Karl John (24 March 1905 – 22 December 1977) was a German film actor who appeared in more than 50 films between 1933 and 1977.

Early life

John was born in

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. He studied architecture at the Technische Hochschule in Danzig. But he soon discovered his love for the stage and moved to

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 ...

where he took acting lessons.

Career

At 26 he made his debut performance at a theater in Boleslawiec. John made his first film appearance in the 1932 thriller ''The White Demon'' which also starred

Hans Albers Hans Philipp August Albers (22 September 1891 – 24 July 1960) was a German actor and singer. He was the biggest male movie star in Germany between 1930 and 1960 and one of the most popular German actors of the twentieth century. Early life ...

in the lead role. Throughout the 1930s he played numerous roles at various theaters throughout

Nazi Germany 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 ...

. In 1938, John came to the prestigious Deutsches Theater in Berlin. At the outbreak of

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 ...

John appeared in many German propaganda films made by the Reichs Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda under the auspices of Reich Minister

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 19 ...

. He played soldiers and sailors, he also voiced information films on the role of

dive bombers A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact throughou ...

tanks A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine ...

and

submarines A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely o ...

. However, in 1943 he was sentenced to death by the People's Court for espousing "defeatist views" after Goebbels became aware he had been making "jokes about

Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...

". His sentence was commuted to service in

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 ...

. After World War II, John played several roles in various anti-war German film. In 1947 he starred in ''In Those Days'' and ''Love 47'', an adaption of

Wolfgang Borchert Wolfgang Borchert (; 20 May 1921 – 20 November 1947) was a German author and playwright whose work was strongly influenced by his experience of dictatorship and his service in the ''Wehrmacht'' during the Second World War. His work is among t ...

's play ''The Man Outside''. John also played a Gestapo agent in

Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movin ...

's only directorial outing, the German-language ''

Der Verlorene ''The Lost One'' (german: Der Verlorene) is a 1951 West German drama film directed by Peter Lorre and starring Lorre, Karl John and Renate Mannhardt. It is an art film in the film noir style, based on a true story. Lorre wrote, directed, and sta ...

'' in 1951. Throughout the 1950s John often portrayed members of the ''Wehrmacht'' such as in ''

Des Teufels General ''The Devil's General'' (german: Des Teufels General) is a 1955 black and white West German film based on the play of the same title by Carl Zuckmayer. The film features Curd Jürgens as General Harras, Marianne Koch, Viktor de Kowa, Karl John, ...

'' (1955), '' Hunde, wollt ihr ewig leben'' (1957) and ''Fabrik der Offiziere'' (1960). In 1962 John played a German general in

Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl Francis Zanuck (September 5, 1902December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. He played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of ...

's international 1962 war epic '' The Longest Day''. In the 1960s, he appeared in several stage productions based on adaptation of the works of British writer and journalist,

Edgar Wallace Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1 April 1875 – 10 February 1932) was a British writer. Born into poverty as an illegitimate London child, Wallace left school at the age of 12. He joined the army at age 21 and was a war correspondent during th ...

. In the 1970s John also made guest appearances on West German television crime shows including

Derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and a ...

'', ''

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 ...

'' and '' Der Kommissar''. Throughout his career John continued to do voice over work. In 1959 he became the voice of

Paul Temple Paul Temple is a fictional character created by English writer Francis Durbridge. Temple is a professional author of crime fiction and an amateur private detective. With his wife Louise, affectionately known as 'Steve' in reference to her jo ...

in an eight-part radio play based on the works of

Francis Durbridge Francis Henry Durbridge (; 25 November 1912 – 11 April 1998) was an English dramatist and author, best known for the creation of the character Paul Temple, the gentlemanly detective who appeared in 16 BBC multi-part radio serials from 1 ...

. The series was directed by future award winner Willy Purucker.

Death

On 20 December 1977, the 72-year-old John collapsed shortly before a performance of "Moon Over the River" by

Pavel Kohout Pavel Kohout (born 20 July 1928) is a Czech and Austrian novelist, playwright, and poet. He was a member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, a Prague Spring participant and dissident in the 1970s until he was not allowed to return from Au ...

at the Theater Gütersloh in

Gütersloh Gütersloh () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in the area of Westphalia and the administrative region of Detmold. Gütersloh is the administrative centre for a district of the same name and has a population of 100,194 peo ...

