William Berger, also known as Bill Berger and Wilhelm Berger, born Wilhelm Thomas Berger (June 20, 1928 – October 2, 1993) was an

Austrian American Austrian Americans (, ) are Americans of Austrian descent, chiefly German-speaking Catholics and Jews. According to the 2000 U.S. census, there were 735,128 Americans of full or partial Austrian descent, accounting for 0.3% of the population. The ...

actor, mostly associated with Euro and

spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

s, as well as travel documentaries.

Biography

Career

A former roommate of

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

, his earliest work was in

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

, but while visiting Italy, he was cast in his first

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

, ''Break Up'', in 1965. A series of Westerns followed, including ''

Faccia a faccia ''Face to Face'' ( it, Faccia a faccia; es, Cara a cara) is a 1967 Spaghetti Western film co-written and directed by Sergio Sollima and produced by Alberto Grimaldi. The film stars Gian Maria Volonté, Tomas Milian and William Berger, and featu ...

'' (1967), '' Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die!'' (1968), ''

If You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death ''If You Meet Sartana Pray for Your Death'' ( it, Se incontri Sartana prega per la tua morte) is a 1968 Spaghetti Western film directed by Gianfranco Parolini. The film stars Gianni Garko, William Berger, Fernando Sancho and Klaus Kinski, and ...

'' (1968), '' Sabata'' (1969), and ''

Keoma Keoma is a hamlet in southern Alberta under the jurisdiction of Rocky View County. Keoma is located approximately 35 km (21 mi) northeast of Downtown Calgary, on Highway 566, 2.0 km (1.2 mi) east of Highway 9 and 19 km (12 mi) north of the ...

'' (1975). He also starred in the horror films ''

Five Dolls for an August Moon ''Five Dolls for an August Moon'' (Italian: ''5 bambole per la luna d'agosto'') is a 1970 Italian giallo film directed by Mario Bava. It concerns a group of people who have gathered on a remote island for fun and relaxation. One of the guests is ...

'', ''

My Dear Killer ''My Dear Killer'' ( it, Mio caro assassino) is a 1972 Italian-Spanish giallo film directed by Tonino Valerii and starring George Hilton (actor), George Hilton, Marilù Tolo, Patty Shepard, Helga Line, Salvo Randone and William Berger (actor), Wil ...

'', ''

Monster Shark ''Monster Shark'' ( it, Shark - Rosso nell'oceano) is a science fiction- horror film directed by Lamberto Bava. It was also released in various countries as ''Devil Fish'', ''Monster from the Red Ocean'', ''Devouring Waves'' and ''Shark: Red in th ...

'', and ''

The Murder Clinic ''The Murder Clinic'' ( it, La lama nel corpo, lit=The Knife in the Body) is a 1966 horror giallo film directed by Lionello De Felice and Elio Scardamaglia. It was produced by Elio Scardamaglia, Francesco Scardamaglia and Luciano Martino;. The scr ...

''. Berger was heavily into drug experimentation, which frequent co-star

Brett Halsey Brett Halsey (born Charles Oliver Hand, June 20, 1933) is an American film actor, sometimes credited as Montgomery Ford. He appeared in B pictures and in European-made feature films. He originated the role of John Abbott on the soap opera ''The ...

said sometimes interfered with filming, recounting one incident where they were shooting a scene on horseback and without warning Berger leant forwards and slid off his horse. In the early 1970s, Berger spent some time in an Italian prison, having been wrongly accused of possession of

hashish Hashish ( ar, حشيش, ()), also known as hash, "dry herb, hay" is a drug made by compressing and processing parts of the cannabis plant, typically focusing on flowering buds (female flowers) containing the most trichomes. European Monitorin ...

and

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...

, but resumed his acting career after his release. His later fare included ''

Super Fly T.N.T. ''Super Fly T.N.T.'' is a 1973 American blaxploitation crime drama film directed and starring Ron O'Neal. O'Neal reprises his role of Youngblood Priest from the 1972 film '' Super Fly''. The film was both a critical and commercial failure accordin ...

