Hartmut Becker (6 May 1938 – 22 January 2022) was a German actor. He played Sgt.

Gustav Wagner Gustav Franz Wagner (18 July 1911 – 3 October 1980) was an Austrian member of the ''Schutzstaffel, SS'' with the rank of Staff sergeant (''Oberscharführer''). Wagner was a deputy commander of Sobibor extermination camp in General Government, Ge ...

in '' Escape From Sobibor'' in 1987. He also starred in the 1970 film ''

o.k. ''OK'' (spelling variations include ''okay'', ''O.K.'', ''ok'' and ''Ok'') is an English word (originating in American English) denoting approval, acceptance, agreement, assent, acknowledgment, or a sign of indifference. ''OK'' is frequently ...

'', which was also entered into the

20th Berlin International Film Festival The 20th annual Berlin International Film Festival was supposed to be held from 26 June to 7 July 1970. The festival opened with ''Klann – grand guignol'' by Patrick Ledoux. However, on 5 July the competition was cancelled and no major prizes ...

. However, the competition was cancelled and no prizes were awarded, over controversy surrounding the film. After ''O.K.'' Hartmut Becker was one of Germany’s busiest actors in film and theatre (at the State Theatres of Munich and Berlin he performed leading characters in plays from Shakespeare to Tennessee Williams). More important main parts in films followed like in Verhoeven's ''

He Who Loves in a Glass House ''He Who Loves in a Glass House'' (german: Wer im Glashaus liebt... der Graben) is a 1971 West German film directed by Michael Verhoeven. It was entered into the 21st Berlin International Film Festival. Cast * Senta Berger * Marianne Blomquist ...

'' (International Film Festival Berlin 1971), ''

When Mother Went on Strike ''When Mother Went on Strike'' (german: Als Mutter streikte) is a 1974 West German comedy film directed by Eberhard Schröder and starring Peter Hall, Gila von Weitershausen and Belinda Mayne.Bock & Bergfelder, p.442 It was based on the 1970 nov ...

'', ''John Ralling'' (TV), ', ''Audienz'' (TV), '' Sunday Children''.

Career

Becker was born in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

on 6 May 1938. His first leading part in an English-language production, Becker performed in the BBC film ''Forgive Our Foolish Ways'', where he played the role of a German prisoner of war next to Kate Nelligan. The television film became a very big success all over the world. Hartmut's following international film was the American-English production '' Jenny's War'' (Columbia Pictures), where he portrayed the main part of Karl Koenig, a character in the crucial test between love and war. His partners in this film were

Dyan Cannon Dyan Cannon (born Samille Diane Friesen; January 4, 1937) is an American actress, director, screenwriter, producer, and editor. Her accolades include a Saturn Award, a Golden Globe Award, three Academy Award nominations, and a star on the Ho ...

Elke Sommer Elke Sommer (; born Elke Baronin von Schletz, 5 November 1940) is a German actress. She appeared in numerous films in her heyday throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including roles in ''The Pink Panther (1963 film), The Pink Panther'' sequel ''A S ...

and Trevor Howard. For his widely praised performance in the following American production ''Escape from Sobibor'' (director:

Jack Gold Jacob M. "Jack" Gold (28 June 1930 – 9 August 2015) was a British film and television director. He was part of the Kitchen sink realism, British realist tradition which followed the Free Cinema movement. Career Jacob M. Gold was born in ...

, also starring Alan Arkin and Rutger Hauer) Hartmut had been nominated for an Emmy Award 1988. In his next "Festival-Film" ''

The Tenth One in Hiding ''The Tenth One in Hiding'' ( it, Il decimo clandestino) is a 1989 Italian drama film directed by Lina Wertmüller. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. Cast * Piera Degli Esposti - Marcella * Domin ...

'' (Festival International du Film Cannes 1989) Becker worked together with director Lina Wertmüller. His female partner in this feature film was Dominique Sanda. Several dream parts followed after the success of ''The Tenth One in Hiding'', for example the characters Niels Jost in ''A Quiet Conspiracy'' (Channel 4; director: John Gorrie; also starring Joss Ackland), Rauscher in the American film ''

Triumph of the Spirit ''Triumph of the Spirit'' is a 1989 American biographical drama film directed by Robert M. Young and starring Willem Dafoe and Edward James Olmos. The screenplay was inspired by true events, the same as the older Slovak film '' The Boxer and De ...

'' (director: Robert M. Young; with Willem Dafoe, Robert Loggia), Lutz in the English-French Television film ''Free Frenchmen'' (also starring Derek de Lint, Agnes Soral, directed by Jim Goddard), Moritz in the English-Austrian feature film ''Gavre Princip'' by Peter Patzak, King Christian in '' Young Catherine'' (American TV; with a.o.

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, two ...

Julia Ormond Julia Karin Ormond (born 4 January 1965) is an English actress. She rose to prominence by appearing in ''The Baby of Mâcon'' (1993), '' Legends of the Fall'' (1994), ''First Knight'' (1995), ''Sabrina'' (1995), '' Smilla's Sense of Snow'' (199 ...

