Ludwig Stössel
Encyclopedia
Ludwig Stössel was an actor born in Lockenhaus
, Austria
. He was one of many Jewish actors and actresses that were forced to flee Europe when the Nazis came to power in 1933.
Stössel began performing on the stage in Austria and Germany
when he was only 17. He soon became a successful character actor and played for the most important stages of Germany, among other at Max Reinhardt
in Berlin
, at the Barnowsky-Bühne and at the German Künstlertheater. Stössel became a movie actor at a later age. His first motion picture was a small role in the silent movie
, In der Heimat, da gibt's ein Wiedersehn! in 1926 at the age of 43. He appeared in about a half dozen silent movies in Germany after this. Stössel received more roles with the arrival of sound.
Stössel's first sound movie was Georg Wilhelm Pabst
's Skandal um Eva
in 1930. The following year, he appeared in Max Neufeld
's Opernredoute (Opera Ball). Later that year, he appeared as a hotel owner in the German comedy Die Koffer des Herrn O.F. (The suitcases of Mr. O.F.) starring Peter Lorre
and Hedy Lamarr
. In 1932, he appeared as Riederer, The Amtshauptmann of the town of St. Vigil in Der Rebell. Next he played Leon in Hände aus dem Dunkel (Hands from the Darkness). In 1933, Stössel received a small part in Fritz Lang
's famous mystery thriller Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse (The Crimes of Dr. Mabuse). This film was later banned by the Nazi government. Later, he played Pichler in the Carl Boese
's comedy Heimkehr ins Glück (Lucky Homecoming). This would be his last movie in Germany.
When Adolf Hitler
came to power in 1933, Stössel was forced to leave Germany because of his Jewish background. He went back to Austria and appeared in a few movies, but his main activity was in the theater. In 1934, he appeared in the comedy, Eine Nacht in Venedig
(A Night in Venice). His last movie in Austria was in 1937 with Pfarrer von Kirchfeld (The Pastor From Kirchfeld). After Hitler's forces took over Austria in the Anschluß of 1938, Stössel was imprisoned several times before he was able to escape Vienna
and get to Paris
. He, and his wife Lore Birn, eventually made it to London
. He appeared in Dead Man's Shoes
and another British film production before heading to Hollywood in 1939.
Stössel received his first role in an American movie in 1940. It was a good part as he played a pastor in Czechoslovakia during the Nazi take-over in the wartime drama Four Sons
starring Don Ameche
. His best scene is when he delivers the news to Frau Bern (Eugenie Leontovich
) that her son has been killed in the war.
In 1942, he appeared with Ilka Grüning in Underground
. Stössel and Grünig appeared again in the Oscar-nominated Kings Row
starring Ronald Reagan
, Ann Sheridan
and Claude Rains
. Stössel and Grünig also appeared together in the Sonja Henie
film Iceland
. Later that year, Stössel was cast to play Lou Gehrig
's father in Pride of the Yankees starring Gary Cooper
in the title role. German actress Elsa Janssen played Gehrig's mother.
A few months later, at the age of 59, he received the role of Mr. Leuchtag, who along with his wife are leaving Europe for America in Casablanca
. They have only one scene in the movie when they are having a drink in Rick's Cafe with their good friend Carl the waiter (S.Z. Sakall
) and struggling a bit with their English. He asks his wife (Ilka Grünig) for the time, "Liebchen - sweetnessheart, what watch?" She answers, "Ten watch" and he replies "such much." Carl assures them they will get along beautifully in America [note: The German translation for 10 o'clock is "zehn Uhr" however Uhr is also the German word for clock or in this case watch, thus ten watch].
Stössel appeared in supporting roles in over 40 movies after Casablanca, most in the following ten years. The following year, he had a small role in another Humphrey Bogart
movie, Action in the North Atlantic
.
He did a couple of anti-Nazi movies like Hitler's Madman
in 1943. In this movie he portrays the mayor of a small town that is wiped out by a Nazi mass-execution in reprisal for the assassination of SS Commander Reinhard Heydrich
. Later that year, he appeared in The Strange Death of Adolph Hitler.
