Helmut Dantine (7 October 1918 – 2 May 1982) was an Austrian-American actor who often played Nazis in thriller films of the 1940s. His best-known performances are perhaps the German pilot in ''

Mrs. Miniver ''Mrs. Miniver'' is a 1942 American romantic war drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. Inspired by the 1940 novel '' Mrs. Miniver'' by Jan Struther, it shows how the life of an unassuming British h ...

'' and the desperate refugee in ''

Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...

'', who tries gambling to obtain travel visa money for himself and his wife. As his acting career waned, he turned to producing. According to one obituary, "He specialized in portrayals of Nazis, sometimes as the handsome but icy SS sadist battling Allied heroes, sometimes as a sympathetic German soldier forced, against his better judgment, to fight".

Early life

Dantine's father, Alfred Guttman, was the head of the Austrian railway system in Vienna. As a young man, Dantine became involved in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

's anti-Nazi movement. In 1938, when he was 19 years old, the

Nazis 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 Na ...

took over Austria during the ''

Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...

''. Dantine was rounded up with hundreds of other opponents of the

Third Reich Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

and imprisoned in a

Nazi concentration camp From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps, (officially) or (more commonly). The Nazi concentration camps are distinguished from other types of Nazi camps such as forced-labor camps, as well as concen ...

outside Vienna. Three months later, using their influence, his parents obtained his release and immediately sent him to

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

to live with a friend. His father later died in Austria. His mother, Ditha Guttman, was safely brought to the U.S. in 1960 by her son to live in California. Ditha lived there until her death in 1983.

Film career

Dantine enrolled at the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

. His relatives thought he would go into business, but he became interested in theater. He began his U.S. acting career at the

Pasadena Playhouse The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engage ...

, while running two gas stations in order to pay his expenses. Dantine was spotted by a talent scout from Warner Bros, who signed him to a contract.

Warner Bros

Dantine had uncredited parts in '' International Squadron'' (1942) and ''

To Be or Not to Be To Be or Not to Be may refer to: * ''To be, or not to be'', the soliloquy from ''Hamlet''. Films and TV, theatre and books * ''To Be or Not to Be'' (1942 film), directed by Ernst Lubitsch * ''To Be or Not to Be'' (1983 film), a remake produced ...

'' (1942), before his first credited role in MGM's ''

'' (1942), playing a downed German pilot captured by the title character (played by

Greer Garson Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (29 September 1904 – 6 April 1996) was an English-American actress and singer. She was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer who became popular during the Second World War for her portrayal of strong women on the hom ...

). It was a huge hit, and Dantine received much positive attention from being in the film. In August 1942, Warners signed him to a new acting contract. The studio kept him busy with roles in the

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 ...

films, ''

The Pied Piper The Pied Piper of Hamelin (german: der Rattenfänger von Hameln, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the title character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany. The legend dates back t ...

'' (1942), ''

Desperate Journey ''Desperate Journey'' is a 1942 American World War II action and aviation film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Raymond Massey, Alan Hale Sr., and Arthur Kennedy. The melodramatic f ...

'' (1942) fighting

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...

, and ''

The Navy Comes Through ''The Navy Comes Through'' is a 1942 American World War II film directed by A. Edward Sutherland. It stars Pat O'Brien, George Murphy and Jane Wyatt. Vernon L. Walker and James G. Stewart were nominated for an Oscar for Best Special Effects. ...

'' (1942). He had a sympathetic role in ''

'' (1942), as a young refugee trying and failing to earn money via gambling in order to purchase travel visas for him and his wife; he is helped by

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...

. Warners began to give Dantine more sizeable roles in their "A" films, ''

Watch on the Rhine A watch is a portable timepiece intended to be carried or worn by a person. It is designed to keep a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached by ...

'' (1943), ''

Edge of Darkness ''Edge of Darkness'' is a British television drama serial produced by BBC Television in association with Lionheart Television International and originally broadcast in six 55-minute episodes in late 1985. A mixture of crime drama and politica ...

'' (1943), playing a Nazi officer, again fighting Errol Flynn, and ''

Mission to Moscow ''Mission to Moscow'' is a 1943 film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on the 1941 book by the former U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, Joseph E. Davies. The movie chronicles the experiences of the second American ambassador to the Soviet ...

