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Wolfgang Preiss

Actor
Died November 27, 2002 (92 years)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Wolfgang Preiss (27 February 1910 at Nuremberg - 27 November 2002 at Baden-Baden) was a German theatre, film and television actor.

The son of a teacher, in the early 1930s Preiss studied philosophy, German and drama. He also took private acting classes with Hans Schlenck, making his stage début in Munich in 1932. He went to appear in various theatre productions in Heidelberg, Königsberg, Bonn, Bremen, Stuttgart and Berlin.

In 1942 he made his film début - he was exempted from military service specifically - in the UFA production Die grosse Liebe with Zarah Leander. After the end of the Second World War Preiss returned to the theatre, and from 1949 worked extensively dubbing films into German.

In 1954 he returned to film acting, appearing in Alfred Weidenmann's Canaris. The following year Preiss played the lead role of Claus von Stauffenberg in Falk Harnack's film Der 20. Juli, which dramatised the 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler. This role brought Preiss to popular attention and also the 1956 Federal Film Award.

From now on Preiss was largely typecast in the role of the upright and obligation-conscious German officer to the other A-list actor playing the Fanatic (I.E. Paul Scofeld in The Train) a part he played in many films, later reprising it in numerous international productions, predominantly in Italy and the USA, while occasionally playing a more typically cynical or brutal Nazi officer.

Preiss appeared in such productions as The Longest Day (1962), Otto Preminger's The Cardinal (1963), and with Jean-Paul Belmondo in Is Paris Burning? (1966). He starred alongside Burt Lancaster in John Frankenheimer's The Train (1964), Frank Sinatra in Von Ryan's Express (1965), Robert Mitchum in Anzio (1968), with Richard Burton, in the title role of Erwin Rommel in Raid on Rommel (1971), and The Boys From Brazil (1978) with Gregory Peck. He also appeared in several Italian language films, credited as "Luppo Prezzo", and played Field Marshal Von Rundstedt in Richard Attenborough's all-star war epic A Bridge Too Far (1977).

In addition, for the cinema-going public of West Germany he became the epitome of the evil genius in his role as Doctor Mabuse, a role he first played in 1960 (following Rudolf Klein-Rogge) in Fritz Lang's The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse. He went on to play the role four more times.

In the 1980s Preiss turned to television, notably playing General Walther von Brauchitsch in the American TV mini-series Winds of War and War and Remembrance, based on the books of Herman Wouk.

In 1987 received a second Federal Film Award for his outstanding work in film.

In film dubbing Preiss provided the voice for such actors as Lex Barker, Christopher Lee, Anthony Quinn, Claude Rains, Richard Widmark, as well as that of Conrad Veidt as "Major Strasser" in the remastered version of Casablanca.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Wolfgang Preiss, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Movies & Shows on Plex
  • The Boys from Brazil
  • The Fifth Cord
  • Mill of the Stone Women
Known For
  • A Bridge Too Far
  • The Train
  • Von Ryan's Express
  • The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse
  • The Fifth Cord
  • Raid on Rommel
  • Hannibal Brooks
  • Mill of the Stone Women
  • The Counterfeit Traitor
  • The Bloodstained Butterfly
  • Stalingrad: Dogs, Do You Want to Live Forever?
  • Fantasma d'amore
  • The Plot to Assassinate Hitler
  • The Master Touch
  • Battle of the Commandos
  • The Terror of Doctor Mabuse
  • Night of the Vampires
  • The Invisible Dr. Mabuse
  • The Mad Executioners
  • The Salzburg Connection
  • Jack of Diamonds
  • Roses for the Prosecutor
  • Deadly Decision
  • Dr. Mabuse vs. Scotland Yard

