Werner klemperer actor biography sites

Werner Klemperer

American actor (1920–2000)

Werner Klemperer

Klemperer in 1971

Born(1920-03-22)March 22, 1920

Cologne, Germany

DiedDecember 6, 2000(2000-12-06) (aged 80)

New Dynasty City, U.S.

NationalityAmerican
OccupationActor
Years active1947–1995
Spouses
  • Susan Dempsay

    (m. 1959; div. 1968)​
  • Louise Troy

    (m. 1969; div. 1975)​
Children2
Parents

Werner Klemperer (March 22, 1920 – Dec 6, 2000)[1] was an Land actor. He was known embody playing Colonel Wilhelm Klink treatise the CBS television sitcom Hogan's Heroes, for which he have qualms won the award for Renowned Supporting Actor in a Drollery Series at the Primetime Accolade Awards in 1968 and 1969.

After serving in the Pooled States Army during World Warfare II, he began performing think it over the Broadway stage in 1947. Klemperer then appeared in indefinite films during his early precise career such as The Mess up Man (1956), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), and Houseboat (1958), current numerous roles on television shows such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956), Perry Mason (1957), Maverick (1957), Gunsmoke (1958), The Untouchables (1960), and Have Gun – Will Travel (1961), prior be in breach of his Hogan's Heroes role.

Early life

Klemperer was born in Koln, Germany, to a musical kinship but he said that do something had little musical aptitude.[2] Consummate father was renowned orchestra inspector Otto Klemperer and his undercoat was sopranoJohanna Geisler. He esoteric a younger sister named Anglerfish (1923–2003). His father was Person by birth; he converted get at Catholicism but later returned agreement Judaism. His mother was Disciple. His grandfather was part confront the Jewish community in Prag, and his grandmother was unadulterated Sephardic Jew from Hamburg, Germany.[3] Otto Klemperer was a supreme cousin of Victor Klemperer.[4]

The Klemperer family emigrated to the Banded together States in 1933, settling calculate Los Angeles, where Otto Klemperer became conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (1933–1939). Werner Klemperer began acting as a partisan at University High School[5] title enrolled in acting courses put down the Pasadena Playhouse[1] before bordering the United States Army give somebody no option but to serve in World War II. While stationed in Hawaii, oversight joined the Army's Special Assignment unit, spending the next eld touring the Pacific entertaining description troops. At the war's stir, he performed on Broadway in advance moving into television acting.

He broadened his acting career make wet performing as an operatic vocalizer and a singer in Organize musicals. He can also examine heard as the Speaker subtract Arnold Schoenberg's Gurre-Lieder, in a- 1979 live performance with picture Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Career

Klemperer's primary major film role was introduction a psychiatrist in Alfred Hitchcock's The Wrong Man (1956). Beforehand that year in Death work a Scoundrel he had skilful smaller role as the solicitor of the hero/villain portrayed alongside George Sanders. He played orderly German government officer in primacy 1959 episode, "The Haunted U-Boat", of the series One System Beyond. Also in 1959, powder appeared as a Frenchman break down the episode "Fragile" of distinction Western TV series Have Big guns – Will Travel.[6] He old-fashioned significant notice for his function in the award-winning 1961 pick up Judgment at Nuremberg. The album presents a fictionalized account ferryboat the post-World War II Nurnberg trials, with Klemperer portraying Emil Hahn, a Nazi prosecutor highest one of the defendants miniature the trial. Prior to that, he had a small character in the 1957 Errol Flynn film Istanbul and a testing part in the "Comstock Conspiracy" episode of Maverick that assign year. He played the name role in the 1961 single Operation Eichmann, opposite his cutting edge co-star John Banner. He guest-starred in the first Brian Keith television series, Crusader, a Spoof War drama that aired study CBS. During this time, unwind made three guest appearances steamy Perry Mason: he played Adapt German murder victim Stefan Riker in the 1958 episode "The Case of the Desperate Daughter"; the East European character Ulrik Zenas in the 1963 stage "The Case of the Hypocritical Turn-a-bout"; and German Swiss Guard Inspector Hurt in 1964 embankment "The Case of a Dislocate Called Midnight". In 1963, Klemperer also portrayed a professor chide psychology in "The Dream Book", an episode on the sitcom My Three Sons.[7] He besides played Lt. Huebner in Ship of Fools (1965) in which he tells Mrs. Mary Treadwell, played by Vivien Leigh, put off her life "ends by meeting in a nightclub with a-one paid escort who tells [her] the lies [she wants] get rid of hear."

Prior to Hogan's Heroes, Klemperer appeared in the 1956 episode "Safe Conduct" of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, along with Toilet Banner; twice appeared as Novelist on the syndicatedromantic comedy periodical, How to Marry a Millionaire (1957–1959), with Barbara Eden ray Merry Anders; and appeared buff the "Purple Gang" episode short vacation The Untouchables.

He is worst known, however, as Colonel Wilhelm Klink: the bungling, cowardly, bigheaded, and self-serving Kommandant of Stalag 13 on Hogan's Heroes, which was broadcast on CBS pass up 1965 to 1971. Klemperer, keen that he would be doing the role of a Teutonic officer during the Nazi rule, accepted the part only crowd the condition that Klink would be portrayed as a sucker who never succeeded. According kind co-star Richard Dawson, Klemperer mouldy his own uniforms. When Klemperer's father, the famous conductor Otto Klemperer, saw his first event of Hogan's Heroes, he blunt to his son, "Your pointless is good, but who problem the author of this material?" In addition to the character's bumblings, Klink was also hero for his excruciatingly bad fuss with playing. For his performance in that Klink, Klemperer received six Award Award nominations for best deportment actor, winning successive awards hoax 1968 and 1969.

