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{{short description|Actor}}
{{Short description|Austrian-born actor (1902–1983)}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2009}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Walter Slezak
| name = Walter Slezak
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| death_date = {{death date and age|1983|4|21|1902|5|3|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1983|4|21|1902|5|3|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Flower Hill, New York]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Flower Hill, New York]], U.S.
| death_cause = Self-inflicted gunshot wound
| resting_place = [[Rottach-Egern]], Germany
| resting_place = [[Rottach-Egern]], Germany
| alma_mater =
| alma_mater =
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| occupation = Actor
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1922–1980
| years_active = 1922–1980
| spouse = Johanna Van Rijn<br>(m. 1943{{ndash}}1983, his death)
| spouse = Johanna Van Rijn (m. 1943)
| children = 3, including [[Erika Slezak]]
| children = 3, including [[Erika Slezak]]
| father = [[Leo Slezak]]
| father = [[Leo Slezak]]
| relatives = [[Margarete Slezak]] (sister)
| awards = [[Tony Award]] (1955)
| awards = [[Tony Award]] (1955)
}}
}}


'''Walter Slezak''' ({{IPA-de|ˌvaltɐ ˈslɛzak}}; 3 May 1902 – 21 April 1983) was an Austrian-born film and stage actor active between 1922 and 1976. He mainly appeared in German films before migrating to the United States in 1930 and performing in numerous Hollywood productions.<ref name="TCM Slezak">{{cite web|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/participant.jsp?spid=179128|title=Turner Classic Movies: Biography for Walter Slezak|publisher=TCM.com|access-date=17 December 2009}}</ref>
'''Walter Slezak''' ({{IPA|de|ˌvaltɐ ˈslɛzak}}; 3 May 1902 – 21 April 1983) was an Austrian-born film and stage actor active between 1922 and 1976. He mainly appeared in German films before migrating to the United States in 1930 and performing in numerous Hollywood productions.


Slezak typically portrayed wily and loquacious characters, often philosophical, and often with a taste for food, drink, and fine-living to match his ever-expanding girth. He was a crafty villain as a [[U-boat]] captain in [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s film ''[[Lifeboat (1944 film)|Lifeboat]]'' (1944), a charming but two-timing [[major domo]] to a tycoon in ''[[Come September]]'' (1961), and a wandering gypsy in ''[[The Inspector General (1949 film)|The Inspector General]]'' (1949). He stood out as shrewd but unscrupulous private investigators in [[film noir]], as in ''[[Cornered (1945 film)|Cornered]]'' (1945) and ''[[Born to Kill (1947 film)|Born to Kill]]'' (1947).
Slezak typically portrayed wily and loquacious characters, often philosophical, and often with a taste for food, drink, and fine living. He played a crafty villain as a [[U-boat]] captain in [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s film ''[[Lifeboat (1944 film)|Lifeboat]]'' (1944), a charming, two-timing [[major domo]] to a tycoon in ''[[Come September]]'' (1961), and a wandering gypsy in ''[[The Inspector General (1949 film)|The Inspector General]]'' (1949). He stood out as shrewd, unscrupulous private investigators in [[film noir]], as in ''[[Cornered (1945 film)|Cornered]]'' (1945) and ''[[Born to Kill (1947 film)|Born to Kill]]'' (1947).<ref name="TCM Slezak">{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/179128%7C153662/Walter-Slezak#overview|title=Turner Classic Movies: Biography for Walter Slezak|publisher=TCM.com|access-date=17 December 2009}}</ref>


==Early life==
==Early life==
Slezak was born in [[Vienna]], the son of opera tenor [[Leo Slezak]] and Elisabeth "Elsa" Wertheim. He studied medicine for a time and later worked as a bank teller. His older sister [[Margarete Slezak]] was also an actress.<ref name="TCM Slezak"/>
Slezak was born in [[Vienna]], the son of opera tenor [[Leo Slezak]] and Elisabeth "Elsa" Wertheim. He studied medicine for a time and later worked as a bank teller. His older sister [[Margarete Slezak]] was also an actress.


