1928-10-08 ( 96 years old ) in Vienna, Austria
Helmut Qualtinger was born in Vienna, Austria. He initially studied medicine, but quit university to become a newspaper reporter and film critic for local press, while beginning to write texts for cabaret performances and theater plays. Qualtinger debuted as an actor at a student theater and attended the Max Reinhardt Seminar as a guest student.
Beginning in 1947, he appeared in cabaret performances. In 1949, Qualtinger's first theatrical play, Jugend vor den Schranken, was staged in Graz. Up to 1960, Qualtinger collaborated on various cabaret programmes with the Namenlosen Ensemble made up of Gerhard Bronner, Carl Merz, Louise Martini, Peter Wehle, Georg Kreisler, and Michael Kehlmann.
Qualtinger was famous for his practical jokes. In 1951, he managed to launch a false report in several newspapers announcing a visit to Vienna of a (fictional) famous Inuit poet named Kobuk (author of "The Burning Igloo"). The reporters who assembled at the railway station however were to witness Qualtinger, in fur coat and cap, stepping from the train. Asked about his "first impressions of Vienna", the "Inuit poet" commented in broad Viennese dialect, "Haaaßis'sdo - [It's hot here]".
The short one-man play Der Herr Karl, written by Qualtinger and Carl Merz and performed by Qualtinger in 1961, made the author known across German-speaking countries. "Herr Karl", a grocery store clerk, tells the story of his life to an imaginary colleague - from the days of the Habsburg empire, the First Austrian Republic, the Austrofascist regime leading up to the Anschluss (annexation) by Nazi Germany, World War II and finally military occupation by Allied forces in the 1950s, seen from the perspective of a one who is a prototypical opportunist. Qualtinger's portrayal of the petit-bourgeois Nazi collaborator came at a time when "normality" had just been restored and Austrians' involvement in the Nazi movement was being downplayed and "forgotten", making many enemies for the author, who even received anonymous threats of murder.
Beginning in the 1970s, Qualtinger frequently performed recitals of his own and other texts, including excerpts from Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf and Karl Kraus' Die letzten Tage der Menschheit (The Last Days of Mankind). These recitals were highly popular and resulted in several records being published.
Qualtinger played countless theater, TV and film parts, making his final appearance in The Name of the Rose in 1986, along with Sean Connery.
Qualtinger died in Vienna on 29 September 1986, of a liver condition.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Movies
Qualtinger
2011-11-25
The Name of the Rose
1986-09-24
The Diary of Dr. Döblinger
1986-08-31
Cat's Game
1985-06-23
Helmut Qualtinger liest Mein Kampf
1985-01-01
Die Hinrichtung
1981-10-02
Tales from the Vienna Woods
1979-01-01
Feuerwasser
1978-07-23
End of the Game
1978-05-05
Grandison
1978-03-28
Abelard - Die Entmannung
1977-02-18
Mulligans Rückkehr
1977-01-01
Mitgift
1976-02-13
Eiszeit
1975-08-15
Von und mit....Helmut Qualtinger
1975-01-01
Krankensaal 6
1974-12-03
Der Kulterer
1974-03-06
Der große Zauberer - Max Reinhardt
1973-10-30
Weights and Measures
1973-01-26
Wer war Andre Heller?
1972-06-25
Die heilige Johanna
1971-12-30
Geschäfte mit Plückhahn
1971-07-14
König Johann
1971-01-20
Passion eines Politkers
1970-05-17
Das weite Land
1970-03-29
Die Geschichte der 1002. Nacht
1969-12-25
Diary of a Serial Killer
1969-06-18
Das vierte Gebot
1968-09-15
The Castle
1968-08-30
Der Paukenspieler
1967-12-01
Kurzer Prozeß
1967-11-24
Umsonst
1967-07-08
Der Herr Karl
1967-01-01
Der Fall Bohr
1966-12-01
Samba
1966-05-09
Die Hinrichtung
1966-04-11
Lumpazivagabundus
1965-12-03
Der Himbeerpflücker
1965-06-23
Radetzkymarsch
1965-04-17
Biedermann und die Brandstifter
1963-05-10
Einen Jux will er sich machen
1962-05-19
Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald
1961-09-07
Mann im Schatten
1961-08-25
Die Kurve
1961-07-22
The Magnificent Rogue
1960-11-01
Die schöne Lügnerin
1959-09-09
Mikosch im Geheimdienst
1959-02-27
Man müßte nochmal zwanzig sein
1958-08-13
Das Abgründige in Herrn Gerstenberg
1957-04-07
Scherben bringen Glück
1957-01-01
Hanussen
1955-09-14
Sonnenschein und Wolkenbruch
1955-06-12
Du bist die Richtige
1955-01-13
König der Manege
1954-09-23
Hab’ ich nur Deine Liebe
1953-12-17
Einmal keine Sorgen haben
1953-05-20
April 1, 2000
1952-11-19
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