. He died two days later at the city hospital from

cardiovascular disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, h ...

. He was buried at

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 Olympiastadion. It covers an area of 149,650 square meters. The c ...

in Berlin.

Selected filmography

* ''

The White Demon ''The White Demon'' (German: ''Der weiße Dämon'') is a 1932 German drama film directed by Kurt Gerron and starring Hans Albers, Gerda Maurus and Peter Lorre.Kreimeier pp. 198–199 The film is also known by the alternative title of ''Dope''. ...

'' (1932) * ''

When the Cock Crows ''When the Cock Crows'' (German: ''Wenn der Hahn kräht'') is a 1936 German comedy film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Heinrich George, Hans Brausewetter and Marianne Hoppe. It was shot at the National Studios in Berlin.Klaus p.228-29 ...

'' (1936) - Piepers Gustav * ' (1937) - Graf Kostja Wolfgoff * ''Unternehmen Michael'' (1937) - Leutnant Hassenkamp * ''Der Lachdoktor'' (1937) - Peter Karst, Lehrer * ''

Legion Condor The Condor Legion (german: Legion Condor) was a unit composed of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany, which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legio ...

'' (1939) * ''Bal paré'' (1940) - Erstchargierter Franz Stanglmayer * ''Die unvollkommene Liebe'' (1940) - Kristas Brudr Gustl * ''

Kora Terry ''Kora Terry'' is a 1940 German drama film directed by Georg Jacoby and starring Marika Rökk, Will Quadflieg and Josef Sieber Josef Sieber (28 April 1900 – 3 December 1962) was a German film actor. Selected filmography * ''Pappi'' (1934) * ...

'' (1940) - Chef der Kraftmännertruppe * ''Fahrt ins Leben'' (1940) - Seekadett Gerhard Bartels * ''

My Life for Ireland ''My Life for Ireland'' (german: Mein Leben für Irland) is a Nazi propaganda movie from 1941 directed by Max W. Kimmich, telling a story of an Irish nationalist family and their involvement in the Irish struggle of independence over two genera ...

'' (1941) - Raymond Davitt * ''

Above All Else in the World ''Above All Else in the World'' (german: link=no, Über alles in der Welt) is a 1941 German drama film directed by Karl Ritter and starring Paul Hartmann, Hannes Stelzer and Fritz Kampers.Kreimeier p. 312 The title refers to the second line of ...

'' (1941) - Olt. Hassencamp * ''Der Weg ins Freie'' (1941) - Fritz * '' U-Boote westwärts!'' (1941) - Matrosenobergefreiter Drewitz * ''

Stukas The Orchestre Stukas (also referred to as the Stukas Boys, the Stukas or the Stukas of Zaire) was a congolese soukous band of the 1970s. It was based in Kinshasa, Zaire (now DR Congo). At the apex of their popularity, the Stukas were led by singe ...

'' (1941) - Oberleutnant Lothar Loos * '' Two in a Big City'' (1942) - Bernd Birckhoff * ''

Andreas Schlüter Andreas Schlüter (1659 – c. June 1714) was a German baroque sculptor and architect, active in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Russian Tsardom. Biography Andreas Schlüter was bor ...

'' (1942) - Martin Böhme * ''

Melody of a Great City ''Melody of a Great City'' (German: ''Großstadtmelodie'') is a 1943 musical drama film directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Hilde Krahl, Werner Hinz and Karl John. A young woman moves to Berlin to work as a press photographer. Cast ...

'' (1943) - Klaus Nolte * ''

In Those Days ''In Those Days'' (german: In jenen Tagen) is a 1947 German drama film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring Gert Schäfer, Erich Schellow and Winnie Markus. It was one of the cycle of Rubble films made in the wake of Germany's defeat during ...