==Career==
==Career==
Slezak was talked into taking his first role, in the 1922 Austrian film ''[[Sodom and Gomorrah (1922 film)|Sodom und Gomorrah]]'', by his friend and the film's director, [[Michael Curtiz]].<ref name="TCM Slezak"/>
Slezak was talked into taking his first role, in the 1922 Austrian film ''[[Sodom and Gomorrah (1922 film)|Sodom und Gomorrah]]'', by his friend and the film's director, [[Michael Curtiz]].<ref name="TCM Slezak"/>In his youth (while still slim) Slezak was cast as a leading man in silent films. He also acted on the stage for many years, debuting on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in 1931.<ref name="TCM Slezak" />


⚫
His first American film was ''[[Once Upon a Honeymoon]]'' (1942), with [[Ginger Rogers]] and [[Cary Grant]].<ref name="TCM Slezak"/> He worked steadily and appeared in over 100 films including ''[[The Princess and the Pirate]]'' (1944), ''[[The Spanish Main]]'' (1945), ''[[Sinbad the Sailor (1947 film)|Sinbad the Sailor]]'' (1947), ''[[Born to Kill (1947 film)|Born to Kill]]'' (1947), ''[[Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion]]'' (1950), ''[[People Will Talk]]'' (1951), and ''[[Call Me Madam (film)|Call Me Madam]]'' (1953).
[[file:Walter Slezak 1929 Alexander Binder 002.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Slezak, c. 1928]]

In his youth (while still slim) Slezak was cast as a leading man in silent films. He also acted on the stage for many years, debuting on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] in 1931.<ref name="TCM Slezak"/>

⚫
His first American film was ''[[Once Upon a Honeymoon]]'' (1942), with [[Ginger Rogers]] and [[Cary Grant]].<ref name="TCM Slezak"/> He worked steadily and appeared in over 100 films including ''[[The Princess and the Pirate]]'' (1944), ''[[The Spanish Main]]'' (1945), ''[[Sinbad the Sailor (1947 film)|Sinbad the Sailor]]'' (1947), ''[[Born to Kill (1947 film)|Born to Kill]]'' (1947), ''[[Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion]]'' (1950), ''[[People Will Talk]]'' (1951), and ''[[Call Me Madam]]'' (1953).{{Citation needed |date=February 2021}}


Slezak played the lead in [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] musicals, including ''[[Fanny (musical)|Fanny]]'', for which he won the [[Tony Award]] for Best Actor in a Musical.<ref name="SOD Erika Slezak">{{cite web|url=https://www.soapoperadigest.com/actors/erika-slezak/|title=Erika Slezak profile|publisher=SoapOperaDigest.com|access-date=16 December 2009}}</ref>
Slezak played the lead in [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] musicals, including ''[[Fanny (musical)|Fanny]]'', for which he won the [[Tony Award]] for Best Actor in a Musical.<ref name="SOD Erika Slezak">{{cite web|url=https://www.soapoperadigest.com/actors/erika-slezak/|title=Erika Slezak profile|publisher=SoapOperaDigest.com|access-date=16 December 2009}}</ref>


[[File:Walter Slezak as Gepetto 1957.JPG|thumb|upright|Slezak as [[Geppetto]] in the 1957 televised production of [[Pinocchio (1957 TV program)|''Pinocchio'']]]]
[[File:Walter Slezak as Gepetto 1957.JPG|thumb|upright|Slezak as [[Geppetto]] in the 1957 televised production of [[Pinocchio (1957 TV program)|''Pinocchio'']]]]
Slezak acted in radio in such shows as ''[[Lux Radio Theater]]'', ''[[Columbia Workshop]]'', ''[[The Pepsodent Show]]'', and ''[[The Chase and Sanborn Hour|The Charlie McCarthy Show]]''. He made numerous television appearances, including in the programs ''[[The Loretta Young Show]]'', ''This Is Show Business'', ''[[Playhouse 90]]'', and ''[[Studio One (American TV series)|Studio One]]'', and appeared as [[The Clock King]] in episodes 45 and 46 of TV series ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'' (1966).{{Citation needed |date=February 2021}}
Slezak acted in radio in such shows as ''[[Lux Radio Theater]]'', ''[[Columbia Workshop]]'', ''[[The Pepsodent Show]]'', and ''[[The Chase and Sanborn Hour|The Charlie McCarthy Show]]''. He made numerous television appearances, including in the programs ''[[The Loretta Young Show]]'', ''This Is Show Business'', ''[[Playhouse 90]]'', and ''[[Studio One (American TV series)|Studio One]]''. He starred in an unsold [[television pilot]], ''Slezak and Son'', that aired in 1960 as an episode of the [[anthology series]] ''[[New Comedy Showcase]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tvobscurities.com/2009/06/status-guide-new-comedy-showcase/ |title=Status of New Comedy Showcase |author=Robert Jay |date=13 June 2009 |website=tvobscurities.com |publisher=Television Obscurities |access-date= 21 June 2024}}</ref> and appeared as [[The Clock King]] in episodes 45 and 46 of TV series ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'' in 1966.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://masterworksbroadway.com/artist/walter-slezak/|title=Masterworks Broadway profile|publisher=Masterworksbroadway.com}}</ref>


