Günter Meisner
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| + | '''Günter Meisner''' (18 April 1926 – 5 December 1994) was a German film and television [[character actor]]. He is remembered for his several cinematic portrayals of [[Adolf Hitler]] and for his role as [[List of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory characters#Arthur Slugworth|Arthur Slugworth]] in ''[[Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory]]''. He was fluent in four languages and appeared in many English-language, [[German language|German-language]] and [[French language|French-language]] films. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Career== | ||
| + | Born in [[Bremen]], Meisner briefly worked at a steel foundry before training as a radio operator with the [[Luftwaffe]]'s ''[[Fallschirmjäger (World War II)|Fallschirmjäger]]'' ([[paratrooper]]s). After the war, though he was interested in a career in sculpture and painting, in 1948 he switched to drama and studied under [[Gustaf Gründgens]] at [[Düsseldorf]]'s State Conservatory, where he also got his first job at the local ''Schauspielhaus''. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Film and TV== | ||
| + | Meisner often played [[stock character]] [[Nazi]] officers and other sinister characters. He portrayed Hitler in the 1982 Franco-German action comedy, ''[[L'as des as]]'' (Ace of Aces), and in the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] television [[miniseries]], ''[[The Winds of War (miniseries)]]''. He also appeared in the [[CBS]] miniseries, ''[[Blood and Honor: Youth Under Hitler|Blood and Honor]]'' and [[Southern Television]]'s ''[[Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years]]''. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Other films Meisner took part in were ''[[Is Paris Burning? (film)|Is Paris Burning?]]'', ''[[The Quiller Memorandum]]'', ''[[Funeral in Berlin]]'', and ''[[The Boys from Brazil (film)|The Boys from Brazil]]''. He was Mr. Slugworth/Mr. Wilkinson in the 1971 film version of ''[[Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory]]''. He also appeared in several television commercials. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Theatre== | ||
| + | As a theatre actor and director, Meisner founded the ''Gallery Diogenes'' in Berlin in 1959 for visual art and mainly absurd theater. In 1961, he also founded the ''International Association for Arts and Sciences''. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Africa== | ||
| + | From 1967 to 1969 Meisner participated in relief efforts in [[Biafra]], Nigeria. He also produced two films criticising racial discrimination: ''Don't Look for Me in Places Where I Can't Be Found'' and ''Bega Dwa Bega'' (One for All), a [[Swahili language|Swahili-language]] film for the Tanzanian Film Unit. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Death== | ||
| + | Meisner died on 5 December 1994 at the age of 68 of [[heart failure]], during the filming of an episode of the television series ''[[Tatort]]''. He is buried in Berlin's [[Friedhof Heerstraße]] Cemetery. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Selected filmography== | ||
| + | *1957: ''[[A Time to Love and a Time to Die]]'' (uncredited) | ||
| + | *1957: ''Kopf oder Zahl'', as Kid | ||
| + | *1958: ''Viel Lärm um nichts'' | ||
| + | *1958: ''[[Here I Am, Here I Stay]]'' (''Hier bin ich – hier bleib ich'') | ||
| + | *1959: ''Aus dem Tagebuch eines Frauenarztes'' | ||
| + | *1959: ''[[Babette s'en va-t-en guerre|Babette Goes to War]]'' (''Babette s'en va-t-en guerre'') | ||
