Gerhard Johannes Alexander Tichy Wondzinski (11 March 1920 – 11 April 1992), known as Gérard Tichy, was a German-Spanish

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

who appeared in numerous films, including several international productions.

Early life

Tichy was born Gerhard Johannes Alexander Tichy Wondzinski in

Weißenfels Weißenfels (; often written in English as Weissenfels) is the largest town of the Burgenlandkreis district, in southern Saxony-Anhalt, central Germany. It is situated on the river Saale, approximately south of Halle, Saxony-Anhalt, Halle. His ...

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it the ...

, the son of a doctor. After a short period as an artist, he was conscripted into the

Reich Labour Service The Reich Labour Service (''Reichsarbeitsdienst''; RAD) was a major organisation established in Nazi Germany as an agency to help mitigate the effects of unemployment on the German economy, militarise the workforce and indoctrinate it with Nazi ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, but was later transferred into the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...

as an infantry soldier. He served in the Polish and French campaigns, but was captured by Allied forces in 1945. He was held in a prisoner-of-war camp in

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...

for 18 months. Not wanting to be repatriated back to Germany, he made an escape attempt on

Christmas Eve Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipation ...

, but was quickly re-captured taken to another camp. He escaped, this time successfully, while in transit and fled to

Hendaye Hendaye (Basque language, Basque: ''Hendaia'')HENDAIA
Auñamendi Encyclopedia, Auñamendi Eusko Entz ...

, near the Spanish border. He attempted to enter neutral

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

by wading through the

Bidasoa __NOTOC__ The Bidasoa (, ; french: Bidassoa, ) is a river in the Basque Country of northern Spain and southern France that runs largely south to north. Named as such downstream of the village of Oronoz-Mugairi (municipality of Baztan) in the pro ...

, and was caught by Spanish authorities. He was released from custody after being vouched for by other German expats, and settled in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

Career

While working as a waiter in 1948, Tichy was spotted by director

César Fernández Ardavín César Fernández Ardavín (22 July 1923 – 7 September 2012) was a Spanish film director and screenwriter. He directed more than 40 films between 1952 and 1979. His 1959 film ''El Lazarillo de Tormes'' won the Golden Bear at the 10th Berlin ...

, who was looking for someone to play a German officer in the war film ''Neutrality''. He subsequently starred in the war epic '' Balarrasa'' (1951) and quickly became a prominent

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

in Spanish cinema, ultimately appearing in 99 films over the course of his career. He won the CEC Award for Best Foreign Actor for his role in the 1955 film '' El canto del gallo''. A capable if not fluent English speaker, Tichy also appeared in several international productions that were filmed in Spain, most notably ''

King of Kings King of Kings; grc-gre, Βασιλεὺς Βασιλέων, Basileùs Basiléōn; hy, արքայից արքա, ark'ayits ark'a; sa, महाराजाधिराज, Mahārājadhirāja; ka, მეფეთ მეფე, ''Mepet mepe'' ...

'' (1961) as

Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

, ''

El Cid Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (c. 1043 – 10 July 1099) was a Castilian knight and warlord in medieval Spain. Fighting with both Christian and Muslim armies during his lifetime, he earned the Arabic honorific ''al-sīd'', which would evolve into El ...

'' (1961) playing King Ramiro, and ''

Doctor Zhivago ''Doctor Zhivago'' is the title of a novel by Boris Pasternak and its various adaptations. Description The story, in all of its forms, describes the life of the fictional Russian physician and poet Yuri Zhivago and deals with love and loss during ...

'' (1965) as Liberius, a

Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

partisan commander. He appeared in numerous

spaghetti Westerns The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

, most notably

Sergio Corbucci Sergio Corbucci (; 6 December 1926 – 1 December 1990) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed both very violent Spaghetti Westerns and bloodless Bud Spencer and Terence Hill action comedies. He is the older bro ...

's '' Compañeros'' (1971). He also worked with noted Spanish horror film directors such as

Jesus Franco Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...

('' Marquis de Sade: Justine''),

Paul Naschy Paul Naschy (born Jacinto Molina Álvarez, September 6, 1934 – November 30, 2009) was a Spanish film actor, screenwriter, and director working primarily in horror films. His portrayals of numerous classic horror figures— The Wolfman, ...