In 1959/60, Slezak appeared at the [[Metropolitan Opera]] in [[Johann Strauss II|Johann Strauss]]'s operetta ''[[The Gypsy Baron|Der Zigeunerbaron]]''. In the 1970s, Slezak played the non-singing role of Frosch, the jailer, in the [[San Francisco Opera]] production of [[Johann Strauss II|Johann Strauss]]'s operetta ''[[Die Fledermaus]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.operawarhorses.com/2006/09/22/die-fledermaus-in-s-f-september-16-2006|title="Die Fledermaus" in S.F.|date=16 September 2006|publisher=Operawarhorses.com|access-date=9 March 2012}}</ref> Later film roles in Britain included the [[Cliff Richard]] vehicle ''[[Wonderful Life (1964 film)|Wonderful Life]]'' (1964) and ''[[Black Beauty (1971 film)|Black Beauty]]'' (1971).{{Citation needed |date=February 2021}}
In 1959/60, Slezak appeared at the [[Metropolitan Opera]] in [[Johann Strauss II|Johann Strauss]]'s operetta ''[[The Gypsy Baron|Der Zigeunerbaron]]''. In the 1970s, Slezak played the non-singing role of Frosch, the jailer, in the [[San Francisco Opera]] production of [[Johann Strauss II|Johann Strauss]]'s operetta ''[[Die Fledermaus]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.operawarhorses.com/2006/09/22/die-fledermaus-in-s-f-september-16-2006|title="Die Fledermaus" in S.F.|date=16 September 2006|publisher=Operawarhorses.com|access-date=9 March 2012}}</ref> Later film roles in Britain included the [[Cliff Richard]] vehicle ''[[Wonderful Life (1964 film)|Wonderful Life]]'' (1964) and ''[[Black Beauty (1971 film)|Black Beauty]]'' (1971).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bucksco.michenerartmuseum.org/artists/walter-slezak/|title=Walter Slezak: Stage and Screen Artist|publisher=Masterworksbroadway.com}}</ref>


