Eric Pohlmann
Encyclopedia
Eric Pohlmann was an Austrian
theatre, film and television character actor
.
Born Erich Pollak in Vienna
, Austria-Hungary
, he was a classically trained actor who studied under the renowned director Max Reinhardt
. He appeared at the Raimund Theater
, and supplemented his income by working as an entertainer in a bar.
In 1939 he followed his fiancée, and later wife, the Jewish actress Lieselotte Goettinger (best known in the UK for playing the concentration camp guard in the war films, "Odette" and "Carve Her Name With Pride"; biography at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0324493/bio), into exile in London
. There he took part in propaganda broadcasts against the Nazis on the BBC
. In order to earn a living, the Pohlmanns temporarily took positions in the household of the Duke of Bedford
: Lieselotte as a cook, and Eric, as he was now known, as butler.
After the war he began a career in the London stage. Among other roles he played "Peachum" in Bertolt Brecht
and Kurt Weill
's The Threepenny Opera
. From the end of the 1940s Pohlmann was often present film and television productions, taking supporting roles in various adventure and crime films, and appearing occasionally in comedies. His large frame and massive features typecast him in roles as master criminals and spies, or conversely as police officers or detectives, as well as other authority figures. He was frequently cast in "foreign" roles, portraying Turks, Italians, Arabs, Greeks or Orientals; he also played King George I
, King George II in Disneys Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue and King George III
twice.
One of his earliest film appearances was in Carol Reed
's classic The Third Man
(1949). He also played supporting roles in such British films as They Who Dare
(1954), Chance of a Lifetime
(1950), Reach for the Sky
(1956), and Expresso Bongo
(1960). He also appeared in US productions, notably Moulin Rouge
(1952), Mogambo
(1953), Lust For Life
(1956) and 55 Days at Peking
(1963). Twice he appeared in films directed by Richard Thorpe
and starring Robert Taylor
- The Adventures of Quentin Durward
(1955) and The House of the Seven Hawks
(1959).
He displayed his comedic talents in films like Gentlemen Marry Brunettes
(1955) with Jane Russell
, as a lecherous Arab sheikh in The Belles of St Trinian's
(1954), and in The Return of the Pink Panther
(1975).
Pohlmann (uncredited) also provided the voice of the unseen head of SPECTRE
, Ernst Stavro Blofeld
, in the James Bond
films From Russia with Love
(1963) and Thunderball
(1965).
In the 1960s and 1970s Pohlmann regularly returned to his homeland to play numerous character roles in German and Austrian film and television productions. He had guest roles in the popular crime series Der Kommissar and Derrick
, and also appeared in television plays for ORF
and Bayerischer Rundfunk
, often under the direction of Franz Josef Wild. In addition to The Defence Counsel (1961) with Barbara Ruetting and Carl Heinz Schroth, he appeared in Der Kleine Lord (1962) with Albrecht Schoenhals
and Michael Ande
, as well as The Dreyfus Affair (1968) with Karl Michael Vogler
and Bernhard Wicki. In 1961 Pohlmann also appeared in a German film adaptation
of a Edgar Wallace
novel The Mystery of the Red Orchid, directed by Helmuth Ashley, and starring Marisa Mell
, Christopher Lee
and Klaus Kinski
.
Pohlmann's greatest success in German TV drama came in 1970 with an adaptation of Wilkie Collins
' novel The Woman In White
, one of the most successful television productions of the year and gaining over 9 million viewers. Under the direction of William Semmelroth, Pohlmann appeared in the role of the villain
ous Count Fosco, alongside Heidelinde Weis
, Christoph Bantzer
, Pinkas Braun
and Helmut Käutner. The mini-series has a cult following to this day.
Pohlmann was a regular on British television, taking the role of "Inspector Goron" in the 1952-1954 TV series Colonel March of Scotland Yard
with Boris Karloff
, and appearing as a guest star in such series as The Saint
, The Champions
, The Avengers
, Danger Man
, Department S
, Jason King
, and Paul Temple
.
In 1978 he worked with the actor-director Maximilian Schell
in a German/Austrian film production motion of Ödön von Horváth
's play Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald
(Tales from the Vienna Woods). The film was shown at the 1979 London Film Festival
. In that year, during final rehearsals for his second appearance at the Salzburg Festival
, Pohlmann suffered a heart attack, and died the next day in a hospital in Bad Reichenhall
. He was 66.
