Günter Meisner (18 April 1926 – 5 December 1994) was a German film and television

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 ...

. He is remembered for his several cinematic portrayals of

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

and for his role as

Arthur Slugworth This is a list of characters in the 1964 Roald Dahl book ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'', his 1972 sequel ''Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator'', and the former's film adaptations, ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' (1971) and ' ...

in ''

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The film ...

''. He was fluent in four languages and appeared in many English-language,

German-language German ( ) is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol. It is also a c ...

and

French-language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Nor ...

films.

Career

Born in

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...

, Meisner briefly worked at a steel foundry before training as a radio operator with the

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

's ''

Fallschirmjäger The ''Fallschirmjäger'' () were the paratrooper branch of the German Luftwaffe before and during World War II. They were the first German paratroopers to be committed in large-scale airborne operations. Throughout World War II, the commander ...

'' (

paratrooper A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during World ...

s). After the war, though he was interested in a career in sculpture and painting, in 1948 he switched to drama and studied under

Gustaf Gründgens Gustaf Gründgens (; 22 December 1899 – 7 October 1963), born Gustav Heinrich Arnold Gründgens, was one of Germany's most famous and influential actors of the 20th century, and artistic director of theatres in Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg ...

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

's State Conservatory, where he also got his first job at the local ''Schauspielhaus''.

Film and TV

Meisner often played

stock character A stock character, also known as a character archetype, is a fictional character in a work of art such as a novel, play, or a film whom audiences recognize from frequent recurrences in a particular literary tradition. There is a wide range of st ...

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

officers and other sinister characters. He portrayed Hitler in the 1982 Franco-German action comedy, ''

L'as des as ''L'as des as'' (''The Ace of Aces''; alternate English title: ''The Super Ace'') is a 1982 French-German action comedy film starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and directed by Gérard Oury. ''The Ace of Aces'' was a huge public success, reaching five ...

'' (Ace of Aces), and in the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

television

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format h ...

, ''

The Winds of War (miniseries) ''The Winds of War'' is a 1983 miniseries, directed and produced by Dan Curtis, that follows the 1971 book of the same name written by Herman Wouk. Just as in the book, in addition to the lives of the Henry and Jastrow families, much time in the ...

''. He also appeared in the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

miniseries, '' Blood and Honor'' and

Southern Television Southern Television was the ITV broadcasting licence holder for the South and South-East of England from 30 August 1958 to 31 December 1981. The company was launched as 'Southern Television Limited' and the title 'Southern Television' was con ...

's '' Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years''. Other films Meisner took part in were '' Is Paris Burning?'', ''

The Quiller Memorandum ''The Quiller Memorandum'' is a 1966 British neo noir eurospy film filmed in DeLuxe Color, Deluxe Color and Panavision, adapted from the 1965 spy fiction, spy novel ''The Berlin Memorandum'', by Elleston Trevor under the name "Adam Hall", screen ...

'', ''

Funeral in Berlin ''Funeral in Berlin'' is a 1964 spy novel by Len Deighton set between Saturday 5 October and Sunday 10 November 1963. It was the third of Deighton's novels about an unnamed British agent. It was preceded by ''The IPCRESS File'' (1962) and '' H ...

'', and '' The Boys from Brazil''. He was Mr. Slugworth/Mr. Wilkinson in the 1971 film version of ''

''. He also appeared in several television commercials.

Theatre

As a theatre actor and director, Meisner founded the ''Gallery Diogenes'' in Berlin in 1959 for visual art and mainly absurd theater. In 1961, he also founded the ''International Association for Arts and Sciences''.

Africa

From 1967 to 1969 Meisner participated in relief efforts in

Biafra Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. Its territory consisted of the predominantly Igbo-populated form ...

, Nigeria. He also produced two films criticising racial discrimination: ''Don't Look for Me in Places Where I Can't Be Found'' and ''Bega Dwa Bega'' (One for All), a Swahili-language film for the Tanzanian Film Unit.

Death

Meisner died on 5 December 1994 at the age of 68 of

heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, a ...

, during the filming of an episode of the television series ''

Tatort ''Tatort'' ("Crime scene") is a German language police procedural television series that has been running continuously since 1970 with some 30 feature-length episodes per year, which makes it the longest-running German TV drama. Developed by ...

''. He is buried in Berlin's

Friedhof Heerstraße The Friedhof Heerstraße cemetery is located at Trakehnerallee 1 (''Trakehner avenue No.1''), district of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf in Berlin, Germany, to the east of the Olympic Stadium (Berlin), Olympiastadion. It covers an area of 149 ...

