Kurt Raab
Encyclopedia
Kurt Raab was a West German stage and film actor, as well as a screenwriter and playwright. Raab is best remembered for his work with cult German
film director
, Rainer Werner Fassbinder
with whom he collaborated on 31 film projects.
, what is now Kašperské Hory
, Czech Republic
. He made his cinema debut in Fassbinder's Liebe ist kälter als der Tod (Love Is Colder than Death
) in 1969
. Over the next few years, he made numerous films with Fassbinder, including Warum läuft Herr R. Amok? (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?
) and Der Amerikanische Soldat (The American Soldier) in 1970
, Warnung vor einer heiligen Nutte (Beware of a Holy Whore
) in 1971
, and Der Händler der vier Jahreszeiten (The Merchant of Four Seasons
) in 1972
.
He also worked as a production designer
, assistant director
, producer, and a screenwriter
.
On 28 June 1988, at age 46, Raab died of AIDS
related complications. Before Raab died, he worked to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in Germany. In 1987 he discussed his illness in Herbert Achternbusch's Wohin?
, a film about AIDS-hysteria. In 1988 he made Mitten im Leben, a documentary about AIDS, for Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen.
However, the illness remained poorly understood and Raab was placed in quarantine-like conditions in the Hamburg Tropical Institute. Prejudice about AIDS was also evident when Raab's body was refused burial in the Lower Bavarian town in which his family had settled in 1945.
He is buried in the Ohlsdorf cemetery in Hamburg.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Maria Fassbinder was a German movie director, screenwriter and actor. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the New German Cinema.He maintained a frenetic pace in film-making...
with whom he collaborated on 31 film projects.
Biography
Raab was born in Bergreichenstein, SudetenlandSudetenland
Sudetenland is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the northern, southwest and western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia being within Czechoslovakia.The...
, what is now Kašperské Hory
Kašperské Hory
Kašperské Hory is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It lies in the Šumava Range, some south of the region's capital of Plzeň....
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. He made his cinema debut in Fassbinder's Liebe ist kälter als der Tod (Love Is Colder than Death
Love Is Colder than Death (film)
Love is Colder than Death is a 1969 German film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. This is Fassbinder's first feature film, and he stars as a petty hood, Franz Biberkopf. Biberkopf's friend, portrayed by actor Ulli Lommel, has been ordered to kill Franz by a crime syndicate...
) in 1969
1969 in film
The year 1969 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Last year for prize giving at the Venice Film Festival until it is revived in 1980...
. Over the next few years, he made numerous films with Fassbinder, including Warum läuft Herr R. Amok? (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?
Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?
Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? is a 1970 German drama film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Michael Fengler. It was entered into the 20th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Lilith Ungerer - Frau R.* Kurt Raab - Herr R....
) and Der Amerikanische Soldat (The American Soldier) in 1970
1970 in film
The year 1970 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 9 - Larry Fine, the second member of The Three Stooges, suffers a massive stroke, therefore ending his career....
, Warnung vor einer heiligen Nutte (Beware of a Holy Whore
Beware of a Holy Whore
Beware of a Holy Whore is a 1971 West German drama film written and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder which features Lou Castel, Eddie Constantine, Hanna Schygulla and Fassbinder himself. Semi-autobiographical, the film was influenced by the shooting of the director's earlier Whity in Spain....
) in 1971
1971 in film
The year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music...
, and Der Händler der vier Jahreszeiten (The Merchant of Four Seasons
The Merchant of Four Seasons
The Merchant of Four Seasons is a 1971 West German film written and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Hans Hirschmueller and Irm Hermann. The plot follows the life of a fruit-peddler, living in 1950s West Germany, who is driven over the edge by an uncaring society.The title apparently...
) in 1972
1972 in film
The year 1972 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Avanti!, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Jack Lemmon and Juliet MillsB...
.
He also worked as a production designer
Production designer
In film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the...
, assistant director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
, producer, and a screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
.
On 28 June 1988, at age 46, Raab died of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
related complications. Before Raab died, he worked to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in Germany. In 1987 he discussed his illness in Herbert Achternbusch's Wohin?
Wohin?
Wohin? is a 1988 German drama film directed by Herbert Achternbusch. It was entered into the 38th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Franz Baumgartner as Franz* Annamirl Bierbichler* Josef Bierbichler as Skunk* Gunter Freyse as Gunter...
