German Speaking Actors in the U.S.

My theme is over German speaking actors and what significance they have brought to American cinema. German speaking actors have brought very much to the film industry of Hollywood. Not only have they affected our films but the run off has affected our culture and state as well. Austria, Germany, and Switzerland all have produced amazing actors and directors. They tend to be far more based on art rather than money making. In Germany film makers actually get tax breaks for making movies in order to increase the production of the film.           

       Throughout all of these nations the artistic development and long line of culture in general has produced some unique actors. These actors have helped to pave new highways in regards to acting and what actors can do and are capable of doing. The very notable Curt Bois for instance broke the world record for longest movie career ever. At 80 years he was no enemy of the camera. His fortitude and longevity alone can cast a vision on what these foreign actors have accomplished for America. The production of the Femme Fatale was introduced and perfected by the lovely Miss Marlene Dietrich. Without this we may have never encountered those sexy killers in the famous James Bond movies.  The seamless mixture of comedy and action that was so well established by the mighty Arnold Schwarzenegger is another gift we have received. It has for ever changed the image of a shoot ‘em up characters we are used to. Some may devalue this but the enticing woman swimming nude in a river for ten minutes and it still being considered profitable cinema is an accomplishment as well. Hedy Lamarr was one of the first pin-up girls and helped capture the heart and eyes of our American men.                        

            There also comes the thought of culture and their affect. We have Hedy Lamarr who is a sex idol and helped develop movie actresses into that category. Some more than likely don’t like this but none the less it has affected our culture. Eric Braeden by breaking the idea that a German speaking actor can only play German roles has brought about new ideas culturally in foreign actors. Schwarzenegger becoming the Governor of California is a huge culture change as well. It shows that the movie screen can capture enough respect to merit a public office.

            These are just a few things that German actors have brought to American culture and film. It could go on and on but that might become tedious. German actors are and will probably always be a staple to the every growing entertainment industry of movies.

Hedy Lamarr (Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler)

“Any girl can be glamorous.
All you have to do is stand still and look stupid.”

   — Hedy Lamarr
 

Hedy Lamarr was born in Vienna about half a year before the outbreak of the First World War. She shocked European society and gained notoriety with her 10-minute nude swimming scene in the 1933 Austrian-Czech film Ecstasy. She was also at the brunt of a joke in Mel brooks Blazing Saddles along side Marlene Dietrich. She was another fleeing actress from the bonds of World War II and entered into the U.S. in such a manner. She divorced her overbearing Nazi husband and fled to London and was picked up there to bring back to Hollywood By MGM’s Mayer. His plan was to pull her out of such dirty roles and bring her back into family entertainment, it didn’t work. She did end up doing alot of film but eventually ran herself into the ground by not excepting roles such as Gaslight and Casablanca. Her final well rated film appeared in 1958 called The Female Animal. After that she appeared on television shows and retired in Florida. Hedy Lamarr shares the title to a 1942 patent, under her then legal name Hedy Kiesler Markey, for a “secret communication system” intended for use as a radio guidance device for US Navy torpedoes. Not many actresses can boast such a large claim. Not only was she beautiful but she possessed some brains as well. 

Paul Muni (Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund)

“I’m an actor. I’m not in the money-making business.”

   — Paul Muni, after being asked to promote a stage production on the radio

Paul Muni was born in Lamberg, Galicia, which is now in the Ukraine, in a German speaking Jewish family. His name is all but forgotten in Hollywood in these days but he had a great impact and played a few dynamic roles. His entire family emigrated to America through London in the early 1900s, going into vaudeville and Yiddish theater in New York and other eastern cities. Muni was 31 years old before he made an apprerance in English acting what so ever. He started off on Broadway and gained his name through the role he played as an actor who always lost his identity. he then went into Hollywood a few years later and made some pretty unforgettable roles such as Scarface, and I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (based on a true story). He became a trademaerk for Warner Brothers in Bio graphical films or Biopics. Two of which he was given an Academy Award for his role as Louis Pasteur in The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936) and a New York Film Critics Award for The Life of Emile Zola (1937). He however did not want to get into the the traditional Hollywood superstar acting parts and when approached for it he refused and retreated back into Broadway. He received a Tony Award for his stage portrayal of Henry Drummond in “Inherit the Wind” in 1956. He was a pioneer for German actors and helped create the roles for actors in Biopics.

Eric Braeden (Hans Jörg Gudegast)

“I love L.A. I love the spirit of California which epitomizes the American spirit. People here are always seeking new ways to do things in refreshingly unpretentious ways.”