Cemetery.

Selected filmography

*1957: ''

A Time to Love and a Time to Die ''A Time to Love and a Time to Die'' is a 1958 Eastmancolor CinemaScope drama war film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring John Gavin and Liselotte Pulver. Based on the book by German author Erich Maria Remarque and set on the Eastern Front ...

'' (uncredited) *1957: ''Kopf oder Zahl'', as Kid *1958: ''Viel Lärm um nichts'' *1958: ''

Here I Am, Here I Stay ''Here I Am, Here I Stay'' (german: Hier bin ich – hier bleib ich) is a 1959 West German musical comedy film directed by Werner Jacobs and produced by Artur Brauner. It stars Caterina Valente, Hans Holt and Ruth Stephan. The film also featur ...

'' (''Hier bin ich – hier bleib ich'') *1959: ''Aus dem Tagebuch eines Frauenarztes'' *1959: ''

Babette Goes to War ''Babette Goes to War'' (french: Babette s'en va-t-en guerre) is a 1959 French CinemaScope film starring Brigitte Bardot. It was Bardot's first movie since becoming a star where she did not take off her clothes. Plot In 1940, during the German inv ...

'' (''Babette s'en va-t-en guerre'') *1959: ''

The Death Ship ''The Death Ship'' (German title: ''Das Totenschiff'') is a novel by the pseudonymous author known as B. Traven. Originally published in German in 1926, and in English in 1934, it was Traven's first major success and is still the author's second ...

'' (''Das Totenschiff''), as Paul, Trimmer auf der Yorikke *1959: ''

The Black Chapel ''The Black Chapel'' (German: ''Geheimaktion schwarze Kapelle'') is a 1959 political thriller film directed by Ralph Habib and starring Dawn Addams, Peter van Eyck and Ernst Schröder. It is based on the novel ''Die schwarze Kapelle'' by Olav H ...

'', as 1. Killer *1961: ''

Question 7 ''Question 7'' is a 1961 American-West German film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Michael Gwynn, Margaret Jahnen and Christian de Bresson. It won the National Board of Review Award for Best Film. It was also entered into the 11th Ber ...

'', as Schmidt *1961: ''

The Miracle of Father Malachia ''The Miracle of Father Malachia'' (german: Das Wunder des Malachias) is a 1961 West German black-and-white film directed by Bernhard Wicki and starring Horst Bollmann. The film is based on the 1931 novel '' Father Malachy's Miracle'' by Bruce Mars ...

'' (''Das Wunder des Malachias''), as Crazy Preacher *1961: ', as Redner Meetingsaal *1961: ', as Redner (uncredited) *1962: ''

The Counterfeit Traitor ''The Counterfeit Traitor'' is a 1962 espionage thriller film starring William Holden, Hugh Griffith, and Lilli Palmer. Holden plays an American-born Swedish citizen who agrees to spy on the Nazis in World War II. It was based on a nonfiction boo ...

'', as Priest (uncredited) *1962: ''

Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse ''The Testament of Dr. Mabuse'' (german: Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse), also called ''The Last Will of Dr. Mabuse'', is a 1933 German crime-thriller film directed by Fritz Lang. The movie is a sequel to Lang's silent film ''Dr. Mabuse the Gambl ...

'', as Kurzschluß-Henry (uncredited) *1963: '' The Black Cobra'' (''Die schwarze Kobra''), as Wunderlich ('Mr. Green') *1963: ''

Hafenpolizei ''Hafenpolizei'' is a German television series. It was filmed in Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST ...

- Der blaue Brief'' (TV series), as Johnny Massels *1964: ''

Murderer in the Fog Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the c ...

'', as Kriminalassistent Behrend *1965: '' Code Name: Jaguar'', as Russian Officer *1966: ' (1966, TV miniseries), as Smiler Jackson *1966: '' Is Paris Burning?'' (''Paris brûle-t-il?''), as Commandant SS à Pantin *1966: ''

'', as Hassler *1966: ''

'', as Kreutzman *1967: ''

The Monk with the Whip ''The Monk with the Whip'' (German: ''Der Mönch mit der Peitsche'') is a 1967 West German mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Vohrer and starring Joachim Fuchsberger, Uschi Glas and Grit Boettcher. It is inspired by the 1926 novel '' The Bla ...