(''The Beast and the Magic Sword''),

Amando de Ossorio Amando de Ossorio (6 April 1918 – 13 January 2001) was one of the foremost Spanish horror film directors during the European horror film surge in the 1970s, known especially for his "Blind Dead" tetralogy. Biography De Ossorio directed a sho ...

(''Serpiente del mar'') and

Juan Piquer Simón Juan Piquer Simón (16 February, 1935 – 8 January, 2011) was a Spanish film director best known for directing two cult classic horror film, horror exploitation film, exploitation films, ''Pieces (1982 film), Pieces'' (1982) and ''Slugs (1988 f ...

( ''Pieces'') and famed Italian director

Mario Bava Mario Bava (31 July 1914 – 27 April 1980) was an Italian filmmaker who worked variously as a director, cinematographer, special effects artist and screenwriter, frequently referred to as the "Master of Italian Horror" and the "Master of the Ma ...

(''

Hatchet for the Honeymoon ''Hatchet for the Honeymoon'' ( it, Il rosso segno della follia, lit=The Red Sign of Madness) is a 1970 giallo film directed by Mario Bava and starring Stephen Forsyth, Dagmar Lassander, Laura Betti, and Femi Benussi. The story follows John Harri ...

''). Tichy also periodically returned to his native Germany, performing at the

Hamburg Kammerspiele The Hamburg Kammerspiele (German: ''Hamburger Kammerspiele'') is a private theatre in Rotherbaum, Hamburg, Germany, in the borough of Eimsbüttel Eimsbüttel () is one of the seven boroughs (Bezirke) of Hamburg, Germany. In 2020 the population ...

and acting in the

Zarah Leander Zarah Leander (; 15 March 1907 – 23 June 1981) was a Swedish singer and actress whose greatest success was in Germany between 1936 and 1943, when she was contracted to work for the state-owned Universum Film AG (UFA). Although no exact record ...

film ''Cuba Cabana''.

Death

Tichy died in Madrid on April 11, 1992.

Selected filmography

* '' Neutrality'' (1949) - Deutscher Offizier * ''

Black Jack Blackjack is a popular casino-gambling card game. Black Jack or Blackjack may also refer to: Places Australia * Black Jack, Queensland, a locality in Queensland * Black Jack, a civil parish of Pottinger County, New South Wales * Black Jack H ...

'' (1950) * ''

Service at Sea ''Service at Sea'' (Spanish: ''Servicio en la mar'') is a 1951 Spanish war film directed by Luis Suárez de Lezo Luis is a given name. It is the Spanish language, Spanish form of the originally Germanic language, Germanic name or . Other Iberia ...

'' (1951) - Pasajero (uncredited) * ''Servicio en la mar'' (1951) - Pasajero (uncredited) * ''Cerca del cielo'' (1951) - Camarada defensor (uncredited) * ''

The Floor Burns ''The Floor Burns'' (Spanish: ''Quema el suelo'') is a 1952 Spanish drama film directed by Luis Marquina and starring Annabella, Tomás Blanco and Gérard Tichy. It was the French actress Annabella's final film.Driskell p.62 Plot Cast * A ...

'' (1952) - Eduardo Behovia * ''

Come Die My Love ''Come Die My Love'' (Spanish: ''Manchas de sangre en la luna'') is a 1952 British-Spanish drama film directed by Edward Dein and Luis Marquina and starring Honor Blackman, José Bódalo and Gérard Tichy.de España p.156 It was partly shot in Ta ...

'' (1952) - Bill * ''

The Call of Africa ''The Call of Africa'' (Spanish: ''La llamada de África'') is a 1952 Spanish war film directed by César Fernández Ardavín and starring Irma Torres, Ángel Picazo and Gérard Tichy. It is set in 1940 in Spanish Morocco. It was made at a time ...

'' (1952) - Capitán Andrade * ''Hombre acosado'' (1952) - Jan Matiz * ''Barco sin rumbo'' (1952) * ''

Cuba Cabana ''Cuba Cabana'' is a 1952 West German drama film directed by Fritz Peter Buch and starring Zarah Leander, O.W. Fischer and Paul Hartmann. It was the second film of an early 1950s comeback for Leander, who had been a major star during the Nazi e ...