In 2006 the Turner Classic Movies
"31 Days of Oscar
" festival was based on the theme of "360 Degrees of Oscar" (based on the game of "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon
") in which TCM chooses an actor who has played a significant role in Oscar history, and builds its entire schedule around him. They chose Eric Pohlmann.
He also appeared on stage (Henry Cecil's "Settled Out Of Court" is a production this editor remembers seeing him in).
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
theatre, film and television character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
.
Born Erich Pollak in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, he was a classically trained actor who studied under the renowned director Max Reinhardt
Max Reinhardt (theatre director)
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
. He appeared at the Raimund Theater
Raimund Theater
The Raimund Theater is a theatre in the Mariahilf district of Vienna, Austria.Named after the Austrian dramatist Ferdinand Raimund, the theatre was built by an association of Viennese citizens and opened on 28 November 1893 with Raimund's play Die gefesselte Phantasie...
, and supplemented his income by working as an entertainer in a bar.
In 1939 he followed his fiancée, and later wife, the Jewish actress Lieselotte Goettinger (best known in the UK for playing the concentration camp guard in the war films, "Odette" and "Carve Her Name With Pride"; biography at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0324493/bio), into exile in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. There he took part in propaganda broadcasts against the Nazis on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. In order to earn a living, the Pohlmanns temporarily took positions in the household of the Duke of Bedford
Duke of Bedford
thumb|right|240px|William Russell, 1st Duke of BedfordDuke of Bedford is a title that has been created five times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1414 in favour of Henry IV's third son, John, who later served as regent of France. He was made Earl of Kendal at the same time...
: Lieselotte as a cook, and Eric, as he was now known, as butler.
After the war he began a career in the London stage. Among other roles he played "Peachum" in Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the...
and Kurt Weill
Kurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
's The Threepenny Opera
The Threepenny Opera
The Threepenny Opera is a musical by German dramatist Bertolt Brecht and composer Kurt Weill, in collaboration with translator Elisabeth Hauptmann and set designer Caspar Neher. It was adapted from an 18th-century English ballad opera, John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, and offers a Marxist critique...
. From the end of the 1940s Pohlmann was often present film and television productions, taking supporting roles in various adventure and crime films, and appearing occasionally in comedies. His large frame and massive features typecast him in roles as master criminals and spies, or conversely as police officers or detectives, as well as other authority figures. He was frequently cast in "foreign" roles, portraying Turks, Italians, Arabs, Greeks or Orientals; he also played King George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
, King George II in Disneys Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue and King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
twice.
One of his earliest film appearances was in Carol Reed
Carol Reed
Sir Carol Reed was an English film director best known for Odd Man Out , The Fallen Idol , The Third Man and Oliver!...
's classic The Third Man
The Third Man
The Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Many critics rank it as a masterpiece, particularly remembered for its atmospheric cinematography, performances, and unique musical score...
(1949). He also played supporting roles in such British films as They Who Dare
They Who Dare
They Who Dare is a 1954 World War II war film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Dirk Bogarde, Harold Siddons, Akim Tamiroff and Eric Pohlmann. The story is based on events that took place during World War II in the Dodecanese islands where special forces attempted to disrupt the Luftwaffe...
(1954), Chance of a Lifetime
Chance of a Lifetime (film)
Chance of a Lifetime is a 1950 British film starring, produced, part-written and directed by Bernard Miles. It was nominated for the 1951 BAFTA for Best British Film, to which it was beaten by The Blue Lamp.-Plot:...
(1950), Reach for the Sky
Reach for the Sky
Reach for the Sky is a 1956 British biographical film of aviator Douglas Bader, based on the 1954 biography of the same name by Paul Brickhill. The film stars Kenneth More and was directed by Lewis Gilbert. It won the BAFTA Award for Best British Film of 1956.-Plot:In 1928, Douglas Bader, a...
(1956), and Expresso Bongo
Expresso Bongo
Expresso Bongo, a 1958 West End musical and a 1959 film, was a satire of the music industry. It was first produced on the stage at the Saville Theatre, London on 23 April 1958. Its book was written by Wolf Mankowitz and Julian More, with music by David Heneker and Monty Norman, also the...
