Otto Waldis (born Otto Glucksmann-Blum, May 20, 1901 – March 25, 1974) was an Austrian-American character actor in films and television from the 1930s through the 1960s. He was also billed as Otto Blum.

Years in Germany

Waldis was born Otto Glucksmann-Blum in 1901 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 ...

. He was a student during World War I and initially studied to be a naval engineer. When Germany had no navy after the war, he shifted his attention to acting in the 1920s.

Rudolph Schildkraut Rudolph Schildkraut (27 April 1862 – 15 July 1930) was an Austrian film and theatre actor. Life and career Schildkraut was born in Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire to a Jewish family. His parents ran a hotel. He grew up in Brăila, Rom ...

saw him perform and encouraged him to pursue a theatrical career. Billed as Otto Valdis, he performed Shakespeare and classic German plays. He also directed plays. Waldis began made his film debut in a small role in director

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...

's classic thriller '' M'' (1931) starring

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 ...

. After he began acting regularly in films, he had the lead in ''The Broken Pitcher'', which received first prize in an international competition in 1934.

Emigration and work in Hollywood

The Jewish actor fled from Europe because of the persecution from the Nazi Regime. He and his wife left Austria and arrived in Birmingham, Alabama, in June 1940. He worked as a photographer in Birmingham. Waldis became a familiar character actor often appearing in

B movies 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 feature ...

and his roles were sometimes uncredited. He also appeared regularly on television during the 1950s and '60s. Waldis also occasionally acted on stage.

Personal life and death

Waldis married Margaret Vieth, an opera singer, in 1935. He died of a heart attack in 1974 at the age of 72.

Selected filmography

*'' M'' (1931) – (uncredited) *''Kinder vor Gericht'' (1931) – Ein Gefangener *''Die Koffer des Herrn O.F.'' (1931) *''

The Exile ''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 ...

'' (1947) – Jan *''

Call Northside 777 ''Call Northside 777'' is a 1948 reality-based newspaper drama directed by Henry Hathaway. The film parallels the true story of a Chicago reporter who proved that a man jailed for murder was wrongly convicted 11 years before. James Stewart stars ...

'' (1948) – Boris Siskovich (uncredited) *'' Letter from an Unknown Woman'' (1948) – Concierge *''

Berlin Express ''Berlin Express'' is a 1948 American drama film starring Robert Ryan, Merle Oberon and Paul Lukas, and directed by Jacques Tourneur. Thrown together by chance, a group of people search a city for a kidnapped peace activist. Set in Allied-occupi ...

'' (1948) – Kessler *''

A Foreign Affair ''A Foreign Affair'' is a 1948 American romantic comedy- drama film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jean Arthur, Marlene Dietrich, and John Lund. The screenplay by Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Richard L. Breen is based on a story by D ...

'' (1948) – Inspector (uncredited) *'' The Fighting O'Flynn'' (1949) – Gen. van Dronk *''

The Lovable Cheat ''The Lovable Cheat'' is a 1949 American historical comedy film directed by Richard Oswald and starring Charles Ruggles, Peggy Ann Garner and Richard Ney. It is based on the 1848 play '' Mercadet Le Faiseur'' by Honoré de Balzac. It was the fin ...

'' (1949) – Bailiff *''

I Was a Male War Bride ''I Was a Male War Bride'' is a 1949 comedy film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Cary Grant and Ann Sheridan. The film was based on "Male War Bride Trial to Army", a biography of Henri Rochard (pen name of Roger Charlier), a Belgian who ...

'' (1949) – Minor Role (scenes deleted) *''

Love Happy ''Love Happy'' is a 1949 American musical comedy film, released by United Artists, directed by David Miller and starring the Marx Brothers (Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx and Chico Marx) in their 13th and final feature film, as well as a memorable wa ...

'' (1949) – Ivan – Assassin in Grunion's Office (uncredited) *''

Border Incident ''Border Incident'' is a 1949 film noir featuring Ricardo Montalbán, George Murphy, Howard Da Silva. Directed by Anthony Mann, the MGM production was written by John C. Higgins and George Zuckerman. The film was shot by cinematographer John ...

'' (1949) – Fritz *'' Bagdad'' (1949) – Marengo *''

Women from Headquarters ''Women from Headquarters'' is a 1950 American crime film directed by George Blair and starring Virginia Huston, Barbra Fuller and Frances Charles.Gates p.155 The screenplay concerns an ex-Army nurse who retrains as police officer with the LAPD. ...

