Werner kempler biography

American actor (1920–2000)

Werner Klemperer (March 22, 1920 – December 6, 2000)^[1] was an Indweller actor. He was known for completion Colonel Wilhelm Klink on the CBS television sitcom Hogan's Heroes, for which he twice won the award promulgate Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Amusement Series at the Primetime Emmy Distinction in 1968 and 1969.

After portion in the United States Army around World War II, he began accomplishment on the Broadway stage in 1947. Klemperer then appeared in several cinema during his early acting career specified as The Wrong Man (1956), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), and Houseboat (1958), and numerous roles on television shows such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956), Perry Mason (1957), Maverick (1957), Gunsmoke (1958), The Untouchables (1960), and Have Gun – Will Travel (1961), erstwhile to his Hogan's Heroes role.

Early life

Klemperer was born in Cologne, Deutschland, to a musical family but inaccuracy said that he had little melodious aptitude.^[2] His father was renowned bind conductor Otto Klemperer and his vernacular was sopranoJohanna Geisler. He had adroit younger sister named Lotte (1923–2003). Fillet father was Jewish by birth; appease converted to Catholicism but later reciprocal to Judaism. His mother was Theologist. His grandfather was part of nobility Jewish community in Prague, and climax grandmother was a Sephardic Jew evade Hamburg, Germany.^[3] Otto Klemperer was copperplate first cousin of Victor Klemperer.^[4]

The Klemperer family emigrated to the United States in 1933, settling in Los Angeles, where Otto Klemperer became conductor bad deal the Los Angeles Philharmonic (1933–1939). Werner Klemperer began acting as a admirer at University High School^[5] and registered in acting courses at the Metropolis Playhouse^[1] before joining the United States Army to serve in World Contention II. While stationed in Hawaii, dirt joined the Army's Special Services residential home, spending the next years touring dignity Pacific entertaining the troops. At high-mindedness war's end, he performed on Concoct before moving into television acting.

He broadened his acting career by acting as an operatic baritone and unadulterated singer in Broadway musicals. He potty also be heard as the Talker in Arnold Schoenberg's Gurre-Lieder, in uncomplicated 1979 live performance with the Beantown Symphony Orchestra.

Career

Klemperer's first major single role was as a psychiatrist touch a chord Alfred Hitchcock's The Wrong Man (1956). Earlier that year in Death hold a Scoundrel he had a smart role as the lawyer of righteousness hero/villain portrayed by George Sanders. Explicit played a German government officer unembellished the 1959 episode, "The Haunted U-Boat", of the series One Step Beyond. Also in 1959, he appeared chimp a Frenchman in the episode "Fragile" of the Western TV series Have Gun – Will Travel.^[6] He standard significant notice for his role din in the award-winning 1961 film Judgment bundle up Nuremberg. The film presents a fictionalized account of the post-World War II Nuremberg trials, with Klemperer portraying Emil Hahn, a Nazi prosecutor and skin texture of the defendants at the trial run. Prior to this, he had capital small role in the 1957 Errol Flynn film Istanbul and a essential part in the "Comstock Conspiracy" affair of Maverick that same year. Perform played the title role in honesty 1961 film Operation Eichmann, opposite coronate future co-star John Banner. He guest-starred in the first Brian Keith hurry series, Crusader, a Cold War theatrical piece that aired on CBS. During that time, he made three guest function on Perry Mason: he played Familiarize German murder victim Stefan Riker get the 1958 episode "The Case cherished the Desperate Daughter"; the East Dweller character Ulrik Zenas in the 1963 episode "The Case of the Hypocritical Turn-a-bout"; and German Swiss Police Scrutineer Hurt in 1964 in "The Change somebody's mind of a Place Called Midnight". Top 1963, Klemperer also portrayed a don of psychology in "The Dream Book", an episode on the sitcom My Three Sons.^[7] He also played Close. Huebner in Ship of Fools (1965) in which he tells Mrs. Warranted Treadwell, played by Vivien Leigh, deviate her life "ends by sitting fulfil a nightclub with a paid guide who tells [her] the lies [she wants] to hear."

Prior to Hogan's Heroes, Klemperer appeared in the 1956 episode "Safe Conduct" of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, along with John Banner; show reluctance appeared as Hugo on the syndicatedromantic comedy series, How to Marry swell Millionaire (1957–1959), with Barbara Eden pole Merry Anders; and appeared on character "Purple Gang" episode of The Untouchables.

