Walter Slezak

Walter Slezak

Birth : 1902-05-03, Vienna, Austria

Death : 1983-04-21

History

Walter Slezak (3 May 1902 – 21 April 1983) was a portly Austrian character actor who appeared in numerous Hollywood films. Slezak often portrayed villains or thugs, most notably the German U-boat captain in Alfred Hitchcock's 1944 Lifeboat, but occasionally he got to play lighter roles, as in 1962's The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm. He also played a cheerfully corrupt and philosophical private detective in the 1947 film noir Born to Kill and appeared as Squire Trelawney in the 1972 version of Treasure Island.

Profile

Walter Slezak
Walter Slezak

Movies

The Mysterious House of Dr. C.
Dr. Coppelius
The Mysterious House of Dr. C. (1976) is a rarely seen, reworked version of the 1966 Dr. Coppelius, a dance film based on the classic 19th-century Leo Delibes ballet "Coppelia." This version contains poorly received songs, narration, and animation sequences not in the original.
Treasure Island
Squire Trelawney
Young Jim Hawkins finds himself serving with pirate captain Long John Silver in search of a buccaneer's treasure, in this short adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale.
Black Beauty
Hackenschmidt
Anna Sewell's classic 1877 novel beautifully comes to life in this family drama set in England. Told from the point of view of Black Beauty himself, the story sheds light on the details surrounding the colt's birth and his perception of humans (he has various owners throughout his life). While some owners are compassionate -- none more than Joe Evans (Mark Lester), the boy who first owns the colt.
A Hundred-Odd Years from Now
An advertising film with a difference: Into a strange computerised future where women “run things” by controlling huge colourful computers that go bleep booble bob bob ping etc, comes Yockoo, the boy from the bush, with his satchel of dried fruits. Slowly the women overcome their cold, futuristic ways in light of Yockoo’s size, shape and overall manliness. Eventually they unearth their deep feminine sexuality and cook Yockoo a feast of dried fruit dishes using cooking utensils from their local museum.
El fantástico mundo del doctor Coppelius
Dr. Coppelius
Film based on the ballet 'Coppelia.' This version is completely silent, not containing the songs/narration, or animation of the later reworking, Mysterious House of Dr. C.
Heidi
Father Richter
Heidi is an orphaned girl initially raised by her aunt Dete in Maienfeld, Switzerland. In order to get a job in Frankfurt, Dete brings 5-year-old Heidi to her grandfather, who has been at odds with the villagers for years and lives in seclusion on the alm. He at first resents Heidi's arrival, but the girl manages to penetrate his harsh exterior and subsequently has a delightful stay with him and her best friend, young Peter the goat-herd.
The Caper of the Golden Bulls
Antonio Gonzales
Peter Churchman stopped robbing banks a long time ago and is now living as a wealthy and respected citizen in Pamplona, Spain. But then his former companion Angela appears and blackmails him to help her robbing the Spanish National Bank of Pamplona. He gives in and develops a brilliant plan... Will this be then end of his comfortable life?
Congress of Love
Der 'Ewige Wiener'
Vienna 1965. While visiting the Wax Museum a group of tourists stop in front of the figure of Prince Metternich. All of a sudden they find themselves brought back 150 years earlier during the Vienna Congress of 1814-1815. Before their eyes wide open, history is in the making. Gathered around the Tsar of Russia, Alexander I, the Kings of Bavaria, Würtemberg, Prussia and Denmark, are persuaded they are building the future Europe whereas they are being manipulated by foxy Chancellor Metternich, he himself under the thumb of cynical Count Talleyrand, the French representative. All those considerations come second though to partying and social life, which is all these aristocrats really want out of this congress.
A Very Special Favor
The long-lost father of a frigid, uptight Freudian psychologist contracts a wealthy American playboy who owes him a favor to woo his daughter.
Twenty-Four Hours to Kill
Malouf
When a jet airliner with engine trouble lands in Beirut for a twenty-four hour stopover, purser 'Jonesey' fears his life is in danger from a gold-smuggling gang whom he double-crossed on a previous trip. So begins a day of chilling suspense, as he and other crew members find themselves embroiled in a desperate race to get out of the country alive!
Emil and the Detectives
Baron
When Emil travels by bus to Berlin to visit his grandmother and his cousin, his money is stolen by a crook who specializes in digging tunnels. Emil must get the money back as it is for his grandmother. While following the thief, Emil runs into Gustav, an enterprising young boy who gathers up all his friends to help Emil find the money. Emil's cousin also gets involved and they get into more trouble than they bargained for when Emil's pickpocket turns out to be mixed up with a couple of notorious bank robbers.
Wonderful Life
Lloyd Davis
Cliff Richard and The Shadows are hired to star in a movie shot amid the lush tropical scenery of the Canary Islands. A sunny seaside spectacular, filled with romance, excitement and high spirits - not to mention a dozen musical numbers.
A Cry of Angels
