Günter Meisner
Encyclopedia
Günter Meisner was a German actor
. He is best remembered for his several cinematic portrayals of Adolf Hitler
.
Born in Bremen
, he briefly worked at a steel foundry before training as a radio operator with the Wehrmacht paratrooper
s (Fallschirmspringer). In 1948, Meisner took acting lessons with Gustaf Gründgens
in Düsseldorf, where he also got his first job at the local Schauspielhaus. Meisner often played Nazi officers and other sinister characters. He portrayed Hitler in the French
-German action comedy L'as des as
, and in the American
television miniseries
The Winds of War
. He also appeared as a Stasi
officer in the 1982 film Night Crossing
. Other films Meisner took part in were Is Paris Burning?
, The Quiller Memorandum
, Funeral in Berlin
, and The Boys from Brazil
. He was Mr. Slugworth/Mr. Wilkinson in the 1971 film version of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
.
Around 1960/61 Meisner founded the International Association for Arts and Sciences, and from 1967 to 1969 he participated in relief efforts in Biafra
, Nigeria
. In Africa
, Meisner also produced films criticizing racial discrimination.
Meisner was married. On December 5, 1994, he died of heart failure during the filming of an episode of the television series Tatort
, and was buried at Berlin's Heerstraße cemetery. Meisner was 68 years old.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is best remembered for his several cinematic portrayals of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
.
Born in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, he briefly worked at a steel foundry before training as a radio operator with the Wehrmacht paratrooper
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
s (Fallschirmspringer). In 1948, Meisner took acting lessons with Gustaf Gründgens
Gustaf Gründgens
Gustaf Gründgens , born Gustav Heinrich Arnold Gründgens, was one of Germany's most famous and influential actors of the 20th century, intendant and artistic director of theatres in Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg...
in Düsseldorf, where he also got his first job at the local Schauspielhaus. Meisner often played Nazi officers and other sinister characters. He portrayed Hitler in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-German action comedy L'as des as
L'as des as
L'as des as is a 1982 French-German comedy film starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and directed by Gérard Oury.-Plot:...
, and in the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
The Winds of War
The Winds of War
The Winds of War is Herman Wouk's second book about World War II, the first being The Caine Mutiny . Published in 1971, it was followed up seven years later by War and Remembrance; originally conceived as one volume, Wouk decided to break it in two when he realized it took nearly 1000 pages just to...
. He also appeared as a Stasi
Stasi
The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security The Ministry for State Security (German: Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS), commonly known as the Stasi (abbreviation , literally State Security), was the official state security service of East Germany. The MfS was headquartered...
officer in the 1982 film Night Crossing
Night Crossing
Night Crossing is a 1982 Disney film starring John Hurt and Beau Bridges. The film is based on the true story of the Strelzyk and Wetzel families, who on September 16, 1979 escaped from East Germany to West Germany in a homemade hot air balloon during the days of the Berlin Wall when emigration to...
. Other films Meisner took part in were Is Paris Burning?
Is Paris Burning?
Is Paris Burning? is a 1966 film dealing with the 1944 liberation of Paris by rival branches of the French Resistance and the Free French Forces.-Plot:...
, The Quiller Memorandum
The Quiller Memorandum
The Quiller Memorandum is a film adaptation of the 1965 spy novel The Berlin Memorandum, by Trevor Dudley-Smith under the name "Adam Hall", screenplay by Harold Pinter, directed by Michael Anderson, featuring George Segal, Max von Sydow, Senta Berger and Alec Guinness. The film was shot on...
, Funeral in Berlin
Funeral in Berlin
Funeral in Berlin is a spy novel by Len Deighton.- Plot :The protagonist, who is unnamed, travels to Berlin to arrange the defection of a Soviet scientist named Semitsa, this being brokered by Johnny Vulkan of the Berlin intelligence community...
, and The Boys from Brazil
The Boys from Brazil (film)
The Boys from Brazil is a 1978 British/American science fiction/thriller film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. It stars Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier, with James Mason, Lilli Palmer, Uta Hagen and Steve Guttenberg in supporting roles...
. He was Mr. Slugworth/Mr. Wilkinson in the 1971 film version of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a 1971 musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, directed by Mel Stuart, and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The film tells the story of Charlie Bucket as he receives a golden ticket and visits Willy...
.
Around 1960/61 Meisner founded the International Association for Arts and Sciences, and from 1967 to 1969 he participated in relief efforts in Biafra
Biafra
Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a secessionist state in south-eastern Nigeria that existed from 30 May 1967 to 15 January 1970, taking its name from the Bight of Biafra . The inhabitants were mostly the Igbo people who led the secession due to economic, ethnic, cultural and religious...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. In Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Meisner also produced films criticizing racial discrimination.
Meisner was married. On December 5, 1994, he died of heart failure during the filming of an episode of the television series Tatort
Tatort
Tatort is a long-running German/Austrian/Swiss , crime television series set in various parts of these countries. The show is broadcast on the channels of ARD in Germany, ORF 2 in Austria and SF1 in Switzerland...
, and was buried at Berlin's Heerstraße cemetery. Meisner was 68 years old.
Filmography
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Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo is a 1978 film directed by David Hemmings and starring David Bowie. Set in post-World War I Berlin, it also featured Sydne Rome, Kim Novak and, in her last screen appearance, Marlene Dietrich... Avalanche Express Avalanche Express is a cold war adventure thriller about a defecting Russian general, released in 1979. It starred Lee Marvin, Robert Shaw , Maximilian Schell, and Linda Evans, and was directed by Mark Robson and Monte Hellman... Night Crossing Night Crossing is a 1982 Disney film starring John Hurt and Beau Bridges. The film is based on the true story of the Strelzyk and Wetzel families, who on September 16, 1979 escaped from East Germany to West Germany in a homemade hot air balloon during the days of the Berlin Wall when emigration to... L'as des as L'as des as is a 1982 French-German comedy film starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and directed by Gérard Oury.-Plot:... The Winds of War The Winds of War is Herman Wouk's second book about World War II, the first being The Caine Mutiny . Published in 1971, it was followed up seven years later by War and Remembrance; originally conceived as one volume, Wouk decided to break it in two when he realized it took nearly 1000 pages just to... Under the Volcano Under the Volcano is a 1947 semi-autobiographical novel by English writer Malcolm Lowry . The novel tells the story of Geoffrey Firmin, an alcoholic British consul in the small Mexican town of Quauhnahuac , on the Day of the Dead.Surrounded by the helpless presences of his ex-wife, his... Tras el cristal Tras el cristal is a 1987 Spanish art house horror film written and directed by Agustí Villaronga and starring Günter Meisner, Marisa Paredes and David Sust. The plot follows an ex-Nazi sadistic child abuser who is now paralyzed and depending on an iron lung to live. A young man who comes to... Roselyne et les lions Roselyne et les lions is a 1989 French film directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix.-Cast:* Isabelle Pasco - Roselyne* Gérard Sandoz - Thierry* Gabriel Monnet - Frazier* Philippe Clévenot - Bracquard* Günter Meisner - Klint... The Man Inside The Man Inside is a 1958 British crime adventure film brought to the screen by Warwick Film Productions. The screenplay from David Shaw was based on a novel by M.E.Chaber and was directed by John Gilling. The film was Bonar Colleano's last role before he died in a car accident... - Tödliche Nachrichten Ruby Cairo Ruby Cairo is a 1993 film directed by Graeme Clifford. The soundtrack features music by John Barry and the song You Belong to Me performed by Patsy Cline.-Plot:... ) |