, a film about AIDS-hysteria. In 1988 he made Mitten im Leben, a documentary about AIDS, for Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen.
However, the illness remained poorly understood and Raab was placed in quarantine-like conditions in the Hamburg Tropical Institute. Prejudice about AIDS was also evident when Raab's body was refused burial in the Lower Bavarian town in which his family had settled in 1945.
He is buried in the Ohlsdorf cemetery in Hamburg.
Filmography
| Year | Film | USA Title | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 1969 in film The year 1969 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Last year for prize giving at the Venice Film Festival until it is revived in 1980... |
Liebe ist kälter als der Tod | Love is Colder than Death | Aufsichtsperson im Kaufhaus |
| 1970 1970 in film The year 1970 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 9 - Larry Fine, the second member of The Three Stooges, suffers a massive stroke, therefore ending his career.... |
Götter der Pest | Gods of the Plague | Gast in der Kneipe |
| 1970 | Das Kaffeehaus | The Coffeehouse | Don Marzio |
| 1970 | Mathias Kneissl | n/a | Fritz Rechthaler, Jungbauer |
| 1970 | Der Amerikanische Soldat | The American Soldier | Rickys Bruder |
| 1970 | Die Niklashauser Fart | The Niklashausen Journey | Bishop |
| 1970 | Weg on Fenster | n/a | n/a |
| 1971 1971 in film The year 1971 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 8 - Bob Dylan's hour long documentary film, Eat the Document, premieres at New York's Academy of Music... |
Warum läuft Herr R. Amok? | Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? | Herr R |
| 1971 | Rio das Mortes | n/a | Tankwart |
| 1971 | Whity Whity (film) Whity is a 1971 German Western film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder. It was entered into the 21st Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Ron Randell - Benjamin Nicholson* Hanna Schygulla - Hanna* Katrin Schaake - Katherine Nicholson... |
Whity | The Pianist |
| 1971 | Warnung vor einer heiligen Nutte | Beware of a Holy Whore | Fred |
| 1971 | Ahnfrau - Oratorium nach Franz Grillparzer | n/a | n/a |
| 1972 1972 in film The year 1972 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Avanti!, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Jack Lemmon and Juliet MillsB... |
Händler der vier Jahreszeiten, Der The Merchant of Four Seasons The Merchant of Four Seasons is a 1971 West German film written and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Hans Hirschmueller and Irm Hermann. The plot follows the life of a fruit-peddler, living in 1950s West Germany, who is driven over the edge by an uncaring society.The title apparently... |
The Merchant of Four Seasons | Kurt |
| 1972 | Acht Stunden sind kein Tag | Eight Hours Are Not a Day (TV Mini series) | Harald |
| 1972 | Bremer Freiheit (TV) | Bremen Coffee | Carpenter |
| 1972 | Wildwechsel | Jail Bait | Factory Boss |
| 1973 1973 in film The year 1973 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces his second wife, Barbara Blakely. Blakely would later marry actor/singer Frank Sinatra.... |
Zärtlichkeit der Wölfe The Tenderness of Wolves (film) The Tenderness of Wolves, is a 1973 West German film, produced by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, directed by Ulli Lommel and based on the crimes of German serial killer and cannibal Fritz Haarmann... |
The Tenderness of Wolves | Fritz Haarmann Fritz Haarmann Friedrich Heinrich Karl "Fritz" Haarmann , also known as the Butcher of Hanover and the Vampire of Hanover was a German serial killer who is believed to have been responsible for the murder of 27 boys and young men between 1918 and 1924... |
| 1973 | Welt am Draht (TV) | World on a Wire | Mark Holm |
| 1974 1974 in film The year 1974 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*February 7 - Blazing Saddles is released in the USA.*August 7 - Peter Wolf, lead singer of The J... |
Der Verfolger (TV) | n/a | n/a |
| 1974 | Angst essen Seele auf | Ali: Fear Eats the Soul | Car Mechanic |