| + | *1959: ''[[The Death Ship (1959 film)|The Death Ship]]'' (''Das Totenschiff''), as Paul, Trimmer auf der Yorikke | ||
| + | *1959: ''[[The Black Chapel]]'', as 1. Killer | ||
| + | *1961: ''[[Question 7]]'', as Schmidt | ||
| + | *1961: ''[[The Miracle of Father Malachia]]'' (''Das Wunder des Malachias''), as Crazy Preacher | ||
| + | *1961: ''{{Interlanguage link multi|It Can't Always Be Caviar|de|Es muß nicht immer Kaviar sein (Film)}}'', as Redner Meetingsaal | ||
| + | *1961: ''{{Interlanguage link multi|This Time It Must Be Caviar|de|Diesmal muß es Kaviar sein}}'', as Redner (uncredited) | ||
| + | *1962: ''[[The Counterfeit Traitor]]'', as Priest (uncredited) | ||
| + | *1962: ''[[The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1962 film)|Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse]]'', as Kurzschluß-Henry (uncredited) | ||
| + | *1963: ''[[The Black Cobra (1963 film)|The Black Cobra]]'' (''Die schwarze Kobra''), as Wunderlich ('Mr. Green') | ||
| + | *1963: ''[[Hafenpolizei]] - Der blaue Brief'' (TV series), as Johnny Massels | ||
| + | *1964: ''[[Murderer in the Fog]]'', as Kriminalassistent Behrend | ||
| + | *1965: ''[[Code Name: Jaguar]]'', as Russian Officer | ||
| + | *1966: ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Die Gentlemen bitten zur Kasse|de}}'' (1966, TV miniseries), as Smiler Jackson | ||
| + | *1966: ''[[Is Paris Burning? (film)|Is Paris Burning?]]'' (''Paris brûle-t-il?''), as Commandant SS à Pantin | ||
| + | *1966: ''[[The Quiller Memorandum]]'', as Hassler | ||
| + | *1966: ''[[Funeral in Berlin (film)|Funeral in Berlin]]'', as Kreutzman | ||
| + | *1967: ''[[The Monk with the Whip]]'', as Greaves | ||
| + | *1969: ''[[The Bridge at Remagen]]'', as SS Gen. Gerlach | ||
| + | *1970: ''[[Hauser's Memory]]'', as Korowiew | ||
| + | *1970: ''Poker - Poker'' (Short) | ||
| + | *1971: ''[[Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory]]'', as Arthur Slugworth | ||
| + | *1971: ''Ludwig L'' (Short film), as Der Betrunkene | ||
| + | *1973: ''[[The Battle of Sutjeska (film)|The Battle of Sutjeska]]'', as German General | ||
| + | *1973: ''Werwölfe'' | ||
| + | *1974: ''Die Verrohung des Franz Blum'', as Borsig | ||
| + | *1974: ''[[The Odessa File (film)|The Odessa File]]'', as General Greifer | ||
| + | *1974: ''[[Borsalino & Co.]]'', as Le médecin | ||
| + | *1974: ''[[Between Wars]]'', as Karl Schneider | ||
| + | *1975: ''[[La Chair de l'orchidée]]'', as L'avocat-conseil | ||
| + | *1975: ''Familienglück'', as Hektiker | ||
| + | *1975: ''[[Inside Out (1975 film)|Inside Out]]'', as Schmidt | ||
| + | *1976: ''[[Voyage of the Damned]]'', as Robert Hoffman | ||
| + | *1977: ''{{ill|The Brothers (1977 film)|de|3=Die Brüder (1976)|lt=The Brothers}}'', as Pfarrer | ||
| + | *1977: ''{{ill|Heinrich (1977 film)|de|3=Heinrich (1977)|lt=Heinrich}}'' | ||
| + | *1977: ''[[The Serpent's Egg (film)|The Serpent's Egg]]'', as Convict | ||
| + | *1978: ''[[The Boys from Brazil (film)|The Boys from Brazil]]'', as Farnbach | ||
| + | *1978: ''[[When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (1978 film)|When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit]]'' (TV film), as Berg | ||
| + | *1979: ''[[Just a Gigolo (1978 film)|Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo]]'', as Betrunkener Arbeiter (uncredited) | ||
| + | *1979: ''[[Breakthrough (1979 film)|Breakthrough]]'', as SS-Offizier | ||
| + | *1979: ''[[Avalanche Express]]'', as Rudi Muehler | ||
| + | *1979: ''[[Ticket of No Return]] (Bildnis einer Trinkerin)'', as Direktor Willi | ||