'' (1947) - Peter Keyser / 1. Geschichte * ''Unser Mittwochabend'' (1948) - Erik * '' The Last Night'' (1949) - Harald Buchner, Oberleutnant * ''

Love '47 ''Love '47'' (german: Liebe 47) is a 1949 Cinema of Germany, German drama film directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Dieter Horn, Hilde Krahl and Sylvia Schwarz. It was part of the cycle of rubble films made in post-war Germany. A young ma ...

'' (1949) - Beckmann * ''

The Lost One ''The Lost One'' (german: Der Verlorene) is a 1951 West German drama film directed by Peter Lorre and starring Lorre, Karl John and Renate Mannhardt. It is an art film in the film noir style, based on a true story. Lorre wrote, directed, and sta ...

'' (1951) - Hösch, alias Nowak * ''

The Smugglers' Banquet ''The Smugglers' Banquet'' (french: Le Banquet des fraudeurs) is a 1952 Belgian crime film directed by Henri Storck. It was entered into the 1952 Cannes Film Festival. Cast In alphabetical order * Marguerite Daulboys * Yves Deniaud – Van Mo ...

'' (1952) - Hans * ''

The Man Between ''The Man Between'' (also known as ''Berlin Story'') is a 1953 British thriller film directed by Carol Reed and starring James Mason, Claire Bloom and Hildegard Knef. The screenplay concerns a British woman on a visit to post-war Berlin, who is ...

'' (1953) - Inspector Kleiber * '' No Way Back'' (1953) - Friedrich Schultz * ''

'' (1955) - Ingenieur Karl Oderbruch * ''

Hotel Adlon The Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is a luxury hotel in Berlin, Germany. It is on Unter den Linden, the main boulevard in the central Mitte district, at the corner with Pariser Platz, directly opposite the Brandenburg Gate. The original Hotel Adlon ...

'' (1955) - Herr von Malbrand * ''Urlaub auf Ehrenwort'' (1955) - Köhler * '' Stalingrad: Dogs, Do You Want to Live Forever?'' (1959) - Generaloberst Hoth * ''

Two Times Adam, One Time Eve ''Two Times Adam, One Time Eve'' (German: ''2 x Adam, 1 x Eve'') is a 1959 West German comedy film directed by Franz M. Lang and starring Heidi Brühl, Matthias Fuchs and Brigitte Grothum.Goble p.660 The film's sets were designed by the art dir ...

'' (1959) - Wickström * ''

Sacred Waters Sacred waters are sacred natural sites characterized by tangible topographical land formations such as rivers, lakes, springs, reservoirs, and oceans, as opposed to holy water which is water elevated with the sacramental blessing of a cleric. T ...

'' (1960) - Seppi Blatter, Romans Vater * ' (1960) - Major Frey * ' (1961) - Debras * '' The Longest Day'' (1962) - Gen. Wolfgang Häger * '' Der Hexer'' (1964) - Shelby * ''

Neues vom Hexer ''Neues vom Hexer'' (lit. "News from the Sorcerer"), aka ''Again the Ringer'', is a 1965 West German black-and-white crime film directed by Alfred Vohrer and starring Heinz Drache. It is part of a series of German screen adaptations of Edgar Wa ...

'' (1965) - Dr. Mills * ' (1968, TV miniseries) - Hohmann * ''Sabine'' (1974) - Dr. Gerd Hesse * ''Pusteblume'' (1974) - Ricks Vater * ''

'' (1976, Season 3, Episode 8: "Auf eigene Faust") - Euler * '' Sorcerer'' (1977) - 'Marquez'

Notes

;Citations ;Sources *

Kay Weniger Kay Weniger (born in Berlin in 1966) is an Austrian writer of books on media issues. He published an eight-volume encyclopaedia on international film people. Biography Weniger is the son of the German stage and film actress and the Austria ...

: ''Das große Personenlexikon des Films. Die Schauspieler, Regisseure, Kameraleute, Produzenten, Komponisten, Drehbuchautoren, Filmarchitekten, Ausstatter, Kostümbildner, Cutter, Tontechniker, Maskenbildner und Special Effects Designer des 20. Jahrhunderts.'' Band 4: ''H – L. Botho Höfer – Richard Lester.'' Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-89602-340-3, p. 230

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:John, Karl 1905 births 1977 deaths German male film actors German male television actors 20th-century German male actors