Jerry Lewis directed him in The Big Mouth (1967) and signed a photograph of the pair from the film: "For Harold, a beautiful man, an exceptional actor and the kind of performer that makes fair directors look great.".
A third-generation actor, his father was Yiddish actor Jacob Hochstein. Harold made his stage debut with him at age 6 in "White Slaves." Supposedly he had but one line -- "Mama" -- which he failed to remember on opening night. The initial "J" in Harold's name stood for Jacob.
Following first wife Jean's death in 1960, leaving him with two children, Harold remarried later that year to Miriam. They legally separated in 1964 but never divorced.
Longtime friend of Jerry Lewis who cast Harold in three of his films.