Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-17 of 17
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Armin Mueller-Stahl is a German actor with a relatively long film career. He was once nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his role as an abusive father in the biographical drama "Shine" (1996).
In 1930, Mueller-Stahl was born in Tilsit, East Prussia. The town developed around the castle of Schalauer Haus, which had been founded by the Teutonic Knights. Tilsit was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1945, and renamed to Sovetsk. It is currently part of the Kaliningrad Oblast, an exclave of Russia located in Central Europe. The town is located close to the Oblast's borders with Lithuania, and has long had an ethnic Lithuanian minority.
Mueller-Stahl's father was bank teller Alfred Müller (who later changed the family name to Mueller-Stahl) ,and his mother was university professor Editha Maaß. Editha was born to a Baltic German family from Estonia. During World War I, the Maaß lived in Petrograd (Saint Petersburg). They moved to Tilsit in 1918.
Mueller-Stahl was born in Germany's Weimar Republic period, and spend his childhood and early adolescence in Nazi Germany. In 1938, he moved with his family to the town of Prenzlau in Brandenburg. During World War II, Mueller-Stahl parted with his father. Alfred was drafted into military service, and later fought on the Eastern Front of World War II. In 1945, Alfred died in a military hospital in Schönberg , Mecklenburg.
In 1945, Editha briefly moved her family to Goorstorf, located near Rostock, the largest city of Mecklenburg. They returned to Prenzlau following the end of World War II. Armin continued his school education there. He graduated from school in 1948, at the age of 18.
Mueller-Stahl initially aspired to become a professional violinist. In 1948, he moved to Berlin. There he attended the city conservatory in West Berlin, where he studied violin playing and musicology. He graduated in 1949, and acquired qualifications to work as a music teacher. At this point, he decided to become an actor instead.
After a few years of studies, Mueller-Stahl made his professional debut at the "Theater am Schiffbauerdamm" of Berlin in 1952. In 1954, he started performing in the Volksbühne ("People's Theatre") , a prestigious theater in East Berlin. For the next 20 years, he was primarily a theatrical actor. During the 1960s, he started a side career as a character actor in East German films. By the 1970s, he repeatedly appeared in polls as East Germany's most popular actor.
From 1973 to 1976, Mueller-Stahl played the Stasi agent Werner Bredebusch in the spy thriller television series "The Invisible Visor" (1973-1979). Bredebusch was initially the series' main character, a Stasi agent who impersonates deceased fighter pilot Achim Detjen and infiltrates West Germany. The series achieved high ratings, and Mueller-Stahll received acclaim. He left the series in 1976, and its ratings soon declined.
In 1976, Mueller-Stahl signed an open letter, protesting against East Germany's decision to exile singer-songwriter Wolf Biermann (1936-). Consequenly, Mueller-Stahl found himself blacklisted in East Germany. After a few years of being unable to find roles in his country, Mueller-Stahl migrated to West Germany.
In 1981, Mueller-Stahl played Von Bohm, the male lead in the romantic drama "Lola" (1981). The film depicted Von Bohm as a building commissioner who struggles against widespread corruption in the town of Coburg, while falling in love with brothel-employed singer Lola (played by Barbara Sukowa). Following the film's relative success, Mueller-Stahl found steady work in West German cinema throughout the 1980s.
Although he barely spoke English at this point of his life, Mueller-Stahl was cast as General Petya Samanov in the American television miniseries Amerika. The dystopian series depicted a version of the United States which was under Soviet military occupation, and in which Soviet general Samanov is the de facto ruler of the occupied country. "Amerika" was the second-highest rated miniseries of the 1986-87 U.S. television season.
Mueller-Stahl decided to to seek more acting roles in the United States, and made his American film debut in the crime drama "Music Box" (1989). He was cast in the role of Mike Laszlo, a Hungarian-American family man, who is exposed as a wanted war criminal who killed numerous civilians during the Siege of Budapest (1944-1945). The film won the "Golden Bear" at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival.
Mueller-Stahl next received the primary role of Polish-Jewish immigrant Sam Krichinsky in the family drama "Avalon" (1990). The film concerned the gradual assimilation of Krichinsky's family into modern American culture. The film was critically praised, and its screenwriter won the "Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay".
In 1991, Mueller-Stahl played the role of Inspector Grubach in the mystery thriller "Kafka". The film depicted a conspiracy in 1910s Prague, and was loosely inspired by the works of Franz Kafka (1883-1924). The film under-performed at the box office, but gained a cult following.
During the same year, Mueller-Stahl played New York City-based taxi driver Helmut Grokenberger in the anthology film "Night on Earth". In the film, Helmut is an East German immigrant in the United States. He is a former professional clown, whose ineptness as a driver and ignorance of New York geography make him ill-suited for his new profession. The film was critically well-received.
