Karl Friedrich Anton Hermann "Charles" Régnier"Wedekind aus Horst Kreis Neustadt am Rübenberge in Niedersachsen". In: ''Niedersächsisches Geschlechterbuch''. (Genealogical studies). Limburg an der Lahn: Verlag C. A. Starke Volume 187 (1982), pp. 481-634, here p. 532 (22 July 1914 – 13 September 2001) was a German actor, director and translator. He appeared in more than 135 films between 1949 and 2000. In the 1950s and the 1960s, he was one of the busiest German theatre and film actors.

Family life and upbringing

Born at Freiburg in 1914, Regnier owed his name to his grandfather, a native Frenchman. Regnier was the first child of Anton Karl Regnier and Emile (Milly) Maria Friederike Harrer, born in

Freiburg im Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...

. His father was a

general practitioner A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is a Consultant (medicine), consultant in general practice. GPs have distinct expertise and experience in providing whole person medical care, whilst managing the complexity, uncertainty and risk ass ...

and Charles initially wanted to become a doctor. Charles Regnier grew up in

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

and Badenweiler where his maternal grandparents owned the Schloss Hausbaden hotel. After his father's suicide in 1924, his mother first moved with her four sons to

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

, and then to

Montreux Montreux (, ; ; ) is a Municipalities of Switzerland, Swiss municipality and List of towns in Switzerland, town on the shoreline of Lake Geneva at the foot of the Swiss Alps, Alps. It belongs to the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut (district), Riviera-Pays ...

on Lake Geneva. When his mother contracted

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

in 1929, the family decided to move to the sanatorium at Davos. Here, Charles met a number of celebrities, including the writer

Klabund Alfred Henschke (4 November 1890 – 14 August 1928), better known by his pseudonym Klabund, was a German writer. Life Klabund, born Alfred Henschke in 1890 in Krosno Odrzańskie, Crossen, was the son of an apothecary. At the age of 16 he came ...

, who awakened Regnier's interest in literature and the theatre. Together with his brothers, Charles produced Klabund's comedy ''XYZ: For three actors in three acts''Klabund: 1928: ''X Y Z. Spiel zu Dreien in drei Aufzügen''. With a foreword by Otto Stoessl. Reclam, Leipzig. for a performance in Klabund's private living room. His first acting performance was starring as the Countess Y in this piece. "As an actor I never again had the opportunity to play a lady, but often showed ''how'' one plays a lady," Regnier wrote in his personal memoirs.

Career

In 1934, Regnier was arrested and interned in the Lichtenburg concentration camp, on charges of homosexuality. After nine months, he was released after he - like many other prisoners - had to sign a pledge not to report anything about what happened in the

concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...

. Traumatized by his imprisonment, Regnier left for Italy, where he opened a souvenir store in Portofino. As the business brought in little, Regnier returned to Berlin and completed a private acting course there. Regnier's first engagement was in 1938 at the theatre at

Greifswald Greifswald (), officially the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald (, Low German: ''Griepswoold'') is the fourth-largest city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after Rostock, Schwerin and Neubrandenburg. In 2021 it surpa ...

, where he met actress and singer Pamela Wedekind, a daughter of the playwright

Frank Wedekind Benjamin Franklin Wedekind (July 24, 1864 – March 9, 1918) was a German playwright. His work, which often criticizes bourgeois attitudes (particularly towards sex), is considered to anticipate expressionism and was influential in the developme ...

. They married on 21 June 1941 in Berlin. In 1941, Regnier was invited by Otto Falckenberg to join the ensemble of the

Munich Kammerspiele The Munich Kammerspiele (German: Münchner Kammerspiele) is a state-funded German-language theater company based at the ''Schauspielhaus'' on Maximilianstraße (Munich), Maximilianstrasse in the Bavarian capital. The company currently has three ...

, where he remained until 1958. From 1946, Regnier worked as a drama teacher at the newly founded Otto-Falckenberg-Schule. From 1961 to 1962, he was an ensemble member of the Wiener Burgtheater. Regnier preferred not to make a distinction between high art performances and entertainment, saying, "The public should find my work effective, entertaining, in short: agreeable."'' Münchner Merkur'', 15/16 September 2001 Regnier lived in Germany,

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. He died on 13 September 2001 after suffering a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

Bad Wiessee Bad Wiessee (Central Bavarian: ''Bad Wiessä'') is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in the Miesbach (district), district of Miesbach in Upper Bavaria in Germany. Since 1922, it has been a spa town and located on the western shore of the ...

. He was buried in the Badenweiler-Lipburg cemetery, close to his childhood home. His literary estate can be found in the archives of the Academy of the Arts in Berlin.

