John Wengraf

John Wengraf

Emigrating to England in 1933 as the Nazis began their rise to power, Wengraf appeared unbilled in a couple of films there, as well as in some of the first BBC live-television shows ever presented but his career began to languish. In late 1941, however, he had the good fortune of appearing on Broadway with Helen Hayes in "Candle in the Wind" and decided to stay. The following year he headed west and settled permanently in the Los Angeles area. A dark, cold-eyed, thin-lipped player with a precise, meticulous air about him, he found himself invariably playing the very characters he detested. Some of his more nefarious nasties surfaced in such films as the Humphrey Bogart classic Sahara (1943/I), as well as The Boy from Stalingrad (1943), U-Boat Prisoner (1944) and Till We Meet Again (1944). In postwar years, he was often spotted portraying ethnic professionals (scientists, doctors, professors, foreign royalty). Some of the more quality pictures he enhanced were Tomorrow Is Forever (1946); Count Von Papen in 5 Fingers (1952); and Ronchin in the Ethel Merman musical Call Me Madam (1953). Although Wengraf never made it to the very top of the Hollywood character ranks, he remained a throughly strong and reliable player. In the 1950s and 1960s he transferred his talents to TV, appearing on a number of dramatic showcases and on such popular programs as "The Untouchables" (1959), "Hawaiian Eye" (1959), "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (1964) and "The Time Tunnel" (1966). His last few films included minor roles in the war-themed Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), Hitler (1962) and Ship of Fools (1965). He retired in 1966, and died in Santa Barbara, California, at age 77, on May 4, 1974.
    Known for
    Acting
    Place of birth
    Vienna, Austria-Hungary, now Austria
    Birthday
    22 April 1897
Judgment at Nuremberg
Judgment at Nuremberg
8
The Prize
The Prize
6.8
Ship of Fools
Ship of Fools
6.5
The Pride and the Passion
The Pride and the Passion
6
12 to the Moon
12 to the Moon
2.4
Gog
Gog
5.7
Portrait in Black
Portrait in Black
5.6
The French Line
The French Line
4.2
The Return of Dracula
The Return of Dracula
5.6
The Lovable Cheat
The Lovable Cheat
3
Valerie
Valerie
4.1
The Razor's Edge
The Razor's Edge
6.8
Week-End at the Waldorf
Week-End at the Waldorf
6
5 Fingers
5 Fingers
7.6
Hitler
Hitler
5.4
Oh, Men! Oh, Women!
Oh, Men! Oh, Women!
5.5
Paris Playboys
Paris Playboys
6
Lucky Jordan
Lucky Jordan
6
Tropic Zone
Tropic Zone
3.7
The Disembodied
The Disembodied
4.4
Never Say Goodbye
Never Say Goodbye
6.6
Convoy
Convoy
5.4
Tomorrow Is Forever
Tomorrow Is Forever
6.1
U-Boat Prisoner
U-Boat Prisoner
6
Sahara
Sahara
7.2
Strange Affair
Strange Affair
6.2
Wake of the Red Witch
Wake of the Red Witch
5.592
The Gambler from Natchez
The Gambler from Natchez
6.8
T-Men
T-Men
6.8
Sofia
Sofia
5.7
The Racers
The Racers
6
Sealed Verdict
Sealed Verdict
5.5
Sailors Three
Sailors Three
7.2
Mission to Moscow
Mission to Moscow
5.2
Dangerous Comment
Dangerous Comment
0
All Hands
All Hands
0
Night Train to Munich
Night Train to Munich
7.22
The Seventh Cross
The Seventh Cross
6.764
Hell and High Water
Hell and High Water
6.16
The Desert Rats
The Desert Rats
6.2
The Moon in the Yellow River
0
The Boy from Stalingrad
The Boy from Stalingrad
0