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
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| ''[[Sodom and Gomorrah (1922 film)|Sodom and Gomorrah]]''
| ''[[Sodom and Gomorrah (1922 film)|Sodom and Gomorrah]]''
| Eduard Harber - Student am Cambridge-Lyzeum / Ein Goldschmied von Galiläa
| Eduard Harber - Student am Cambridge-Lyzeum / Ein Goldschmied von Galiläa
| ''[[Michael_Curtiz|Michael Curtiz (Mihaly Kertész)]]''
| [[Michael_Curtiz|Michael Curtiz (Mihaly Kertész)]]
|
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|-
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| ''[[Michael (1924 film)|Michael]]''
| ''[[Michael (1924 film)|Michael]]''
| Michael
| Michael
| ''[[Carl_Theodor_Dreyer|Carl Theodor Dreyer]]''
| [[Carl Theodor Dreyer]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[My Leopold (1924 film)|My Leopold]]''
| ''[[My Leopold (1924 film)|My Leopold]]''
| Leopold, sein Sohn
| Leopold, sein Sohn
| ''[[Heinrich Bolten-Baeckers]]''
| [[Heinrich Bolten-Baeckers]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[Oh Those Glorious Old Student Days (1925 film)|Oh Those Glorious Old Student Days]]''
| ''[[Oh Those Glorious Old Student Days (1925 film)|Oh Those Glorious Old Student Days]]''
|
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| ''[[/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Heinz_Schall&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1|Heinz Schall]]''
| [[/enwiki/w/index.php|Heinz Schall]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[Give My Regards to the Blonde Child on the Rhine]]''
| ''[[Give My Regards to the Blonde Child on the Rhine]]''
|
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| ''[[Carl Boese]]''
| [[Carl Boese]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[Watch on the Rhine (1926 film)|Watch on the Rhine]]''
| ''[[Watch on the Rhine (1926 film)|Watch on the Rhine]]''
| Walter Thiermann
| Walter Thiermann
| ''[[/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Helene_Lackner&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1|Helene Lackner]]''
| [[/enwiki/w/index.php|Helene Lackner]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[Young Blood (1926 film)|Young Blood]]''
| ''[[Young Blood (1926 film)|Young Blood]]''
| Oberprimaner
| Oberprimaner
| ''[[Manfred Noa]]''
| [[Manfred Noa]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[The Sea Cadet]]''
| ''[[The Sea Cadet]]''
|
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| ''[[Carl Boese]]''
| [[Carl Boese]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[Goodbye Youth (1927 film)|Goodbye Youth]]''
| ''[[Goodbye Youth (1927 film)|Goodbye Youth]]''
| Mario
| Mario
| ''[[Augusto Genina]]''
| [[Augusto Genina]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[The Right to Live (1927 film)|The Right to Live]]''
| ''[[The Right to Live (1927 film)|The Right to Live]]''
|
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| ''[[Robert Wohlmuth]]''
| [[Robert Wohlmuth]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[The Lorelei (1927 film)|The Lorelei]]''
| ''[[The Lorelei (1927 film)|The Lorelei]]''
|
|
| ''[[Wolfgang Neff]]''
| [[Wolfgang Neff]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[The Long Intermission]]''
| ''[[The Long Intermission]]''
| Ottokar
| Ottokar
| ''[[Carl Froelich]]''
| [[Carl Froelich]]
|
|
|-
|-
| 1927
| 1927
| ''Der Fahnenträger von Sedan''
| ''[[The Standard-Bearer of Sedan]]''
|
|
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| [[Johannes Brandt]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[Single Mother (film)|Single Mother]]''
| ''[[Single Mother (film)|Single Mother]]''
|
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| ''[[Fred Sauer]]''
| [[Fred Sauer]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[Almenrausch and Edelweiss (1928 film)|Almenrausch and Edelweiss]]''
| ''[[Almenrausch and Edelweiss (1928 film)|Almenrausch and Edelweiss]]''
| Mentel
| Mentel
| ''[[Franz_Seitz_Sr.|Franz Seitz]]''
| [[Franz_Seitz_Sr.|Franz Seitz]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[Eros in Chains]]''
| ''[[Eros in Chains]]''
| Heinz Ewer
| Heinz Ewer
| ''[[Conrad Wiene]]''
| [[Conrad Wiene]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[Once Upon a Honeymoon]]''
| ''[[Once Upon a Honeymoon]]''
| Baron Franz von Luber
| Baron Franz von Luber
| ''[[James_Anderson_(director)|James Anderson (assistant)]]''
| [[James_Anderson_(director)|James Anderson (assistant)]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[This Land Is Mine (film)|This Land Is Mine]]''
| ''[[This Land Is Mine (film)|This Land Is Mine]]''
| Major Erich von Keller
| Major Erich von Keller
| ''[[Jean Renoir]]''
| [[Jean Renoir]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[The Fallen Sparrow]]''
| ''[[The Fallen Sparrow]]''
| Dr. Christian Skaas
| Dr. Christian Skaas
| ''[[Richard_Wallace_(director)|Richard Wallace]]''
| [[Richard_Wallace_(director)|Richard Wallace]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[Lifeboat (1944 film)|Lifeboat]]''
| ''[[Lifeboat (1944 film)|Lifeboat]]''
| Willi
| Willi
| ''[[Alfred Hitchcock]]''
| [[Alfred Hitchcock]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[Step Lively (1944 film)|Step Lively]]''
| ''[[Step Lively (1944 film)|Step Lively]]''
| Joe Gribble
| Joe Gribble
| ''[[Tim Whelan]]''
| [[Tim Whelan]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[Till We Meet Again (1944 film)|Till We Meet Again]]''
| ''[[Till We Meet Again (1944 film)|Till We Meet Again]]''
| Vitrey, The Mayor
| Vitrey, The Mayor
| ''[[Frank Borzage]]''
| [[Frank Borzage]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[The Princess and the Pirate]]''
| ''[[The Princess and the Pirate]]''
| La Roche
| La Roche
| ''[[David_Butler_(director)|David Butler]]''
| [[David_Butler_(director)|David Butler]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[Salome, Where She Danced]]''
| ''[[Salome, Where She Danced]]''
| Dimitrioff
| Dimitrioff
| ''[[Charles Lamont]]''
| [[Charles Lamont]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[The Spanish Main]]''
| ''[[The Spanish Main]]''
| Don Juan Alvarado
| Don Juan Alvarado
| ''[[Frank Borzage]]''
| [[Frank Borzage]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[Cornered (1945 film)|Cornered]]''
| ''[[Cornered (1945 film)|Cornered]]''
| Melchior Incza
| Melchior Incza
| ''[[Edward Dmytryk]]''
| [[Edward Dmytryk]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[Sinbad the Sailor (1947 film)|Sinbad the Sailor]]''
| ''[[Sinbad the Sailor (1947 film)|Sinbad the Sailor]]''
| Melik
| Melik
| ''[[Richard_Wallace_(director)|Richard Wallace]]''
| [[Richard_Wallace_(director)|Richard Wallace]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[Born to Kill (1947 film)|Born to Kill]]''
| ''[[Born to Kill (1947 film)|Born to Kill]]''
| Arnett
| Arnett
| ''[[Robert Wise]]''