Selected filmography

* ' (1949) * '' The Last Illusion'' (1949), as Bertram * '' Royal Children'' (1950), as Count Larissa * ''Die Tat des Anderen'' (1951) * '' Decision Before Dawn'' (1951), as German Prisoner (uncredited) * '' Captive Soul'' (1952) * '' My Name is Niki'' (1952), as Newspaper editor Claus * '' The Sergeant's Daughter'' (1952) * '' The Chaplain of San Lorenzo'' (1953), as Police detective Morro * '' Street Serenade'' (1953), as Sachetti * '' A Life for Do'' (1954), as Maurice * ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

'' (1954), as Music critic * '' Sauerbruch – Das war mein Leben'' (1954), as Head of the psychiatric section * '' Consul Strotthoff'' (1954), as Conrad Eylers * '' Clivia'' (1954) * '' Captain Wronski'' (1954), as Judge of the Volksgerichtshof * '' The Witch'' (1954), as Dr. Harz * '' The Phantom of the Big Tent'' (1954) * '' Canaris'' (1954), as Baron Trenti * '' Secrets of the City'' (1955), as Morton * '' Hello, My Name is Cox'' (1955), as Police detective Carter * ''Ein Mann vergißt die Liebe'' (1955) * ''

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentHeroism after Hours'' (1955), as Marro the Magican (segment "Der Zauberer Maro") * '' Heaven Is Never Booked Up'' (1955), as Borelli * '' The Ambassador's Wife'' (1955), as Legationsrat Mattusch * '' Island of the Dead'' (1955), as Father Markus * '' Bandits of the Autobahn'' (1955), as Paul Barra * '' Operation Sleeping Bag'' (1955), as Oberfeldrichter Dr. Kratz * '' The Forest House in Tyrol'' (1955), as Milazzo * '' Two Blue Eyes'' (1955), as Hergentheimer * '' Alibi'' (1955), as Dietmar * '' San Salvatore'' (1956), as Professor Dr. Monthé * '' Magic Fire'' (1956), as

Giacomo Meyerbeer Giacomo Meyerbeer (born Jakob Liebmann Meyer Beer; 5 September 1791 – 2 May 1864) was a German opera composer, "the most frequently performed opera composer during the nineteenth century, linking Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart and Richard Wa ...

* ' (1956), as Stadtrat Praun * '' My Husband's Getting Married Today'' (1956), as Niki Springer * '' Kitty and the Great Big World'' (1956), as Monsieur Jeannot * '' The Story of Anastasia'' (1956) * '' A Heart Returns Home'' (1956), as Boerner * '' Queen Louise'' (1957), as Talleyrand * ''The Power and the Glory'' (1957, TV film), as The Governor's Cousin * '' Beneath the Palms on the Blue Sea'' (1957), as Cesare, the Contessa's butler * ''Der geheimnisvolle Dr. Mander'' (1957, TV film), as David West * ' (1957), as Hartmann * '' El Hakim'' (1957), as Dr. Kolali * ' (1958), as Richard Allhard * '' A Time to Love and a Time to Die'' (1958), as Joseph * ' (1958), as Polizei-Chemiker Dr. Wagenknecht * '' Taiga'' (1958), as Becker * ' (1958), as Roberts * ' (1958), as Mr. Kenneweg, teacher * '' The Journey'' (1959), as Capt. Ornikidze * ' (1959, TV film), as Lesgate * ' (1959, TV film), as Sheppard / Alain Chartier * ''

Court Martial A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the mili ...

'' (1959), as Judge Schorn * '' The Rest Is Silence'' (1959), as Police Inspector Fortner * ' (1959), as Metternich * ''Reclining Figure'' (1959, TV film), as Paul Weldon * '' Mistress of the World'' (1960), as Norvald * ''Emilia Galotti'' (1960, TV film), as Marinelli, chamberlain of the prince * '' The Man in the Black Derby'' (1960), as Herr von Seelisberg * ' (1960), as Ernst Schenker * '' The Secret Ways'' (1961), as The Count * '' The Nina B. Affair'' (1961), as Schwerdtfeger * '' The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi'' (1961), as Sir Thomas Jones, Minister of Justice * '' Bankraub in der Rue Latour'' (1961), as Camarro * ' (1961), as Dr. Hauenstein * ' (1962), as Dr. Kampmann * ''Der Marquis von Keith'' (1962, TV film), as Marquis von Keith * ' (1962), as Prosecutor Reeder * '' The Counterfeit Traitor'' (1962), as Wilhelm Kortner * '' Adorable Julia'' (1962), as Lord Charles Tamerly * ''

Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, a C ...

