Ady Berber

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Ady Berber , also Adi Berber , actually Adolf Berber , (born February 4, 1913 in Vienna ; † January 3, 1966 there ) was an Austrian freestyle wrestler and actor .

life and work

Burial place of Adi Berber

The son of a restaurant and hotel owner turned to wrestling and in 1937 he became the professional wrestler freestyle world champion in Chemnitz. He won three European and two world championships in catch-as-catch-can . In 1951 he ended his wrestling career.

Berber, who had owned a restaurant in Vienna on the Mariahilfergürtel since 1943, made his first film appearance in 1936 and was regularly seen in German-language films from the early 1950s ( Im Weißen Rößl , 1952, Peter Voss - the hero of the day , 1959), where he took on minor roles. In 1959 he appeared in the monumental film Ben Hur in the role of the mute, meek Malluch. The actor has appeared in comedies such as Our Great Aunts in the South Seas (1964; as a medicine man Wudu-Budu) or musical comedies such as Thousand Taktes übermut (1965; as a house servant).

Between 1961 and 1966 Berber regularly appeared in supporting roles in crime films typical of the time such as those in the Edgar Wallace and Doktor Mabuse series. Because of his physiognomy and his imposing physique - he was 196 cm tall and weighed around 150 kilograms - the actor was mostly used in villain roles in these films. He played brutal, often feeble-minded characters with massive physical presence such as the " Strangler from the Tower " or that of the "blind Jack" in The Dead Eyes of London . Berber's figures were intended to spread fear and terror and were often staged with dramatic light and shadow effects. Although he was only seen briefly in these films, Berber achieved a high degree of popularity and a kind of cult status through his appearances.

Ady Berber was married, had three children and, in contrast to his screen image, was privately considered a friendly and sociable man. One month before his 53rd birthday, he died in Vienna of complications from cancer . He was buried in Vienna's Südwestfriedhof (group 64, row 26, number 19).

Filmography

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. genickbruch.com: Profile on genickbruch.com
  2. knerger.de: The grave of Adi Berber