Wolfgang Preiss
Encyclopedia
Wolfgang Preiss 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
.
The son of a teacher, in the early 1930s Preiss studied philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and drama. He also took private acting classes with Hans Schlenck, making his stage début in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
in 1932. He went to appear in various theatre productions in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
, Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
and 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...
.
In 1942 he made his film début - he was exempted from military service specifically - in the UFA
Universum Film AG
Universum Film AG, better known as UFA or Ufa, is a film company that was the principal film studio in Germany, home of the German film industry during the Weimar Republic and through World War II, and a major force in world cinema from 1917 to 1945...
production Die grosse Liebe with Zarah Leander
Zarah Leander
Zarah Leander was a Swedish actress and singer.Leander began her career in the late 1920s, and by the mid 1930s her success in Europe, particularly in Germany and the Scandinavian countries, led to invitations to work in the United States...
. After the end of the Second World War Preiss returned to the theatre, and from 1949 worked extensively dubbing
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
films into German.
In 1954 he returned to film acting, appearing in Alfred Weidenmann
Alfred Weidenmann
Alfred Weidenmann was a German film director and screenwriter. He directed 36 films between 1942 and 1984.-Selected filmography:* Der Stern von Afrika * Sacred Waters * Adorable Julia...
'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
July 20 Plot
On 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
. 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
The Longest Day (film)
The Longest Day is a 1962 war film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about "D-Day", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
(1962), Otto Preminger
Otto Preminger
Otto Ludwig Preminger was an Austro–Hungarian-American theatre and film director.After moving from the theatre to Hollywood, he directed over 35 feature films in a five-decade career. He rose to prominence for stylish film noir mysteries such as Laura and Fallen Angel...
's The Cardinal
The Cardinal
The Cardinal is a 1963 film which was produced independently and directed by Otto Preminger, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The screenplay was written by Robert Dozier, based on the novel by Henry Morton Robinson....
(1963), and with Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jean-Paul Belmondo is a French actor initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s.-Career:Born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, west of Paris, Belmondo did not perform well in school, but developed a passion for boxing and football."Did you box professionally very long?" "Not very long...
in Is Paris Burning?
Is Paris Burning?
Is Paris Burning? is a 1966 film dealing with the 1944 liberation of Paris by rival branches of the French Resistance and the Free French Forces.-Plot:...
(1966). He starred alongside Burt Lancaster
Burt Lancaster
Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster was an American film actor noted for his athletic physique and distinctive smile...
in John Frankenheimer
John Frankenheimer
John Michael Frankenheimer was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films...
's The Train (1964), Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
in Von Ryan's Express
Von Ryan's Express
Von Ryan's Express is a 1965 World War II adventure film starring Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard, based on a novel by David Westheimer, and directed by Mark Robson.-Plot:...
(1965), Robert Mitchum
Robert Mitchum
Robert Charles Durman Mitchum was an American film actor, author, composer and singer and is #23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time...
in Anzio (1968), with Richard Burton
Richard Burton
Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
, in the title role of Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
in Raid on Rommel (1971), and The Boys From Brazil
The Boys from Brazil
The Boys from Brazil may refer to:*The Boys from Brazil , a 1976 novel by Ira Levin*The Boys from Brazil , a 1978 film based on the novel, starring Gregory Peck, Laurence Olivier and James Mason...
(1978) with 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...
. He also appeared in several Italian language films, credited as "Luppo Prezzo", and played Field Marshal Von Rundstedt
Gerd von Rundstedt
Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt was a Generalfeldmarschall of the German Army during World War II. He held some of the highest field commands in all phases of the war....
in Richard Attenborough
Richard Attenborough
Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough , CBE is a British actor, director, producer and entrepreneur. As director and producer he won two Academy Awards for the 1982 film Gandhi...
's all-star war epic A Bridge Too Far (1977).
In addition, for the cinema-going public of West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
he became the epitome of the evil genius
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
in his role as Doctor Mabuse
Doctor Mabuse
Doctor Mabuse is a fictional character created by Norbert Jacques in the novel Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler, and made famous by the three movies director Fritz Lang made about the character; see Dr. Mabuse the Gambler. Although the character was designed deliberately to mimic pulp magazine-style...
, a role he first played in 1960 (following Rudolf Klein-Rogge
Rudolf Klein-Rogge
Friedrich Rudolf Klein-Rogge was a German film actor. Klein-Rogge is known for playing sinister figures in films in the 1920s and 1930s as well as being a main-stay in director Fritz Lang's Weimar-era films.- Biography :...