(1960). He also appeared in US productions, notably Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge (1952 film)
Moulin Rouge is a 1952 film directed by John Huston, produced by Sir John Woolf and James Woolf of Romulus Films and released by United Artists. The film is set in Paris in the late 19th century, following artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in the city's bohemian sub-culture in and around the...
(1952), Mogambo
Mogambo
Mogambo is a 1953 film directed by John Ford, featuring Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly and Donald Sinden. The film was adapted by John Lee Mahin from the play by Wilson Collison....
(1953), Lust For Life
Lust for Life (film)
Lust for Life is a MGM biographical film about the life of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, based on the 1934 novel by Irving Stone and adapted by Norman Corwin.It was directed by Vincente Minnelli and produced by John Houseman...
(1956) and 55 Days at Peking
55 Days at Peking
55 Days at Peking is a 1963 historical epic film starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, and David Niven, made by Samuel Bronston Productions, and released by Allied Artists. The movie was produced by Samuel Bronston and directed by Nicholas Ray, Andrew Marton , and Guy Green...
(1963). Twice he appeared in films directed by Richard Thorpe
Richard Thorpe
Richard Thorpe was an American film director.Born Rollo Smolt Thorpe in Hutchinson, Kansas, he began his entertainment career performing in vaudeville and onstage. In 1921 he began in motion pictures as an actor and directed his first silent film in 1923. He went on to direct more than one hundred...
and starring Robert Taylor
Robert Taylor (actor)
Robert Taylor was an American film and television actor.-Early life:Born Spangler Arlington Brugh in Filley, Nebraska, he was the son of Ruth Adaline and Spangler Andrew Brugh, who was a farmer turned doctor...
- The Adventures of Quentin Durward
The Adventures of Quentin Durward
The Adventures of Quentin Durward, known also as Quentin Durward, is a 1955 historical film released by MGM. It was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman...
(1955) and The House of the Seven Hawks
The House of the Seven Hawks
The House of the Seven Hawks is a 1959 British mystery film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Taylor, Nicole Maurey and Linda Christian. An American captain searching for sunken treasure becomes entangled with criminals and is arrested by the Dutch police.-Cast:* Robert Taylor ... ...
(1959).
He displayed his comedic talents in films like Gentlemen Marry Brunettes
Gentlemen Marry Brunettes
Gentlemen Marry Brunettes is a 1955 musical film produced by Russ-Field productions, starring Jane Russell and Jeanne Crain, and released by United Artists...
(1955) with Jane Russell
Jane Russell
Jane Russell was an American film actress and was one of Hollywood's leading sex symbols in the 1940s and 1950s....
, as a lecherous Arab sheikh in The Belles of St Trinian's
The Belles of St Trinian's
The Belles of St Trinian's is a comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School, released in 1954. It and its sequels were inspired by British cartoonist Ronald Searle. Directed by Frank Launder and written by him and Sidney Gilliat, it was the first of a series of five...
(1954), and in The Return of the Pink Panther
The Return of the Pink Panther
The Return of the Pink Panther is the fourth film in the Pink Panther series, released in 1975. The film stars Peter Sellers in the role of Inspector Clouseau in his third Panther appearance, after the original The Pink Panther and A Shot in the Dark.Herbert Lom also reprises his role as Chief...
(1975).
Pohlmann (uncredited) also provided the voice of the unseen head of SPECTRE
SPECTRE
SPECTRE is a fictional global terrorist organisation featured in the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, the films based on those novels, and James Bond video games...
, Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character and a supervillain from the James Bond series of novels and films, who was created by Ian Fleming and Kevin McClory. An evil genius with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy of the British Secret Service agent James Bond and is arguably...
, in the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
films From Russia with Love
From Russia with Love (film)
From Russia with Love is the second in the James Bond spy film series, and the second to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1963, the film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and directed by Terence Young. It is based on the 1957 novel of the...
(1963) and Thunderball
Thunderball (film)
Thunderball is the fourth spy film in the James Bond series starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming, which in turn was based on an original screenplay by Jack Whittingham...
(1965).
In the 1960s and 1970s Pohlmann regularly returned to his homeland to play numerous character roles in German and Austrian film and television productions. He had guest roles in the popular crime series Der Kommissar and Derrick
Derrick (TV series)
Derrick is a German TV series produced by Telenova Film und Fernsehproduktion in association with ZDF, ORF and SRG between 1974 and 1998 about Detective Chief Inspector Stephan Derrick and his loyal assistant Inspector Harry Klein , who solve murder cases in Munich and surroundings Derrick is a...