| + | *1979: ''{{Interlanguage link multi|Ein Kapitel für sich|de|3=Ein Kapitel für sich (Film)}}'' (TV miniseries) | ||
| + | *1980: ''[[The American Success Company]]'', as Maitre d' | ||
| + | *1980: ''{{Ill|Gibbi Westgermany|de}}'', as Patient | ||
| + | *1980: ''{{Interlanguage link multi|The Dream House|de|Das Traumhaus}}'', as Grimme | ||
| + | *1980: ''[[Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years]]'' (TV Series), as [[Adolf Hitler]] | ||
| + | *1981: ''[[Silas (TV series)|Silas]]'' (TV miniseries), as Fabian Fedder | ||
| + | *1982: ''[[Night Crossing]]'', as Major Koerner | ||
| + | *1982: ''[[Blood and Honor: Youth Under Hitler]]'' (TV Series), as Schneider | ||
| + | *1982: ''Rom ist in der kleinsten Hütte'' (TV Series) | ||
| + | *1982: ''{{Interlanguage link multi|The Man on the Wall|de|Der Mann auf der Mauer}}'', as Dr. Steiner | ||
| + | *1982: ''[[L'As des as]]'', as [[Adolf Hitler]] / [[Angela Hitler]] | ||
| + | *1982: ''Zwei Tote im Sender und Don Carlos im Pogl'' (TV Movie), as Maskenbildner | ||
| + | *1983: ''[[The_Winds_of_War_(miniseries)|The Winds of War]]'', as [[Adolf Hitler]] | ||
| + | *1983: ''Plem, Plem - Die Schule brennt'' | ||
| + | *1983: ''[[Chamäleon (Fernsehserie)|Chamäleon]]'' (TV Series) | ||
| + | *1984: ''[[Under the Volcano (1984 film)|Under the Volcano]]'', as Herr Krausberg - the German Attaché (uncredited) | ||
| + | *1984: ''Der Mord mit der Schere'' (Short) | ||
| + | *1985: ''[[Drei gegen Drei]]'', as Prof. Holl | ||
| + | *1986: ''Close Up'' (Short film), as KGB-Chef | ||
| + | *1986: ''[[Tras el cristal]]'', as Klaus | ||
| + | *1986: ''Das Geheimnis von Lismore Castle'' (TV Movie), as Sir Ralph Whitecombe | ||
| + | *1986: ''Gestatten, Bestatter'', as Herr Abendroth | ||
| + | *1987: ''Die Saat des Hasses'' (''[[Visperas]]'') (TV Series) | ||
| + | *1987: ''Indras Rache'' (''[[Tout est dans la fin]]''), as Hamerstein | ||
| + | *1987: ''Der elegante Hund'' (TV Series) | ||
| + | *1988: ''{{ill|The Case of Mr. Spalt|de|Zum Beispiel Otto Spalt}}'', as Bobby Steinbeck | ||
| + | *1989: ''Magdalene'', as Prior | ||
| + | *1989: ''Bride of the Orient'' (''La Fiancée thaïlandaise / Gekauftes Glück''), as Pfarrer Barmettler | ||
| + | *1989: ''[[Roselyne et les lions]]'', as Klint | ||
| + | *1989: ''The Saint: The Big Bang'' (TV Series), as Kuhler | ||
| + | *1989: ''[[Moon Child (1989 film)|Moon Child]]'' (''El niño de la luna''), as Abuelo militar | ||
| + | *1990: ''Estación Central'', as Alex' friend | ||
| + | *1990: ''[[The Man Inside (1990 film)|The Man Inside]]'', as Judge | ||
| + | *1990: ''Il piccolo popolo'' (TV Movie), as Schneider | ||
| + | *1990: ''Te Rua'', as Prof. Biederstedt | ||
| + | *1991: ''Leporella'' | ||
| + | *1992: ''[[Ruby Cairo]]'', as Herr Bruchner, EDK Executive | ||
| + | *1993: ''[[Faraway, So Close!]]'' (''In weiter Ferne, so nah!''), as Fälscher | ||
| + | *1993: ''Posthuman'', as Doctor | ||
| + | *1993: ''Harry & Sunny'' (TV Series), as Kneipenwirt | ||
| + | *1994: ''[[The Violin Player (film)|The Violin Player]]'' (''Le joueur de violon'') | ||
| + | *1994: ''Air Albatros'' (TV Series), as Lauffendingk Sr. | ||
| + | *1994: ''Eine Mutter kämpft um ihren Sohn'', as Wegener | ||
| + | |||
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Günter Meisner (18 April 1926 – 5 December 1994) was a German film and television character actor. He is remembered for his several cinematic portrayals of Adolf Hitler and for his role as Arthur Slugworth in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. He was fluent in four languages and appeared in many English-language, German-language and French-language films.