| 1974 | Verrohung des Franz Blum | The Brutalisation of Franz Blum | Wupke, Aufseher |
| 1974 | Martha (TV) | Martha | Secretary |
| 1974 | Effi Briest (voice) | Effi Briest | Stimme Apotheker Gieshübler |
| 1974 | "Münchner Geschichten" (mini series) | (n/a) | (n/a) |
| 1975 1975 in film The year 1975 in film involved some significant events, with Steven Spielberg's thriller Jaws topping the box office.-Events:*March 26 - The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London.... |
Wie ein Vogel auf dem Draht | Like a Bird on a Wire | Barbesucher |
| 1975 | Faustrecht der Freiheit | Fox and His Friends | Wodka-Peter |
| 1975 | Mutter Küsters Fahrt zum Himmel | Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven | Barbesitzer Gustav |
| 1975 | Angst vor der Angst (TV) | Fear of Fear | Herr Bauer |
| 1976 1976 in film The year 1976 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas' Star Wars science fiction film... |
Satansbraten | Satan's Brew | Walter Kranz |
| 1977 1977 in film The year 1977 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*In the Academy Awards, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight win Best Actor and Actress and Supporting Actress awards for Network.... |
Adolf und Marlene | Adolf and Marlene | Führer 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... |
| 1977 | Eierdiebe | Petty Thieves | n/a |
| 1977 | Gruppenbild mit Dame | Group Portrait with Lady Group Portrait with Lady (film) Group Portrait with Lady is a 1977 German-French drama film directed by Aleksandar Petrović. It was entered into the 1977 Cannes Film Festival... |
Parteifunktionär |
| 1977 | Bolwieser | The Stationmaster's Wife | Xaver Ferdinand Maria Bolwieser - Station Master |
| 1977 | Belcanto oder Darf eine Nutte schluchzen? | n/a | n/a |
| 1978 1978 in film The year 1978 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 1 - Bob Dylan's film Renaldo and Clara, a documentary of the "Rolling Thunder Revue" tour premieres in Los Angeles, California.... |
Leidenschaftliche Blümchen | Preppy School Girls | Fletcher |
| 1978 | Der Sturz | The Fall | n/a |
| 1979 1979 in film The year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released.... |
Der Durchdreher | It Can Only Get Worse | n/a |
| 1979 | Victor (TV) | n/a | n/a |
| 1979 | "Buddenbrooks, Die (mini series) | n/a | n/a |
| 1979 | Bildnis einer Trinkerin | Ticket of No Return | Chef |
| 1980 1980 in film - Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year .... |
Unter Verschluß (TV) | Under Lock and Key | n/a) |
| 1980 | Warum die UFOs unseren Salat klauen | n/a | n/a |
| 1980 | Endstation Freiheit | n/a | Beekenbrandt |
| 1981 1981 in film -Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it.... |
Sechsunddreißig Stunden (TV) | n/a | n/a |
| 1981 | Der Glücklose Mann (TV) | n/a | n/a |
| 1981 | Die Fahrt nach Schlangenbad | n/a | Alfred Wittkowsky |
| 1981 | Exil (mini series) | n/a | Heilbrunn |
| 1981 | Total vereist | Totally Frozen | Herr Münch |
| 1981 | Wie die Weltmeister | n/a | Oberamtmann |
| 1981 | Engel aus Eisen Angels of Iron Angels of Iron is a 1981 German crime film directed by Thomas Brasch. It was entered into the 1981 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Hilmar Thate - Gustav Völpel* Katharina Thalbach - Lisa Gabler* Ulrich Wesselmann - Gladow* Karin Baal - Frau Luzie Gladow... |
Angels of Iron | Chauffeur |
| 1981 | Frankfurt Kaiserstraße | Frankfurt: The Face of a City | Onkel Ossi |
| 1981 | Heute spielen wir den Boß | n/a | n/a |
| 1982 1982 in film -Events:* March 26 = I Ought to Be in Pictures, starring Walter Matthau, Ann-Margret and Dinah Manoff is released. Manoff would not appear in another movie until 1987's Backfire.* June = PG-rated film E.T... |
Komplizen, Die (TV) | n/a | Marcel Lambert |
| 1982 | Ich werde warten (TV) | n/a | n/a |
| 1982 | Dr. Margarete Johnsohn (TV) | n/a | Herr Körber |
| 1982 | Feuer und Schwert - Die Legende von Tristan und Isolde | Fire and Sword | Ganelon |
| 1982 | Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers Felix Krull (mini) TV Series | n/a | n/a |