   — Eric Braeden at Ericbraeden.com

Eric Braedenwas born in Germany in a smaller town called Bredenbek. He was far different from most actors that came from other Germany, Switzerland, or Austria. He came with barely anything to his name when he arrived. he was an 18 year old boy with less than $50 and a heart for improvement. He is the definition of the word self made man. After his arrival at New York harbor he headed out west where he ended in Texas for a short period working as a translator then off into Montana working as a ranch hand. He then became interested in film after filming a documentary of an adventure on the Salmon river in Idaho. He then went to college and eventually got his first role in a movie called Operation Eichmann where he worked with another German speaking actor John Banner. He then continued to work as an actor mostly playing Nazis and German role until he had a chance in the movie The Forbin Project where he played an American. He was the first German actor to play a American in a large scale Hollywood film. This was a huge break in for German actors everywhere. He helped pave the road in this sense. His most notable role though is on the T.V. show The Young and the Restless  where he has one an Emmy and a People’s choice award for his over 20 year career on the show.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

“When I arrived here in 1968 from Austria, that’s the last thing I thought, that one day I would be running to be the governor of California. I promise you that I will be the people’s governor.”

   — Arnold Schwarzenegger announcing his candidacy

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Thal, Austria, a town bordering Graz. Arnold was a and had a huge impact on American cinema in many ways. He did not start out as an actor but instead as a body builder. His first love was body building and had a knack for it when he was just a teen. Schwarzenegger moved to the United States in September of 1968, with little money or knowledge of the English language, and trained at Gold’s Gym in Santa Monica under the patronage of Joe Weider. His ambitions though moved from being a body builder to move into the world of film like his predecessor Reg Parker. He however did not break into movies quite as easily as he had hoped. He did get a big break though and scored a part in his first feature film Hercules in New York. He went on to make many more films after he was admitted into Hollywood. Some notable movies are Terminator, Commando, The Running Man, Kindergarten Cop, True Lies, and Terminator 2. All of these movies have been cornerstones for action and comedy. He did quite well in the area of bridging the two concepts of comedy and action. Not many action actors can boast a more successful comedy career. He now is the Governor of California and continues to work on and off in the movie business.

Curt Bois

“Vultures, vultures everywhere.”

-Curt Bois

Curt Bois was another famous actor that not only was popular in Germany but in the U.S. as well. He is considered to be the very first child actor ever in film history, with a role in the silent movie Bauernhaus und Grafenschloß. Not only this but he is also considered to have the longest acting career of any actor. He was born in Berlin at 1901 and died in 1991. his career started with jis child acting in 1907 and he continued to act for eighty years. His final movie was Himmel über Berlin, Der in which he played Homer the aged poet, this was exactly eighty years from his first role. During his career He showed himself to be very adaptable, performing in theatre, cabaret, musicals, silent film and “talkies” in Germany and the States as well. He came to the U.S. during WWII in 1934 to escape from Nazi powers. He started by working on broadway and moved into American fims by 1037. He became famous however with his part in the very famous Casablanca. He played the obsequious pickpocket (“There are vultures everywhere…). He was interviewed about this film and each time his stories became more vibrant. He was truly an actor of style and experience and helped effect the American filming industry substantially with his foreign flavor.

Marlene Dietrich

 “The Germans and I no longer
  speak the same language.”

— Marlene Dietrich in 1960 after a sometimes stormy reception in Germany.

Marlene Dietrich wasn’t only a famous singer but also a huge advocate of anti-nazi regime. As most people that supported Weimar Republic strongly were. She only recieved one Oscar nomination throughout her career and that was in the movie Morocco which was filmed in Hollywood in 1930. In about 1937 Marlene was stalling with her singing and acting career in the States and took a job in London. While in London she was allegedly approached by Nazi party members begging her to come back, she was offered an extremely large sum of money. She declined and said she would only come back if they allowed her to be accompynied by a Jewish friend. As far as American movies she did make a come back in America until 1939 when she played a part in a Western called Destry Rides again. She also broadened her horizons in a few more American films such as: The Spoiler, A Foreign Affair, Witness for the Prosecution, Touch of Evil and Judgment at Nuremberg. Marlene also made the Femme Fatale character grow and become popular. Although Marlene would be considered a sucess in the U.S. she was never given any very serious roles because she was always considered an outsider and a foreigner to the Hollywood people. She was a pioneer though for foreign actors in Hollywood in such a sensitive time.

Marlene Dietrich Satire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8B3pf3mOh0
This is a satire on Marlene Dietrich from Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles.I find it interesting how well Madeline Kahn captures the inflection of Marlene. It is also a bit dirty probably much more dirty than Marlene would have ever been. Its cool though that such a an old actress could influence enough that He would put an entire character that is very similar to Lola Lola. Only she does not marry anyone. She is a performer that is tired of men and eventually gets wooed by the black sherrif. These type of satires are quite funny and tend to only happen to actors who have strange quirks or funny accents. Marlene had the tendency to come across as a sex icon of her time and had no problem wearing racy things and putting herself into compromising positions. It is not that unusual that someone like Mel Brooks would get a brilliant idea for a scene from such a interesting actress. Just an interesting little thing.

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Simon

Hallo Alles. Mein Blog ist sehr lustig!