'' (1952) - Polizei-Oberst * ''

Decameron Nights ''Decameron Nights'' is a 1953 anthology Technicolor film based on three tales from ''The Decameron'' by Giovanni Boccaccio, specifically the ninth and tenth tales of the second day and the ninth tale of the third. It stars Joan Fontaine and, a ...

'' (1953) * ''

I Was a Parish Priest ''I Was a Parish Priest'' or ''God's War'' (Spanish:''La guerra de Dios'') is a 1953 Spanish drama film directed by Rafael Gil and starring Claude Laydu, Francisco Rabal and José Marco Davó.Bentley p.121 It was awarded the Golden Shell, Gran Pre ...

'' (1953) - El Negro * ''Pasaporte para un ángel (Órdenes secretas)'' (1954) * '' Judas' Kiss'' (1954) -

Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; grc-gre, Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος, ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of J ...

* ''

An Impossible Crime ''An Impossible Crime'' (Spanish:''¿Crimen imposible?'') is a 1954 Spanish crime film directed by César Fernández Ardavín and starring José Suárez, Félix Fernández and Silvia Morgan.Bentley p.129 Cast * José Suárez as Alberto * F� ...

'' (1954) - Eugenio Certal * ''

He Died Fifteen Years Ago ''He Died Fifteen Years Ago'' (Spanish: ''Murió hace quince años'') is a 1954 Spanish drama film directed by Rafael Gil and starring Rafael Rivelles, Francisco Rabal and Lyla Rocco. Synopsis Diego Acuña was one of the children transferred to ...

'' (1954) - Germán Goeritz * '' Malaga'' (1954) - Cronkhite * '' Kubala'' (1955) * ''Lo que nunca muere'' (1955) - Pierre * ''

The Cock Crow ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1955) - Gans * ''Nunca es demasiado tarde'' (1956) - Jorge * ''

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...

'' (1956) - (uncredited) * ''Miedo'' (1956) * ''Curra Veleta'' (1956) - Alfredo Brighton * ''Minutos antes'' (1956) * ''Cuando el valle se cubra de nieve'' (1957) * ''...Y eligió el infierno'' (1957) * ''Aquellos tiempos del cuplé'' (1958) - Jorge * ''

Cuatro en la frontera ''Cuatro en la frontera'' is a 1958 Spanish film directed by Antonio Santillán. Written by Joaquín Algars and Nené Cascallar, it stars Claudine Dupuis, Danielle Godet, and Estanis González. Plot A French National Treasury van is assau ...

'' (1958) - Julio * ''Hospital general'' (1958) * ''El frente infinito'' (1959) - Capitán Estrada * ''Molokai, la isla maldita'' (1959) - Capitán * ''Un ángel tuvo la culpa'' (1960) - Sr. X * ''Alerta en el cielo'' (1961) - Sargento Bell * ''

'' (1961) - Joseph * ''

'' (1961) - King Ramiro * ''Pecado de amor'' (1961) - Gerardo Esquivel * ''

The Happy Thieves ''The Happy Thieves'' is a 1961 American crime/comedy-drama film starring Rex Harrison and Rita Hayworth, and directed by George Marshall. The film is based on the novel ''The Oldest Confession'' by Richard Condon. The film was poorly received, w ...

'' (1961) - Antonio, Prado Museum Guard * '' Queen of The Chantecler'' (1962) - Henri Duchel * ''Face of Terror'' (1962) - Dr. Chambers * ''Los culpables'' (1962) - Salvador * ''Senda torcida'' (1963) - Silvestre * ''

The Blancheville Monster ''The Blancheville Monster'', released in the UK and Italy as ''Horror'', is a 1963 horror film directed by Alberto de Martino. The film's script by Gianni Grimaldi and Bruno Corbucci is promoted as being based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, but ...

'' (1963) - Rodéric De Blancheville * ''

Casablanca, Nest of Spies ''Casablanca, Nest of Spies'' (french: Casablanca, nid d'espions, es, Noches de Casablanca, it, Spionaggio a Casablanca) is a 1963 French-Spanish-Italian spy film directed by Henri Decoin and starring Sara Montiel, Maurice Ronet and Franco Fabri ...