| 1982 | Der Zauberberg | The Magic Mountain | Dr. Krokowski |
| 1982 | Liebeskonzil | Council of Love | Gerichtspräsident |
| 1983 | Derrick | Episode 1 "Via Genau" | Season 10 |
| 1983 1983 in film -Events:*February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York*May 25 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy, is released. Like the previous films, it goes on to become the top grossing picture of... |
Traumlage (TV) | n/a | n/a |
| 1983 | Krimistunde (TV series) | n/a | n/a |
| 1983 | Die Insel der blutigen Plantage | Escape from Blood Plantation | Pevney |
| 1983 | Der Zappler | The Twitcher | n/a |
| 1983 | Das Gespenst The Ghost (1982 film) The Ghost is a 1982 German drama film directed by and starring Herbert Achternbusch. It was entered into the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Herbert Achternbusch as Ober* Annamirl Bierbichler as Oberin* Werner Schroeter as Bischof... |
The Ghost | Poli |
| 1983 | Bella Donna Bella Donna (film) Bella Donna is a 1983 German drama film directed by Peter Keglevic. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Harry Baer* Angela Göckel - Maria* Brigitte Horney - Jutta* Krystyna Janda - Lena... |
n/a | n/a |
| 1983 | Die Olympiasiegerin | n/a | n/a |
| 1983 | Hauptsache konsequent (TV) | n/a | n/a |
| 1984 1984 in film -Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film.... |
Die Schwarzen Brüder (mini series) | n/a | Man with scar |
| 1984 | Der Rekord | The Record | P.K. Wütrich |
| 1984 | Rambo Zambo | n/a | n/a |
| 1984 | Humus | n/a | Horst |
| 1984 | Franz Xaver Brunnmayr (TV series) | n/a | n/a |
| 1984 | Bones | n/a | n/a |
| 1984 | Tricheurs | Youthful Sinners | Jorg |
| 1984 | Abwärts | Out of Order | Elevator mechanic |
| 1984 | Im Himmel ist die Hölle los | n/a | n/a |
| 1985 1985 in film -Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out Of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.* Bliss wins AFI Award for best Movie... |
Kleine Stadt, ich liebe dich (mini series) | n/a | n/a |
| 1985 | Der Formel Eins Film | Feel the Motion | Mephisto Mephisto Mephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition.Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to:* Mephisto , a high-speed human-powered vehicle... |
| 1985 | Mussolini: The Decline and Fall of Il Duce | Mussolini and I | 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... |
| 1985 | Bolero | n/a | n/a |
| 1986 1986 in film -Events:*April 12 - Actor Morgan Mason marries The Go-Go's Belinda Carlisle.*April 26 - Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger marries television journalist Maria Shriver.*May - Actress Heather Locklear marries Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee.... |
Das Totenreich | n/a | n/a |
| 1986 | Schloßherren(TV Series) | (n/a) | (n/a) |
| 1986 | Rette mich, wer kann (TV Series) | n/a | n/a |
| 1986 | Bittere Ernte | n/a | n/a |
| 1986 | Transitträume | n/a | Kaderleiter |
| 1986 | Miko - aus der Gosse zu den Sternen | n/a | Walter Hahn |
| 1986 | Kir Royal 1986 (mini series) | n/a | Butler |
| 1987 1987 in film -Events:*January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, to officially become the world's longest film according to Guinness World Records.... |
Motten im Licht | n/a | n/a |
| 1987 | Escape from Sobibor Escape from Sobibor Escape from Sobibor is a 1987 British made-for-TV film which aired on CBS. It deals with the extermination camp at Sobibor, the site of the most successful uprising by Jewish prisoners of German extermination camps... |
n/a | Commandant Frenzel |
| 1987 | Das Rätsel der Sandbank | The Riddle of the Sands | Underwood |
| 1987 | Der Elegante Hund (TV series) | n/a | n/a |
| 1987 | Reporter (TV series) | n/a | n/a |
| 1988 1988 in film -Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice... |
Wohin? Wohin? Wohin? is a 1988 German drama film directed by Herbert Achternbusch. It was entered into the 38th Berlin International Film Festival.-Cast:* Franz Baumgartner as Franz* Annamirl Bierbichler* Josef Bierbichler as Skunk* Gunter Freyse as Gunter... |
n/a | Gast |
External links
- Kurt Raab at Allmovie