In 1944, he appeared in the Boris Karloff
horror movie, The Climax. Later in 1944, Stössel teamed up with his movie wife from Pride of the Yankees, Elsa Janssen, to play Mr. and Mrs. Steelman, a German couple loyal to America who drive their traitorous pro-Nazi son, played by George Sanders
(who is actually working undercover for the U.S. government), out of their house in the spy drama They Came to Blow Up America
. In 1945, they teamed up again to play Mr. and Mrs. Otto in the "B" crime drama Dillinger
. Next, he was bitten in the throat by Count Dracula, played by John Carradine
, in House of Dracula
. Later in 1945, Stössel played a teacher, who along with a llama, is in the opening scene of the Fred Astair musical
Yolanda and the Thief
.
When the Second World War ended in 1945, Stössel decided not to return to Germany like many other German actors and actresses but remained in his adopted country making movies. In 1946, Grünig and Stössel got to play husband and wife again. Instead of being the Leuchtags, they were now the Muellers in Temptation
starring Merle Oberon
, George Brent
and Paul Lukas
.
In 1947, he had a small role portraying Albert Einstein
in The Beginning or the End
. In 1948, he portrayed one of the lonely bachelor professors at a musical research institute in the Danny Kaye
musical A Song is Born
. In 1949, Grünig and Stössel appeared in their last film together when they received roles in the drama The Great Sinner
starring Gregory Peck
and Ava Gardner
. In 1953, Stössel played a Grand Duke in the musical Call Me Madam
starring Ethel Merman
and Donald O'Connor
. His last film was in 1960, where he had a small role in the Elvis Presley
movie, G.I. Blues
.
Stössel also did television
. In 1955, he played Ludwig, a Carl the waiter clone, in the television version of Casablanca. From 1958 to 1960, Stössel played Charles Bronson
's father in ABC
's television series Man with a Camera
. From 1953 to 1963, Stössel appeared as a guest in a number of television shows including; Cavalcade of America
, Perry Mason
, My Three Sons
, The Donna Reed Show
, and The New Phil Silvers Show
(where he parodied his Gallo wine
television commercials). He guest starred in two Robert Young
comedy series, Father Knows Best
and Window on Main Street
.
Stössel became famous doing a long series of commercials for Italian Swiss Colony wine producers. Dressed in an Alpine hat and lederhosen
, Stössel was their spokesman. His motto was, "That Little Old Winemaker, Me!" (they did not use his voice but had Jim Backus
voice dub the line).
Stössel died on January 29, 1973 in Beverly Hills after a fall just 14 days short of his 90th birthday. He was cremated at Groman Mortuary in Hollywood Forever, and the ashes were sent to Vienna, Austria.
Lockenhaus
Lockenhaus is a town in the district of Oberpullendorf in Burgenland in Austria.- History :The town was part of Hungary since the foundation of the kingdom in the year 1000. Since 1898 the name Léka had to be used because of the Magyarization by the government in Budapest...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. He was one of many Jewish actors and actresses that were forced to flee Europe when the Nazis came to power in 1933.
Stössel began performing on the stage in Austria and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
when he was only 17. He soon became a successful character actor and played for the most important stages of Germany, among other at Max Reinhardt
Max Reinhardt
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, at the Barnowsky-Bühne and at the German Künstlertheater. Stössel became a movie actor at a later age. His first motion picture was a small role in the silent movie
Silent Movie
Silent Movie is a 1976 satirical comedy film co-written, directed by, and starring Mel Brooks, and released by 20th Century Fox on June 17, 1976...
, In der Heimat, da gibt's ein Wiedersehn! in 1926 at the age of 43. He appeared in about a half dozen silent movies in Germany after this. Stössel received more roles with the arrival of sound.
Stössel's first sound movie was Georg Wilhelm Pabst
Georg Wilhelm Pabst
-Biography:Pabst was born in Raudnitz, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary , the son of a railroad employee.Returning from the United States, he was in France when World War I began...
's Skandal um Eva
Skandal um Eva
Scandalous Eva is a 1930 German drama film directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst.-Cast:* Henny Porten - Dr.Eva Rüttgers* Oskar Sima - Dr.Kurt Hiller* Ludwig Stössel - Dir.Rohrbach* Paul Henckels - Prof.Hagen* Adele Sandrock - Vulpius...
in 1930. The following year, he appeared in Max Neufeld
Max Neufeld
Max Neufeld was an Austrian film director, actor and screenwriter. He directed 70 films between 1919 and 1957. He directed the 1934 film The Song of the Sun, which starred Vittorio De Sica.-Selected filmography:...