'' (1973), ''

Oil! ''Oil!'' is a novel by Upton Sinclair, first published in 1926–27 and told as a third-person narrative, with only the opening pages written in the first person. The book was written in the context of the Harding administration's Teapot Dome Sca ...

'' (1977), ''

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

'' (1983), and ''

The King's Whore ''The King's Whore'' (french: La putain du roi, it, La puttana del re) is a 1990 drama film directed by Axel Corti and starring Timothy Dalton. It was entered into the 1990 Cannes Film Festival. Plot Set in the 17th century, an Italian noblem ...

'' (1990). His 1985 memoirs, ''Half Way Home'', recount his life to that point. Berger collaborated with his good friend, famed Spanish horror film director

Jesus Franco Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...

, appearing in seven of his films: ''The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff'', ''Night of the Killers'', ''Faceless'', ''Golden Temple Amazons'', ''Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun'', ''Dirty Game in Casablanca'', and ''A Captain of 15 Years''.

Personal life

William Berger was married five times and was father to five children (and adopted a sixth). He had three children with his first wife Marjorie Berger: daughters Carin Berger (born in 1952) and actress

Debra Berger Debra Berger (born March 17, 1957), sometimes credited as Debby Berger or Deborah Berger, is an American actress, artist, and designer. Life She was the daughter of actor William Berger from his first marriage in 1957. She was the half-sister ...

(born March 17, 1957), and son Wendell Nelson Berger (born December 28, 1972). After his marriage to Marjorie ended, he married actress Carolyn Lobravico. While Berger was busy with the filming of ''The Murder Clinic'', Carolyn was arrested for drug possession. A

diabetic Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level (hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased app ...

, she died in prison from lack of

insulin Insulin (, from Latin ''insula'', 'island') is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells of the pancreatic islets encoded in humans by the ''INS'' gene. It is considered to be the main anabolic hormone of the body. It regulates the metabolism o ...

. His third marriage was to singer and actress Hanja Kochansky. They had one child together, a son Kasimir Berger (born in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

on October 7, 1974). Berger was also stepfather to actress

Katya Berger Katya Bebb Cobham (Berger) (born 1966) (sometimes credited as Katia Berger or Katja Berger) is a film actress. Biography Katya Berger was born on 13 December 1966 in London, England. She is the daughter of Hugh Russell Bebb and the Croatian sin ...

, the daughter of Hanja Kochansky from a previous relationship. Berger starred with his son Kasimir in the TV

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 ...

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

'' and '' Tuareg – The Desert Warrior''. After his divorce from Kochansky, he married his fourth wife, Dörte Völz. With her, he had a son named Alexander Völz. His fifth and last marriage was to Linda Berger. William Berger died on October 2, 1993 in Los Angeles, California, of

prostate cancer Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...

. Director

was particularly upset by his passing, speaking of his grief in various interviews. Franco mentioned in a DVD interview (an extra feature on the DVD ''The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff'') that Berger died from some type of brittle bone disease.

Selected filmography

*'' Back Street'' (1961) - Airport Attendant (uncredited) *''

Von Ryan's Express ''Von Ryan's Express'' is a 1965 World War II adventure film starring Frank Sinatra, Trevor Howard, and Raffaella Carrà, and directed by Mark Robson. Produced in CinemaScope, the film depicts a group of Allied prisoners of war (POWs) who conduc ...

'' (1965) - Man from the Gestapo (uncredited) *''

Break Up A relationship breakup, breakup, or break-up is the termination of a relationship. The act is commonly termed "dumping omeone in slang when it is initiated by one partner. The term is less likely to be applied to a married couple, where a brea ...

'' (1965) - Benny (segment "L'uomo dei 5 palloni") (uncredited) *'' Ringo's Big Night'' (1966) - Jack Balman / Ringo *''

'' (1966) - Dr. Robert Vance *''Cisco'' (1966) - El Cisco *''

A Bullet for the General ''A Bullet for the General'' ( es, Quién sabe?; original title means "Who knows?", in the Spanish language), also known as ''El Chucho Quién Sabe?'', is a 1966 Cinema of Italy, Italian Zapata Western film directed by Damiano Damiani and starrin ...