'' (1943), playing a sympathetic Russian. Dantine's good looks caused him to receive a lot of fan mail and, in the words of one profile, "the studio began to realise it had something else besides a Hollywood Hitlerite on its hands". Warners announced they had bought ''Night Action'' by

Norman Krasna Norman Krasna (November 7, 1909 – November 1, 1984) was an American screenwriter, playwright, producer, and film director who penned screwball comedies centered on a case of mistaken identity. Krasna directed three films during a forty-year ca ...

as a vehicle for Dantine, but the film appears not to have been made. Instead, he had a large role playing the villain in ''

Northern Pursuit ''Northern Pursuit'' is a 1943 American World War II film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn as a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) who tries to uncover a Nazi plot against the Allied war effort. The film was set in ...

'' (1943), as a Nazi running loose in northern Canada fighting Errol Flynn again. Warner Bros. later cast him in a sympathetic role in ''

Passage to Marseille ''Passage to Marseille'', also known as ''Message to Marseille'', is a 1944 American war film made by Warner Brothers, directed by Michael Curtiz. The screenplay was by Casey Robinson and Jack Moffitt from the novel ''Sans Patrie'' (''Men Withou ...

'' (1944), and he was one of several stars in ''

Hollywood Canteen The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945 (Thanksgiving Day), as a club offering food, dancing and entertainment for serv ...

'' (1944). In 1944, exhibitors voting for "Stars of Tomorrow", picked Dantine at number 10. Warners gave him a sympathetic lead in ''

Hotel Berlin ''Hotel Berlin'' is an American drama film set in Berlin near the close of World War II, made by Warner Bros. in late 1944 to early 1945. Directed by Peter Godfrey, it stars Faye Emerson, Helmut Dantine, Raymond Massey and Andrea King. It is b ...

'' (1945), as the leader of the German underground. He was once again a Nazi on-the-run in '' Escape in the Desert'' (1945), a remake of ''

The Petrified Forest ''The Petrified Forest'' is a 1936 American film directed by Archie Mayo and based on Robert E. Sherwood's 1935 Broadway drama of the same name. The motion picture stars Leslie Howard, Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart. The screenplay was written ...

''. His last role for Warners was in the

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

, ''

Shadow of a Woman ''Shadow of a Woman'' is a 1946 American drama film, drama film noir directed by Joseph Santley and starring Helmut Dantine, Andrea King and William Prince (actor), William Prince. The film is based on the novel ''He Fell Down Dead'' written by Vi ...

'' (1946). He then left the studio.

Freelancer

Dantine was the lead in another film noir ''

Whispering City ''Whispering City'' (also known as ''Crime City'') is a 1947 black-and-white film noir directed by Fedor Ozep and starring Paul Lukas, Mary Anderson, and Helmut Dantine.Gerald Pratley, ''A Century of Canadian Cinema''. Lynx Images, 2003. . p. 23 ...

'' (1947) for

Eagle-Lion Films Eagle-Lion Films was a British-American film production company owned by J. Arthur Rank intended to distribute British productions in the United States. In 1947, it acquired Robert R. Young's PRC Pictures, a small American production company, ...

. In 1947, he co-starred with

Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several prominent films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's ''Lif ...

in the Broadway play ''

The Eagle Has Two Heads ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

'', replacing

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

. According to

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the su ...

, Bankhead made alterations to the play, and the production was a flop, lasting only 29 performances. Dantine was in ''No Time for Comedy'' on stage in Washington and also performed in the 1950 Broadway play ''Parisienne''. He was also in ''

Arms and the Man ''Arms and the Man'' is a comedy by George Bernard Shaw, whose title comes from the opening words of Virgil's ''Aeneid'', in Latin: ''Arma virumque cano'' ("Of arms and the man I sing"). The play was first produced on 21 April 1894 at the Aven ...

'' at Cambridge Summer Playhouse. Dantine starred in the live but short-lived television series ''

Shadow of the Cloak ''Shadow of the Cloak'' was a spy drama live television series broadcast on the now-defunct DuMont Television Network. Helmut Dantine played secret agent Peter House. John Gay (screenwriter), John Gay wrote some of the 36 episodes. The first epi ...

'' during the 1951–52 season. He had the lead in a

B-movie A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...

, '' Guerrilla Girl'' (1953), then had a small role in the musical, ''

Call Me Madam ''Call Me Madam'' is a musical written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. The musical is a satire on politics and foreign policy that spoofs postwar America's penchant for lending billions of dollars to ...