'' (1950) – Joe Calla *''

Spy Hunt ''Spy Hunt'', also known as ''Panther's Moon'', is a 1950 American espionage film, based on the novel '' Panther's Moon'' by Victor Canning, directed by George Sherman, and starring Howard Duff and Märta Torén. It was produced by Universal-In ...

'' (1950) – Gormand *'' Dark City'' (1950) – Benowski (uncredited) *'' Bird of Paradise'' (1951) – Skipper *''

Night Into Morning ''Night Into Morning'' is a 1951 American drama film starring Ray Milland, John Hodiak and Nancy Davis. Plot Everything is going very well for college professor Phillip Ainley (Ray Milland), who has a loving wife and son and an offer to teach a ...

'' (1951) – Dr. Franz Niemoller *''

Secrets of Monte Carlo ''Secrets of Monte Carlo'' is a 1951 American crime film directed by George Blair and starring Warren Douglas, Lois Hall and June Vincent. Plot In Hong Kong, a British insurance investigator and an American businessman join forces to recover the ...

'' (1951) – Louis Gunther *''

The Whip Hand ''The Whip Hand'' is a 1951 American film directed by William Cameron Menzies and starring Carla Balenda and Elliott Reid. Plot Journalist Matt Corbin (Elliott Reid) is traveling through Wisconsin on a fishing trip and comes across a nearly d ...

'' (1951) – Dr. Wilhelm Bucholtz *''

Unknown World ''Unknown World'' (a.k.a. ''Night Without Stars'') is a 1951 independent film, independently made American black-and-white science fiction adventure film, directed by Terry O. Morse, Terrell O. Morse, and starring Bruce Kellogg, Marilyn Nash, Jim ...

'' (1951) – Dr. Max A. Bauer *'' 5 Fingers'' (1952) – Pullman Porter (uncredited) *''

Anything Can Happen ''Anything Can Happen'' is a 1952 American comedy-drama film directed by George Seaton, starring José Ferrer and Kim Hunter. José Ferrer stars as Giorgi Papashvily, who emigrates from Georgia in the Soviet Union to the United States and gradu ...

'' (1952) – Sandro *''

The Black Castle ''The Black Castle'' is a 1952 American horror film directed by Nathan H. Juran and starring Richard Greene, Boris Karloff, Stephen McNally, Rita Corday and Lon Chaney Jr. It was produced by William Alland. The film was made in the United State ...

'' (1952) – Krantz – the innkeeper *''The Congregation'' (1952) *'' Rogue's March'' (1953) – Alex *''

The Stars Are Singing ''The Stars Are Singing'' is a 1953 Paramount Pictures musical directed by Norman Taurog and starring Rosemary Clooney, Anna Maria Alberghetti, and Lauritz Melchior. Plot The screenplay concerns a 15-year-old Polish girl (played by Alberghetti) ...

'' (1953) – Ship's Captain Goslak *'' Rebel City'' (1953) – Spain – the Jeweler *''

The Robe ''The Robe'' is a 1942 historical novel about the Crucifixion of Jesus, written by Lloyd C. Douglas. The book was one of the best-selling titles of the 1940s. It entered the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list in October 1942, four weeks later ...

'' (1953) – Slave Dealer (uncredited) *''

Flight to Tangier ''Flight to Tangier'' is a 1953 American action film directed by Charles Marquis Warren and starring Joan Fontaine, Jack Palance, and Corinne Calvet. It was released by Paramount Pictures in Technicolor and 3-D. This film also appeared in ''No ...

'' (1953) – Wisil (uncredited) *''

Prince Valiant ''Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur'', often simply called ''Prince Valiant'', is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretc ...

'' (1954) – Patch-Eye (uncredited) *'' Knock on Wood'' (1954) – Brodnik *''

The Iron Glove ''The Iron Glove'' is a 1954 American historical adventure film directed by William Castle and starring Robert Stack, Ursula Thiess and Richard Stapley. It was based on the adventures of the Jacobite Charles Wogan. Plot Irish Jacobite Charles ...

'' (1954) – King George I (uncredited) *''

Port of Hell ''Port of Hell'' is a 1954 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Harold D. Schuster and written by Tom Hubbard, Fred Eggers and Gil Doud. The film stars Dane Clark, Carole Mathews, Wayne Morris (American actor), Wayne Morri ...

'' (1954) – Snyder *'' Sincerely Yours'' (1955) – Prof. Zwolinski (uncredited) *''

Artists and Models ''Artists and Models'' is a 1955 American musical romantic comedy film in VistaVision directed by Frank Tashlin, marking Martin and Lewis's 14th feature together as a team. The film co-stars Shirley MacLaine and Dorothy Malone, with Eva Gabor ...