Filmography

2018
Die 1000 Glotzböbbel vom Dr. Mabuse · as Dieter Gekeler (archive Footage)
2001
Hitler's Women (TV Series) · as 'die Große Liebe'
1996
1991
Tassilo (TV Series)
1990
Dr. M · as Kessler
1988
War and Remembrance (TV Series) · as Field Marshal Walter Von Brauchitsch
1988
The men from K3 (TV Series) · as Bodo Von Heysen
1987
The Second Victory · as Father Albertus
1986
1985
Vergeßt Mozart · as Baron Gottfried Van Swieten
1985
Ein Heim für Tiere (TV Series) · as Prof. Alf Dobner
1984
Die Dame und die Unterwelt · as Berthold Kampe
1983
The Winds of War (TV Series) · as Field Marshal Walther Von Brauchitsch
1981
A Case for Two (TV Series) · as Alfred Rohloff
1981
Fantasma d'amore · as Zighi
1980
Ringstraßenpalais (TV Series) · as General Prettwitz
1980
The Formula · as Franz Tauber
1979
Orient-Express (TV Series) · as Le Capitaine Kruger
1979
Bloodline · as Julius Prager
1979
Ike: The War Years · as Fm Alfred Jodl
1979
Ike: The War Years (TV Series) · as General Alfred Jodl
1978
Wallenstein · as Thurn
1978
Wallenstein (TV Series) · as Thurn
1978
1978
SOKO 5113 (TV Series) · as Direktor Xaver Kreuzberg
1977
Sonne, Wein und harte Nüsse (TV Series) · as Louis Tonard
1977
The Standard · as Oberst
1977
A Bridge Too Far · as Field Marshal Karl R.g. Von Rundstedt
1976
1975
Die Insel der Krebse · as General
1975
Eurogang (TV Series) · as Frank Allen
1975
The Big Delirium · as Artmann
1974
The yellow caravan (TV Series) · as Georges-Marie Haardt
1974
Die Kriegsbraut · as Von Bogendorf
1974
1973
Diamantenparty · as Konsul Eduard Van Düren
1972
Okay S.I.R. (TV Series) · as Forestié
1972
The Master Touch · as Miller
1972
The Salzburg Connection · as Felix Zauner
1972
1971
The Bloodstained Butterfly · as The Prosecutor
1971
The Fifth Cord · as Police Inspector
1971
Raid on Rommel · as Gen. Erwin Rommel
1970
Tatort (TV Series) · as Cantz Sr.
1969
Paul Temple (TV Series) · as Dieter Goetz
1969
Battle of the Commandos · as Colonel Ackerman
1969
Hannibal Brooks · as Col. Von Haller
1969
The Commissioner (TV Series) · as Direktor Abel
1968
Treasure Hunters of Our Day (TV Series) · as Jan Van Dongen
1968
Anzio · as Field Marshal Albert Kesselring
1968
A man named Harry Brent (TV Series) · as George Conway
1967
Jack of Diamonds · as Wilhelm Von Schenk
1967
Death on a Rainy Day · as Dr. Angus Cromwell
1967
Spy Today, Die Tomorrow · as Sebastian (bnd Chief)
1967
Dead Run · as Noland
1967
Jungfrau aus zweiter Hand · as Leiter Der Mordkommission
1966
Is Paris Burning? · as Capitaine Ebernach
1966
The Rat Patrol (TV Series) · as General Von Helmreich
1966
To Skin a Spy · as Chalieff
1965
Code Name: Jaguar · as Captain Parker
1965
Von Ryan's Express · as Major Von Klemment
1965
1964
I cento cavalieri · as Sheik Abengalbon
1964
Night of the Vampires · as Prof. Von Adelsberg
1964
The Train · as Maj. Herren
1964
1964
Backfire! · as Grenner
1964
Frühstück mit dem Tod · as Staatsanwalt Ted Talbot
1964
Gewagtes Spiel (TV Series) · as Bernhard Asmus
1963
1963
The Mad Executioners · as Morel Smith
1963
Dr. Mabuse vs. Scotland Yard · as Geist Von Dr. Mabuse
1963
Das tödliche Patent · as Charles Reese
1963
The fifth column (TV Series) · as Hauptmann Seewald
1963
The Black Cobra · as Stanislas Raskin
1963
Das Kriminalmuseum (TV Series) · as Konrad Pachmayr
1962
Das Mädchen und der Staatsanwalt · as Staatsanwalt Soldan
1962
The Invisible Dr. Mabuse · as Dr. Krone / Dr. Mabuse
1962
The Longest Day · as Maj. Gen. Max Pemsel
1962
1962
The Counterfeit Traitor · as Colonel Nordoff
1962
Lafayette · as Baron Kalb
1961
The Return of Dr. Mabuse · as Dr. Mabuse
1960
The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse · as Prof. Jordan/peter Cornelius/dr. Mabuse
1960
Mistress of the World · as Dr. Henrik Brandes
1960
Mill of the Stone Women · as Doctor Loren Bolem
1960
1959
1959
Roses for the Prosecutor · as Generalstaatsanwalt
1959
Doctor Without Scruples · as Dr. Westorp
1959
Gorilla's Waltz · as Otto Lohn
1959
Prisoner of the Volga · as General Gorew
1958
1958
Grabenplatz 17 · as Kriminalkommissar Dr. Jäger
1958
Die grünen Teufel von Monte Cassino · as Oberstabsarzt Munkler
1958
I Was All His · as Dr. Leipold
1957
Der Banditendoktor · as Amerikaner
1957
Sharks and Little Fish · as U-Bootkommandant Lüttke
1957
Stresemann · as Heinz Becker
1956
Von der Liebe besiegt · as Mario Clar
1956
Johannisnacht · as Mac Fadden
1956
1956
Before Sundown · as Dr. Hahnefeld, Syndikus Der Clausen-Werke
1955
The Cornet · as Freiherr Von Pirovano
1955
The Plot to Assassinate Hitler · as Oberst Claus Schenk Graf Von Stauffenberg
1955
Oberarzt Dr. Solm · as Dr. Hartung
1954
Deadly Decision · as Oberst Holl
1943
The Crew of the Dora · as Staffelarzt Dr. Wagner
1942
Die große Liebe · as Oberleutnant Von Etzdorf

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