Curd Jürgens

Curd Gustav Andreas Gottlieb Franz Jürgens (13 December 191518 June 1982) was a German-Austrian stage and film actor. He was usually billed in English-speaking films as Curt Jurgens. He was well known for playing Ernst Udet in '' Des Teufels General''. His English-language roles include ''James Bond'' villain Karl Stromberg in '' The Spy Who Loved Me'' (1977), Éric Carradine in '' And God Created Woman'' (1956), and Professor Immanuel Rath in ''The Blue Angel'' (1959).

Early life

Jürgens was born on 13 December 1915 in the Munich borough of Solln, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire. His father, Kurt, was a trader from Hamburg, and his mother, Marie-Albertine, was a French teacher. He had two elder twin sisters, Jeanette and Marguerite. He began his working career as a journalist before becoming an actor at the urging of his actress wife, Louise Basler. He spent much of his early acting career on the stage in Vienna. Due to serious injuries that he sustained in a car accident in the summer of 1933, he was unable to have children.

Jürgens was critical of Nazism in his native Germany. In 1944, after filming ''Wiener Mädeln'', he got into an argument with Robert Kaltenbrunner (brother of high-ranking Austrian SS official Ernst Kaltenbrunner), SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny and a member of Baldur von Schirach's staff in a Viennese bar without knowing who they were. After this event, Jürgens was sent to a labor camp for the "politically unreliable" in Hungary. After a few weeks he managed to escape and went into hiding. Jürgens became an Austrian citizen after the war.

Career

Jürgens went on to play soldiers in many war films. Notable performances in this vein include his breakthrough screen role in '' Des Teufels General'' (1955, ''The Devil's General''), a fictional portrayal of World War I flying ace and World War II Luftwaffe general Ernst Udet, followed by Roger Vadim's film ''Et Dieu... créa la femme'' ('' And God Created Woman'') starring Brigitte Bardot.

Jürgens' first Hollywood film was ''The Enemy Below'' (1957), in which he portrayed a German U-boat commander. In 1962, he played the German general Günther Blumentritt in '' The Longest Day'' (1962). Later, in the James Bond film '' The Spy Who Loved Me'' (1977), he played the villain Karl Stromberg, a sociopathic industrialist seeking to transform the world into an ocean paradise. His last film appearance was as Maître Legraine, beside Alain Delon and Claude Jade in the spy-thriller ''Teheran 43'' (1981). In English-language television, he played Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in several episodes of the BBC series '' Fall of Eagles'' (1974) and appeared as General Vladimir in the BBC's ''Smiley's People'' (1982).

Although he appeared in over 100 films, Jürgens was also a notable stage actor. He was member of several theatres in Vienna (Volkstheater 1938–1941, Burgtheater 1940–1953 and 1965–1968, and others). He played the title role of Hugo von Hofmannsthal's play '' Jedermann'' at the Salzburg Festival from 1973 until 1977 – arguably the most high-profile role for a German-speaking male actor. In 1966 he appeared in a short run on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre opposite Geraldine Page, directed by George Schaefer.

His last stage appearance was with the Vienna State Opera on 9 March 1981 as Bassa Selim in Mozart's opera ''Die Entführung aus dem Serail''. He also directed a few films with limited success, e.g. '' Bankraub in der Rue Latour'', and wrote screenplays, e.g. ''Bonus on Death''.

He titled his 1976 memoir ''... und kein bißchen weise'' (''And Not At All Wise'').

Jürgens provided the German voice of the journalist in the 1980 German dub of Jeff Wayne's '' Musical Version of the War of the Worlds''.

Personal life

Jürgens maintained a home in France, but frequently returned to Vienna to perform on stage. He died there from a heart attack on 18 June 1982. He had suffered a heart attack several years before. During this he had a near-death experience where he claimed he died and went to hell. Jürgens was interred in the Vienna Central Cemetery.

He was tall. Brigitte Bardot nicknamed him "the Norman Wardrobe" during their work for ''Et Dieu... créa la femme''.

In the summer of 1957 Jürgens had a short but intense affair with actress Romy Schneider.

Jürgens was married to:
# Lulu Basler, actress (15 June 1937 – 8 October 1947) (divorced)
# Judith Holzmeister (16 October 1947 – 1955) (divorced)
# Eva Bartok (13 August 1955 – 1956) (divorced)"Eva Bartok, 72, Actress in Films of 50's and 60's"
(obituary), AP in ''The New York Times'', 5 August 1998
# Simone Bicheron (14 September 1958 – 1977) (divorced)
# Margie Schmitz (21 March 1978 – 18 June 1982) (his death)

