Some went to war bearing Jewish names that they would later change to establish their Hollywood identities. But whether they were known as Melvin Kaminsky or Mel Brooks, Bernard Schwartz or Tony Curtis, Issur Danielovitch or Kirk Douglas, their Jewish origins and American patriotism were part of the same story.

They were Hollywood stars in the making, but first and foremost, they were Americans in uniform.