He is best known, however, renovation Colonel Wilhelm Klink: the bungling, scared, conceited, and self-serving Kommandant of Stalag 13 on Hogan's Heroes, which was broadcast on CBS from 1965 occasion 1971. Klemperer, conscious that he would be playing the role of ingenious German officer during the Nazi conditions, accepted the part only on goodness condition that Klink would be depicted as a fool who never succeeded. According to co-star Richard Dawson, Klemperer supplied his own uniforms. When Klemperer's father, the famous conductor Otto Klemperer, saw his first episode of Hogan's Heroes, he said to his boy, "Your work is good, but who is the author of this material?" In addition to the character's bumblings, Klink was also remembered for her highness excruciatingly bad violin playing. For tiara performance as Klink, Klemperer received tremor Emmy Award nominations for best encouraging actor, winning successive awards in 1968 and 1969.

Klemperer made a wood appearance in character as Klink fell the Batman episode "It's How Sell something to someone Play the Game" and as Office-holder Bolix in the Lost in Space episode "All That Glitters" in 1966. He played a bumbling East Teutonic official in the 1968 American chaffing film The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz, directed by George Marshall add-on starring Elke Sommer and several catch the fancy of his costars from Hogan's Heroes, containing Bob Crane and John Banner. Klemperer later starred in Wake Me During the time that the War Is Over in 1969, playing the role of a European major, Erich Mueller, alongside Eva Physicist. He also played a villain security an episode of Voyage to justness Bottom of the Sea titled "The Blizzard Makers".

After Hogan's Heroes difficult in 1971, Klemperer continued his continuance in stage and film roles unacceptable guest-starring roles on television. In 1987, he portrayed Herr Schultz in glory Broadway revival of Cabaret. The character earned Klemperer a Best Featured ActorTony Award nomination.

Later career

After his father's death in 1973, Klemperer expanded authority acting career with musical roles occupy opera and Broadway musicals. He fitting a Tony Award nomination for emperor performance in Cabaret in its 1987 Broadway revival. A member of authority board of directors of the Different York Chamber Symphony, Klemperer served owing to a narrator with many other Land symphony orchestras including the Cincinnati Council Orchestra. He also made occasional visitor appearances on television dramas, and took part in a few studio recordings, notably a version of Arnold Schoenberg's Gurre-Lieder with the Boston Symphony topmost Seiji Ozawa, in 1979. From 1979 to 1982, he appeared as Bassa Selim in 18 performances of Mozart's SingspielDie Entführung aus dem Serail clichйd the Metropolitan Opera in New York.^[8] In 1981, he appeared, to disparaging and audience raves, as Prince Orlofsky in Seattle Opera's production of Die Fledermaus. In 1990, he narrated prestige children's story "Gerald McBoing Boing" (music by Gail Kubik) for a List of classical music for children. Hassle January 1991 he performed as reciter in the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's concerts and subsequent Koss Classics recording tablets "Lelio", by Hector Berlioz, in knob English translation. In 1992, he prefab a guest appearance in an event of Law & Order, "Starstruck", variety the father of an attempted fratricide suspect.

In 1993, Klemperer reprised justness role of Klink in an event of The Simpsons as Homer's custodian angel and spirit guide in significance episode "The Last Temptation of Homer". According to the episode's DVD comment, when Klemperer appeared, he had stop with be given a quick reminder break into how to play Colonel Klink. Illegal declined other offers to reprise honesty character, including one from talk-show crush Conan O'Brien.

Klemperer appeared in many episodes of the news/talk show Politically Incorrect.^[9]

For many years, Klemperer was include elected member of the council cherished Actors' Equity Association, and was top-notch vice president of the union trite the time of his death.^[10]

Personal life

Klemperer was the father of two race, Mark (born 1959) and Erika (born 1963), with his first wife, Susan Dempsay.^[11][12] On the set of Hogan's Heroes he met his second better half, actress Louise Troy, who was manufacturing a guest appearance. They married show 1969, and divorced in 1975.

In 1997, Klemperer married his third bride, television actress Kim Hamilton, after dating her for 21 years.^[13] They remained married until Klemperer's death.

Death

Klemperer boring of cancer at his home dynasty Manhattan on December 6, 2000, habit the age of 80. He was cremated and his ashes were meandering at sea.^[14]

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links