Partial filmography

* '' The Royal Waltz'' (1935), as Kaiser Franz Joseph of Austria (Jürgens' first film)
*''Family Parade'' (1936), as Graf Erik Stjernenhö
*'' The Unknown'' (1936), as Hans Wellenkamp
*''Love Can Lie'' (1937), as Student Holger Engström
*''To New Shores'' (1937), as Bobby Wells' Friend
*''Tango Notturno'' (1937), as Friend of Jac, Musician (uncredited)
*''The Girl of Last Night'' (1938), as Die drei Attachés (uncredited)
*' (1939), as Prinz Heinrich Karl
*''Weltrekord im Seitensprung'' (1940), as Peter Enderlein, Kapellmeister
*''Herz ohne Heimat'' (1940), as Bob (uncredited)
*''Operetta'' (1940), as Karl Millöcker
*''Stimme des Herzens'' (1942), as Volontär Drews
*'' Whom the Gods Love'' (1942), as Emperor Joseph II
*'' Women Are No Angels'' (1943), as Bandini
*''Ein glücklicher Mensch'' (1943), as Petersen
*' (1944), as Dr. Erich Thienwiebel
*''Eine kleine Sommermelodie'' (1944), as Wolfgang Schwab
*''The Singing House'' (1948), as Bandleader Hans Storch
*' (1948), as Prinz Bernardo
*'' The Angel with the Trumpet'' (1948), as Graf Leopold Thraun
*''On Resonant Shores'' (1948), as Stefan Keller

