CINEFILER

John Wengraf

Born
April 22, 1897
Died
May 4, 1974
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
Judgment at Nuremberg
(1961)
Karl Wieck
T-Men
(1947)
'Shiv' Triano
Sahara
(1943)
Major von Falken
The Razor's Edge
(1946)
Joseph - Gray & Isabel's Butler
The Prize
(1963)
Hans Eckhart
The Desert Rats
(1953)
German Doctor (uncredited)
Ship of Fools
(1965)
Graf
Mission to Moscow
(1943)
Polish Ambassador Grzybowski (uncredited)
5 Fingers
(1952)
Count Franz Von Papen
The Pride and the Passion
(1957)
Sermaine
Night Train to Munich
(1940)
KL Physician (uncredited)
Never Say Goodbye
(1956)
Prof. Zimmelman
Tomorrow Is Forever
(1946)
Dr. Ludwig
Full Filmography
Acting
The Moon in the Yellow River
(1938)
Tausch
Convoy
(1940)
Commander Deutschland
Sailors Three
(1940)
German Captain
Dangerous Comment
(1940)
German Radio Operator
All Hands
(1940)
German
Night Train to Munich
(1940)
KL Physician (uncredited)
Lucky Jordan
(1942)
Herr Kesselman
Sahara
(1943)
Major von Falken
Mission to Moscow
(1943)
Polish Ambassador Grzybowski (uncredited)
The Boy from Stalingrad
(1943)
German Major
U-Boat Prisoner
(1944)
Gunther Rudehoff, Gestapo Agent
Strange Affair
(1944)
Rudolph Kruger
The Seventh Cross
(1944)
Overkamp
Week-End at the Waldorf
(1945)
Alex
The Razor's Edge
(1946)
Joseph - Gray & Isabel's Butler
Tomorrow Is Forever
(1946)
Dr. Ludwig
T-Men
(1947)
'Shiv' Triano
Wake of the Red Witch
(1948)
Prosecuting Attorney
Sofia
(1948)
Peter Goltzen
Sealed Verdict
(1948)
German Doctor
The Lovable Cheat
(1949)
Pierquin
5 Fingers
(1952)
Count Franz Von Papen
Tropic Zone
(1953)
Lukats
The Desert Rats
(1953)
German Doctor (uncredited)
Gog
(1954)
Dr. Zeitman
The French Line
(1954)
Commodore Renard
Paris Playboys
(1954)
Vidal
The Gambler from Natchez
(1954)
Nicholas Cadiz
Hell and High Water
(1954)
Col. Schuman (uncredited)
The Racers
(1955)
Dr. Tabor
Never Say Goodbye
(1956)
Prof. Zimmelman
The Pride and the Passion
(1957)
Sermaine
Valerie
(1957)
Mr. Louis Horvat
Oh, Men! Oh, Women!
(1957)
Dr. Krauss
The Disembodied
(1957)
Dr. Carl Metz
The Return of Dracula
(1958)
John Merriman
12 to the Moon
(1960)
Dr. Erich Heinrich
Portrait in Black
(1960)
Dr. Kessler
Judgment at Nuremberg
(1961)
Karl Wieck
Hitler
(1962)
Dr. Morell
The Prize
(1963)
Hans Eckhart
Ship of Fools
(1965)
Graf
Data provided by TMDB