| [[Robert Wise]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[Riffraff (1947 film)|Riffraff]]''
| ''[[Riffraff (1947 film)|Riffraff]]''
| Molinar
| Molinar
| ''[[Ted Tetzlaff]]''
| [[Ted Tetzlaff]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[The Pirate (1948 film)|The Pirate]]''
| ''[[The Pirate (1948 film)|The Pirate]]''
| Don Pedro Vargas
| Don Pedro Vargas
| ''[[Vincente Minnelli]]''
| [[Vincente Minnelli]]
|
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|-
|-
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| ''[[The Inspector General (1949 film)|The Inspector General]]''
| ''[[The Inspector General (1949 film)|The Inspector General]]''
| Yakov
| Yakov
| ''[[Henry Koster]]''
| [[Henry Koster]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[The Yellow Cab Man]]''
| ''[[The Yellow Cab Man]]''
| Dr. Byron Dokstedder
| Dr. Byron Dokstedder
| ''[[Jack_Donohue_(director)|Jack Donohue]]''
| [[Jack_Donohue_(director)|Jack Donohue]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[Spy Hunt]]''
| ''[[Spy Hunt]]''
| Doctor Stahl
| Doctor Stahl
| ''[[George Sherman]]''
| [[George Sherman]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion]]''
| ''[[Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion]]''
| Sgt. Axmann
| Sgt. Axmann
| ''[[Charles Lamont]]''
| [[Charles Lamont]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[Bedtime for Bonzo]]''
| ''[[Bedtime for Bonzo]]''
| Prof. Hans Neumann
| Prof. Hans Neumann
| ''[[Fred_de_Cordova|Fred de Cordova]]''
| [[Fred de Cordova]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[People Will Talk]]''
| ''[[People Will Talk]]''
| Prof. Barker
| Prof. Barker
| ''[[Joseph_L._Mankiewicz|Joseph L. Mankiewicz]]''
| [[Joseph L. Mankiewicz]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[Confidentially Connie]]''
| ''[[Confidentially Connie]]''
| Emil Spangenberg
| Emil Spangenberg
| ''[[Edward Buzzell]]''
| [[Edward Buzzell]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[Call Me Madam (film)|Call Me Madam]]''
| ''[[Call Me Madam (film)|Call Me Madam]]''
| August Tantinnin
| August Tantinnin
| ''[[Walter Lang]]''
| [[Walter Lang]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[White Witch Doctor (film)|White Witch Doctor]]''
| ''[[White Witch Doctor (film)|White Witch Doctor]]''
| Huysman
| Huysman
| ''[[Henry Hathaway]]''
| [[Henry Hathaway]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[The Steel Cage]]''
| ''[[The Steel Cage]]''
| Louis, the Prison Chef
| Louis, the Prison Chef
| ''[[Walter Doniger]]''
| [[Walter Doniger]]
| segment "The Chef"
| segment "The Chef"
|-
|-
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| Max Sporum
| Max Sporum
|
|
| TV Movie
| TV movie
|-
|-
| 1957
| 1957
| ''[[Ten Thousand Bedrooms]]''
| ''[[Ten Thousand Bedrooms]]''
| Papà Vittorio Martelli
| Papà Vittorio Martelli
| ''[[Richard Thorpe]]''
| [[Richard Thorpe]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| Geppetto
| Geppetto
|
|
| TV Movie
| TV movie
|-
|-
| 1959
| 1959
| ''[[The Miracle (1959 film)|The Miracle]]''
| ''[[The Miracle (1959 film)|The Miracle]]''
| Flaco
| Flaco
| ''[[Irving Rapper]]''
| [[Irving Rapper]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| Presenter
| Presenter
|
|
| TV Movie
| TV movie
|-
|-
| 1959
| 1959
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| Mr. Really-Big
| Mr. Really-Big
|
|
| TV Movie
| TV movie
|-
|-
| 1961
| 1961
| ''[[Come September]]''
| ''[[Come September]]''
| Maurice Clavell
| Maurice Clavell
| ''[[Robert Mulligan]]''
| [[Robert Mulligan]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm]]''
| ''[[The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm]]''
| Stossel
| Stossel
| ''[[George_Pal|George Pal (fairy tale sequences)]]''
| [[George_Pal|George Pal (fairy tale sequences)]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| George Frideric Handel
| George Frideric Handel
|
|
| TV Movie
| TV movie
|-
|-
| 1964
| 1964
| ''[[Wonderful Life (1964 film)|Wonderful Life]]''
| ''[[Wonderful Life (1964 film)|Wonderful Life]]''
| Lloyd Davis
| Lloyd Davis
| ''[[Sidney_J._Furie|Sidney J. Furie]]''
| [[Sidney J. Furie]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[Emil and the Detectives (1964 film)|Emil and the Detectives]]''
| ''[[Emil and the Detectives (1964 film)|Emil and the Detectives]]''
| Baron
| Baron
| ''[[Peter Tewksbury]]''
| [[Peter Tewksbury]]
|
|
|-
|-
Line 421: Line 416:
| Captain Meers
| Captain Meers
|
|
| TV Movie
| TV movie
|-
|-
| 1965
| 1965
| ''[[24 Hours to Kill]]''
| ''[[24 Hours to Kill]]''
| The Firm: Malouf
| The Firm: Malouf
| Peter Bezencenet
| [[Peter Bezencenet]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[A Very Special Favor]]''
| ''[[A Very Special Favor]]''
| Etienne, Restaurant Proprietor
| Etienne, Restaurant Proprietor
| ''[[Michael_Gordon_(film_director)|Michael Gordon]]''
| [[Michael_Gordon_(film_director)|Michael Gordon]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[The Caper of the Golden Bulls]]''
| ''[[The Caper of the Golden Bulls]]''
| Antonio Gonzalez
| Antonio Gonzalez
| ''[[Russell Rouse]]''
| [[Russell Rouse]]
|
|
|-
|-
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| ''[[Heidi (1968 film)|Heidi]]''
| ''[[Heidi (1968 film)|Heidi]]''
| Father Richter
| Father Richter
| ''[[Delbert Mann]]''
| [[Delbert Mann]]
| TV Movie
| TV movie
|-
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| ''[[Black Beauty (1971 film)|Black Beauty]]''
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| ''[[Treasure Island (1972 live-action film)|Treasure Island]]''
| ''[[Treasure Island (1972 live-action film)|Treasure Island]]''
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| Squire Trelawney
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* {{IMDb name|805790}}
* {{IMDb name|805790}}
* {{tcmdb name|id=179128|name=Walter Slezak}}
* {{tcmdb name|id=179128|name=Walter Slezak}}
* {{findagrave|6656054}}
* [http://archives.nypl.org/the/21248#overview Walter Slezak papers, 1905-1983], held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, [[New York Public Library for the Performing Arts]]
* [http://archives.nypl.org/the/21248#overview Walter Slezak papers, 1905-1983], held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, [[New York Public Library for the Performing Arts]]
* [http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=7837 Photographs and literature]
* [http://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=7837 Photographs and literature]
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[[Category:Suicides by firearm in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Suicides by firearm in New York (state)]]
[[Category:1983 suicides]]
[[Category:1983 suicides]]
[[Category:Austrian people of Czech descent]]
[[Category:American people of Moravian descent]]
[[Category:American people of Moravian descent]]
[[Category:American people of Czech descent]]
[[Category:American people of Czech descent]]