'' (1953), He was supported by

Patricia Neal Patricia Neal (born Patsy Louise Neal, January 20, 1926 – August 8, 2010) was an American actress of stage and screen. A major star of the 1950s and 1960s, she was the recipient of an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and two ...

while starring in the British

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstellar ...

'' Stranger from Venus'' (1953). Dantine acted in the 1956 film production of Tolstoy's ''

War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...

'' as Dolokhov, a Cossack officer assigned to harrying the retreat of France's Napoleonic army from Moscow. He also had a small role in ''

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), '' Kean: Genius or Scoundrel'' (1957), and ''

The Story of Mankind ''The Story of Mankind'' is a book written and illustrated by Dutch-American journalist, professor, and author Hendrik Willem van Loon. It was published in 1921. In 1922, it was awarded the Newbery Medal for an outstanding contribution to children ...

'' (1957). He played the lead role in ''

Hell on Devil's Island ''Hell on Devil's Island'' is a 1957 American adventure film directed by Christian Nyby and written by Steven Ritch. The film stars Helmut Dantine, William Talman, Donna Martell, Jean Willes, Rex Ingram and Robert Cornthwaite. The film was re ...

'' (1957). Dantine directed the 1958 military aviation film ''

Thundering Jets ''Thundering Jets'' is a 1958 American drama film directed by Helmut Dantine, written by James Landis, and starring Rex Reason, Dick Foran, Audrey Dalton, Barry Coe, and Robert Dix. ''Thundering Jets'' was released in May 1958, by 20th Century ...

'', starring

Rex Reason Rex Reason (November 30, 1928 – November 19, 2015) was an American actor best known for his role in '' This Island Earth'' (1955). Life and career Rex George Reason Jr. was born in Berlin, Germany, to an American family that returned to Los An ...

, and continued to act in the films ''

Fräulein ''Fräulein'' ( , ) is the German language honorific for unmarried women, comparable to Miss in English and Mademoiselle in French. Description ''Fräulein'' is the diminutive form of ''Frau'', which was previously reserved only for marrie ...

'' (1958) and ''

Tempest Tempest is a synonym for a storm. '' The Tempest'' is a play by William Shakespeare. Tempest or The Tempest may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''The Tempest'' (1908 film), a British silent film * ''The Tempest'' (1911 film), a ...

'' (1958).

Producing

As his acting career wound down, he became a vice-president of Hollywood mogul

Joseph Schenck Joseph Michael Schenck (; December 25, 1876 – October 22, 1961) was a Russian-born American film studio executive. Life and career Schenck was born to a Jewish family in Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russian Empire. He emigrated to New York City ...

's company, Schenck Enterprises, in 1959; Schenck was his wife's uncle. He later went to work as producer with Robert L. Lippert Productions and then as president of Hand Enterprises Inc. Among Dantine's later screen appearances, there were three films for which he was the executive producer: ''

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia ''Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia'' () is a 1974 Mexican-American neo-Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, co-written by Peckinpah and Gordon Dawson from a story by Peckinpah and Frank Kowalski, and starring Warren Oates and Isela Vega, w ...

'' (1974) and ''

The Killer Elite ''The Killer Elite'' is a 1975 American action thriller film directed by Sam Peckinpah and written by Marc Norman and Stirling Silliphant, adapted from the Robert Syd Hopkins novel ''Monkey in the Middle.'' It stars James Caan and Robert Duvall a ...

'' (1975), both directed by

Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic ''The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institute ...

, and ''

The Wilby Conspiracy ''The Wilby Conspiracy'' is a 1975 British adventure thriller film directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Michael Caine, Sidney Poitier, and Nicol Williamson. Filmed in Kenya, it was written by Rodney Amateau, based on the 1972 novel by Peter D ...

'' (1975). He was also in ''

The Fifth Musketeer ''The Fifth Musketeer'' is a 1979 German-Austrian film adaptation of the last section of the 1847–1850 novel '' The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later'' by Alexandre Dumas, père, which is itself based on the French legend of the Man in t ...

'' (1979) and ''

Tarzan the Ape Man Tarzan, the Ape Man may refer to * Tarzan, a fictional character * ''Tarzan the Ape Man'' (1932 film), with Johnny Weissmuller * ''Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (1959 film) with Denny Miller * ''Tarzan, the Ape Man'' (1981 film) with Richard Harris and ...

