Biography
Emigrating to England in 1933 as the Nazis began their rise to power, Wengraf appeared unbilled in a couple of films there, as well as in some of the first BBC live-television shows ever presented but his career began to languish. In late 1941, however, he had the good fortune of appearing on Broadway with Helen Hayes in "Candle in the Wind" and decided to stay. The following year he headed west and settled permanently in the Los Angeles area. A dark, cold-eyed, thin-lipped player with a precise, meticulous air about him, he found himself invariably playing the very characters he detested. Some of his more nefarious nasties surfaced in such films as the Humphrey Bogart classic Sahara (1943/I), as well as The Boy from Stalingrad (1943), U-Boat Prisoner (1944) and Till We Meet Again (1944). In postwar years, he was often spotted portraying ethnic professionals (scientists, doctors, professors, foreign royalty). Some of the more quality pictures he enhanced were Tomorrow Is Forever (1946); Count Von Papen in 5 Fingers (1952); and Ronchin in the Ethel Merman musical Call Me Madam (1953). Although Wengraf never made it to the very top of the Hollywood character ranks, he remained a throughly strong and reliable player. In the 1950s and 1960s he transferred his talents to TV, appearing on a number of dramatic showcases and on such popular programs as "The Untouchables" (1959), "Hawaiian Eye" (1959), "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (1964) and "The Time Tunnel" (1966). His last few films included minor roles in the war-themed Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), Hitler (1962) and Ship of Fools (1965). He retired in 1966, and died in Santa Barbara, California, at age 77, on May 4, 1974.
Filmography
all 64
Movies 42
TV Shows 22
Jericho (1966)
The Time Tunnel (1966)
Ship of Fools (1965)
The Rogues (1964)
The Prize (1963)
Hitler (1962)
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Portrait in Black (1960)
12 to the Moon (1960)
The Detectives (1959)
Hawaiian Eye (1959)
Bourbon Street Beat (1959)
The Third Man (1959)
One Step Beyond (1959)
77 Sunset Strip (1958)
Bat Masterson (1958)
Behind Closed Doors (1958)
The Return of Dracula (1958)
The Walter Winchell File (1957)
The Disembodied (1957)
Valerie (1957)
The Pride and the Passion (1957)
Panic! (1957)
Oh, Men! Oh, Women! (1957)
Telephone Time (1956)
Never Say Goodbye (1956)
Matinee Theater (1955)
The Racers (1955)
The Millionaire (1955)
The Gambler from Natchez (1954)
Gog (1954)
Paris Playboys (1954)
The French Line (1954)
Hell and High Water (1954)
The Desert Rats (1953)
General Electric Theater (1953)
Tropic Zone (1953)
Biff Baker U.S.A. (1952)
Cavalcade of America (1952)
Four Star Playhouse (1952)
5 Fingers (1952)
Dangerous Assignment (1952)
Lux Video Theatre (1950)
The Lovable Cheat (1949)
Wake of the Red Witch (1948)
Sealed Verdict (1948)
Sofia (1948)
T-Men (1947)
The Razor's Edge (1946)
Tomorrow Is Forever (1946)
Week-End at the Waldorf (1945)
Strange Affair (1944)
U-Boat Prisoner (1944)
The Seventh Cross (1944)
Sahara (1943)
The Boy from Stalingrad (1943)
Mission to Moscow (1943)
Lucky Jordan (1942)
Sailors Three (1940)
Convoy (1940)
Night Train to Munich (1940)
All Hands (1940)
Dangerous Comment (1940)
The Moon in the Yellow River (1938)
Ratings
Gallery
Information
Known ForActing
GenderMale
Birthday1897-04-23
Deathday1974-05-04 (77 years old)
Birth PlaceVienna, Austria
FatherEdmund Wengraf
CitizenshipsAustria
This article uses material from Wikipedia.
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