Latest revision as of 02:17, 3 September 2024

Walter Slezak
Slezak c. 1922
Born(1902-05-03)3 May 1902
Vienna, Austria-Hungary
Died21 April 1983(1983-04-21) (aged 80)
Flower Hill, New York, U.S.
Resting placeRottach-Egern, Germany
OccupationActor
Years active1922–1980
SpouseJohanna Van Rijn (m. 1943)
Children3, including Erika Slezak
FatherLeo Slezak
RelativesMargarete Slezak (sister)
AwardsTony Award (1955)

Walter Slezak (German pronunciation: [ˌvaltɐ ˈslɛzak]; 3 May 1902 – 21 April 1983) was an Austrian-born film and stage actor active between 1922 and 1976. He mainly appeared in German films before migrating to the United States in 1930 and performing in numerous Hollywood productions.

Slezak typically portrayed wily and loquacious characters, often philosophical, and often with a taste for food, drink, and fine living. He played a crafty villain as a U-boat captain in Alfred Hitchcock's film Lifeboat (1944), a charming, two-timing major domo to a tycoon in Come September (1961), and a wandering gypsy in The Inspector General (1949). He stood out as shrewd, unscrupulous private investigators in film noir, as in Cornered (1945) and Born to Kill (1947).[1]

Early life

[edit]

Slezak was born in Vienna, the son of opera tenor Leo Slezak and Elisabeth "Elsa" Wertheim. He studied medicine for a time and later worked as a bank teller. His older sister Margarete Slezak was also an actress.