'' (1981).

Personal life

Before graduating from UCLA, he married fellow theater student Gwen Anderson; they divorced in 1943. In 1943, he was in a car accident and accused of

hit-and-run In traffic laws, a hit and run or a hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic collision and not stopping afterwards. It is considered a supplemental crime in most jurisdictions. Additional obligation In many jurisdictions, there may be an ...

. In January 1945 he was arrested for biting

Ida Lupino Ida Lupino (4 February 1918Recorded in ''Births Mar 1918'' Camberwell Vol. 1d, p. 1019 (Free BMD). Transcribed as "Lupine" in the official births index – 3 August 1995) was an English-American actress, singer, director, writer, and producer. T ...

's assistant on the arm during a New Year's Eve party; after apologizing to the assistant, he was released. He became an American citizen in April 1944. In 1947, he married Charlene Stafford Wrightsman (1927–1963), the younger daughter of Charles Bierer Wrightsman, an oil millionaire whose collection of French furniture and decorative arts fills several galleries at the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

. The couple had a son, Dana Wrightsman Dantine, before divorcing in 1950. His ex-wife claimed Dantine was after her father's money. In 1958, Dantine married Nicola Schenck, daughter of

Nicholas Schenck Nicholas M. Schenck (14 November 1880, Rybinsk, Russia – 4 March 1969, Florida) was a Russian-American film studio executive and businessman. Biography Early life One of seven children, Schenck was born to a Jewish household in Rybinsk, ...

, one of the founders of Loews. His wife acted under the name Niki Dantine; the couple had three children: Dita, Nicola, and Shelley. In 1971, Helmut and Niki were divorced.Kennedy, D. (May 10, 1982)
Political activities as youth lent credibility to film roles.
''Los Angeles Times''

Death

On 2 May 1982, Helmut Dantine died in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...

of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

at age 63.

Partial filmography

* ''

Escape Escape or Escaping may refer to: Computing * Escape character, in computing and telecommunication, a character which signifies that what follows takes an alternative interpretation ** Escape sequence, a series of characters used to trigger some so ...

'' (1940) – Porter (uncredited) * '' International Squadron'' (1941) – Flyer (uncredited) * ''

'' (1942) – Co-Pilot (uncredited) * ''

'' (1942) – German Flyer * ''

'' (1942) – Aide * ''

'' (1942) – German Co-Pilot (uncredited) * ''

'' (1942) – Frightened Young German Seaman (uncredited) * ''

'' (1942) – Jan Brandel (uncredited) * ''

'' (1943) – Captain Koenig * ''

'' (1943) – Maj. Kamenev * ''

'' (1943) – Young Man * ''

'' (1943) – Col. Hugo von Keller * ''

'' (1944) – Garou * ''

'' (1944) – Helmut Dantine * ''

'' (1945) – Dr. Martin Richter * '' Escape in the Desert'' (1945) – Capt. Becker * ''

'' (1946) – Dr. Eric Ryder * ''

'' (1947) – Michel Lacoste * '' Guerrilla Girl'' (1953) – Demetri Alexander * ''

'' (1953) – Prince Hugo * '' Stranger from Venus'' (1954) – The Stranger * ''

'' (1956) – Nectenabus * ''

'' (1956) – Dolokhov * '' Kean: Genius or Scoundrel'' (1956) – Lord Mewill * ''

'' (1957) – Paul Rigaud * ''

'' (1957) – Marc Antony * ''

'' (1958) – Lt. Hugo Von Metzler * ''

'' (1958) – Svabrin * ''

Operation Crossbow ''Crossbow'' was the code name in World War II for Anglo-American operations against the German V-weapons, long range reprisal weapons (V-weapons) programme. The main V-weapons were the V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket – these were launched aga ...

'' (1965) – General Linz * ''

'' (1974) – Max * ''

'' (1975) – Prosecuting Counsel * ''

'' (1975) – Vorodny * ''

'' (1979) – Spanish Ambassador (final film role)

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dantine, Helmut 1918 births 1982 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century Austrian male actors American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors University of California, Los Angeles alumni Warner Bros. contract players Austrian emigrants to the United States Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Emigrants from Austria after the Anschluss Male actors from Vienna People with acquired American citizenship Nazi concentration camp survivors