'', as Greaves *1969: ''

The Bridge at Remagen ''The Bridge at Remagen'' is a 1969 DeLuxe Color war film in Panavision starring George Segal, Ben Gazzara and Robert Vaughn. The film, which was directed by John Guillermin, was shot in Czechoslovakia. It is based on the nonfiction book ''The ...

'', as SS Gen. Gerlach *1970: '' Hauser's Memory'', as Korowiew *1970: ''Poker - Poker'' (Short) *1971: ''

'', as Arthur Slugworth *1971: ''Ludwig L'' (Short film), as Der Betrunkene *1973: '' The Battle of Sutjeska'', as German General *1973: ''Werwölfe'' *1974: ''Die Verrohung des Franz Blum'', as Borsig *1974: ''

The Odessa File ''The Odessa File'' is a thriller by English writer Frederick Forsyth, first published in 1972, about the adventures of a young German reporter attempting to discover the location of a former SS concentration-camp commander. The name ODESSA is ...

'', as General Greifer *1974: '' Borsalino & Co.'', as Le médecin *1974: ''

Between Wars ''Between Wars'' is an Australian 1974 drama/war film released on 15 November 1974. It was directed by Michael Thornhill and written by Frank Moorhouse. Plot Four episodes in the life of doctor Edward Trenbow: *In 1918 Trenbow is treating shell ...

'', as Karl Schneider *1975: ''

La Chair de l'orchidée ''La Chair de l'orchidée'' (The Flesh of the Orchid) is a 1975 film by Patrice Chéreau as his directorial debut, adapted by him and by Jean-Claude Carrière from the 1948 book '' The Flesh of the Orchid'' by British writer James Hadley Chase, ...

'', as L'avocat-conseil *1975: ''Familienglück'', as Hektiker *1975: '' Inside Out'', as Schmidt *1976: ''

Voyage of the Damned ''Voyage of the Damned'' is a 1976 drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg, with an all-star cast featuring Faye Dunaway, Oskar Werner, Lee Grant, Max von Sydow, James Mason, and Malcolm McDowell. The story was inspired by actual events conc ...

'', as Robert Hoffman *1977: ', as Pfarrer *1977: ' *1977: '' The Serpent's Egg'', as Convict *1978: '' The Boys from Brazil'', as Farnbach *1978: ''

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit ''Out of the Hitler Time'' is a trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels by Judith Kerr for children and young adults. ''When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit'' ''When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit'' is the first book in the trilogy and a well-known novel ...

'' (TV film), as Berg *1979: '' Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo'', as Betrunkener Arbeiter (uncredited) *1979: '' Breakthrough'', as SS-Offizier *1979: ''

Avalanche Express ''Avalanche Express'' is a 1979 Cold War adventure thriller film starring Lee Marvin, Robert Shaw, Maximilian Schell, and Linda Evans and produced and directed by Mark Robson. The plot is about the struggle over a defecting Soviet general. The ...

'', as Rudi Muehler *1979: ''

Ticket of No Return ''Ticket of No Return'' (german: Bildnis einer Trinkerin) is a German drama film, directed by Ulrike Ottinger Ulrike Ottinger (born 6 June 1942) is a German filmmaker and photographer. Early life From 1959 she was a visiting student at the Ac ...

(Bildnis einer Trinkerin)'', as Direktor Willi *1979: ' (TV miniseries) *1980: ''

The American Success Company ''The American Success Company'' is a 1980 American comedy-drama film directed by William Richert and starring Jeff Bridges. It was written by Larry Cohen. Re-edited versions of the film have appeared under the titles ''American Success'', ''Suc ...

'', as Maitre d' *1980: ', as Patient *1980: ', as Grimme *1980: '' Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years'' (TV Series), as

*1981: ''

Silas Silas or Silvanus (; Greek: Σίλας/Σιλουανός; fl. 1st century AD) was a leading member of the Early Christian community, who according to the New Testament accompanied Paul the Apostle on his second missionary journey. Name and et ...

'' (TV miniseries), as Fabian Fedder *1982: ''

Night Crossing ''Night Crossing'' is a 1982 British-American drama film starring John Hurt, Jane Alexander and Beau Bridges. The film is based on the true story of the Strelzyk and Wetzel families, who on September 16, 1979, attempted to escape from East Germa ...

'', as Major Koerner *1982: '' Blood and Honor: Youth Under Hitler'' (TV Series), as Schneider *1982: ''Rom ist in der kleinsten Hütte'' (TV Series) *1982: ', as Dr. Steiner *1982: ''

L'As des as ''L'as des as'' (''The Ace of Aces''; alternate English title: ''The Super Ace'') is a 1982 French-German action comedy film starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and directed by Gérard Oury. ''The Ace of Aces'' was a huge public success, reaching five ...