) 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 The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse
The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse
The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse is a 1960 film made in West Germany. It was the last film directed by Fritz Lang and concerned the further exploits of Dr. Mabuse, a character Lang had used in two previous films in 1922 and 1933.The movie, based on the Esperanto novel Mr...
. He went on to play the role four more times.
In the 1980s Preiss turned to television, notably playing General Walther von Brauchitsch
Walther von Brauchitsch
Heinrich Alfred Hermann Walther von Brauchitsch was a German field marshal and the Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres in the early years of World War II.-Biography:...
in the American TV mini-series Winds of War
Winds of War (mini-series)
The Winds of War is a 1983 miniseries that follows the book of the same name closely and depicts events from March 1939 until the entry of the United States into World War II in December 1941. Just as in the book, in addition to the lives of the Henry and Jastrow families, much time in the...
and War and Remembrance
War and Remembrance
War and Remembrance is a novel by Herman Wouk, published in 1978, which is the sequel to The Winds of War. It continues the story of the extended Henry family and the Jastrow family starting on 15 December 1941 and ending on 6 August 1945. This novel was adapted into a mini-series presented on...
, based on the books of Herman Wouk
Herman Wouk
Herman Wouk is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author of novels including The Caine Mutiny, The Winds of War, and War and Remembrance.-Biography:...
.
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
Lex Barker
Lex Barker was an American actor best known for playing Tarzan of the Apes and leading characters from Karl May's novels.-Early life:...
, Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
, Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Antonio Rodolfo Quinn-Oaxaca , more commonly known as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican American actor, as well as a painter and writer...
, 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...
, Richard Widmark
Richard Widmark
Richard Weedt Widmark was an American film, stage and television actor.He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, Kiss of Death...
, as well as that of Conrad Veidt
Conrad Veidt
Conrad Veidt was a German actor best remembered for his roles in films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari , The Man Who Laughs , The Thief of Bagdad and Casablanca...
as "Major Strasser" in the remastered version of Casablanca
Casablanca (film)
Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid, and featuring Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Dooley Wilson. Set during World War II, it focuses on a man torn between, in...
.
Selected filmography
- Besatzung DoraBesatzung DoraBesatzung Dora is a 1943 German film about Luftwaffe men. It depicts a love triangle involving the two of them being overcome by their participation in battle together....
(1943) - Before SundownBefore SundownBefore Sundown is a 1956 German drama film directed by Gottfried Reinhardt. At the 6th Berlin International Film Festival it won the Golden Bear .-Cast:* Hans Albers - Generaldirektor Mathias Clausen* Annemarie Düringer - Inken Peters...
(1956) - Mill of the Stone WomenMill of the Stone WomenMill of the Stone Women is a 1960 Italian-French horror film directed by Giorgio Ferroni and starring: Pierre Brice and Scilla Gabel.-Cast:* Pierre Brice as Hans von Arnim* Scilla Gabel as Elfie Wahl* Wolfgang Preiss as Dr. Loren Bohlem...
(1960) - The Thousand Eyes of Dr. MabuseThe Thousand Eyes of Dr. MabuseThe Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse is a 1960 film made in West Germany. It was the last film directed by Fritz Lang and concerned the further exploits of Dr. Mabuse, a character Lang had used in two previous films in 1922 and 1933.The movie, based on the Esperanto novel Mr...
(1960) - The Counterfeit TraitorThe Counterfeit TraitorThe Counterfeit Traitor is a 1962 war film starring William Holden and Lilli Palmer. Holden plays an American-born Swedish citizen who agrees to spy on the Nazis in World War II...
(1962) - The Longest DayThe Longest Day (film)The Longest Day is a 1962 war film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about "D-Day", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
(1962) - The Black CobraThe Black Cobra (1963 film)The Black Cobra is a 1963 Austrian comedy film directed by Rudolf Zehetgruber and starring Adrian Hoven.-Cast:* Adrian Hoven - Peter Karner* Ann Smyrner - Alexa Bergmann* Wolfgang Preiss - Stanislas Raskin* Paul Dahlke - Dr.Langhammer, Kommissar...
(1963) - The CardinalThe CardinalThe Cardinal is a 1963 film which was produced independently and directed by Otto Preminger, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The screenplay was written by Robert Dozier, based on the novel by Henry Morton Robinson....
