Hans Heinrich von Twardowski (5 May 1898 – 19 November 1958) was a German film actor.

Career in Germany

Twardowski was born in

Stettin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major se ...

, Germany (now

Szczecin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a majo ...

in Poland). He made his first film appearance in the 1920

Robert Wiene Robert Wiene (; 27 April 1873 – 17 July 1938) was a film director of the silent era of German cinema. He is particularly known for directing the German silent film '' The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' and a succession of other expressionist films. ...

-directed horror movie '' Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari'' (''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'') which starred

Conrad Veidt Hans Walter Conrad Veidt (; 22 January 1893 – 3 April 1943) was a German film actor who attracted early attention for his roles in the films '' Different from the Others'' (1919), '' The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (1920), and '' The Man Who Lau ...

Werner Krauss Werner Johannes Krauss (''Krauß'' in German; 23 June 1884 – 20 October 1959) was a German stage and film actor. Krauss dominated the German stage of the early 20th century. However, his participation in the antisemitic propaganda film '' Jud ...

and

Lil Dagover Lil Dagover (; born Marie Antonia Siegelinde Martha Seubert; 30 September 1887 – 23 January 1980) was a German actress whose film career spanned between 1913 and 1979. She was one of the most popular and recognized film actresses in the Weimar ...

. He would go on to appear in over 20 movies in

Weimar Germany The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...

during the 1920s. In 1921, Twardowski portrayed Joshua Nesbitt, Lord Horatio Nelson's stepson, in '' Lady Hamilton''. Twardowski appeared in ''Der Falsche Dimitri'' and ''Es leuchtet meine Liebe'' the following year. In 1927, Twardowski appeared in '' Die Weber'' (''The Weavers'') about man fighting against machines. The following year, he appeared in the

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary '' Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. ...

thriller '' Spione'' (''Spies''). A year later, he portrayed Otto von Wittelsbach, younger brother of Mad King

Ludwig II Ludwig II (Ludwig Otto Friedrich Wilhelm; 25 August 1845 – 13 June 1886) was King of Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886. He is sometimes called the Swan King or ('the Fairy Tale King'). He also held the titles of Count Palatine of th ...

, in '' Ludwig der Zweite, König von Bayern'' (''Ludwig II, King of Bavaria''). His first sound movie was '' Der König von Paris'' (''The King of Paris'') in 1930. His last movie in Germany was 1931's '' Der Herzog von Reichstadt''.

Emigration to Hollywood

Twardowski, a

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to p ...

, left the turbulent Germany shortly before the

Nazi regime Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

took power. Afterwards, he appeared in the 1932 drama '' Scandal for Sale'' starring Pat O'Brien. In 1933; he played Von Bergen in the war drama ''

Private Jones ''Private Jones'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Russell Mack and written by Prescott Chaplin, Bill Cohen, George Jessel, William N. Robson and Sam Spewack. The film, which stars Lee Tracy, Gloria Stuart, Donald Cook, Emm ...

'', a prince in '' Adorable'' and a lawyer in '' The Devil's in Love''. The following year, Twardowski played

Ivan Shuvalov Ivan Ivanovich Shuvalov (russian: link=no, Ива́н Ива́нович Шува́лов; 1 November 172714 November 1797) was called the Maecenas of the Russian Enlightenment and the first Russian Minister of Education. Russia's first theatr ...

in ''

The Scarlet Empress ''The Scarlet Empress'' is a 1934 American historical drama film starring Marlene Dietrich and John Lodge about the life of Catherine the Great. It was directed and produced by Josef von Sternberg from a screenplay by Eleanor McGeary, loosely ba ...

''. In 1935, Twardowski appeared as Count Nicholas of Hungary in the

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cinem ...

film ''

The Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were i ...

'' starring

Loretta Young Loretta Young (born Gretchen Young; January 6, 1913 – August 12, 2000) was an American actress. Starting as a child, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the fil ...

. It would be two years before Twardowski appeared in another movie and that was a small part in the romance '' Thin Ice'' starring

Sonja Henie Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic champion (1928, 1932, 1936) in women's singles, a ten-time World champion (1927–1936) and a six-time European champi ...

and

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James (193 ...

. Because of the time he spent directing and appearing in plays on stage, it would be another two years before he worked in another movie. In 1939, Twardowski's career picked up as he appeared in two

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

anti-Nazi movies. He played Max Helldorf in the spy thriller ''

Confessions of a Nazi Spy ''Confessions of a Nazi Spy'' is a 1939 American spy political thriller film directed by Anatole Litvak for Warner Bros. It was the first explicitly anti-Nazi film to be produced by a major Hollywood studio, being released in May 1939, severa ...