'' (1963) - Mayor * ''The Secret Seven'' (1963) - Rabirio * ''La muerte silba un blues'' (1964) - Carlos Moroni * ''La Chance et l'Amour'' (1964) - Un truand (segment "Une chance explosive") * ''

Desafío en Río Bravo ''Desafío en Río Bravo''/''Gunmen of the Rio Grande'' ( it, Sfida a Rio Bravo, french: Duel à Rio Bravo is a 1964 Italian, Spanish and French international co-production Spaghetti Western film directed by Tulio Demicheli. Filmed at Almería ...

'' (1964) - Zack Williams * ''Un tiro por la espalda'' (1964) * ''El niño y el muro'' (1965) - Guardia alemán #2 * '' The Hell of Manitoba'' (1965) - Jack Villaine * ''

That Man in Istanbul ''That Man in Istanbul'' ( es, Estambul 65, it, Colpo grosso a Galata Bridge, french: L'Homme d'Istamboul) is a 1965 English-language European international co-production adventure film directed by Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi and starring Horst Buc ...

'' (1965) - Charly Cohen * ''

Marie-Chantal contre le docteur Kha ''Marie-Chantal contre le docteur Kha'', also known as ''Blue Panther'', is a 1965 spy film directed by Claude Chabrol. based on the character in a series of novels by Jacques Chazot. Plot The French It girl Marie-Chantal gets accidentally enta ...

'' (1965) - Maitre d'Hôtel * ''

Man from Canyon City ''Man from Canyon City'' ( es, ¡Viva Carrancho!, it, L'uomo che viene da Canyon City) is a 1965 Spanish-Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Alfonso Balcázar Alfonso Balcázar (2 March 1926 – 28 December 1993) was a Spanish s ...

'' (1965) - Hargitay * ''Playa de Formentor'' (1965) - Carlos Sanromá * ''

Train d'enfer ''Train d'enfer''/''Operation Double Cross'' is a 1965 Italian/ French/Spanish international co-production spy film starring Jean Marais. Based on a novel by René Cambon, the film was directed by Gilles Grangier. Plot In Barcelona, secret ...

'' (1965) - Matras * '' 100.000 dollari per Ringo'' (1965) - Tom Sherry * ''

'' (1965) - Liberius, Red Partisan Commander * ''

Agent X-77 Orders to Kill ''Agent X-77 Orders to Kill'' (french: Baraka sur X 13, es, Operación Silencio, it, Agente X77 ordine di uccidere, also known as ''Baraka for Secret Service'') is a 1966 French-Spanish-Italian spy film directed by Maurice Cloche and starring G ...

'' (1966) - Dr. Reichmann * '' Cuatro dólares de venganza'' (1966) - Clifford * ''

The Sea Pirate ''The Sea Pirate'' (french: Surcouf, le tigre des sept mers, it, Surcouf, l'eroe dei sette mari, es, El tigre de los siete mares, also known as ''The Fighting Corsair'') is a 1966 French-Italian-Spanish adventure film directed by Sergio Bergonz ...

'' (1966) - Kernan * ''Le Solitaire passe à l'attaque'' (1966) - Bernsen * ''

The Texican ''The Texican'' is a 1966 American Techniscope Western film produced and written by John C. Champion and directed by Lesley Selander. It is a paella western remake of their 1948 film '' Panhandle'' adapted for the persona of Audie Murphy that ...

'' (1966) - Boyd Thompson * ''Il grande colpo di Surcouf'' (1966) - Kernan * '' Superargo Versus Diabolicus'' (1966) - Diabolikus * ''

Master Stroke ''Master Stroke'' ( it, Colpo maestro al servizio di Sua Maestà britannica) is a 1967 Italian crime film directed by Michele Lupo and starring Richard Harrison. Cast * Richard Harrison - Arthur Lang * Adolfo Celi - Mr. Bernard * Margaret Le ...