'' (1967) - Bill 'Niño' Tate (English version, voice, uncredited) *''

Her Harem ''Her Harem'' ( it, L'harem, released in UK as ''The Harem'') is a 1967 Italian comedy-drama film written and directed by Marco Ferreri and starring Carroll Baker, Gastone Moschin and Renato Salvatori. Plot A woman has a number of male lovers so, ...

'' (1967) - Mario *''

The Day the Fish Came Out ''The Day the Fish Came Out'' (Greece: Otan ta psaria vgikan sti steria) is a 1967 DeLuxe Color Greek–British comedy film directed and written by Michael Cacoyannis who also designed the film's futuristic costumes. The film stars Tom Courte ...

'' (1967) - Man in Bed *'' Face to Face'' (1967) - Charley 'Chas' A. Siringo *'' Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die!'' (1968) - Francis 'Colt' Moran *''

Every Bastard a King ''Every Bastard a King'' ( he, כל ממזר מלך, translit. Kol Mamzer Melech) is a 1968 Israeli drama film directed by Uri Zohar. The film was selected as the Israeli entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 41st Academy Awards ...

'' (1968) - Roy Hemmings *''Il suo nome gridava vendetta'' (1968) - Sam Kellogg *''

'' (1968) - Lasky *' (1968) - Velte *''

A Noose for Django ''No Room To Die'' ( it, Una lunga fila di croci, also known as ''Hanging for Django'' and ''A Noose for Django'') is a 1969 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Garrone Sergio Garrone (born 15 April 1925) is an Italian director, s ...

'' (1969) - Everett 'Bible' Murdock *''Köpfchen in das Wasser, Schwänzchen in die Höh (1969) - Grüner, Filmproduzent *'' Sabata'' (1969) - Banjo *''Ombre roventi'' (1970) - Caleb *''La colomba non deve volare'' (1970) *''

'' (1970) - Prof. Gerry Farrell *''

Sartana in the Valley of Death ''Sartana in the Valley of Death'' ( it, Sartana nella valle degli avvoltoi, also known as ''Ballad of Death Valley'') is a 1970 Italian Spaghetti Western film written and directed by Roberto Mauri and starring William Berger. Plot Cast * ...

'' (1970) - Lee Calloway aka Sartana *''

They Call Him Cemetery ''They Call Me Cemetery'' ( it, Gli fumavano le Colt... lo chiamavano Camposanto, also known as ''His Pistols Smoked... They Call Him Cemetery'' and ''A Bullet for a Stranger'') is a 1971 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Giuliano Carnime ...

'' (1971) - Duke *''

'' (1972) - Giorgio Canavese *''

The Big Bust Out ''The Big Bust Out'' is the US title of an Italian women in prison film, ''The Crucified Girls of San Ramon'' ''(Io Monaca... per tre Carogne e Sette Peccatrici)''. The US rights were bought by Roger Corman for New World Pictures, who cut out 20 ...

'' (1972) - Bob Shaw *''La vita in gioco'' (1972) - Andrea *''

The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff ''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 ...

'' (1973) - Dr. Orloff *''Una colt in mano al diavolo'' (1973) - Isaac McCorney *''Il giustiziere di Dio'' (1973) - Padre Tony Lang *''

'' (1973) - Lefebre *''...E il terzo giorno arrivò il corvo'' (1973) - The Crow *'' Verflucht dies Amerika'' (1973) -

Doc Holliday John Henry Holliday (August 14, 1851 – November 8, 1887), better known as Doc Holliday, was an American gambler, gunfighter, and dentist. A close friend and associate of lawman Wyatt Earp, Holliday is best known for his role in the event ...

*''

Fasthand ''Fasthand'' ( it, Mi chiamavano "Requiescat"... ma avevano sbagliato, es, Mano rápida, also known as ''Fasthand is Still My Name'' and ''Fast Gun Is Still My Name'') is a 1973 Italian-Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to ...