''. Next Twardowski appeared in another spy thriller '' Espionage Agent'' starring

Joel McCrea Joel Albert McCrea (November 5, 1905 – October 20, 1990) was an American actor whose career spanned a wide variety of genres over almost five decades, including comedy, drama, romance, thrillers, adventures, and Westerns, for which he beca ...

which was released just three weeks after Germany invaded Poland. Later in 1939, Twardowski appeared in the highly controversial anti-Nazi movie '' Hitler - Beast of Berlin''. Twardowski plays Albert Stahlhelm, a Stormtrooper of the

Waffen-SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's '' Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands. The grew from ...

, who becomes disillusioned with the brutality of the Nazi regime. His character accidentally betrays his anti-Nazi friends to his fellow SS members, who in turn murder him. With the outbreak of World War II and the subsequent increase in war movies, Twardowski received uncredited roles as Nazis. He portrayed storm troopers, U-boat captains, and army officers. He appeared in seven films in 1942, including a large role as Captain Gemmler in the Nazi spy thriller '' Dawn Express''. He next played an uncredited role as a sergeant in '' The Pied Piper'' starring

Monty Woolley Edgar Montilion "Monty" Woolley (August 17, 1888May 6, 1963) was an American film and theater actor.Obituary ''Variety'', May 8, 1963, page 223. At the age of 50, he achieved a measure of stardom for his role in the 1939 stage play ''The Man Wh ...

as an Englishman trying to get out of German-occupied France with a group of children. He also appeared in the comedy '' Joan of Ozark''. Twardowski appeared as a German soldier in '' Desperate Journey'' with

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

and Ronald Reagan. He received a bit part as a U-boat captain in

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orph ...

's '' The Navy Comes Through'' starring Pat O'Brien. He had another big part in the comedy ''

Once Upon a Honeymoon ''Once Upon a Honeymoon'' is a 1942 romantic comedy/drama starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, and Walter Slezak, directed by Leo McCarey, and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Sound Recording ( Stephen Dunn ...

'' starring

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one of ...

and

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starring role in ''Kitty Foyle'' ...

. In 1942, Twardowski, appeared in a small role in ''

Casablanca Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...

'' playing a German officer. In 1943, Twardowski appeared in Lang's ''

Hangmen Also Die! ''Hangmen Also Die!'' is a 1943 noir war film directed by the Austrian director Fritz Lang and written by John Wexley from a story by Bertolt Brecht (credited as Bert Brecht) and Lang. The film stars Hans Heinrich von Twardowski, Brian Donlevy, ...

'', portraying the notorious Nazi SS Commandant

Reinhard Heydrich Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich ( ; ; 7 March 1904 – 4 June 1942) was a high-ranking German SS and police official during the Nazi era and a principal architect of the Holocaust. He was chief of the Reich Security Main Office (inclu ...

. All of his lines in this movie were in German. Twardowski played a German officer in

Raoul Walsh Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh. He w ...

's '' Background to Danger'' starring

George Raft George Raft (born George Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is ...

Sydney Greenstreet Sydney Hughes Greenstreet (December 27, 1879 – January 18, 1954) was a British-American actor. While he did not begin his career in films until the age of 61, he had a run of significant motion pictures in a Hollywood career lasting throu ...

and

Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movi ...

. This was followed by a bit part as a Nazi captain in the war drama '' First Comes Courage''. Twardowski appeared in '' The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler''. Later that year, he had a small part in the war drama ''

The Cross of Lorraine ''The Cross of Lorraine'' is a 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer war film about French prisoners of war escaping a German prison camp and joining the French Resistance. Directed by Tay Garnett, starring Jean-Pierre Aumont and Gene Kelly, was partly bas ...

'' starring

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

Cedric Hardwicke Sir Cedric Webster Hardwicke (19 February 1893 – 6 August 1964) was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned nearly 50 years. His theatre work included notable performances in productions of the plays of Shakespeare and Shaw, and ...

and Lorre. Twardowski's last two movies were 1944 war dramas; first he appeared as a doctor in '' The Hitler Gang'' and later as a German

Red Cross The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, an ...

representative in ''

Resisting Enemy Interrogation ''Resisting Enemy Interrogation'' is a 1944 United States Army docudrama training film, directed by Robert B. Sinclair and written by Harold Medford and Owen Crump. The cast includes Arthur Kennedy, Mel Tormé, Lloyd Nolan, Craig Stevens and ...

''.

Stage career

Twardowski's acting career ended along with World War II. However, he continued to write and direct plays. He originally starred on stage as the Dauphin in Schiller's productions of '' Die Jungfrau von Orleans''. In the 1930s, Twardowski directed and appeared in the stage productions of ''

The Brothers Karamazov ''The Brothers Karamazov'' (russian: Братья Карамазовы, ''Brat'ya Karamazovy'', ), also translated as ''The Karamazov Brothers'', is the last novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky spent nearly two years writing ' ...

