Best-known for playing the zany
Corporal Klinger in M*A*S*H, Jamie
Farr has had a long and remarkable
career in entertainment that includes
roles in classic TV shows, a landmark
film, and musical theatre.
Like your famous character Max Klinger, you
grew up in Toledo, Ohio. What was the Lebanese
community of Toledo like during the time of
your childhood?
I was born in 1934 and lived in Toledo, although
not in the same house, in the same neighbourhood
until 1952, when I went to California to attend the
Pasadena Playhouse of Theatre Arts. It was on
the North side of the city and was predominantly
Lebanese with a good deal of Greek, a few Jewish,
and some Italian there for good measure. My father
owned a small corner market on Locust and Ontario
Streets. When I was around 12 or 13 I worked there
on Saturdays to earn fun money to add to a very
small allowance I received from my parents each
week.
the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Bashir, and St.
George, which was under the jurisdiction of a rival,
Metropolitan David. I attended St. George. The
adults of the rival churches had issues with one
another, but all of the children got along and
brought the families together for any and all events
We had two Antiochian Orthodox Churches
in the neighbourhood. St. Elias, which was under
at each church. There were many corner grocery
stores in the North End, and mostly owned by