, and also appeared in television plays for ORF
ORF (broadcaster)
Österreichischer Rundfunk, ORF, is the Austrian national public service broadcaster.Funded from a combination of a television licence fees and revenue from limited on-air advertising, ORF is the dominant player in the Austrian broadcast media...
and Bayerischer Rundfunk
Bayerischer Rundfunk
Bayerischer Rundfunk [Bavarian Broadcasting] is the public broadcasting authority for the German Freistaat of Bavaria, with its main offices located in Munich. BR is a member of ARD.- Legal foundation :...
, often under the direction of Franz Josef Wild. In addition to The Defence Counsel (1961) with Barbara Ruetting and Carl Heinz Schroth, he appeared in Der Kleine Lord (1962) with Albrecht Schoenhals
Albrecht Schoenhals
Albrecht Moritz James Karl Schoenhals was a German film actor.- Selected filmography :* Boccaccio * The Glass Ball * Traummusik * Scotland Yard jagt Dr. Mabuse - External links :...
and Michael Ande
Michael Ande
Michael Ande is a German actor best known for his role as Gerd Heymann in the West German crime-drama television series Der Alte.- Selected filmography :* Marianne, meine Jugendliebe...
, as well as The Dreyfus Affair (1968) with Karl Michael Vogler
Karl Michael Vogler
Karl Michael Vogler was a German actor probably best known for his appearances in several big-budget English-language films of the 1960s and 1970s, including The Blue Max where he co-starred with George Peppard and Ursula Andress followed a few years later by Patton, in which he portrayed Erwin...
and Bernhard Wicki. In 1961 Pohlmann also appeared in a German film adaptation
Films based on Edgar Wallace works
The Edgar Wallace movies are motion pictures based on the works of British novelist and playwright Edgar Wallace.Even though there are countless film adaptations of Edgar Wallace novels worldwide, the crime films produced by the German company Rialto Film between 1959 and 1972 are the best-known of...
of a Edgar Wallace
Edgar Wallace
Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace was an English crime writer, journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and playwright, who wrote 175 novels, 24 plays, and numerous articles in newspapers and journals....
novel The Mystery of the Red Orchid, directed by Helmuth Ashley, and starring Marisa Mell
Marisa Mell
Marisa Mell was an Austrian actress who became a cult figure of 1960s Italian B-movies. She was born as Marlies Theres Moitzi in Graz, Austria.-Biography:...
, Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
and Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski , was a German actor. He appeared in more than 130 films, and is perhaps best-remembered as a leading role actor in Werner Herzog films: Aguirre, the Wrath of God , Nosferatu the Vampyre , Woyzeck , Fitzcarraldo and Cobra Verde .-Early...
.
Pohlmann's greatest success in German TV drama came in 1970 with an adaptation of Wilkie Collins
Wilkie Collins
William Wilkie Collins was an English novelist, playwright, and author of short stories. He was very popular during the Victorian era and wrote 30 novels, more than 60 short stories, 14 plays, and over 100 non-fiction pieces...
' novel The Woman In White
The Woman in White (novel)
The Woman in White is an epistolary novel written by Wilkie Collins in 1859, serialized in 1859–1860, and first published in book form in 1860...
, one of the most successful television productions of the year and gaining over 9 million viewers. Under the direction of William Semmelroth, Pohlmann appeared in the role of the villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
ous Count Fosco, alongside Heidelinde Weis
Heidelinde Weis
-Selected filmography:* Ich heirate Herrn Direktor * Dead Woman from Beverly Hills * Serenade for Two Spies * Tante Frieda * Liselotte von der Pfalz * Onkel Filser * The Man Outside...
, Christoph Bantzer
Christoph Bantzer
Christoph Bantzer is a German television actor.His younger brother Claus Bantzer is a composer and musician.- External links :*...
, Pinkas Braun
Pinkas Braun
Pinkas Braun was a Swiss film actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1954 and 2002.He was born in Zürich, Switzerland and died in Munich, Germany.-Selected filmography:* The Puzzle of the Red Orchid...
and Helmut Käutner. The mini-series has a cult following to this day.