In 1992, Mueller-Stahl played Meissen porcelain collector Baron Kaspar Joachim von Utz in the eponymous film "Utz". The film was an adaptation of a 1988 novel by Bruce Chatwin (1940-1989), concerning a passionate collector and his unwillingness to part with his collection, even at the offer of a better life abroad. For this role, Mueller-Stahl won the "Silver Bear for Best Actor" at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival.
In 1996, Mueller-Stahl played Peter, the abusive father of concert pianist David Helfgott (1947-). The film concerns the negative effects of long-term physical and mental abuse of David by his father. Mueller-Stahl's role was critically praised, and he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The award was instead won by rival actor Cuba Gooding Jr. (1968-).
In 1998, Mueller-Stahl played German scientist Conrad Strughold in the science fiction film "The X-Files", a spin-off of the then-popular television series "The X-Files" (1993-2002, 2016-2018). In the film, Strughold is a member of the Syndicate, a shadow government which collaborates with extraterrestrial would-be colonists. The film was a box-office hit, earning 189 million dollars at the worldwide box office.
In 2007, Mueller-Stahl played Semyon, a high-ranking member of the Russian mafia, in the gangster film "Eastern Promises". The film was critically praised, and appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2007.Mueller-Stahl won the "Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role".
In 2009, Mueller-Stah played former Stasi colonel Wilhelm Wexler in the action thriller "The International". In the film, Wexler works with a merchant bank that has secret ties to drug cartels, powerful corporations, corrupt governments, and terrorist organizations,. The film earned about 60 million dollars at the worldwide box office, and was considered notable for drawing inspiration from real-world banking scandals of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
Also in 2009, Mueller-Stahl portrayed Cardinal Strauss, Dean of the College of Cardinals and the Papal Conclave, in the mystery thriller "Angels & Demons". The film was an adaptation of a 2000 novel by Dan Brown (1964-). It concerns the assassination of fictional Pope Pius XVI, and a conspiracy trying to influence the election of his successor. The film earned about 486 million dollars at the worldwide box office, the highest-grossing film in Mueller-Stah's career.
In 2011, Mueller-Stahl received the "Honorary Golden Bear" at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival. His only film role in the 2010s was playing Fr. Zeitlinger in the experimental film "Knight of Cups ". The film uses images from tarot cards as a main theme, while elements of the plot were inspired by the "Hymn of the Pearl" (2nd century) and the "The Pilgrim's Progress" (1678) by John Bunyan.
By 2021, Mueller-Stahl was 90-years-old. He lives in semi-retirement in California, where he enjoys its pleasant climate. He has written a number of novels and short stories, and has taken painting as a hobby.- Sabine Bethmann almost became an international star. She was slated by Kirk Douglas to co-star as Varinia in his epic blockbuster Spartacus (1960). However, when director Anthony Mann was unceremoniously replaced with Stanley Kubrick, it was Jean Simmons who was preferred for the part. Sabine's career never quite recovered from this setback.
Bethmann was born and spent her childhood in Tilsit, East Prussia. After schooling, she qualified as a physiotherapist and earned extra money on the side as a photographic model. At age 24, the attractive blonde was discovered for the screen and made her debut as star of the romantic drama Waldwinter (1956), directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner. Her girl-next-door appeal gained her almost instant popularity. As a result, Bethmann was given leads or second leads in a string of major cinematic releases: the U-Boat drama Haie und kleine Fische (1957) (as a commodore's wife), Fritz Lang's lavish remakes of The Tiger of Eschnapur (1959) and The Indian Tomb (1959) (an architect's wife) and the medical drama Frauenarzt Dr. Sibelius (1962) (as an obstetric nurse). Bethmann typically played altruistic wives or lovers whose self-sacrifice would be rewarded at the end of the day.