's Opernredoute (Opera Ball). Later that year, he appeared as a hotel owner in the German comedy Die Koffer des Herrn O.F. (The suitcases of Mr. O.F.) starring Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre was an Austrian-American actor frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner.He caused an international sensation in 1931 with his portrayal of a serial killer who preys on little girls in the German film M...
and Hedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress celebrated for her great beauty who was a major contract star of MGM's "Golden Age".Lamarr also co-invented – with composer George Antheil – an early technique for spread spectrum communications and frequency hopping, necessary to wireless...
. In 1932, he appeared as Riederer, The Amtshauptmann of the town of St. Vigil in Der Rebell. Next he played Leon in Hände aus dem Dunkel (Hands from the Darkness). In 1933, Stössel received a small part in Fritz Lang
Fritz Lang
Friedrich Christian Anton "Fritz" Lang was an Austrian-American filmmaker, screenwriter, and occasional film producer and actor. One of the best known émigrés from Germany's school of Expressionism, he was dubbed the "Master of Darkness" by the British Film Institute...
's famous mystery thriller Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse (The Crimes of Dr. Mabuse). This film was later banned by the Nazi government. Later, he played Pichler in the Carl Boese
Carl Boese
Carl Boese was a German film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed 158 films between 1917 and 1957.-Selected filmography:* The Golem: How He Came into the World * Paprika...
's comedy Heimkehr ins Glück (Lucky Homecoming). This would be his last movie in Germany.
When Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
came to power in 1933, Stössel was forced to leave Germany because of his Jewish background. He went back to Austria and appeared in a few movies, but his main activity was in the theater. In 1934, he appeared in the comedy, Eine Nacht in Venedig
Eine Nacht in Venedig
Eine Nacht in Venedig is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss II and was premiered in Berlin on 3 October 1883 in the Neues Friedrich Wilhelmstadisches Theater, and is the only one of the operettas of Johann Strauss II ever to be premiered outside Vienna...
(A Night in Venice). His last movie in Austria was in 1937 with Pfarrer von Kirchfeld (The Pastor From Kirchfeld). After Hitler's forces took over Austria in the Anschluß of 1938, Stössel was imprisoned several times before he was able to escape Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and get to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He, and his wife Lore Birn, eventually made it to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He appeared in Dead Man's Shoes
Dead Man's Shoes (1939 film)
-Cast:* Leslie Banks as Roger de Vetheuil* Joan Marion as Viola de Vetheuil* Geoffrey Atkins as Paul de Vetheuil* Wilfrid Lawson as Lucien Sarrou* Judy Kelly as Michelle Allain* Nancy Price as Madame Pelletier* Walter Hudd as Gaston Alexandri...
and another British film production before heading to Hollywood in 1939.
Stössel received his first role in an American movie in 1940. It was a good part as he played a pastor in Czechoslovakia during the Nazi take-over in the wartime drama Four Sons
Four Sons
Four Sons is a silent drama film directed and produced by John Ford and written for the screen by Philip Klein from a story by I. A. R. Wylie. It is one of only a handful of survivors out of the more than fifty silent films that Ford directed between 1917 and 1928. It starred Margaret Mann, James...
starring Don Ameche
Don Ameche
Don Ameche was an Academy Award winning American actor with a career spanning almost sixty years.-Personal life:...
. His best scene is when he delivers the news to Frau Bern (Eugenie Leontovich
Eugenie Leontovich
Eugenie Leontovich was a Russian-born stage actress with a distinguished career in theatre, film and television. She was described as "[o]ne of the most colourful figures of the 20th-century theatre, a successful actress, producer, playwright and teacher."...
) that her son has been killed in the war.
In 1942, he appeared with Ilka Grüning in Underground
Underground (1941 film)
Underground is a 1941 film about the German Resistance opposing the Nazis in World War II. Jeffrey Lynn and Philip Dorn play two brothers initially on opposite sides.-Cast:*Jeffrey Lynn as Kurt Franken*Philip Dorn as Eric Franken...
. Stössel and Grünig appeared again in the Oscar-nominated Kings Row
Kings Row
Kings Row is a 1942 film starring Ann Sheridan, Robert Cummings, and Ronald Reagan that tells a story of young people growing up in a small American town at the turn of the twentieth century, beset by social pressure, dark secrets, and the challenges and tragedies one must face as a result of these...
starring Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, Ann Sheridan
Ann Sheridan
-Life and career:Born Clara Lou Sheridan in Denton, Texas on February 21, 1915, she was a student at the University of North Texas when her sister sent a photograph of her to Paramount Pictures. She subsequently entered and won a beauty contest, with part of her prize being a bit part in a...
and Claude Rains
Claude Rains
Claude Rains was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned 66 years. He was known for many roles in Hollywood films, among them the title role in The Invisible Man , a corrupt senator in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington , Mr...