Pohlmann was a regular on British television, taking the role of "Inspector Goron" in the 1952-1954 TV series Colonel March of Scotland Yard
Colonel March of Scotland Yard
Colonel March of Scotland Yard is a 1950s British television series based on author John Dickson Carr's fictional detective Colonel March from his book The Department of Queer Complaints . Carr was a mystery author who specialised in locked-room whodunnits and other 'impossible' crimes: murder...
with Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
, and appearing as a guest star in such series as The Saint
The Saint (TV series)
The Saint was an ITC mystery spy thriller television series that aired in the UK on ITV between 1962 and 1969. It centred on the Leslie Charteris literary character, Simon Templar, a Robin Hood-like adventurer with a penchant for disguise. The character may be nicknamed The Saint because the...
, The Champions
The Champions
The Champions is a British espionage/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure series consisting of 30 episodes broadcast on the UK network ITV during 1968–1969, produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company...
, The Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
, Danger Man
Danger Man
Danger Man is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Ralph Smart created the program and wrote many of the scripts...
, Department S
Department S
Department S is a United Kingdom spy-fi adventure series produced by ITC Entertainment. The series consists of 28 episodes which originally aired in 1969–1970. It starred Peter Wyngarde as author Jason King , Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan, and Rosemary Nicols as computer expert Annabelle Hurst...
, Jason King
Jason King (TV series)
Jason King was a British television series produced from 1971 to 1972. Each episode was one hour in duration , and the series had a run of one season of 26 episodes. As well as its native UK, the series was also screened in countries as far afield as Australia, Norway, Argentina and Peru...
, and Paul Temple
Paul Temple
Paul Temple is a fictional character created by British writer Francis Durbridge for the BBC radio serial Send for Paul Temple in 1938. Temple is an amateur private detective and author of crime fiction...
.
In 1978 he worked with the actor-director Maximilian Schell
Maximilian Schell
Maximilian Schell is an Austrian-born Swiss actor who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Judgment at Nuremberg in 1961...
in a German/Austrian film production motion of Ödön von Horváth
Ödön von Horváth
Edmund Josef von Horváth was a German-writing Austro-Hungarian-born playwright and novelist...
's play Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald
Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald
Tales from the Vienna Woods refers to several landmark works in Germanophone culture, including:*a waltz by Johann Strauss II;*a play by Ödön von Horváth; and*several film adaptations of the play....
(Tales from the Vienna Woods). The film was shown at the 1979 London Film Festival
London Film Festival
The BFI London Film Festival is the UK's largest public film event, screening more than 300 features, documentaries and shorts from almost 50 countries. The festival, , currently in its 54th year, is run every year in the second half of October under the umbrella of the British Film Institute...
. In that year, during final rehearsals for his second appearance at the Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
, Pohlmann suffered a heart attack, and died the next day in a hospital in Bad Reichenhall
Bad Reichenhall
Bad Reichenhall is a spa town, and administrative center of the Berchtesgadener Land district in Upper Bavaria, Germany. It is located near Salzburg in a basin encircled by the Chiemgauer Alps ....
. He was 66.
In 2006 the Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
"31 Days of Oscar
31 Days of Oscar
31 Days of Oscar is a programming franchise aired each Oscar season by the U.S. and Asian Turner Classic Movies cable networks during the month of the Academy Awards...
" festival was based on the theme of "360 Degrees of Oscar" (based on the game of "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon
Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon
Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is a trivia game based on the concept of the small world phenomenon and rests on the assumption that any individual involved in the Hollywood, California film industry can be linked through his or her film roles to actor Kevin Bacon within six steps. The name of the game...
") in which TCM chooses an actor who has played a significant role in Oscar history, and builds its entire schedule around him. They chose Eric Pohlmann.
He also appeared on stage (Henry Cecil's "Settled Out Of Court" is a production this editor remembers seeing him in).
Selected filmography
- Highly DangerousHighly DangerousHighly Dangerous is a 1950 British spy film starring Margaret Lockwood as a British entomologist trying to stop a biological attack with the help of an American journalist played by Dane Clark. The screenplay was written by Eric Ambler.-Cast:...
(1950) - Hell is Sold OutHell is Sold OutHell is Sold Out is a 1951 British drama film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Mai Zetterling, Herbert Lom and Richard Attenborough. A woman publishes a book under the name of a man believed to be long dead.-Main cast:...
