Karl Stepanek
1899-10-27 ( 125 years old ) in Brünn, Moravia, Austria-Hungary [now Brno, Czech Republic]

Though born in Czechoslovakia, actor Karel Stepanek was generally regarded as a German actor due to his extensive film work in Germany (as Karl Stepanek) in the years before World War II. Stepanek fled to England in 1940, where, like many European refugee actors, he specialized in portraying Teutonic villains. He tried to stay away from out-and-out Nazi roles, but his predilection for wearing black uniforms and barking out guttural commands left little doubt as to the political preferences of Stepanek's screen characters. One of his most typical characterizations could be found in the 1946 POW drama, The Captive Heart; Stepanek also registered well as a friendlier foreigner in The Fallen Idol (1949). Commuting between London and Hollywood, Karel Stepanek continued to fight World War II, usually on the wrong side, into such '60s films as Sink the Bismarck! (1960), I Aim at the Stars (1960) and Operation Crossbow (1965).

Movies

The Games 1970-08-07
Sperrbezirk 1966-06-02
Devil Doll 1964-09-01
Brainwashed 1960-09-02
West of Suez 1957-03-01
The Traitor 1957-03-01
Anastasia 1956-12-13
Secret Venture 1955-11-10
Rough Shoot 1953-03-30
State Secret 1950-09-11
Cairo Road 1950-06-21
Golden Arrow 1949-12-31
The Third Man 1949-08-31
Conspirator 1949-07-28
Counterblast 1948-05-18
Broken Journey 1948-04-14
Secret Mission 1942-10-05
Our Film 1942-08-03
Hotel Sacher 1939-03-15
Die Fledermaus 1937-10-30
The Unknown 1936-11-12
Pozdní láska 1935-06-07
Waltz War 1933-10-03
A Song for You 1933-04-14
Here's Berlin 1932-03-14