. Stössel and Grünig also appeared together in the Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic Champion in Ladies Singles, a ten-time World Champion and a six-time European Champion . Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies figure skater...
film Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. Later that year, Stössel was cast to play Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig
Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig , nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees . Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams...
's father in Pride of the Yankees starring Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper
Frank James Cooper, known professionally as Gary Cooper, was an American film actor. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his stoic, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made...
in the title role. German actress Elsa Janssen played Gehrig's mother.
A few months later, at the age of 59, he received the role of Mr. Leuchtag, who along with his wife are leaving Europe for America in Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
. They have only one scene in the movie when they are having a drink in Rick's Cafe with their good friend Carl the waiter (S.Z. Sakall
S.Z. Sakall
Szőke Szakáll , known as S.Z. Sakall, was a Hungarian film character actor. He was in many films including In the Good Old Summertime, Lullaby of Broadway, Christmas in Connecticut and Casablanca in which he played Carl, the head waiter.Chubby-jowled Sakall played numerous supporting roles in...
) and struggling a bit with their English. He asks his wife (Ilka Grünig) for the time, "Liebchen - sweetnessheart, what watch?" She answers, "Ten watch" and he replies "such much." Carl assures them they will get along beautifully in America [note: The German translation for 10 o'clock is "zehn Uhr" however Uhr is also the German word for clock or in this case watch, thus ten watch].
Stössel appeared in supporting roles in over 40 movies after Casablanca, most in the following ten years. The following year, he had a small role in another Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey Bogart
Humphrey DeForest Bogart was an American actor. He is widely regarded as a cultural icon.The American Film Institute ranked Bogart as the greatest male star in the history of American cinema....
movie, Action in the North Atlantic
Action in the North Atlantic
Action in the North Atlantic is a 1943 war film directed by Lloyd Bacon, featuring Humphrey Bogart and Raymond Massey as sailors in the U.S. Merchant Marine in World War II.-Plot:...
.
He did a couple of anti-Nazi movies like Hitler's Madman
Hitler's Madman
Hitler's Madman is a 1943 World War II film about the assassination of Nazi Reinhard Heydrich and the revenge taken by the Germans. It was produced by Seymour Nebenzal for PRC and Angelus Pictures, Inc. The shooting of Hitler's Madman took place late in 1942 and early 1943...
in 1943. In this movie he portrays the mayor of a small town that is wiped out by a Nazi mass-execution in reprisal for the assassination of SS Commander Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Heydrich
Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich , also known as The Hangman, was a high-ranking German Nazi official.He was SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Polizei, chief of the Reich Main Security Office and Stellvertretender Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia...
. Later that year, he appeared in The Strange Death of Adolph Hitler.
In 1944, he appeared in the Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
horror movie, The Climax. Later in 1944, Stössel teamed up with his movie wife from Pride of the Yankees, Elsa Janssen, to play Mr. and Mrs. Steelman, a German couple loyal to America who drive their traitorous pro-Nazi son, played by George Sanders
George Sanders
George Sanders was a British actor.George Sanders may also refer to:*George Sanders , Victoria Cross recipient in World War I...
(who is actually working undercover for the U.S. government), out of their house in the spy drama They Came to Blow Up America
They Came to Blow Up America
They Came to Blow Up America is a 1943 American war film drama based on Operation Pastorius, directed by Edward Ludwig. It stars George Sanders, Anna Sten and Ward Bond.-Plot:...
. In 1945, they teamed up again to play Mr. and Mrs. Otto in the "B" crime drama Dillinger
Dillinger (1945 film)
Dillinger is a 1945 gangster film telling the story of John Dillinger. The film was directed by Max Nosseck. Dillinger was the first major film to star Lawrence Tierney. The B-movie was shot in black and white and features a smoke-bomb bank robbery edited into the film from the 1937 Fritz Lang...
. Next, he was bitten in the throat by Count Dracula, played by John Carradine
John Carradine
John Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
, in House of Dracula
House of Dracula
House of Dracula was an American horror film released by Universal Pictures Company in 1945. It was a direct sequel to House of Frankenstein and continued the theme of combining Universal's three most popular monsters: Frankenstein's monster, Count Dracula and The Wolf Man...