'' (1967) - Max * '' Face to Face'' (1967) - Mayor of Silvertown (uncredited) * ''

Madigan's Millions ''Madigan's Millions'' (Italian language, It: ''Un dollaro per 7 vigliacchi'', Spanish language, Sp: ''El Millón de Madigan'') is a 1968 Italian-Spanish comedy film, comedy crime film directed by Stanley Prager and produced by Sidney W. Pink. T ...

'' (1968) - J. P. Ogilvie * '' The Magnificent Tony Carrera'' (1968) - Serge * ''Sartana Does Not Forgive'' (1968) - Joe Sullivan * ''

They Came to Rob Las Vegas ''They Came to Rob Las Vegas'' is a 1968 crime film directed by Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi and starring Gary Lockwood, Elke Sommer, Lee J. Cobb, and Jack Palance. The screenplay concerns a crime outfit who plan a heist to rob a hi-tech truck con ...

'' (1968) - Sheriff Klinger * ''

Hot Line A hotline is a point-to-point communications link in which a call is automatically directed to the preselected destination without any additional action by the user when the end instrument goes off-hook. An example would be a phone that automa ...

'' (1968) - Truman * ''Cantando a la vida'' (1969) * ''Hora cero: Operación Rommel'' (1969) - Gen. von Gruber * '' Marquis de Sade: Justine'' (1969) - Comte Courville * ''Murder by Music'' (1969) - Inspector * ''

'' (1970) - Dr. Kalleway * ''

Cuadrilátero ''Cuadrilátero '' ( en, Boxing ring) is a 1970 Spanish boxing-themed film directed by Eloy de la Iglesia and starring José María Prada, Deane Selmier and Rosana Yanny. Cast *Dean Selmier as Miguel Valdés *José Legra as José Laguna *Ros ...

'' (1970) - Óscar * ''El último día de la guerra'' (1970) - Pvt. Bronc * '' Compañeros'' (1970) - Lieutenant * ''Un verano para matar'' (1972) - Alex * ''Les Charlots font l'Espagne'' (1972) - Le capitaine du grand voilier * ''

La isla misteriosa y el capitán Nemo ''L'Île Mysterieuse / La Isla misteriosa y el capitán Nemo / Die Geheimnisvolle Insel'' (''The Mysterious Island'') is a 1973 Spanish-language Italian-Spanish-French-Cameroonian adventure film adapted from Jules Verne's 1875 novel '' L'Île myst� ...

'' (1973) - Cyrus Smith * '' The Corruption of Chris Miller'' (1973) - Commissioner * ''La orgía de los muertos'' (1973) - Professor Leon Droila * ''Striptease'' (1978) - Play Boy * ''Venus de fuego'' (1978) - Detective * '' Maravillas'' (1981) - Benito * ''Misterio en la isla de los monstruos'' (1981) (a.k.a. ''Mystery on Monster Island'') - Capt. Turkott * ''L'ultimo harem'' (1981) - (uncredited) * ''Los diablos del mar'' (1982) - Captain Hull * ''

Pieces Piece or Pieces (not to be confused with peace) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * Piece (chess), pieces deployed on a chessboard for playing the game of chess * ''Pieces'' (video game), a 1994 puzzle game for the Super NES * P ...

'' (1982) - Dr. Jennings * ''

La Bestia y la Espada Magica ''The Beast and the Magic Sword'' ( es, La Bestia y la Espada Magica) is a 1983 Spanish/Japanese horror film that is the tenth in a long series of films about the werewolf Count Waldemar Daninsky, played by Paul Naschy. This film moved the Danin ...

'' (1983) (a.k.a. ''The Beast and the Magic Sword'') - Otton el grande * ''La hoz y el Martínez'' (1985) - Dimitri Vasilievich * ''¡Qué tía la C.I.A.!'' (1985) - Agente de la RFA * ''Serpiente de mar'' (1985) a.k.a. ''The Sea Serpent'' * ''Romanza final (Gayarre)'' (1986) * ''Yo me bajo en la próxima, ¿y usted?'' (1992) - (final film role)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tichy, Gerard 1920 births 1992 deaths Spanish male film actors German male film actors German escapees German prisoners of war in World War II held by France German emigrants to Spain German Army officers of World War II Male actors from Madrid Male Spaghetti Western actors 20th-century Spanish male actors 20th-century German male actors Escapees from French detention People from Weißenfels