
Helmut Qualtinger
Known for ActingBorn 1928-10-08Died 1986-09-29Vienna, 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 encyclopediaRead more
Movies & web series
Geschäfte mit Plückhahn
★ 10.0View details →
Geschäfte mit Plückhahn
1971 · Movie
Der Paukenspieler
★ 10.0View details →
Der Paukenspieler
1967 · Movie
Lumpazivagabundus
★ 10.0View details →
Lumpazivagabundus
1965 · Movie
Das Abgründige in Herrn Gerstenberg
★ 10.0View details →
Das Abgründige in Herrn Gerstenberg
1957 · Movie
Krimistunde
★ 9.0View details →
Krimistunde
1982 · Series
Mulligans Rückkehr
★ 9.0View details →
Mulligans Rückkehr
1977 · Movie
★ 9.0View details →
Eiszeit
1975 · Movie
★ 9.0View details →
Der große Zauberer - Max Reinhardt
1973 · Movie
Die heilige Johanna
★ 9.0View details →
Die heilige Johanna
1971 · Movie
Passion eines Politkers
★ 9.0View details →
Passion eines Politkers
1970 · Movie
Die Geschichte der 1002. Nacht
★ 9.0View details →
Die Geschichte der 1002. Nacht
1969 · Movie
Umsonst
★ 9.0View details →
Umsonst
1967 · Movie
★ 9.0View details →
Du bist die Richtige
1955 · Movie
König der Manege
★ 9.0View details →
König der Manege
1954 · Movie
★ 8.4View details →
Radetzkymarsch
1965 · Movie
★ 8.3View details →
Der Herr Karl
1967 · Movie
Feuerwasser
★ 8.0View details →
Feuerwasser
1978 · Movie
Die Hinrichtung
★ 8.0View details →
Die Hinrichtung
1966 · Movie
Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald
★ 8.0View details →
Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald
1961 · Movie
Die Kurve
★ 8.0View details →
Die Kurve
1961 · Movie
★ 8.0View details →
Hanussen
1955 · Movie
★ 7.5View details →
The Name of the Rose
1986 · Movie
The Abbey of Crime: Umberto Eco's 'The Name of the Rose'
★ 7.5View details →
The Abbey of Crime: Umberto Eco's 'The Name of the Rose'
1986 · Movie
★ 7.5View details →
Einmal keine Sorgen haben
1953 · Movie
3 nach 9
★ 7.2View details →
3 nach 9
1974 · Series
★ 7.3View details →
Scherben bringen Glück
1957 · Movie
Cat's Game
★ 7.0View details →
Cat's Game
1985 · Movie
★ 7.0View details →
Grandison
1978 · Movie
★ 7.0View details →
Ward 6
1974 · Movie
Das weite Land
★ 7.0View details →
Das weite Land
1970 · Movie
★ 7.0View details →
Diary of a Serial Killer
1969 · Movie
Samba
★ 7.0View details →
Samba
1966 · Movie
★ 7.0View details →
The Magnificent Rogue
1960 · Movie
★ 7.0View details →
Sonnenschein und Wolkenbruch
1955 · Movie
★ 7.0View details →
Hab’ ich nur Deine Liebe
1953 · Movie
★ 6.7View details →
Kurzer Prozeß
1967 · Movie
★ 6.7View details →
Mann im Schatten
1961 · Movie
★ 6.7View details →
April 1, 2000
1952 · Movie
★ 6.6View details →
The Castle
1968 · Movie
Wer war Andre Heller?
★ 6.5View details →
Wer war Andre Heller?
1972 · Movie
★ 6.5View details →
Man müßte nochmal zwanzig sein
1958 · Movie
★ 6.4View details →
Die schöne Lügnerin
1959 · Movie
★ 6.3View details →
Mikosch of the Secret Service
1959 · Movie
★ 6.1View details →
Tales from the Vienna Woods
1979 · Movie
★ 6.3View details →
And So to Bed
1963 · Movie
German Film Award
★ 6.0View details →
German Film Award
1951 · Series
★ 5.5View details →
Der Kulterer
1974 · Movie
★ 5.0View details →
End of the Game
1978 · Movie