. Later in 1945, Stössel played a teacher, who along with a llama, is in the opening scene of the Fred Astair musical
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
Yolanda and the Thief
Yolanda and the Thief
Yolanda and the Thief is a 1945 MGM musical-comedy film set in a fictional Latin American country, and stars Fred Astaire, Lucille Bremer, Frank Morgan, Ludwig Stossel and Mildred Natwick, with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Arthur Freed...
.
When the Second World War ended in 1945, Stössel decided not to return to Germany like many other German actors and actresses but remained in his adopted country making movies. In 1946, Grünig and Stössel got to play husband and wife again. Instead of being the Leuchtags, they were now the Muellers in Temptation
Temptation
A temptation is an act that looks appealing to an individual. It is usually used to describe acts with negative connotations and as such, tends to lead a person to regret such actions, for various reasons: legal, social, psychological , health, economic, etc...
starring Merle Oberon
Merle Oberon
Merle Oberon was an Indian-born British actress best known for her screen performances in The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Cowboy and the Lady . She began her film career in British films as Anne Boleyn in The Private Life of Henry VIII . She travelled to the United States to make films for Samuel...
, George Brent
George Brent
George Brent was an Irish film and television actor in American cinema.-Early life:He was born George Brendan Nolan in Raharabeg, County Roscommon on the opposite bank of the River Shannon from the town of Shannonbridge, County Offaly, Ireland, the son of a British Army officer.During the Irish...
and Paul Lukas
Paul Lukas
Paul Lukas was an Austrian-Hungarian-born actor.-Biography:Born Pál Lukács in Budapest, he arrived in Hollywood in 1927 after a successful stage and film career in Hungary, Germany and Austria where he worked with Max Reinhardt. He made his stage debut in Budapest in 1916 and his film debut in 1917...
.
In 1947, he had a small role portraying Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
in The Beginning or the End
The Beginning or the End
The Beginning or the End is a 1947 film about the development of the atomic bomb in World War II.It was directed by Norman Taurog and starred Brian Donlevy and Hume Cronyn...
. In 1948, he portrayed one of the lonely bachelor professors at a musical research institute in the Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian...
musical A Song is Born
A song is born
"A Song Is Born" was a collaboration between Ayumi Hamasaki and Keiko for the Song Nation non-profit project by Avex, which was created to raise funds to help the victims of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center...
. In 1949, Grünig and Stössel appeared in their last film together when they received roles in the drama The Great Sinner
The Great Sinner
The Great Sinner is a 1949 American drama film directed by Robert Siodmak. Based on the 1866 short novel The Gambler written by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the film stars Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Frank Morgan, Ethel Barrymore, Walter Huston, Agnes Moorehead and Melvyn Douglas.-Plot:During the 1860s in...
starring Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck
Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor.One of 20th Century Fox's most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1960s, Peck continued to play important roles well into the 1980s. His notable performances include that of Atticus Finch in the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird, for which he won an...
and Ava Gardner
Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner was an American actress.She was signed to a contract by MGM Studios in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew attention with her performance in The Killers . She became one of Hollywood's leading actresses, considered one of the most beautiful women of her day...
. In 1953, Stössel played a Grand Duke in the musical Call Me Madam
Call Me Madam (film)
Call Me Madam is a 1953 musical film directed by Walter Lang, with songs by Irving Berlin, based on the stage musical of the same name.The film, with a screenplay by Arthur Sheekman, starred Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Vera-Ellen, Billy DeWolfe, George Sanders, and Walter Slezak...
starring Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman
Ethel Merman was an American actress and singer. Known primarily for her powerful voice and roles in musical theatre, she has been called "the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage." Among the many standards introduced by Merman in Broadway musicals are "I Got Rhythm", "Everything's...
and Donald O'Connor
Donald O'Connor
Donald David Dixon Ronald O’Connor was an American dancer, singer, and actor who came to fame in a series of movies in which he co-starred alternately with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule...
. His last film was in 1960, where he had a small role in the Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
movie, G.I. Blues
G.I. Blues
G.I. Blues is a 1960 Elvis Presley musical motion picture played as a romantic comedy. It was filmed at Paramount's Hollywood studios, with some pre-production scenery shot on location in Germany before Presley's release from the army. The movie reached #2 on the Variety weekly national box office...
.
