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Karl Stepanek

Karl Stepanek

Acting

Born: October 27, 1899Brünn, Moravia, Austria-Hungary [now Brno, Czech Republic]

Though born in Czechoslovakia, actor Karel Stepanek was generally regarded as a German actor due to his extensive film work in Germany (as Karl Stepanek) in the years before World War II. Stepanek fled to England in 1940, where, like many European refugee actors, he specialized in portraying Teutonic villains. He tried to stay away from out-and-out Nazi roles, but his predilection for wearing black uniforms and barking out guttural commands left little doubt as to the political preferences of Stepanek's screen characters. One of his most typical characterizations could be found in the 1946 POW drama, The Captive Heart; Stepanek also registered well as a friendlier foreigner in The Fallen Idol (1949). Commuting between London and Hollywood, Karel Stepanek continued to fight World War II, usually on the wrong side, into such '60s films as Sink the Bismarck! (1960), I Aim at the Stars (1960) and Operation Crossbow (1965).

Known For
Filmography
The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway

The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway

2003
The Games

The Games

Kubitsek

1970
The File of the Golden Goose

The File of the Golden Goose

Mueller

1969
Before Winter Comes

Before Winter Comes

Count Kerassy

1969
Murderers Club of Brooklyn

Murderers Club of Brooklyn

Dyers

1967
The Frozen Dead

The Frozen Dead

General Lubeck

1966
Sperrbezirk

Sperrbezirk

Inspector Wagner

1966
The Heroes of Telemark

The Heroes of Telemark

Hartmuller

1965
Licensed to Kill

Licensed to Kill

Henrik Jacobsen

1965
Operation Crossbow

Operation Crossbow

Prof. Hoffer

1965
Devil Doll

Devil Doll

Dr. Heller

1964

Aufstand der Gehorsamen

Jawor Stranski

1963
Brainwashed

Brainwashed

Baranow

1960
Sink the Bismarck!

Sink the Bismarck!

Admiral Lutjens - 'Bismarck'

1960
Our Man in Havana

Our Man in Havana

Dr. Braun

1960
Operation Amsterdam

Operation Amsterdam

Diamond Merchant

1959
The Traitor

The Traitor

Friederich Suderman

1957
West of Suez

West of Suez

Langford

1957
Anastasia

Anastasia

Mikhail Vlados

1956
The Man in the Road

The Man in the Road

Dmitri Balinkev

1956
Man of the Moment

Man of the Moment

Lom

1955
The Cockleshell Heroes

The Cockleshell Heroes

Assistant Gestapo Officer

1955
Secret Venture

Secret Venture

Zelinsky

1955
A Prize of Gold

A Prize of Gold

Dr. Zachmann

1955
Dangerous Cargo

Dangerous Cargo

Pliny

1954
Tale of Three Women

Tale of Three Women

Alfred Dykemann (segment "Final Twist' story)

1954
City Beneath the Sea

City Beneath the Sea

Dwight Trevor

1953
Rough Shoot

Rough Shoot

Diss

1953
Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go

Commissar

1953
Affair in Trinidad

Affair in Trinidad

Walters

1952
Walk East on Beacon

Walk East on Beacon

Alexi Laschenkov / Gregory Anders

1952
No Highway in the Sky

No Highway in the Sky

1951
The Third Visitor

The Third Visitor

Richard Carling

1951
State Secret

State Secret

Dr. Revo

1950
Cairo Road

Cairo Road

Edouardo Pavlis

1950
Golden Arrow

Golden Arrow

Schroeder

1949
Give Us This Day

Give Us This Day

Jaroslav

1949
The Third Man

The Third Man

Actor at Josefstadt Theater (uncredited)

1949
Conspirator

Conspirator

Radek

1949
The Fallen Idol

The Fallen Idol

First Secretary

1948
Counterblast

Counterblast

Professor Inman

1948
Broken Journey

Broken Journey

Swiss Officer (uncredited)

1948
The Captive Heart

The Captive Heart

Forster

1946
Escape to Danger

Escape to Danger

Franz von Brinkman

1943
They Met in the Dark

They Met in the Dark

Riccardo

1943
Tomorrow We Live

Tomorrow We Live

Seitz

1943
Secret Mission

Secret Mission

Major Lang

1942
Our Film

Our Film

Soviet Visitor

1942
The Leghorn Hat

The Leghorn Hat

Felix, Diener bei Farina

1939
Hotel Sacher

Hotel Sacher

Franz

1939
War es der im 3. Stock?

War es der im 3. Stock?

Georg Kilby

1939
Narren im Schnee

Narren im Schnee

Rolf Pinkenkötter

1938

Klatovští dragouni

1938
Die Fledermaus

Die Fledermaus

Attaché Baranoff / Orlovsky

1937
The Unknown

The Unknown

Manager at Regina's

1936
Der Außenseiter

Der Außenseiter

Otto Burian

1935
Die Werft zum grauen Hecht

Die Werft zum grauen Hecht

Ladewig

1935
Pozdní láska

Pozdní láska

1935
Na růžích ustláno

Na růžích ustláno

1935

Hermine and the Seven Upright Men

Ruckstuhl

1935
Waltz War

Waltz War

Kellner Leopold

1933
A Song for You

A Song for You

Theo Bruckner

1933
Spione im Savoy-Hotel

Spione im Savoy-Hotel

Jackson

1932
Five from the Jazzband

Five from the Jazzband

Jean

1932
Here's Berlin

Here's Berlin

Max

1932
Berlin-Alexanderplatz: The Story of Franz Biberkopf

Berlin-Alexanderplatz: The Story of Franz Biberkopf

1931