'' (1973) - Machedo *''

Man with the Golden Winchester '' Man with the Golden Winchester'' ( it, Il figlio di Zorro, es, El hijo del Zorro, also known as ''Son of Zorro'') is a 1973 Spaghetti Western-adventure film directed by Gianfranco Baldanello and starring Alberto Dell'Acqua and Fernando Sanc ...

'' (1973) - Mathias Boyd *''…altrimenti vi ammucchiamo'' (1973) - Angelo Biondo *''Un capitán de quince años'' (1974) - Negoro *''

Three Tough Guys ''Three Tough Guys'' (also known as ''Tough Guys'') is a 1974 crime-action film directed by Duccio Tessari. It may be regarded as an example of the Blaxploitation genre. It stars Lino Ventura, Fred Williamson and Isaac Hayes, who also compose ...

'' (1974) - Captain Ryan *''Situation'' (1974) - Ralf *''La noche de los asesinos'' (1974) - Baron Simon Tobias *''La merveilleuse visite'' (1974) *''Terminal'' (1974) - Rudolph Arnheim *'' Parapsycho – Spectrum of Fear'' (1975) - Professor *''

The Career of a Chambermaid ''Telefoni bianchi'' (''White Telephones'', internationally released as ''The Career of a Chambermaid'') is a 1976 Italian comedy film directed by Dino Risi. For this film Agostina Belli was awarded with a Special David di Donatello for her perf ...

'' (1976) - Franz *''

Nick the Sting ''Nick the Sting'' ( it, Gli amici di Nick Hezard) is a 1976 Italian film directed by Fernando Di Leo. It stars actor Gabriele Ferzetti. Cast * Luc Merenda as Nick Hezard *Lee J. Cobb as Robert Clark *Gabriele Ferzetti as Maurice *Luciana Paluzzi ...

'' (1976) - Roizman *''Il colpaccio'' (1976) *''

And Agnes Chose to Die ''L'Agnese va a morire'', internationally released as ''And Agnes Chose to Die'', is a 1976 Italian drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than hum ...

'' (1976) - Clinto *''

'' (1976) - William Shannon *''

'' (1977) - Bill Mann *'' Love Letters of a Portuguese Nun'' (1977) - Father Vicente *''

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 ...

'' (1977) - Mr. Preston *''Per questa notte'' (1977) *''

Wifemistress ''Wifemistress'' ( it, Mogliamante) is a 1977 Italian romantic movie directed by Marco Vicario. Plot Ever since her husband pronounced her frigid on the night of their wedding, Antonia DeAngelis (Laura Antonelli) has been bedridden. When her hus ...

'' (1977) - Count Brandini *''Porco mondo'' (1978) - Senator Alberici *''Comincerà tutto un mattino: io donna tu donna'' (1978) - Luciano *''Die Totenschmecker'' (1979) - Felix *'' I viaggiatori della sera'' (1979) - Cocky Fontana *''Holocaust parte seconda: i ricordi, i deliri, la vendetta'' (1980) - Col. Hans *''

Day of the Cobra ''Day of the Cobra'' ( it, Il giorno del Cobra) is a 1980 Italian ''poliziottesco'' film directed by Enzo G. Castellari. Production Director Enzo G. Castellari initially approached Vasile with a script written by Vasile's son. The boxing film ...

'' (1980) - Jack Goldsmith *''Ripacsok'' (1981) *''Bosco d'amore'' (1981) *'' The Girl from Trieste'' (1982) - Charly *''Diamond Connection'' (1982) - Inspector *''

Ironmaster An ironmaster is the manager, and usually owner, of a forge or blast furnace for the processing of iron. It is a term mainly associated with the period of the Industrial Revolution, especially in Great Britain. The ironmaster was usually a large ...