Contents |
[edit]
Career
Born in Bremen, Meisner briefly worked at a steel foundry before training as a radio operator with the Luftwaffe's Fallschirmjäger (paratroopers). After the war, though he was interested in a career in sculpture and painting, in 1948 he switched to drama and studied under Gustaf Gründgens at Düsseldorf's State Conservatory, where he also got his first job at the local Schauspielhaus.
[edit]
Film and TV
Meisner often played stock character Nazi officers and other sinister characters. He portrayed Hitler in the 1982 Franco-German action comedy, L'as des as (Ace of Aces), and in the ABC television miniseries, The Winds of War (miniseries). He also appeared in the CBS miniseries, Blood and Honor and Southern Television's Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years.
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. He also appeared in several television commercials.
[edit]
Theatre
As a theatre actor and director, Meisner founded the Gallery Diogenes in Berlin in 1959 for visual art and mainly absurd theater. In 1961, he also founded the International Association for Arts and Sciences.
[edit]
Africa
From 1967 to 1969 Meisner participated in relief efforts in Biafra, Nigeria. He also produced two films criticising racial discrimination: Don't Look for Me in Places Where I Can't Be Found and Bega Dwa Bega (One for All), a Swahili-language film for the Tanzanian Film Unit.
[edit]
Death
Meisner died on 5 December 1994 at the age of 68 of heart failure, during the filming of an episode of the television series Tatort. He is buried in Berlin's Friedhof Heerstraße Cemetery.
[edit]
Selected filmography
- 1957: A Time to Love and a Time to Die (uncredited)
- 1957: Kopf oder Zahl, as Kid
- 1958: Viel Lärm um nichts
- 1958: Here I Am, Here I Stay (Hier bin ich – hier bleib ich)
- 1959: Aus dem Tagebuch eines Frauenarztes
- 1959: Babette Goes to War (Babette s'en va-t-en guerre)
- 1959: The Death Ship (Das Totenschiff), as Paul, Trimmer auf der Yorikke
- 1959: The Black Chapel, as 1. Killer
- 1961: Question 7, as Schmidt
- 1961: The Miracle of Father Malachia (Das Wunder des Malachias), as Crazy Preacher
- 1961: Template:Interlanguage link multi, as Redner Meetingsaal
- 1961: Template:Interlanguage link multi, as Redner (uncredited)
- 1962: The Counterfeit Traitor, as Priest (uncredited)
- 1962: Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse, as Kurzschluß-Henry (uncredited)
- 1963: The Black Cobra (Die schwarze Kobra), as Wunderlich ('Mr. Green')
- 1963: Hafenpolizei - Der blaue Brief (TV series), as Johnny Massels
- 1964: Murderer in the Fog, as Kriminalassistent Behrend
- 1965: Code Name: Jaguar, as Russian Officer
- 1966: Template:Interlanguage link multi (1966, TV miniseries), as Smiler Jackson
- 1966: Is Paris Burning? (Paris brûle-t-il?), as Commandant SS à Pantin
- 1966: The Quiller Memorandum, as Hassler
- 1966: Funeral in Berlin, as Kreutzman
- 1967: The Monk with the Whip, as Greaves
- 1969: The Bridge at Remagen, as SS Gen. Gerlach
- 1970: Hauser's Memory, as Korowiew
- 1970: Poker - Poker (Short)
- 1971: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, as Arthur Slugworth
