Ludwig Stössel

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Ludwig Stössel
Hollywood, California
, U.S.
Other namesLudwig Stoessel
Ludwig Stossel
Ludwig Strossel
OccupationActor
Years active1900–1963
Spouse
Eleanore Stössel
​
​
(m. 1919)​
RelativesOskar Stössel (brother)

Ludwig Stössel (12 February 1883 – 29 January 1973) was an actor born in

Nazis
came to power in 1933.

Biography

Stössel began performing on the stage in

silent movie In der Heimat, da gibt's ein Wiedersehn! (We'll Meet Again in the Homeland
) in 1926 at the age of 43. He appeared in about a half dozen silent movies in Germany and landed more roles with the arrival of sound.

Stössel's first sound movie was

Die Koffer des Herrn O.F. (The Suitcases of Mr. O.F.), starring Peter Lorre and Hedy Lamarr. In 1932, he appeared as Riederer in Der Rebell (The Rebel). In 1933, Stössel had a small part in Fritz Lang's famous mystery thriller Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse (The Testament of Dr. Mabuse), a film that was later banned by the Nazi government. His appearance in Carl Boese's 1933 comedy Heimkehr ins Glück (Homecoming to Happiness
) would be his last movie in Germany.

When

Anschluß of 1938, Stössel was imprisoned several times before he was able to escape Vienna and get to Paris. He and his wife, Lore Birn, eventually reached London. He appeared in Dead Man's Shoes and another British film production before heading to Hollywood in 1939.[3][4]

Stössel made his American movie debut in 1940, playing a pastor in Czechoslovakia during the Nazi takeover in the wartime drama

Pride of the Yankees starring Gary Cooper in the title role. A few months later, at the age of 59, he played Mr. Leuchtag, who is leaving Europe for America with his wife in Casablanca
.

Stössel appeared in supporting roles in over 40 movies after Casablanca, most in the following ten years. The next year, he had a small role in another Humphrey Bogart movie, Action in the North Atlantic. He did a couple of anti-Nazi movies, such as Hitler's Madman (1943), in which he portrayed the mayor of a small town that is wiped out by a Nazi mass execution in reprisal for the assassination of SS Commander Reinhard Heydrich. Later that year, he appeared in The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler.

In 1944, he appeared in the Boris Karloff horror movie The Climax. Later in 1944, Stössel teamed up with his movie wife from Pride of the Yankees, Elsa Janssen, to play Mr. and Mrs. Steelman, a German couple loyal to America who drive their traitorous pro-Nazi son, played by George Sanders (who is actually working undercover for the U.S. government), out of their house in the spy drama They Came to Blow Up America. In 1945, they teamed up again to play Mr. and Mrs. Otto in the "B" crime drama Dillinger. Next, he was bitten in the throat by Count Dracula, played by John Carradine, in House of Dracula. Later in 1945, Stössel played a teacher, who along with a llama, is in the opening scene of the Fred Astaire musical Yolanda and the Thief.

When the Second World War ended in 1945, Stössel decided not to return to Germany like many other German actors and actresses, but remained in his adopted country making movies. In 1946, Grünig and Stössel got to play husband and wife again in Temptation starring Merle Oberon, George Brent and Paul Lukas.

In 1947, he had a small role portraying

A Song is Born. In 1949, Grünig and Stössel appeared in their last film together when they received roles in the drama The Great Sinner, starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner. In 1953, Stössel played a grand duke in the musical Call Me Madam, starring Ethel Merman and Donald O'Connor. His last film was in 1960, where he had a small role in the Elvis Presley movie G.I. Blues
.

Stössel in an episode of The Public Defender (1954)

Stössel also performed on

comedy-drama series Window on Main Street
.

Stössel became famous for a long series of commercials for

Italian Swiss Colony wine producers.[5] Dressed in an Alpine hat and lederhosen, he was their spokesman. His motto was "That Little Old Winemaker, Me!" (they did not use his voice, but had Jim Backus
dub the line).

Stössel died on January 29, 1973, in

Beverly Hills after a fall just 14 days short of his 90th birthday.[6] He was cremated at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
, with the ashes sent to Vienna, Austria.

Complete filmography

References

  1. ^ Ziegler, Thomas (2015). Der Filmschauspieler Ludwig Stössel - von Burgenland nach Hollywood (Magister der Philosophie thesis) (in German). Wien: Uniwien. p. 12.
  2. ^ Ziegler, Thomas (2015). Der Filmschauspieler Ludwig Stössel - von Burgenland nach Hollywood (Magister der Philosophie thesis) (in German). Wien: Uniwien. p. 47.
  3. ^ Ludwig Stossel, second cabin Passenger List, S/S Vandyke, ex Liverpool, England, 1 September; arrived Port of New York, 13 September 1939.
  4. ^ "Ludwig Lajos Stossel". 12 February 1883. Retrieved 17 November 2021. Immigrated with his Wife Eleanor B. Stossel to New York, aboard the S. S. VANDYCK from Liverpool, 1 September 1939, arriving 11 September 1939. His brother, O. Stossel, was living at Park Chambers, 68. W. 58th Street, New York.
  5. ^ "Caskhead depicting Bacchus at the Italian Swiss Colony". Sonoma County Library Photograph Collection. Retrieved 17 November 2021. Italian Swiss Colony employee in costume (actually "Little Old Winemaker--Me! actor from a series of television commercials, Ludwig Stossel) standing below caskhead.
  6. ^ "Obituary: Ludwig Stossel". Indiana Jewish Post and Opinion. Indianapolis. 9 February 1973. p. 17. Retrieved 17 November 2021 – via Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ludwig Stössel.
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