Stössel also did television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
. In 1955, he played Ludwig, a Carl the waiter clone, in the television version of Casablanca. From 1958 to 1960, Stössel played Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson , born Charles Dennis Buchinsky was an American actor, best-known for such films as Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the popular Death Wish series...
's father in ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's television series Man with a Camera
Man with a Camera (TV series)
Man with a Camera is a 1950s television crime drama starring Charles Bronson.Throughout the 1950s, Charles Bronson spent most of his early acting career in TV-shows as well as small parts in films, until he landed the lead in the ABC series The Man with a Camera.-Plot:In the series Bronson...
. From 1953 to 1963, Stössel appeared as a guest in a number of television shows including; Cavalcade of America
Cavalcade of America
Cavalcade of America is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented a musical, such as an adaptation of Show Boat, and condensed biographies of popular composers. It was initially broadcast on radio from 1935 to 1953, and later on...
, Perry Mason
Perry Mason (TV series)
Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
, My Three Sons
My Three Sons
My Three Sons is an American situation comedy. The series ran from 1960 to 1965 on ABC, and moved to CBS until its end on August 24, 1972. My Three Sons chronicles the life of a widower and aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas , raising his three sons.The series was a cornerstone of the CBS...
, The Donna Reed Show
The Donna Reed Show
The Donna Reed Show is an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the upper middle class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz appears as her pediatrician husband Alex, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage children Mary and Jeff. The show originally aired on ABC at 10 pm from September...
, and The New Phil Silvers Show
The New Phil Silvers Show
The New Phil Silvers Show is an American situation comedy starring comedian Phil Silvers which aired thirty episodes on CBS from September 28, 1963, to April 25, 1964, under the sponsorship of General Foods.-Synopsis:...
(where he parodied his Gallo wine
E & J Gallo Winery
E & J Gallo Winery was founded in 1933 by Ernest Gallo and Julio Gallo in Modesto, California. E & J Gallo Winery is the largest exporter of California wines and is a large promoter of wines from Sonoma County.-History:...
television commercials). He guest starred in two Robert Young
Robert Young (actor)
Robert George Young was an American television, film, and radio actor, best known for his leading roles as Jim Anderson, the father of Father Knows Best and as physician Marcus Welby in Marcus Welby, M.D. .-Early life:Born in Chicago, Illinois, Young was the son of an Irish immigrant father...
comedy series, Father Knows Best
Father Knows Best
Father Knows Best is an American radio and television comedy series which portrayed a middle class family life in the Midwest. It was created by writer Ed James in the 1940s.-Radio:...
and Window on Main Street
Window on Main Street
Window on Main Street is an American comedy-drama series starring Robert Young, which aired on CBS during the 1961-1962 season. The series was created by Roswell Rogers and produced by series star Robert Young.-Synopsis:...
.
Stössel became famous doing a long series of commercials for Italian Swiss Colony wine producers. Dressed in an Alpine hat and lederhosen
Lederhosen
Lederhosen are breeches made of leather; they may be either short or knee-length. The longer ones are generally called Bundhosen....
, Stössel was their spokesman. His motto was, "That Little Old Winemaker, Me!" (they did not use his voice but had Jim Backus
Jim Backus
James Gilmore "Jim" Backus was a radio, television, film, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr...
voice dub the line).
Stössel died on January 29, 1973 in Beverly Hills after a fall just 14 days short of his 90th birthday. He was cremated at Groman Mortuary in Hollywood Forever, and the ashes were sent to Vienna, Austria.
Selected filmography
- Die PrivatsekretärinDie Privatsekretärin (1931 film)Die Privatsekretärin is a 1931 German musical film directed by Wilhelm Thiele and starring Renate Müller, Hermann Thimig and Felix Bressart. An English-language version Sunshine Susie was made, also starring Renate Müller. A French language version Dactylo and an Italian-language La segretaria...
(1931) - Return to YesterdayReturn to YesterdayReturn to Yesterday is a 1940 British drama film directed by Robert Stevenson. It stars Clive Brook and Anna Lee. It was based on the play Goodness How Sad! by Robert Morley.-Cast:* Clive Brook as Robert Maine* Anna Lee as Carol Sands...
(1940) - Me and the ColonelMe and the ColonelMe and the Colonel is a 1958 film based on the play "Jacobowsky und der Oberst" by Franz Werfel. It was directed by Peter Glenville and stars Danny Kaye, Curd Jürgens and Akim Tamiroff....
(1958)