By the mid 60s, the more unambitious roles which had hitherto been her bread and butter (namely the rustic Heimatfilm romances and the 'Pauker' school farces) had greatly diminished in popularity. With fewer movie offers forthcoming, Bethmann turned to television. Her final starring fling was as secretary to a private eye in Cliff Dexter (1966), a popular but short-lived James Bond pastiche. By the 1970s, her screen appearances became more and more sporadic. By the time she was in her sixtieth year, Sabine Bethmann had retired from acting. She lived the rest of her life in Berlin in relative obscurity until her death in November 2021. - Actor
- Music Department
- Producer
John Kay was born on 12 April 1944 in Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany [now Sovetsk, Russia]. He is an actor and producer, known for Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and The Limey (1999). He has been married to Jutta Maue since 24 February 1967. They have one child.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Werner Abrolat was born on 15 August 1924 in Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany [now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia]. He was an actor, known for Königlich Bayerisches Amtsgericht (1969), Die aufrichtige Lügnerin (1968) and Liebe '47 (1949). He died on 24 August 1997 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.- Max Gülstorff was born on 23 March 1882 in Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany [now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia]. He was an actor, known for Around the World in 80 Days (1919), The False Step (1939) and Ein Glas Wasser (1923). He died on 6 February 1947 in Lichtenrade, Berlin, Germany.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
The pioneering German collective Tangerine Dream has been delivering their distinctive style of ambient music for nearly three decades, laying down a foundation of sound textures and sonic imagery that has influenced many of today's electronic musicians. Founded in 1967 by fine art aficionado Edgar Froese the group released their first album, "Electronic Meditation" in 1970, and, through many different line-ups in proceeding years, delivered a unique brand of space-rock, making use of electronic instruments like synths and Mellotron, along traditional instruments like rock guitar and blues harmonica. Their work on William Friedkin's Sorcerer (1977) was the beginning of many film projects that the group would undertake throughout the 1980s, including Thief (1981) and The Keep (1983), both directed by Michael Mann, Legend (1985) by Ridley Scott, Near Dark (1987) by Kathryn Bigelow and the box-office hit Risky Business (1983) with Tom Cruise. Throughout the 1990s, the group has been as active as ever, releasing as many as five albums a year, including remastered versions of early material.- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Frank Wisbar was born on 9 December 1899 in Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany [now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia]. He was a director and producer, known for Stalingrad: Dogs, Do You Want to Live Forever? (1959), Hermine und die sieben Aufrechten (1935) and Strangler of the Swamp (1945). He died on 17 March 1967 in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Karl Martell was born on 17 November 1906 in Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany [now Sovetsk, Russia]. He was an actor, known for Der Spieler (1938), La Habanera (1937) and D III 88 (1939). He died on 28 December 1966 in Hamburg, Germany.
- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Hagen Müller-Stahl was born on 21 September 1926 in Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany [now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia]. He was a director and actor, known for Tatort (1970), Der eine Tag im Jahr (1967) and Jörg Preda berichtet (1966). He died on 4 July 2019 in Berlin, Germany.- Richard I. Schikat was born on January 11, 1897 in Ragnitz, Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany. Shikat began wrestling at age fifteen and served in the German navy during World War I. After initially establishing himself as an amateur wrestler in Germany and Europe, Dick moved to America in October, 1923 so he could further his career as a professional wrestler. Among the notable wrestlers that Shikat fought in the ring throughout his wrestling career in America are Stanislaus Zbyszko, William Demetral, Joe "Toots" Mondt, Ed Lewis, Everette Marshall, George Zaharias, and Hans Steinke. On August 23, 1929 Dick won the World Heavyweight Championship title after beating reigning champ Jim Londos in a match at the Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the wake of this victory Shikat went on to defeat Rudy Dusek on February 18, 1930 in Miami, Florida and pinned Gino Garibaldi in a match in Springfield, Massachusetts on April 29 of that same year. However, Londos took back his title after beating Shikat on June 6, 1930. Shikat eventually reclaimed the championship title from Londos after pinning Londos in a rematch on May 6, 1934. Dick scored another major triumph when he dethroned Danno O'Mahoney of his Unified World Title in a match at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 2, 1936. Shikat subsequently lost a match to Ali Baba on May 5, 1936. Dick continued to wrestle into the 1950's and died in 1968.
- Karl-Heinz Martell was born on 16 March 1928 in Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany [now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia]. He was an actor, known for Parapsycho - Spektrum der Angst (1975), Warum sind sie gegen uns? (1958) and Dichtung und Wirklichkeit (1964). He died on 9 September 2002 in Werfenweng, Salzburg, Austria.
- Hannswerner von Gehr was born on 14 December 1912 in Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany [now Sovetsk, Russia]. He was an actor, known for The Thing in the Castle (1979), Märkische Forschungen (1982) and Die Brüder Lautensack (1973). He died on 8 December 2005 in Berlin, Germany.
- Johannes Bobrowski was born on 9 April 1917 in Tilsit, East Prussia, Germany [now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia]. He was a writer, known for Levins Mühle (1980). He died on 2 September 1965 in Köpenick, Berlin, Germany.
- Aenderly Lebius was born on 6 December 1867 in Tilsit, East Prussia, Prussia [now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia]. He was an actor, known for Die Gespensteruhr (1916), Jettatore (1919) and Vergiftetes Blut (1921). He died on 5 March 1921 in Berlin, Germany.
- Art Director
- Production Designer
- Art Department
Otto Gülstorff was born on 5 February 1878 in Tilsit, Kingdom of Prussia [now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia]. He was an art director and production designer, known for A Girl You Don't Forget (1932), La Paloma. Ein Lied der Kameradschaft (1934) and Model Husband (1937). He died on 3 July 1959 in Berlin, Germany.- Eduard Julius Vortheil was born on 19 August 1851 in Tilsit, Kingdom of Prussia [now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia]. He died on 25 February 1927 in Pabianice, Lódzkie, Poland.
- Wilhelm Voigt was born on 13 February 1849 in Tilsit, East Prussia, Prussia [now Sovetsk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia]. He died on 3 March 1922 in Luxembourg.