'', as

Angela Hitler Angela Franziska Johanna Hammitzsch (née Hitler; 28 July 1883 – 30 October 1949) was the elder half-sister of Adolf Hitler. She was the mother of Geli Raubal by her first husband, Leo Raubal Sr. Life Angela Hitler was born in Braunau, ...

*1982: ''Zwei Tote im Sender und Don Carlos im Pogl'' (TV Movie), as Maskenbildner *1983: ''

The Winds of War ''The Winds of War'' is Herman Wouk's second book about World War II (the first being ''The Caine Mutiny''). Published in 1971, ''The Winds of War'' was followed up seven years later by ''War and Remembrance''; originally conceived as one volume, ...

'', as

*1983: ''Plem, Plem - Die Schule brennt'' *1983: '' Chamäleon'' (TV Series) *1984: ''

Under the Volcano ''Under the Volcano'' is a novel by English writer Malcolm Lowry (1909–1957) published in 1947. The novel tells the story of Geoffrey Firmin, an alcoholic British consul in the Mexican city of Quauhnahuac, on the Day of the Dead in November ...

'', as Herr Krausberg - the German Attaché (uncredited) *1984: ''Der Mord mit der Schere'' (Short) *1985: '' Drei gegen Drei'', as Prof. Holl *1986: ''Close Up'' (Short film), as KGB-Chef *1986: '' Tras el cristal'', as Klaus *1986: ''Das Geheimnis von Lismore Castle'' (TV Movie), as Sir Ralph Whitecombe *1986: ''Gestatten, Bestatter'', as Herr Abendroth *1987: ''Die Saat des Hasses'' ('' Visperas'') (TV Series) *1987: ''Indras Rache'' ('' Tout est dans la fin''), as Hamerstein *1987: ''Der elegante Hund'' (TV Series) *1988: ', as Bobby Steinbeck *1989: ''Magdalene'', as Prior *1989: ''Bride of the Orient'' (''La Fiancée thaïlandaise / Gekauftes Glück''), as Pfarrer Barmettler *1989: ''

Roselyne et les lions ''Roselyne et les lions'' (''Roselyne and the Lions'') is a 1989 French film directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix. Plot Thierry does odd jobs in a zoo in Marseille in exchange for lessons from Frazier the lion trainer. He meets Roselyne and they leav ...

'', as Klint *1989: ''The Saint: The Big Bang'' (TV Series), as Kuhler *1989: ''

Moon Child The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the List of natural satellites, fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth ( ...

'' (''El niño de la luna''), as Abuelo militar *1990: ''Estación Central'', as Alex' friend *1990: '' The Man Inside'', as Judge *1990: ''Il piccolo popolo'' (TV Movie), as Schneider *1990: ''Te Rua'', as Prof. Biederstedt *1991: ''Leporella'' *1992: ''

Ruby Cairo ''Ruby Cairo'', also known as ''Deception'', is a 1992 drama thriller film directed by Graeme Clifford. It stars Andie MacDowell, Liam Neeson and Viggo Mortensen. One scene features Aleister Crowley's ''The Book of the Law''. Plot When Bessie Fa ...

'', as Herr Bruchner, EDK Executive *1993: ''

Faraway, So Close! ''Faraway, So Close!'' (german: In weiter Ferne, so nah!) is a 1993 German fantasy film directed by Wim Wenders. The screenplay is by Wenders, Richard Reitinger and Ulrich Zieger. It is a sequel to Wenders' 1987 film ''Wings of Desire''. Actors Ot ...

'' (''In weiter Ferne, so nah!''), as Fälscher *1993: ''Posthuman'', as Doctor *1993: ''Harry & Sunny'' (TV Series), as Kneipenwirt *1994: ''

The Violin Player ''The Violin Player'' is the first techno/ pop album by classical and pop musician Vanessa-Mae, released in 1995. It is the first album Vanessa-Mae released on the EMI label. The album was produced by Mike Batt, and engineered by Gareth Cousins ...

'' (''Le joueur de violon'') *1994: ''Air Albatros'' (TV Series), as Lauffendingk Sr. *1994: ''Eine Mutter kämpft um ihren Sohn'', as Wegener

External links

* *
Gunter Meisner profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meisner, Gunter 1926 births 1994 deaths German male film actors German male television actors Fallschirmjäger of World War II 20th-century German male actors