Career

[edit]

Slezak was talked into taking his first role, in the 1922 Austrian film Sodom und Gomorrah, by his friend and the film's director, Michael Curtiz.[1]In his youth (while still slim) Slezak was cast as a leading man in silent films. He also acted on the stage for many years, debuting on Broadway in 1931.[1]

His first American film was Once Upon a Honeymoon (1942), with Ginger Rogers and Cary Grant.[1] He worked steadily and appeared in over 100 films including The Princess and the Pirate (1944), The Spanish Main (1945), Sinbad the Sailor (1947), Born to Kill (1947), Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950), People Will Talk (1951), and Call Me Madam (1953).

Slezak played the lead in Broadway musicals, including Fanny, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.[2]

Slezak as Geppetto in the 1957 televised production of Pinocchio

Slezak acted in radio in such shows as Lux Radio Theater, Columbia Workshop, The Pepsodent Show, and The Charlie McCarthy Show. He made numerous television appearances, including in the programs The Loretta Young Show, This Is Show Business, Playhouse 90, and Studio One. He starred in an unsold television pilot, Slezak and Son, that aired in 1960 as an episode of the anthology series New Comedy Showcase,[3] and appeared as The Clock King in episodes 45 and 46 of TV series Batman in 1966.[4]

In 1959/60, Slezak appeared at the Metropolitan Opera in Johann Strauss's operetta Der Zigeunerbaron. In the 1970s, Slezak played the non-singing role of Frosch, the jailer, in the San Francisco Opera production of Johann Strauss's operetta Die Fledermaus.[5] Later film roles in Britain included the Cliff Richard vehicle Wonderful Life (1964) and Black Beauty (1971).[6]

Personal life

[edit]

Slezak married Johanna "Kaasi" Van Rijn on 10 October 1943. The couple had three children: Ingrid, Erika, and Leo. Erika went on to become an Emmy-winning actress, and starred as Victoria Lord on the long-running soap opera One Life to Live from 1971 to its cancellation in 2012. In 1974, Slezak appeared on the series as her character's godfather, Lazlo Braedecker.[1]

Gravesite of Slezak, his wife Johanna, and his parents Leo and Elisabeth in Egern, Bavaria

Slezak was close friends in Vienna in the 1930s with heiress Maria Altmann and her family.[7]

Death

[edit]

On 21 April 1983, Slezak died from a self-inflicted gunshot.[1] He was reportedly despondent over the state of his health, most notably heart trouble, a recent prostate operation, and a shoulder injury requiring several treatments a week.[8][9][10] He was buried in the grave of his parents in the cemetery of St. Laurentius Church, a Catholic parish in Egern, Bavaria.[11]

Autobiography

[edit]

Slezak's autobiography, What Time's the Next Swan? was published in 1962. The book's title refers to an alleged incident in the career of his father, heldentenor Leo Slezak. During a performance in the title role of Lohengrin, the elder Slezak was supposed to finish his aria by stepping into a swan boat and then being pulled offstage. When a stagehand removed the boat prematurely, Slezak supposedly reacted to the error by asking the audience "What time's the next swan?"[12]

Awards

[edit]

In 1955, Slezak won a Tony Award for his role in the Broadway production of Fanny.[13]