(1963) - Scotland Yard vs. Dr. MabuseScotland Yard vs. Dr. MabuseScotland Yard vs. Dr Mabuse is a 1963 German crime film directed by Paul May and starring Peter van Eyck.-Cast:* Peter van Eyck - Major Bill Tern* Sabine Bethmann - Nancy Masterson* Dieter Borsche - George Cockstone* Werner Peters - Inspektor Vulpius...
(1963) - The Train (1964)
- Von Ryan's ExpressVon Ryan's ExpressVon Ryan's Express is a 1965 World War II adventure film starring Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard, based on a novel by David Westheimer, and directed by Mark Robson.-Plot:...
(1965) - Is Paris Burning?Is Paris Burning?Is Paris Burning? is a 1966 film dealing with the 1944 liberation of Paris by rival branches of the French Resistance and the Free French Forces.-Plot:...
(1966) - Jack of DiamondsJack of DiamondsJack of Diamonds may refer to:* Jack of diamonds, the jack of one suit* Jack of Diamonds , Russian school* Jack of Diamonds * Jack of Diamonds * "Jack of Diamonds"...
(1967) - AnzioAnzioAnzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
(1968) - Hannibal BrooksHannibal BrooksHannibal Brooks is a 1969 British war film about a Prisoner of war attempt to escape from Nazi Germany to Switzerland during World War II, accompanied by an Asian Elephant. It stars Oliver Reed, Michael J. Pollard and Wolfgang Preiss...
(1969) - Raid on RommelRaid on RommelRaid on Rommel is an American B movie from 1971, set in North Africa during the Second World War. It stars Richard Burton as a British commando attempting to destroy German gun emplacements in Tobruk...
(1971) as Erwin RommelErwin RommelErwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought.... - The Salzburg ConnectionThe Salzburg ConnectionThe Salzburg Connection is a 1972 American thriller film directed by Lee H. Katzin, starring Barry Newman and Anna Karina.-Cast:* Barry Newman - Bill Mathison* Anna Karina - Anna Bryant* Klaus Maria Brandauer - Johann Kronsteiner...
(1972) - The Big DeliriumThe Big DeliriumThe Big Delirium is a 1975 French drama film directed by Dennis Berry.-Cast:* Jean Seberg - Emily* Pierre Blaise - Pierre* Wolfgang Preiss - Artmann* Isabelle Huppert - Marie* Yves Beneyton - John* Georges Adet* Gladys Berry* Stefania Casini...
(1975) - A Bridge Too Far (1977)
- The Boys from BrazilThe Boys from Brazil (film)The Boys from Brazil is a 1978 British/American science fiction/thriller film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. It stars Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier, with James Mason, Lilli Palmer, Uta Hagen and Steve Guttenberg in supporting roles...
(1978) - Bloodline (1979)
- The Formula (1980)
- Fantasma d'amoreFantasma d'amoreFantasma d'amore is a 1981 Italian drama film directed by Dino Risi.-Cast:* Romy Schneider - Anna Brigatti Zighi* Marcello Mastroianni - Nino Monti* Eva Maria Meineke - Teresa Monti* Wolfgang Preiss - Conte Zighi* Michael Kroecher - Don Gaspare...
(1981) - The Second VictoryThe Second VictoryThe Second Victory is a 1986 British drama film directed by Gerald Thomas and starring Anthony Andrews, Helmut Griem and Max von Sydow....
(1986)
Selected television appearances
- The Winds of WarThe Winds of WarThe Winds of War is Herman Wouk's second book about World War II, the first being The Caine Mutiny . Published in 1971, it was followed up seven years later by War and Remembrance; originally conceived as one volume, Wouk decided to break it in two when he realized it took nearly 1000 pages just to...
(1983) - War and RemembranceWar and RemembranceWar and Remembrance is a novel by Herman Wouk, published in 1978, which is the sequel to The Winds of War. It continues the story of the extended Henry family and the Jastrow family starting on 15 December 1941 and ending on 6 August 1945. This novel was adapted into a mini-series presented on...
(1988)
Trivia
- He is most likely the inspiration for the name of the English rock band The Wolfgang PressThe Wolfgang PressThe Wolfgang Press was an English post-punk band, active from 1983 until 1995, recording for the 4AD label. The core of the band was Michael Allen , Mark Cox , and Andrew Gray , with many guest musicians....
.