HOLLYWOOD -- Mandy Patinkin, whose names brings to mind a Russian battleship, fires nothing but salvos on stage and screen as one of the most exciting young actors around.
Broadway saw him play Che Guervara in 'Evita,' for which he won a Tony award.
Then he burst like a bomb in a trio of movies. He brought life and fire to 'Ragtime' as the driven photographer Tateh. In 'Daniel' he was Paul Isaacson, the political activist. And now in 'Yentl,' opposite Barbra Streisand, he is Avigdor, the yeshiva scholar.
In all three films Patinkin plays Eastern European Jews, a Pole, Russian and Latvian, bringing to each heroic proportions that break traditional film stereotypes of the downtrodden, outcast minorities.
When Patinkin is in a scene it is difficult to focus on anyone else, including Streisand who is at her very best in 'Yentl.' He plays profound, passionate men of action.
A native of Chicago, and of Polish and Russian descent himself, Patinkin is as much a winner as the characters he plays. He is young (29), ambitious, macho, remarkably talented and seething with intensity.
On screen he comes off as an artistic or intellectual swashbuckler as opposed to physical heroes in car chases and shoot-outs.
Despite Patinkin's outstanding performance, 'Ragtime' was a box-office disappointment. 'Daniel' was an outright flop. Both had distinguished directors, Milos Forman and Sidney Lumett, respectively.
Patinkin hangs his hopes of stardom on 'Yentl' playing a lovelorn yeshiva student who befriends Yentl and enlists her aid in winning his lady fair.
He invests Avigdor, like his other roles, with the warmth, humor and traditions of the Yiddish, Jewish, Hebrew cultures.
Patinkin was reared a conservative Jew and attended Hebrew school, which helped him play Avigdor to perfection. He also contributed to Streisand's performance and to her direction.
On a publicity swing through Hollywood from his home in New York, Patinkin said, 'I had to memorize a long piece from the Talmud for this picture. I am familiar with the ritual, so that helped.
'I also spent a couple of weeks in Or Semach in Jerusalem at a yeshiva, studying the Talmud and attending lectures. The experience awakened many thoughts and feelings that had been sleeping in me for some time.
'Barbra couldn't visit the yeshiva. Women are not allowed. But I gave her a sense of the school environment, the way of life and attitudes in the yeshiva, which probably have remained unchanged for centuries.
'It gave her a feeling for this all-male lifestyle, which is central to many scenes in the film.'
Patinkin is an open, friendly man with restless black eyes, a mane of dark hair and a New York actor's pallor. He is a pal of Kevin ('The Big Chill') Klein whom he resembles slightly.
He anguishes over the failure of 'Daniel,' which co-starred Tim Hutton, saying the critics killed it on a political basis before it had a fair shot.
'When you care about the content of a film, you want people to see it,' he said. 'I'm still reeling at how quickly they pulled 'Daniel' from theaters. It never had a chance.
'I had high hopes for 'Ragtime,' too. Now I have no idea how 'Yentl' will fare. Naturally, I hope it does well, but I'm holding my excitement in reserve this time.'
Patinkin had only praise for the sometimes difficult Streisand with whom he met, off and on, for a year prior to being cast in 'Yentl.'
'I was cautious in our first meetings,' Patinkin said. 'I knew I could help her with the background because Hebrew school was a major part of my youth. We read scenes together and discussed the picture.
'Eventually we made a home movie, played a scene on 8mm film in her New York living room. It became my screen test. Working with Barbra as actress and director was a pleasant experience.
'She tried to overcome her superstardom to make me feel comfortable. She worked hard to get to know me for what I am. Because she was both co-star and director, some little adjustments had to be made.
'Now all we can do is wait and see if motion picture audiences are as happy with the results as we are.'