'' (1955) – Kurt *'' Running Wild'' (1955) – Leta's Father *''

Desert Sands ''Desert Sands'' is a 1955 American adventure film directed by Lesley Selander and written by Danny Arnold, George W. George and George F. Slavin. The film stars Ralph Meeker, Marla English, J. Carrol Naish, John Carradine, Ron Randell, John Smit ...

'' (1955) – Gabin *''

Man from Del Rio ''Man from Del Rio'' is a 1956 American Western film directed by Harry Horner and written by Richard Carr. The film stars Anthony Quinn, Katy Jurado, Peter Whitney, Douglas Fowley, John Larch, Whit Bissell and Douglas Spencer. The film was r ...

'' (1956) – Tom Jordan (uncredited) *''

Ride the High Iron ''Ride the High Iron'' is a 1956 American drama film directed by Don Weis and starring Don Taylor, Sally Forrest and Raymond Burr.Lentz p.450 Plot A returning Korean War veteran tries to cover-up his humble background when he becomes engaged to ...

'' (1956) – Yanusz Danielchik *''

The Night the World Exploded ''The Night the World Exploded'' is a 1957 science fiction, disaster film. The film was written by Jack Natteford and Luci Ward, and directed by Fred F. Sears for producer Sam Katzman. Both Katzman and Sears were great exponents of the low-budge ...

'' (1957) – Professor Hagstrom (uncredited) *''

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman ''Attack of the 50 Foot Woman'' is a 1958 independently made American science fiction horror film directed by Nathan H. Juran (credited as Nathan Hertz) and starring Allison Hayes, William Hudson and Yvette Vickers. It was produced by Berna ...

'' (1958) – Dr. Heinrich Von Loeb *''

The Blue Angel ''The Blue Angel'' (german: Der blaue Engel) is a 1930 German musical comedy-drama film directed by Josef von Sternberg, and starring Marlene Dietrich, Emil Jannings and Kurt Gerron. Written by Carl Zuckmayer, Karl Vollmöller and Rober ...

'' (1959) – Policeman (uncredited) *''

Pier 5, Havana ''Pier 5, Havana'' is a 1959 American Neo- noir, action, adventure, mystery, thriller crime film directed by Edward L. Cahn starring Cameron Mitchell and Allison Hayes. Plot Steve Daggett ( Cameron Mitchell) fights to protect Fidel Castro fr ...

'' (1959) – Schluss *''

Judgment at Nuremberg ''Judgment at Nuremberg'' is a 1961 American epic courtroom drama film directed and produced by Stanley Kramer, written by Abby Mann and starring Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Maximilian Schell, Werner Klemperer, Marlene D ...

'' (1961) – Pohl *''

The Phantom of Soho ''The Phantom of Soho'' (German: ''Das Phantom von Soho'') is a 1964 West German thriller film directed by Franz Josef Gottlieb and starring Dieter Borsche, Barbara Rütting and Hans Söhnker.Bergfelder p.258 It was based on a novel by Bryan Edgar ...

'' (1964) – Wilhelm Grover, man with birthmark *''

Freddy in the Wild West ''Freddy in the Wild West'' (german: Freddy und das Lied der Prärie, lang-it, 6 pallottole per Ringo Kid) is a 1964 West German/Italian musical Western film directed by Sobey Martin and starring Freddy Quinn, Rik Battaglia, and Beba Lončar. ...

'' (1964) – Old Joe *''

Move Move may refer to: People * Daniil Move (born 1985), a Russian auto racing driver Brands and enterprises * Move (company), an online real estate company * Move (electronics store), a defunct Australian electronics retailer * Daihatsu Move Go ...

'' (1970) – (uncredited) (final film role) Waldis also made several guest appearances on television including roles in ''

My Little Margie ''My Little Margie'' is an American television situation comedy starring Gale Storm and Charles Farrell that alternated between CBS and NBC from 1952 to 1955. The series was created by Frank Fox and produced in Los Angeles, California, at Hal Ro ...

'', '' The Adventures of Superman'', ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'', '' Lassie'', ''

Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Burea ...

'', ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was ren ...

'', ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'', ''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...

'', '' Playhouse 90'', '' Have Gun - Will Travel'', ''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

'', ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was o ...

'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

'', '' Lawman'', ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaff ...

'', '' Hogan's Heroes'', '' Mannix'' and ''

Gomer Pyle, USMC ''Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.''The show (and CBS) renders the title as ''Gomer Pyle – USMC''. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spin-off of ''The Andy Griffith Show ...

''.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Waldis, Otto 1901 births 1974 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American people of Austrian descent