Hallmark presents the story of how the greatest oratorio, George Frederic Handel's "The Messiah," came to be written in the English language.
The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm
Stossel
The Grimm brothers Wilhelm and Jacob, known for their literary works in the nineteenth century, have their lives dramatized. Wilhelm fights to write something entertaining amongst the sea of dry, non-fiction books they write and he sets about collecting oral-tradition fairy tales to put into print. Their life story is countered with reenactments of three of their stories including "The Dancing Princess," "The Cobbler and the Elves" and "The Singing Bone."
Come September
Maurice Clavell
Robert Talbot, an American millionaire, arrives early for his annual vacation at his luxurious Italian villa. His long-time girlfriend Lisa has given up waiting for him and has decided to marry another man. Meanwhile, his sneaky business associate Maurice secretly misappropriates the villa as a hotel while Talbot is away. The current guests of the "hotel" are a group of young American girls.
The Miracle
Flaco
A novice leaves a Spanish convent to follow a 19th-century British soldier she loves.
Pinocchio
Gepetto
Pinocchio is a 1957 TV musical broadcast shown live on NBC, directed and choreographed by Hanya Holm. This version features songs by Alec Wilder.
Ten Thousand Bedrooms
Papa Martelli
In this musical-comedy, Dean Martin plays an American hotel mogul who becomes smitten with a young Italian woman (Anna Maria Alberghetti) when buying a hotel in Rome. To marry this gal, he has to get her three older sisters married off.
The Steel Cage
Louis, the Prison Chef, segment "The Chef"
Drama set in San Quentin prison.
White Witch Doctor
Huysman
Ellen Burton arrives in Africa to join Dr. Mary as her nurse, bringing modern medicine to the native peoples. Lonni Douglas, an animal wrangler and fortune hunter, agrees to take her upriver, despite his misgivings about her suitability for Africa. They battle escaped gorillas, hostile natives, infected lion wounds, and hostile witch doctors to reach their destination and on the way, they fall in love. Will their contrasting interests doom their romance?
Call Me Madam
August Tantinnin
Washington hostess Sally Adams becomes a Truman-era US ambassador to a European grand duchy.
Confidentially Connie
Emil Spangenberg
Texas cattleman Opie Bedloe comes to Maine to visit his son Joe, a college instructor, and his wife Connie in the hopes of persuading Joe to give up his teaching career and come back to Texas and take over the ranch. When Opie finds out that Connie, who is expecting a baby, can not afford the steaks she yearns for on Joe's salary, Opie, who believes that pregnant women gotta have meat, arranges for the local butcher, Spangenberg to cut his prices in half (with Opie paying the difference) so that Connie can have the meat she desires.
People Will Talk
Prof. Barker
Successful and well-liked, Dr. Noah Praetorius becomes the victim of a witchhunt at the hands of Professor Elwell, who disdains Praetorius's unorthodox medical views and also questions his relationship with the mysterious, ever-present Mr. Shunderson.
Bedtime for Bonzo
Professor Hans Neumann
College prof Peter Boyd tries to salvage his professional and personal reputation by using a lab chimp to prove that environment trumps heredity in behavioral development.
Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion
Sgt. Axmann
Jonesy and Lou are in Algeria looking for a wrestler they are promoting. Sergeant Axmann tricks them into joining the Foreign Legion, after which they discover Axmann's collaboration with the nasty Sheik Hamud El Khalid. Bits include Lou's mirage sightings, one a New York newsboy ("they gave me a bad corner").
Spy Hunt
Doctor Stahl
Roger Quain, escorting two zoo-bound black panthers on the train from Milan to Paris, is unaware that a Western agent, Catherine Ullven, has hidden a microfilm in the collar of one of the animals. But when the train is derailed in the Swiss Alps and the panthers escape, she is forced to involve him in her mission, which now includes enemy agents hunting the microfilm, the animals, Catherine and Roger. Corrected from an original submission by Guy Bellinger.
The Yellow Cab Man
Dr. Byron Dokstedder
Pirdy is accident prone. He has been denied insurance from every company in town because he is always getting hit or hurt in some way. On the day that he meets the lovely Ellen of the Yellow Cab Co., he also meets the crooked lawyer named Creavy. Pirdy is an inventor and when Creavy learns about elastic-glass, his new invention, he makes plans to steal the process. With the help of another con man named Doksteader, and the boys, he will steal this million dollar invention no matter who gets hurt.
The Inspector General
Yakov
An illiterate stooge in a traveling medicine show wanders into a strange town and is picked up on a vagrancy charge. The town's corrupt officials mistake him for the inspector general whom they think is traveling in disguise. Fearing he will discover they've been pocketing tax money, they make several bungled attempts to kill him.
The Pirate
Don Pedro Vargas
A girl is engaged to the local richman, but meanwhile she has dreams about the legendary pirate Macoco. A traveling singer falls in love with her and to impress her he poses as the pirate.
Riff-Raff