Complete filmography

[edit]
Year Film Role Director Notes
1922 Sodom and Gomorrah Eduard Harber - Student am Cambridge-Lyzeum / Ein Goldschmied von Galiläa Michael Curtiz (Mihaly Kertész)
1924 Michael Michael Carl Theodor Dreyer
1924 My Leopold Leopold, sein Sohn Heinrich Bolten-Baeckers
1925 Oh Those Glorious Old Student Days Heinz Schall
1925 Sumpf und Moral
1926 Give My Regards to the Blonde Child on the Rhine Carl Boese
1926 Watch on the Rhine Walter Thiermann Helene Lackner
1926 Marccos tollste Wette
1926 Young Blood Oberprimaner Manfred Noa
1926 The Sea Cadet Carl Boese
1927 Wie bleibe ich jung und schön - Ehegeheimnisse
1927 Goodbye Youth Mario Augusto Genina
1927 The Right to Live Robert Wohlmuth
1927 The Lorelei Wolfgang Neff
1927 Liebe geht seltsame Wege Florizel, 'Flo-Flo'
1927 The Long Intermission Ottokar Carl Froelich
1927 The Standard-Bearer of Sedan Johannes Brandt
1928 Single Mother Fred Sauer
1928 Almenrausch and Edelweiss Mentel Franz Seitz
1928 Das Hannerl von Rolandsbogen
1929 Osudné noci Bellini
1929 Eros in Chains Heinz Ewer Conrad Wiene
1932 Spione im Savoy-Hotel Kurt
1942 Once Upon a Honeymoon Baron Franz von Luber James Anderson (assistant)
1943 This Land Is Mine Major Erich von Keller Jean Renoir
1943 The Fallen Sparrow Dr. Christian Skaas Richard Wallace
1944 Lifeboat Willi Alfred Hitchcock
1944 Step Lively Joe Gribble Tim Whelan
1944 Till We Meet Again Vitrey, The Mayor Frank Borzage
1944 The Princess and the Pirate La Roche David Butler
1945 Salome, Where She Danced Dimitrioff Charles Lamont
1945 The Spanish Main Don Juan Alvarado Frank Borzage
1945 Cornered Melchior Incza Edward Dmytryk
1947 Sinbad the Sailor Melik Richard Wallace
1947 Born to Kill Arnett Robert Wise
1947 Riffraff Molinar Ted Tetzlaff
1948 The Pirate Don Pedro Vargas Vincente Minnelli
1949 The Inspector General Yakov Henry Koster
1950 The Yellow Cab Man Dr. Byron Dokstedder Jack Donohue
1950 Spy Hunt Doctor Stahl George Sherman
1950 Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion Sgt. Axmann Charles Lamont
1951 Bedtime for Bonzo Prof. Hans Neumann Fred de Cordova
1951 People Will Talk Prof. Barker Joseph L. Mankiewicz
1953 Confidentially Connie Emil Spangenberg Edward Buzzell
1953 Call Me Madam August Tantinnin Walter Lang
1953 White Witch Doctor Huysman Henry Hathaway
1954 The Steel Cage Louis, the Prison Chef Walter Doniger segment "The Chef"
1956 The Good Fairy Max Sporum TV movie
1957 Ten Thousand Bedrooms Papà Vittorio Martelli Richard Thorpe
1957 Pinocchio Geppetto TV movie
1959 The Miracle Flaco Irving Rapper
1959 A Doll's House Presenter TV movie
1959 A Christmas Festival Mr. Really-Big TV movie
1961 Come September Maurice Clavell Robert Mulligan
1962 The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm Stossel George Pal (fairy tale sequences)
1963 A Cry of Angels George Frideric Handel TV movie
1964 Wonderful Life Lloyd Davis Sidney J. Furie
1964 Emil and the Detectives Baron Peter Tewksbury
1965 The Man Who Bought Paradise Captain Meers TV movie
1965 24 Hours to Kill The Firm: Malouf Peter Bezencenet
1965 A Very Special Favor Etienne, Restaurant Proprietor Michael Gordon
1966 Der Kongreß amüsiert sich Wax museum guide
1966 Dr. Coppelius Dr. Coppelius Ted Kneeland
1966 Batman Clock King
1967 The Caper of the Golden Bulls Antonio Gonzalez Russell Rouse
1968 Heidi Father Richter Delbert Mann TV movie
1970 The Juggler of Notre Dame The Innkeeper
1971 Black Beauty Hackenschmidt James Hill
1972 Treasure Island Squire Trelawney Antonio Margheriti
1976 The Mysterious House of Dr. C Dr. Coppelius

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f "Turner Classic Movies: Biography for Walter Slezak". TCM.com. Retrieved 17 December 2009.
  2. ^ "Erika Slezak profile". SoapOperaDigest.com. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
  3. ^ Robert Jay (13 June 2009). "Status of New Comedy Showcase". tvobscurities.com. Television Obscurities. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  4. ^ "Masterworks Broadway profile". Masterworksbroadway.com.
  5. ^ ""Die Fledermaus" in S.F." Operawarhorses.com. 16 September 2006. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Walter Slezak: Stage and Screen Artist". Masterworksbroadway.com.
  7. ^ Collins, Gregor (15 August 2012). "The Accidental Caregiver: How I Met, Loved, and Lost Legendary Holocaust Refugee Maria Altmann". Bloch-Bauer Books – via Amazon.
  8. ^ Jones, Jack. "Actor Walter Slezak Shoots Self to Death at New York Home". Los Angeles Times. 23 April 1983. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
  9. ^ "WALTER SLEZAK, ACTOR, IS A SUICIDE AT 80 ON L.I." The New York Times. 23 April 1983.
  10. ^ Thomas Staedeli, Portrait of the actor Walter Slezak, cyranos.ch; accessed 6 November 2016.
  11. ^ "Star | Walter Slezak". kino.de. 21 April 1983. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  12. ^ Trabling, Walt. "Slezak Offers Memoir". Santa Cruz Sentinel. 21 October 1962. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  13. ^ Associated Press. "Tony Awards Given Lunt and College Trio". San Bernardino Sun. 28 March 1955. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
[edit]
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