, Marthe Keller,

Maximilian Schell Maximilian Schell (8 December 1930 – 1 February 2014) was an Austrian-born Swiss actor, who also wrote, directed and produced some of his own films. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1961 American film ''Judgment at Nuremberg'', h ...

; director: Michael Anderson), Rusty in the Italian TV-film ''Requiem per Voce e Pianoforte'' (RAI DUE), and last but not least Dieter Krause in the English TV-thriller ''The Waiting Time'' (ITV 1999; director: Stuart Orme). His last leading roles in German feature films of the last years were ''The Unforgotten'', ''Montag kommen die Fenster''/''Windows will drive on Monday'' (International Filmfestival Berlin), ''The Gift'' and ''Amatores Meae Matris''. Between 2007 and 2012 Becker was a member in the committee of the German Academy of Film (Deutsche Filmakademie). As a songwriter and singer his first single was produced in 2013. Becker died of cancer in Berlin on 22 January 2022, at the age of 83.Zum Tod des Berliner Schauspielers Hartmut Becker: Der Markante
(In German)

Selected filmography

* '' Student of the Bedroom'' (1970), as Schläger auf Fest * ''

'' (1970, International Filmfestival Berlin), as Ralph Clarke * ''

'' (1971, International Filmfestival Berlin), as Igor * ''

'' (1974), as Gabriel Gillhoff * ''John Ralling'' (1974, TV Series) * '' Derrick'' (1975, Season 2, Episode 1: "Mitternachtsbus"), as Erich Holler * ' (1976), as Dr. Sand * ''

21 Hours at Munich ''21 Hours at Munich'' is a 1976 American historical drama television film directed by William A. Graham and starring William Holden, Shirley Knight and Franco Nero. It is based on the 1975 non-fiction book ''The Blood of Israel'' by Serge Grouss ...

'' (1976, TV Movie) * '' A Bridge Too Far'' (1977), as German sentry * ''Bier und Spiele'' (1977, TV Series), as Jupp Krüger * '' Derrick'' (1978, Season 5, Episode 5: "Steins Tochter"), as Alexander Bork * '' Sunday Children'' (1980), as Konradi * ''Forgive Our Foolish Ways'' (1980, TV Movie) * ' (1981, TV Movie) * '' Jenny's War'' (1984, TV Movie) * ' (1985), as Pater Roger Lee * '' Escape from Sobibor'' (1987, TV Movie), as Hauptscharführer Gustav Wagner * ''

'' (''Portraits with Women'' / ''Nine plus One'') (1988, Festival International du Film Cannes) * ''A Quiet Conspiracy'' (1988, TV Movie) * ''

'' (1989), as Sturmbannführer Rauscher * '' Young Catherine'' (1990, TV Mini-Series) * ''Requiem per Voce e Pianoforte'' (1991, TV Movie) * ''Gavre Princip - Himmel unter Steinen'' (1990), as Cpl. Moritz * ''St. Petri Schnee'' (1991), as Fürst Praxatin * ''

Dr. Stefan Frank – Der Arzt, dem die Frauen vertrauen is a German medical television series produced by Phoenix Film for RTL from 1995 to 2001. The show was adapted from a series of novels of the same, written by Gerhard B. Wenzel. Synopsis The series centers on Stefan Frank, a gynecologist, w ...

'' (1995, TV Series) as Dr. Ulrich Waldner * '' SOKO 5113'' (1995, Episode: "Der Keltendolch") * '' Rosa Roth'' (1997, Episode: "The Voice") * ''The Waiting Time'' (1999, TV Movie) * ''Medicopter 117'' (2000, Episode: "Gehertzt") * ''A Touch of Love'' (2003, TV Movie) * '' Leipzig Homicide'' (2004, TV Series) * ''The Unforgotten'' (short film, 2005, Short) * ''Montag kommen die Fenster'' (''Windows will come on Monday'') - (2005, International Film festival Berlin 2006), as Herr Buchner * ''Crazy Partners'' (TV film, 2006) * ''Love and Passion'' (TV film, 2007) * ''The Gift'' (2008) * ''Interim'' (2009) * '' - One Murder too much'' (TV film, 2010) * ''

The German Friend ''The German Friend'' is an Argentine 2012 film directed by Jeanine Meerapfel, and starring Argentine actress Celeste Cid and German actor Max Riemelt. The film premiered on September 18, 2012 at the Argentine GFF (German Film Festival), in B ...

'' (2012), as Herr Werner Kunheim * ''Amatores Mea'' (short film, 2012) * ''Couples'' (TV film, 2013) * ''Verfehlung'' (2015), as Kardinal Schoeller * ''Die Spezialisten - Miss Mai 1988'' (TV film, 2016), as Big Toni * ''Liebesfilm'' (2017), as Lenz Senior

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Becker, Hartmut 1938 births 2022 deaths Male actors from Berlin German male film actors German male stage actors German male television actors 20th-century German male actors 21st-century German male actors Deaths from cancer in Germany