'' (1983) - Mogo *''

'' (1983) - King Minos *''Il momento dell'avventura'' (1983) - Doyle *'' Hanna K.'' (1983) - German journalist *''El asesino llevaba medias negras'' (1984) *''

'' (1984) - Prof. Donald West *' (1984) - Phillip Marboe *'' Moving Targets'' (1984) - Broschat *''

'' (1985, TV Mini-Series) -

Francisco de Bobadilla Francisco Fernández de Bobadilla (c. 1448 – 1 July 1502) was an official under the Crown of Castile and a knight of the Order of Calatrava. He was also the brother of Beatriz de Bobadilla, marchioness (''marquesa'') of Moya and of Peñalosa, a ...

*''

The Adventures of Hercules ''The Adventures of Hercules'' ( it, Le avventure dell'incredibile Ercole) is the 1985 sequel to the 1983 film ''Hercules''. It was written and directed by Luigi Cozzi and has bodybuilder-turned-actor Lou Ferrigno reprising his role as the title ...

'' (aka ''Hercules 2'') (1985) - King Minos *''Dirty Game in Casablanca'' (1985) - Dean Baker *''

Tex and the Lord of the Deep ''Tex and the Lord of the Deep'' ( it, Tex e il signore degli abissi) is a 1985 Western film co-written and directed by Duccio Tessari and starring Giuliano Gemma and William Berger. The film is an adaptation of the ''Tex'' comic series that ...

'' (1985) - Kit Carson *''

The Berlin Affair ''The Berlin Affair'' ( it, Interno Berlinese) is a 1985 Italo-German film, directed by Liliana Cavani and starring Gudrun Landgrebe, Kevin McNally and Mio Takaki. Set in Berlin, 1938, it sees the wife of a rising Nazi diplomat fall in love wit ...

'' (1985) - The Professor *'' The Fifth Missile'' (1986, TV Movie) - Dr. Strickland *''

Tarot The tarot (, first known as '' trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play card games such as Tarocchini. From their Italian roots, ...

'' (1986) - Mittler *''Les amazones du temple d'or'' (1986) - Uruck the Temple Guardian / Priest *'' The Death of Empedocles'' (1987) - Kritias *''

Control Control may refer to: Basic meanings Economics and business * Control (management), an element of management * Control, an element of management accounting * Comptroller (or controller), a senior financial officer in an organization * Controllin ...

'' (1987) - Mr. Peterson *'' Strike Commando'' (1987) - Maj. Harriman (English version, voice, uncredited) *'' Distant Lights'' (1987) - Dr. Montanari *''

Django Strikes Again ''Django Strikes Again'' ( it, Django 2 - Il grande ritorno, lit. "Django 2 - The Great Return") is a 1987 Italian Spaghetti Western film directed by Nello Rossati, under the pseudonym Ted Archer. It is the only official sequel to '' Django''. S ...

'' (1987) - Old Timer *''Hell Hunters'' (1988) - Karl *'' The Brother from Space'' (1988) - Colonel Grant *'' Alien Terminator'' (1988) - Alonso Quintero *''Il nido del ragno'' (1988) - Mysterious Man *'' Dial Help'' (1988) - Prof. Irving Klein *''Bachi da seta'' (1988) *''Maya'' (1989) - Salomon Slivak *''

I'm Dangerous Tonight ''I'm Dangerous Tonight'' is a 1990 American made-for-television supernatural horror film directed by Tobe Hooper and starring Mädchen Amick, Corey Parker, R. Lee Ermey and Anthony Perkins. It made its debut on USA Network on August 8, 1990. I ...

'' (1990) - Penck *''Lex Minister'' (1990) *''

'' (1990) - Le Comte Longhi *''Un amore sconosciuto'' (1991) - Piero *''Buck ai confini del cielo'' (1991) - Grandpa Thomas *''Berlin '39'' (1993) - Ernest *''18000 giorni fa'' (1993) - Rosenbaud (uncredited)

References

External links

*
William Berger on a genealogical site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berger, William 1928 births 1993 deaths Actors from Innsbruck Austrian emigrants to the United States Male Spaghetti Western actors 20th-century Austrian male actors Deaths from prostate cancer Deaths from cancer in California