'' (1962), as Jack the Ripper * '' Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse'' (1962), as Mortimer * '' Freud: The Secret Passion'' (1962) (uncredited) *'' The Curse of the Yellow Snake'' (1963), as Major Spedwell * '' Love Has to Be Learned'' (1963), as Kramer * '' Miracle of the White Stallions'' (1963), as Gen. Stryker * '' The Black Abbot'' (1963), as Detective Puddler * ' (1963), as Dr. Alois Kämpfer, newspaper publisher * '' Banana Peel'' (1963), as Le vrai Bontemps * '' Les Tontons flingueurs'' (1963), as Tomate * ' (1963), as Director * '' An Alibi for Death'' (1963), as Dr. Hartleben * ' (1963), as Charley Nelson * ' (1964, TV film), as J. Robert Oppenheimer * ' (1964), as Defense attorney * '' Condemned to Sin'' (1964) * ''Sicher ist sicher'' (1964, TV film), as Commodore * '' Angélique, Marquise des Anges'' (1964), as Conan Bécher, inquisitor * ' (1965), as Ronald Bruck * '' Shots in Threequarter Time'' (1965), as Henry * '' Marvelous Angelique'' (1965), as Conan Bécher, inquisitor * '' Code Name: Jaguar'' (1965), as Simon Walter * '' Pleins feux sur Stanislas'' (1965), as Man with cat (uncredited) * ''Doktor Murkes gesammelte Nachrufe'' (1965, TV film), as Badallas * '' A Study in Terror'' (1965), as Joseph Beck * ' (1965), as Doctor * ''Das Leben des Horace A. W. Tabor'' (1965, TV film), as William H. Brown * ''Berta Garlan'' (1966, TV film), as Klingemann * '' The Strangler of the Tower'' (1966), as Mr. Cliften * '' The Doctor Speaks Out'' (1966), as Professor * ''Caligula'' (1966, TV film), as Cherea * '' To Skin a Spy'' (1966), as Ehrfurt * '' Once a Greek'' (1966), as Petit-Paysan * ''Les Femmes Savantes'' (1966, TV film), as Vadius * '' Run Like a Thief'' (1967), as Piet de Jonge * ''Joséphine'' (1967, TV film), as Talma * '': Nach all den Jahren'' (1967, TV series episode), as Gunnar Gustavsson * '' Marat/Sade'' (1967, TV film), as Marquis de Sade * ' (1968, TV miniseries), as Kaminsky * ' (1968), as Professor Sauermann * ' (1969), as The General (voice) * ' (1970, TV film), as Dr. William Chumley * '' Slap in the Face'' (1970), as Finance minister * ''Hier bin ich, mein Vater'' (1970, TV film), as Mr. von Griese * '' Under the Roofs of St. Pauli'' (1970), as Night club owner * '' Der Kommissar: Der Moormörder'' (1971, TV series episode), as Dr. Strobel * ''Preußen über alles... – Bismarcks deutsche Einigung'' (1971, TV film), as Benedetti * ' (1971, TV film), as Kurt Eisner * ''The Night in Lisbon'' (1971, TV film), as Lachmann * ''Oliver'' (1971, TV film), as Finanzdirektor Kaenel * ''The Eddie Chapman Story'' (1971, TV film), as Superintendent * ''Der Zeuge'' (1971, TV film), as Padre Ignacio * ' (1971, TV miniseries), as George Baker * '' Der Kommissar: Ein Amoklauf'' (1972, TV series episode), as Dr. Förster, Gefängnispsychologe * '' The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of'' (1972), as Prof. Vladimir Monerow * ' (1973, TV film), as Peter Finbow * '' Der Kommissar: Das Komplott'' (1973, TV series episode), as Jakob Bachmann * ''The Devil's Disciple'' (1973, TV film), as General Burgoyne * ' (1973–1975, TV Series, 26 episodes), as Detective Chief Inspector Georg Wieker * ''Tod und Teufel'' (1974), as Lonely man * '' Steppenwolf'' (1974), as Loering * '' The Serpent's Egg'' (1977), as Doctor * '' Fabian'' (1980), as Erfinder * ' (1982), as Pharao (voice) * ' (1983), as Mr. X * '' The Roaring Fifties'' (1983), as Igor * ' (1984), as Yvonne * '' Rosa Luxemburg'' (1986), as Jean Jaurès * '' The Passenger – Welcome to Germany'' (1988), as Silbermann * ''Jenseits von Blau'' (1989), as The Professor * ' (1998), as Professor Waldheim * '' No Place to Go'' (2000), as Hanna's Father

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Regnier, Charles 1914 births 2001 deaths German male film actors German male television actors German people of French descent German bisexual actors Lichtenburg concentration camp survivors People prosecuted under anti-homosexuality laws LGBT survivors of Nazi concentration camps Persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 20th-century German male actors Male actors from Freiburg im Breisgau