(1951) - Emergency CallEmergency CallEmergency Call is a British film released in 1952 by Nettlefold Films. The film was directed by Lewis Gilbert and stars Jack Warner in a familiar role playing a policeman, Anthony Steel, Joy Shelton and Sid James as a dubious boxing promoter....
(1952) - Blood OrangeBlood Orange (film)Blood Orange is a 1953 British crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Tom Conway and Mila Parély.-Cast:* Tom Conway as Tom Conway* Mila Parély as Helen Pascall* Naomi Chance as Gina* Eric Pohlmann as Mr. Mercedes...
(1953) - Flame and the FleshFlame and the FleshFlame and the Flesh is a 1954 drama film made by MGM. It was directed by Richard Brooks and produced by Joe Pasternak from a screenplay by Helen Deutsch based on the novel by Auguste Bailly...
(1954) - The Belles of St Trinian'sThe Belles of St Trinian'sThe Belles of St Trinian's is a comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School, released in 1954. It and its sequels were inspired by British cartoonist Ronald Searle. Directed by Frank Launder and written by him and Sidney Gilliat, it was the first of a series of five...
(1954) - A Prize of GoldA Prize of GoldA Prize of Gold is a British 1955 Warwick Films heist film directed by Mark Robson partly filmed in West Berlin. The film stars Richard Widmark as a United States Air Force Air Police Master Sergeant motivated by love and compassion to begin a life of crime...
(1955) - Break in the CircleBreak in the CircleBreak in the Circle is a 1955 British film directed by Val Guest and starring Forrest Tucker, Eva Bartok, Marius Goring and Guy Middleton. An adventurer is hired by a German millionaire to help a Polish scientist escape to the West....
(1955) - The Constant HusbandThe Constant HusbandThe Constant Husband is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Sidney Gilliat and starring Rex Harrison, Margaret Leighton, Kay Kendall, Cecil Parker, George Cole and Raymond Huntley.-Plot:...
(1955) - Gentlemen Marry BrunettesGentlemen Marry BrunettesGentlemen Marry Brunettes is a 1955 musical film produced by Russ-Field productions, starring Jane Russell and Jeanne Crain, and released by United Artists...
(1955) - The Adventures of Quentin DurwardThe Adventures of Quentin DurwardThe Adventures of Quentin Durward, known also as Quentin Durward, is a 1955 historical film released by MGM. It was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman...
(1955) - The Gelignite GangThe Gelignite GangThe Gelignite Gang is a 1956 crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Wayne Morris and Sandra Dorne.-Cast:* Wayne Morris as Jimmy Baxter* Sandra Dorne as Sally Morton* Patrick Holt as John Rutherford* Eric Pohlmann as Mr. Popoulus...
(1956) - Lust for LifeLust for Life (film)Lust for Life is a MGM biographical film about the life of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, based on the 1934 novel by Irving Stone and adapted by Norman Corwin.It was directed by Vincente Minnelli and produced by John Houseman...
(1956) - The Counterfeit PlanThe Counterfeit PlanThe Counterfeit Plan is a 1957 British crime film directed by Montgomery Tully and starring Zachary Scott, Peggie Castle, Mervyn Johns and David Lodge.-Cast:*Zachary Scott as Max Brant*Peggie Castle as Carole Bernard*Mervyn Johns as Louie Bernard...
(1957) - InterpolInterpol (1957 film)Interpol known in the USA as Pickup Alley is a 1957 British Warwick Films crime film starring Victor Mature, Anita Ekberg, Trevor Howard, Bonar Colleano and Sid James. It concerns an Interpol effort to stamp out a major drug-smuggling cartel in numerous countries around the world. Victor Mature...
(1957) - Across the BridgeAcross the Bridge (film)Across the Bridge is a 1957 film directed by Ken Annakin. It is based on the short story of the same name by Graham Greene. An embezzler on the run from the police steals the identity of a look-alike he meets by chance.-Cast:*Rod Steiger as Carl Schaffner...
(1957) - The House of the Seven HawksThe House of the Seven HawksThe House of the Seven Hawks is a 1959 British mystery film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Robert Taylor, Nicole Maurey and Linda Christian. An American captain searching for sunken treasure becomes entangled with criminals and is arrested by the Dutch police.-Cast:* Robert Taylor ... ...
(1959) - Alive and KickingAlive and Kicking (film)Alive and Kicking is a 1959 British comedy film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Sybil Thorndike, Kathleen Harrison, Estelle Winwood and Stanley Holloway. Three woman grow dissatisfied with their lives in a retirement home and decide to search for fresh enjoyment and adventure...