- 1971: Ludwig L (Short film), as Der Betrunkene
- 1973: The Battle of Sutjeska, as German General
- 1973: Werwölfe
- 1974: Die Verrohung des Franz Blum, as Borsig
- 1974: The Odessa File, as General Greifer
- 1974: Borsalino & Co., as Le médecin
- 1974: Between Wars, as Karl Schneider
- 1975: La Chair de l'orchidée, as L'avocat-conseil
- 1975: Familienglück, as Hektiker
- 1975: Inside Out, as Schmidt
- 1976: Voyage of the Damned, as Robert Hoffman
- 1977: Template:Ill, as Pfarrer
- 1977: Template:Ill
- 1977: The Serpent's Egg, as Convict
- 1978: The Boys from Brazil, as Farnbach
- 1978: When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (TV film), as Berg
- 1979: Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo, as Betrunkener Arbeiter (uncredited)
- 1979: Breakthrough, as SS-Offizier
- 1979: Avalanche Express, as Rudi Muehler
- 1979: Ticket of No Return (Bildnis einer Trinkerin), as Direktor Willi
- 1979: Template:Interlanguage link multi (TV miniseries)
- 1980: The American Success Company, as Maitre d'
- 1980: Template:Ill, as Patient
- 1980: Template:Interlanguage link multi, as Grimme
- 1980: Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years (TV Series), as Adolf Hitler
- 1981: Silas (TV miniseries), as Fabian Fedder
- 1982: Night Crossing, as Major Koerner
- 1982: Blood and Honor: Youth Under Hitler (TV Series), as Schneider
- 1982: Rom ist in der kleinsten Hütte (TV Series)
- 1982: Template:Interlanguage link multi, as Dr. Steiner
- 1982: L'As des as, as Adolf Hitler / Angela Hitler
- 1982: Zwei Tote im Sender und Don Carlos im Pogl (TV Movie), as Maskenbildner
- 1983: The Winds of War, as Adolf Hitler
- 1983: Plem, Plem - Die Schule brennt
- 1983: Chamäleon (TV Series)
- 1984: Under the Volcano, as Herr Krausberg - the German Attaché (uncredited)
- 1984: Der Mord mit der Schere (Short)
- 1985: Drei gegen Drei, as Prof. Holl
- 1986: Close Up (Short film), as KGB-Chef
- 1986: Tras el cristal, as Klaus
- 1986: Das Geheimnis von Lismore Castle (TV Movie), as Sir Ralph Whitecombe
- 1986: Gestatten, Bestatter, as Herr Abendroth
- 1987: Die Saat des Hasses (Visperas) (TV Series)
- 1987: Indras Rache (Tout est dans la fin), as Hamerstein
- 1987: Der elegante Hund (TV Series)
- 1988: Template:Ill, as Bobby Steinbeck
- 1989: Magdalene, as Prior
- 1989: Bride of the Orient (La Fiancée thaïlandaise / Gekauftes Glück), as Pfarrer Barmettler
- 1989: Roselyne et les lions, as Klint
- 1989: The Saint: The Big Bang (TV Series), as Kuhler
- 1989: Moon Child (El niño de la luna), as Abuelo militar
- 1990: Estación Central, as Alex' friend
- 1990: The Man Inside, as Judge
- 1990: Il piccolo popolo (TV Movie), as Schneider
- 1990: Te Rua, as Prof. Biederstedt
- 1991: Leporella
- 1992: Ruby Cairo, as Herr Bruchner, EDK Executive
- 1993: Faraway, So Close! (In weiter Ferne, so nah!), as Fälscher
- 1993: Posthuman, as Doctor
- 1993: Harry & Sunny (TV Series), as Kneipenwirt
- 1994: The Violin Player (Le joueur de violon)
- 1994: Air Albatros (TV Series), as Lauffendingk Sr.
- 1994: Eine Mutter kämpft um ihren Sohn, as Wegener
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Günter Meisner" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