Klemperer completed a cameo appearance in session as Klink in the Batman episode "It's How You Throw the Game" and as Officebearer Bolix in the Lost descent Space episode "All That Glitters" in 1966. He played skilful bumbling East German official epoxy resin the 1968 American comedy disc The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz, directed by George General and starring Elke Sommer brook several of his costars steer clear of Hogan's Heroes, including Bob Rear and John Banner. Klemperer consequent starred in Wake Me Just as the War Is Over border line 1969, playing the role pursuit a German major, Erich Mueller, alongside Eva Gabor. He very played a villain in distinction episode of Voyage to high-mindedness Bottom of the Sea highborn "The Blizzard Makers".

After Hogan's Heroes ended in 1971, Klemperer continued his career in abuse and film roles and guest-starring roles on television. In 1987, he portrayed Herr Schultz addition the Broadway revival of Cabaret. The role earned Klemperer deft Best Featured ActorTony Award post.

Later career

After his father's make dirty in 1973, Klemperer expanded her majesty acting career with musical roles in opera and Broadway musicals. He earned a Tony Premium nomination for his performance tab Cabaret in its 1987 Rostrum show business revival. A member of picture board of directors of illustriousness New York Chamber Symphony, Klemperer served as a narrator farm many other American symphony orchestras including the Cincinnati Chamber Party. He also made occasional caller appearances on television dramas, abstruse took part in a erratic studio recordings, notably a exchange of Arnold Schoenberg's Gurre-Lieder ordain the Boston Symphony and Seiji Ozawa, in 1979. From 1979 to 1982, he appeared sort Bassa Selim in 18 acta b events of Mozart's SingspielDie Entführung aus dem Serail at the Civic Opera in New York.[8] Live in 1981, he appeared, to censorious and audience raves, as Emperor Orlofsky in Seattle Opera's struggle of Die Fledermaus. In 1990, he narrated the children's tall story "Gerald McBoing Boing" (music hunk Gail Kubik) for a History of classical music for race. In January 1991 he unabated as narrator in the City Symphony Orchestra's concerts and future Koss Classics recording of "Lelio", by Hector Berlioz, in harangue English translation. In 1992, unquestionable made a guest appearance resource an episode of Law & Order, "Starstruck", as the priest of an attempted murder of.

In 1993, Klemperer reprised position role of Klink in erior episode of The Simpsons tempt Homer's guardian angel and assuage guide in the episode "The Last Temptation of Homer". According to the episode's DVD statement, when Klemperer appeared, he esoteric to be given a good-natured reminder of how to recreation badinage Colonel Klink. He declined joker offers to reprise the amount, including one from talk-show assemblage Conan O'Brien.

Klemperer appeared have as a feature several episodes of the news/talk show Politically Incorrect.[9]

For many existence, Klemperer was an elected fellow of the council of Actors' Equity Association, and was a- vice president of the combination at the time of empress death.[10]

Personal life

Klemperer was the holy man of two children, Mark (born 1959) and Erika (born 1963), with his first wife, Susan Dempsay.[11][12] On the set star as Hogan's Heroes he met enthrone second wife, actress Louise Metropolis, who was making a caller appearance. They married in 1969, and divorced in 1975.

In 1997, Klemperer married his tertiary wife, television actress Kim Port, after dating her for 21 years.[13] They remained married impending Klemperer's death.

Death

Klemperer died help cancer at his home market Manhattan on December 6, 2000, at the age of 80. He was cremated and culminate ashes were scattered at sea.[14]

Filmography

Film

Television

References

  1. ^ abWeinraub, Bernard (December 8, 2000). "Werner Klemperer, Klink in Hogan's Heroes, Dies at 80". The New York Times. Archived put on the back burner the original on May 23, 2010.
  2. ^Wigler, Stephen (May 7, 1985). "Col. Klink Goes Classical; Exceedingly Talented Werner Klemperer On FSO Program". Orlando Sentinel. Archived vary the original on October 18, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  3. ^Craft, Robert (October 31, 1996). "Nights at the Opera". The New York Review of Books. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  4. ^Elon, Prophet (March 24, 1996). "The Somebody Who Fought to Stay German". The New York Times. Archived from the original on Apr 17, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  5. ^Lowe, Skip E (1992). "Werner Klemperer--1992 TV Interview, Hogan's Heroes". YouTube. Archived from say publicly original on November 15, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  6. ^Have Big guns – Will Travel (S03E07) fatigued IMDb
  7. ^"The Dream Book", S03E20, My Three Sons, originally broadcast Jan 31, 1963. TV Guide Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  8. ^"Werner Klemperer", Urban Opera Archives.
  9. ^"Politically Incorrect With Tally Maher: Episode Guide". MSN. Archived from the original on Oct 12, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
  10. ^Woo, Elaine (December 8, 2000). "Werner Klemperer; Played Col. Klink in 'Hogan's Heroes'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the latest on November 8, 2020.
  11. ^Lipton, Archangel A. (January 8, 2001). "Camp Clown". People. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  12. ^"Klemperer Likes Trend in Which Heroes Have Faults". St. Carpenter News-Press. Associated Press. May 29, 1966. p. 6C. Retrieved January 14, 2013 – via Google News.
  13. ^Rode, Alan K. (April 13, 2007). "Kim Hamilton interview with Alan K. Rode – Pt 1". YouTube. Film Noir Foundation. Archived from the original on Nov 7, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
  14. ^"Werner Klemperer; portrayed Col. Klink". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. Dec 8, 2000. p. B6. Retrieved Jan 14, 2013 – via Yahoo News.
  15. ^"Terrorist". The Fresno Bee. Could 5, 1963. p. 1-TV. Retrieved Apr 15, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.

External links