Oskar Karlweis

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Oskar Karlweis

Oskar Leopold Karlweis (born June 10, 1894 in Hinterbrühl , Austria-Hungary ; died January 24, 1956 in New York , USA ) was an Austrian-American actor.

Life

Karlweis' birthplace in Hinterbrühl

The son of the playwright Carl Karlweis (1850–1901) and brother of the writer Marta Karlweis broke off his law studies and devoted himself to a career as an actor. He received his first engagement in 1912 at the Stadttheater in Vienna, to which he was to remain loyal for eight years - interrupted by his participation in the First World War . In 1919 Max Reinhardt brought him to the theater in der Josefstadt . After that he mainly appeared on various Munich stages. He also played Stani in the world premiere of Hugo von Hofmannsthal's Der Schwierige in 1921 . In 1923 Karlweis returned to Vienna, where he appeared at the Kammerspiele and the Carltheater . In 1927 he went to the Deutsches Theater in Berlin and other theaters. He also met Marlene Dietrich , who was still unknown at the time , and in 1928 played together with her in the music revue It is in the air in the comedy on Kurfürstendamm . At that time he was a very popular charming comedian who also knew how to convince as a dancer and singer, for example as Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus .

Between 1930 and 1933 he also worked as a film actor. He played the most famous role as Kurt with Willy Fritsch and Heinz Rühmann in the movie Die Drei von der Gasstelle , where he tried in vain to win Lilian Harvey's favor .

After the transfer of power to the National Socialists in 1933, he returned to Vienna as a Jew, where he continued to play successfully in the Josefstadt theater. After Austria's annexation in 1938, he emigrated with Karl Farkas via Switzerland to Paris , where they also performed together.

In 1940 he had to flee again with Friedrich Torberg . They came to the USA via Spain and Portugal. Torberg later paid tribute to Karlweis with the words:

“ Spending an evening with him privately, if he was in shape, was worth ten cabaret visits. If he wasn't in shape, then only nine. I don't know how I would have got over this desolate and hopeless time without the comforting and hopeful humor that Oscar Karlweis exuded. "

- Friedrich Torberg

In the United States, Karlweis first had to learn English because he couldn't understand a word here. Together with Farkas and Hermann Leopoldi , he also appeared in German-language events for the emigrants . He celebrated triumphs on Broadway in 1944 as the actor who fled the Nazis in Franz Werfels Jakobowsky and the Colonel .

In 1948 Karlweis returned to Vienna for the first time and was able to build on his earlier successes on the Viennese stages. Karlweis remained a busy stage actor between New York, Vienna and Berlin. Karlweis received US citizenship in 1949.

Oskar Karlweis, married to the film producer Ninon Tallon (1908–1977), died in New York in 1956 at the age of 61 of a heart attack. He is buried in the family grave at the evangelical cemetery in Vienna Matzleinsdorf (group 18, number 12).

Filmography (selection)

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ knerger.de: The grave of Oskar Karlweis
personal data
SURNAME Karlweis, Oskar
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Karlweis, Oskar Leopold (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian actor
DATE OF BIRTH June 10, 1894
PLACE OF BIRTH Hinterbrühl , Austria-Hungary
DATE OF DEATH January 24, 1956
Place of death New York , USA