* ''The Heavenly Waltz'' (1948), as Clemens M. Weidenauer
*' (1948), as George Miller
*' (1949), as Dr. Kurt Walla
* ''Lambert Feels Threatened'' (1949), as Kommissar Roland
*' (1949), as Heinz Wagner
*''Viennese Girls'' (1949), as Graf Lechenberg
*''Bonus on Death'' (1950), as Gunarson, Opera Tenor
*'' Der Schuß durchs Fenster'' (1950)
*'' Kissing Is No Sin'' (1950), as Kammersänger Felix Alberti
*''The Disturbed Wedding Night'' (1950), as Lawrence Vinning
*''A Rare Lover'' (1950), as Sascha Borotraz
*' (1951), as Jean Langrand
*' (1951), as Conductor Felix Adrian
*' (1951), as Architect Reinhold
*' (1951), as Kommissar
*''House of Life'' (1952), as Axel Jolander
*'' Knall and Fall, as Imposters'' (1952), as John Vandergold
*'' 1. April 2000'' (1952), as Capitano Herakles
*'' Rose of the Mountain'' (1952), as Composer Jack Long
*' (1953), as Toni Brandstetter
*''They Call It Love'' (1953), as Peter Malmö
*''Music by Night'' (1953), as Hans Kersten
*''The Last Waltz'' (1953), as Rittmeister Graf Sarassow
*''Everything for Father'' (1953), as Clemens Haberland
*' (1954), as Pat
*'' A Woman of Today'' (1954), as Heinz Bender
*'' Circus of Love'' (1954), as Toni
*'' Prisoners of Love'' (1954), as Willi Kluge
*''Orient Express'' (1954), as Bate
*''The Confession of Ina Kahr'' (1954), as Paul Kahr
*' (1955), as Stefan Selby
*'' Des Teufels General'' (1955), as Gen. Harry Harras
*''Love Without Illusions'' (1955), as Walter
*''Die Ratten'' (1955), as Bruno Mechelke
*'' Heroes and Sinners'' (1955), as Wolf Gerke
*' (1955), as Gerd
*''Devil in Silk'' (1956), as Thomas Ritter
*''The Golden Bridge'' (1956), as Balder
*''Without You All Is Darkness'' (1956), as Dr. Robert Kessler
*'' And God Created Woman'' (1956), as Eric Carradine
*'' The House of Intrigue'' ( it, Londra chiama polo Nord, links=no) (1956), as Colonel Bernes
*''Michael Strogoff'' (1956), as Michel Strogoff
*''Bitter Victory'' (1957), as Major Brand
*' (1957), as Dr. Walter
*'' Les Espions'' (1957), as Alex
*''The Enemy Below'' (1957), as Von Stolberg
*''Tamango'' (1958), as Captain John Reinker
*'' This Happy Feeling'' (1958), as Preston Mitchell
*'' Me and the Colonel'' (1958), as Colonel Prokoszny
*'' The Inn of the Sixth Happiness'' (1958), as Captain Lin Nan
*''Der Schinderhannes'' (1958), as Johann 'Schinderhannes' Bückler
*' (1959), as Eric Muller
*'' Ferry to Hong Kong'' (1959), as Mark Bertram Conrad
*''The Blue Angel'' (1959), as Professor Immanuel Rath
*'' Magnificent Sinner'' (1959), as Czar Alexander II
*'' I Aim at the Stars'' (1960), as Wernher von Braun
*''Brainwashed'' (1960), as Werner von Basil
*''Gustav Adolf's Page'' (1960), as King Gustav Adolf
*'' Bankraub in der Rue Latour'' (1961), as Cliff MacHardy
*'' Girl in a Suitcase'' (1961), as Rich Guy in Boat (uncredited)
* ''The Triumph of Michael Strogoff'' (1961), as Michel Strogoff
*''Disorder'' (1962), as Carlo's Father
*'' The Longest Day'' (1962), as General Günther Blumentritt
*''I Don Giovanni della Costa Azzurra'' (1962), as Mr. Edmond
*' (1963), as Captain Macheath
*'' Miracle of the White Stallions'' (1963), as Gen. Tellheim
*''Of Love and Desire'' (1963), as Paul Beckmann
*''Nutty, Naughty Chateau'' (1963), as Hugo Falsen
*''Hide and Seek'' (1964), as Hubert Marek
*'' Encounter in Salzburg'' (1964), as Hans Wilke, General Director
*''Les Parias de la gloire'' (1964), as Ludwig Goetz
*'' Psyche 59'' (1964), as Eric Crawford
*' (1965), as Kurt Lehnert
*''Lord Jim'' (1965), as Cornelius
*''Who Wants to Sleep?'' (1965), as Stefan von Cramer
*' (1966), as Dave O'Connor
*' (1966), as Czar Alexander I
*'' Target for Killing'' (1966), as Gérard van Looch / Giant
*''The Gardener of Argenteuil'' (1966), as The Baron
*'' Dirty Heroes'' (1967), as General Edwin von Keist
*''The Karate Killers'' (1967), as Carl von Kessen
*' (1967), as The Cardinal
*'' OSS 117 – Double Agent'' (1968), as Il Maggiore
*'' The Doctor of St. Pauli'' (1968), as Dr. Jan Diffring
*' (1968, TV miniseries), as Babeck
*'' The Assassination Bureau'' (1969), as Gen. von Pinck
*'' Battle of the Commandos'' (1969), as Gen. von Reilow
*'' On the Reeperbahn at Half Past Midnight'' (1969), as Hannes Teversen
*''Battle of Britain'' (1969), as Baron von Richter
*''Battle of Neretva'' (1969), as Lohring
*''Slap in the Face'' (1970), as Thomas Nathan Terbanks
*''Hotel by the Hour'' (1970), as Kommissar Canisius
*''The Invincible Six'' (1970), as Baron
*'' Hello-Goodbye'' (1970), as Baron De Choisis
*'' The Priest of St. Pauli'' (1970), as Konrad Johannsen
*''Cannabis'' (1970), as Henri Emery
*'' The Mephisto Waltz'' (1971), as Duncan Mowbray Ely
*' (1971), as Captain Markus Jolly
*''Nicholas and Alexandra'' (1971), as the German Consul to Switzerland
*''Fieras sin jaula'' (1971), as Ronald Marvelling
*'' Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!'' (1971), as Grueningen
*' (1972), as Russian general
*'' Der Kommissar'' (TV) (1972–1973), as Harald Bergmann / Dr. Hochstätter
*'' The Vault of Horror'' (1973), as Sebastian (segment 3 "This Trick'll Kill You")
*''Profession: Adventurers'' (1973), as Alvarez
*''Soft Beds, Hard Battles'' (1974), as General Von Grotjahn
*'' Fall of Eagles'' (TV, 1974), as Otto von Bismarck
*''Radiografia di una Svastika'' (1974)
*'' Cagliostro'' (1975), as Cardinal Braschi
*''Derrick'' – Season 2, episode 4: "Madeira" (1975), as Paul Bubach
*' (1975), as Fox
*' (1975), as Man Engaging Giorgio
*''The Mimosa Wants to Blossom Too'' (1976), as Josef Popov
*' (1976), as Senator Shelton
*'' The Twist'' (1976), as Le bijoutier / Jeweller
*'' The Spy Who Loved Me'' (1977), as Karl Stromberg
*'' Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo'' (1978), as Prince
*'' Breakthrough'' (1979), as Gen. Hofmann
*'' Missile X: The Neutron Bomb Incident'' (1979) (also known as ''Teheran Incident'' and ''Cruise Missile''), as Baron Marchant
*'' Goldengirl'' (1979), as Dr. Serafin
*' (1979), Cameo (uncredited)
*'' La Gueule de l'autre'' (1979), as Wilfrid
*' (1980), as UFO Commander
*'' The Sleep of Death'' (1980), as Count St. Alyre
*''Teheran 43'' (1981), as Maître Legraine
*' (TV film, 1981), as Hans Collin
*''Smiley's People'' (BBC TV, 1982), as General Vladimir (final film role)

References

External links

*
* (as Curt Jurgens)

Curd Jürgens Estate
at Deutsches Filminstitut, Frankfurt am Main

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jurgens, Curd
1915 births
1982 deaths
20th-century Austrian male actors
20th-century German male actors
Austrian male film actors
Austrian male stage actors
Austrian male television actors
Burials at the Vienna Central Cemetery
Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
German emigrants to Austria
German male film actors
German male stage actors
German male television actors
German people of French descent
Male actors from Munich
Naturalised citizens of Austria
Volpi Cup for Best Actor winners