Eric Molinar
A private detective foils the plans of villains attempting to take over Panamanian oilfields when he hides a valuable map in plain sight.
Born to Kill
Matthew Arnett
Helen Brent has just received a Reno divorce. That night, she discovers her neighbor Laury Palmer and a gentleman caller murdered in Palmer's home. The killer is her neighbor's other boyfriend Sam Wilde, an insanely jealous man who won't abide anyone "cutting in" on him.
Sinbad the Sailor
Melik
Daredevil sailor Sinbad embarks on a voyage across the Seven Seas to find the lost riches of Alexander the Great. His first stop is the port of Basra, where his ship is seized and scheduled for auction. In his attempt to win it back, he befriends beautiful concubine Shireen. But when her master, the nefarious Emir, calls her back to duty, Sinbad must interrupt his adventure to save the "Jewel of Persia."
Cornered
Melchior Incza
A World War II veteran hunts down the Nazi collaborators who killed his wife.
The Spanish Main
Don Juan Alvarado
Laurent van Horn is the leader of a band of Dutch refugees on a ship seeking freedom in the Carolinas, when the ship is wrecked on the coast of Cartagene. governed by Don Juan Alvardo, Spainish ruler. Alvarado has Laurent thrown in prison, but the latter escapes, and five-years later is a pirate leader. He poses as the navigator on a ship in which Contessa Francesca, daughter of a Mexican noble, is traveling on her way to marry Alvarado, whom she has never seen. Laurent's pirates capture the ship and Francesa, in order to save another ship, gives her hand-in-marriage to Laurent, who sails her to the pirate hideout. This irks the jealous Anne Bonney and,also, Captain Benjamin Black, who was already irked, anyway. They overpower Laurent and send Francesa to Alvarado, and then Mario du Billar, trusted right-hand man, makes a deal to deliver Laurent to Alvarado also.
Salome, Where She Danced
Dimitrioff
During the Austrian-Prussian war, Anna Marie is a dancer who is forced to flee her country after she is accused of being a spy. She ends up in a lawless western town in Arizona, where she uses her charms and dancing skills to transform herself into "Salome" during her dance routines.
The Princess and the Pirate
La Roche
Princess Margaret is travelling incognito to elope with her true love instead of marrying the man her father has betrothed her to. On the high seas, her ship is attacked by pirates who know her identity and plan to kidnap her and hold her for a king's ransom.
Till We Meet Again
Vitrey, The Mayor
An American pilot is shot down over Nazi-occupied France and is taken to a convent by the Resistance. The young novice nun Clothilde is interested in him and is willing to help him escape to England, but the pilot must continue his mission undercover by posing as the husband of a different woman.
Step Lively
Joe Gribble
Fly-by-night producers dodge bill collectors while trying for one big hit.
Lifeboat
Willy
During World War II, a small group of survivors is stranded in a lifeboat together after the ship they were traveling on is destroyed by a German U-boat.
The Fallen Sparrow
Dr. Christian Skaas
Imprisoned during the Spanish Civil War, John "Kit" McKittrick is released when a New York City policeman pulls some strings. Upon returning to America, McKittrick hears that a friend has committed suicide, and he begins to smell a rat. During his investigation, McKittrick questions three beautiful women, one of whom has a tie to his refugee past. Pursued by Nazi operatives, McKittrick learns of the death of another friend, and begins to suspect the dark Dr. Skaas.
This Land Is Mine
Major Erich von Keller
Somewhere in Europe, in a city occupied by the Nazis, a gentle school teacher finds himself torn between collaboration and resistance, cowardice and courage.
Once Upon a Honeymoon
Baron Franz Von Luber
A radio correspondent tries to rescue a burlesque queen from her marriage to a Nazi official.
Spione im Savoy-Hotel
Kurt
Eros in Ketten
Osudné noci
Almenrausch und Edelweiss
Mentel
Ledige Mütter
The Long Intermission
Ottokar
Liebe geht seltsame Wege
Die Lorelei
Das Recht zu leben
Ehegeheimnisse
Junges Blut
Oberprimaner
Aus des Rheinlands Schicksalstagen
Walter Thiermann
Grüß mir das blonde Kind am Rhein
O alte Burschenherrlichkeit
Mein Leopold
Michael
Michael
A famed artist fights his passion for a male model, until the young man falls for a woman.
Sodom and Gomorrah
Eduard Harber - Student am Cambridge-Lyzeum / Ein Goldschmied von Galiläa
Exposed to bad influences since childhood, Mary, a young girl is pushed by her mother to approach an elderly banker by the name of Harber. After almost driving her fiancee to suicide and seducing his mentally-ill son, she realizes through a metaphorical dream the scope of her negligence. Sentenced to prison for incitement to murder Harber, she sees herself as a parallel figure to Lea, Lot's wife in Sodom, where the Angel of the Lord warns the sinful citizens of the city of their impending doom. Lea oppresses the angel and eventually turns it over to the pagan priests when her sexual advances to it are rejected. In another dream sequence, Mary becomes the Queen of Syria, whose oppressed people turn against her and who, in turn, condemns a young man who loves her to death. Finally, her dream returns to the present time and when she awakens, she runs back to her former lover.