(1959) - Upstairs and DownstairsUpstairs and DownstairsUpstairs and Downstairs is a 1959 British comedy drama film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Michael Craig, Anne Heywood, Mylène Demongeot, Claudia Cardinale, James Robertson Justice, Joan Sims, Joan Hickson and Sid James...
(1959) - Sands of the DesertSands of the DesertSands of the Desert is a 1960 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Charlie Drake, Peter Arne, Sarah Branch and Raymond Huntley...
(1960) - No KiddingNo Kidding (film)No Kidding is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Gerald Thomas featuring Leslie Phillips, Geraldine McEwan and Irene Handl, Noel Purcell and Julia Lockwood. The film is adapted from Verily Andersons novel Beware of Children.-Plot:...
(1960) - Mrs. Gibbons' BoysMrs. Gibbons' Boys (film)Mrs. Gibbons' Boys is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Max Varnel and starring Kathleen Harrison, Lionel Jeffries and Diana Dors. It is based on the play Mrs...
(1962) - The Puzzle of the Red OrchidThe Puzzle of the Red OrchidThe Puzzle of the Red Orchid is a 1962 German crime film directed by Helmut Ashley and starring Christopher Lee.-Cast:* Christopher Lee as Captain Allerman* Adrian Hoven as Inspector Weston* Marisa Mell as Lilian Ranger* Pinkas Braun as Edwin...
(1962) - Village of DaughtersVillage of DaughtersVillage of Daughters is a 1962 British comedy film directed by George Pollock.-Plot:Herbert Harris is a traveling salesman who makes his way into a remote Italian village to sell his wares. There, he finds many single and attractive women who all pursue him madly. He quickly learns that the village...
(1962) - Follow the BoysFollow the BoysFollow the Boys , also known as Three Cheers for the Boys, is a musical film made by Universal Pictures as an all-star cast morale booster to entertain the troops abroad and the civilians at home. The film was directed by A. Edward "Eddie" Sutherland and produced by Charles K. Feldman...
(1963) - The Sicilians (1963)
- 55 Days at Peking55 Days at Peking55 Days at Peking is a 1963 historical epic film starring Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, and David Niven, made by Samuel Bronston Productions, and released by Allied Artists. The movie was produced by Samuel Bronston and directed by Nicholas Ray, Andrew Marton , and Guy Green...
(1963) - Shadow of Fear (1963)
- Hot Enough for JuneHot Enough for JuneHot Enough for June is a 1964 British spy comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and featuring Dirk Bogarde, Sylva Koscina, Robert Morley, Leo McKern, John Le Mesurier and Roger Delgado. It was based on the 1960 novel "The Night of Wenceslas" by Lionel Davidson and directed by Ralph Thomas. It was...
(1964) - Foreign ExchangeForeign Exchange (1970 film)Foreign Exchange is a 1970 British television thriller film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Robert Horton, Sebastian Cabot and Jill St. John. It was based on a novel by Jimmy Sangster. A former British spy arranges an exchange of captured spies with Russia.-Cast:* Robert Horton ... John...
(1970, TV film) - DerrickDerrick (TV series)Derrick is a German TV series produced by Telenova Film und Fernsehproduktion in association with ZDF, ORF and SRG between 1974 and 1998 about Detective Chief Inspector Stephan Derrick and his loyal assistant Inspector Harry Klein , who solve murder cases in Munich and surroundings Derrick is a...
- Season 2, Episode 5: "Zeichen der Gewalt" (1975) - The Return of the Pink PantherThe Return of the Pink PantherThe Return of the Pink Panther is the fourth film in the Pink Panther series, released in 1975. The film stars Peter Sellers in the role of Inspector Clouseau in his third Panther appearance, after the original The Pink Panther and A Shot in the Dark.Herbert Lom also reprises his role as Chief...
(1975) - DerrickDerrick (TV series)Derrick is a German TV series produced by Telenova Film und Fernsehproduktion in association with ZDF, ORF and SRG between 1974 and 1998 about Detective Chief Inspector Stephan Derrick and his loyal assistant Inspector Harry Klein , who solve murder cases in Munich and surroundings Derrick is a...
- Season 5, Episode 6: "Klavierkonzert" (1978)