'' and '' Old Heidelberg'' in the

Pasadena Playhouse The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engage ...

. In 1939, he wrote and produced a play in Brooklyn's St. Felix Street Playhouse titled ''Shakespeare Merchant - 1939'', based on Shakespeare's ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as a ...

''. Twardowski also sang tenor in a number of musicals. After his retirement from movies, Twardowski worked again as a stage actor.

Personal life and death

Twardowski was in a relationship with fellow German actor Martin Kosleck from the early 1930s until his death. He was a close friend of

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

. Twardowski died from a heart attack in his New York City apartment on 19 November 1958 at age 60.

Selected filmography

* '' Unheimliche Geschichten'' (1919) - Restaurant Waiter (2nd story) (uncredited) * ''

From Morn to Midnight ''From Morn to Midnight'' (german: Von morgens bis mitternachts) is a 1920 German silent expressionist film directed by Karlheinz Martin based on the 1912 play '' From Morning to Midnight'' by Georg Kaiser. It is one of the most radical films ...

'' (1920) - Sohn der Dame * '' Baccarat'' (1919) * ''Gerechtigkeit'' (1920) * '' The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (1920) - Alan * '' Genuine'' (1920) - Florian * ''

The Night of Queen Isabeau ''The Night of Queen Isabeau'' (german: Die Nacht der Königin Isabeau) is a 1920 German silent historical drama film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Fern Andra, Fritz Kortner, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski and Elsa Wagner. The film dep ...

'' (1920) - Page * '' The House on the Moon'' (1921) * ''Am Webstuhl der Zeit'' (1921) - Fanatiker * '' The Rats'' (1921) * '' Lady Hamilton'' (1921) - Joshua Nesbitt, Nelsons Stiefsohn * '' Marizza'' (1922) - Antonino * '' Tingeltangel'' (1922) - Frank * '' Phantom'' (1922) - Hugo Lubota * ''Es leuchtet meine Liebe'' (1922) - Lucien, Herzog von Eramont * '' The False Dimitri'' (1922) * '' Tabitha, Stand Up'' (1922) * '' Lola Montez, the King's Dancer'' (1922) - Studiosus Friedemann * '' I.N.R.I.'' (1923) - Johannes * '' Leap Into Life'' (1924) - Geiger * '' The Enchantress'' (1924) * ''

The Fire Dancer ''The Fire Dancer'' (German: ''Die Feuertänzerin'') is a 1925 German silent film directed by Robert Dinesen and starring Alfred Abel, Ruth Weyher and Carl Auen. The film's sets were designed by the art director Willi Herrmann. Cast * Alfre ...

'' (1925) - Bartos, sein Freund * ''Herbstmanöver'' (1926) * '' Fadette'' (1926) * ''

The Weavers The Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City originally consisting of Lee Hays, Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, and Fred Hellerman. Founded in 1948, the group sang traditional folk songs from ...

'' (1927) - Gottfried Hilse, sein Sohn * ''Arme kleine Sif'' (1927) * ''Die heilige Lüge'' (1927) - Janus * '' Night of Mystery'' (1927) * '' The False Prince'' (1927) - Wolf, sein Freund * ''Die Hölle der Jungfrauen'' (1928) - Franek * '' Spies'' (1928) - Vincent - Jason's Secretary (uncredited) * '' Sex in Chains'' (1928) - Alfred * '' I Kiss Your Hand, Madame'' (1929) - Waiter (uncredited) * '' Peter the Mariner'' (1929) - Adolf Angel * '' Ludwig II, King of Bavaria'' (1930) - Otto von Wittelsbach * '' The King of Paris'' (1930) * '' The Singing City'' (1930) - Willi von Wellheim - Claires Verehrer * '' The Sacred Flame'' (1931) * '' Men Behind Bars'' (1931) - Oliver * ''Der Herzog von Reichstadt'' (1931) * '' Scandal for Sale'' (1932) - Affner - the Pilot * '' Six Hours to Live'' (1932) - Flosky (uncredited) * ''

'' (1933) - Von Bergen (uncredited) * '' Adorable'' (1933) - The Prince of Pontevedro * '' The Devil's in Love'' (1933) - Andre's Defense Counsel (uncredited) * ''

'' (1934) - Ivan Shuvolov * '' Storm Over the Andes'' (1935) - Oberto * ''

'' (1935) - Nicholas - Count of Hungary * ''Alas sobre El Chaco'' (1935) - Oberto * '' Thin Ice'' (1937) - Baron's Secretary (uncredited) * ''

'' (1939) - Helldorf * '' Espionage Agent'' (1939) - Dr. Helm * '' Hitler - Beast of Berlin'' (1939) - Albert Stalhelm - Storm Trooper * '' The Dawn Express'' (1942) - Capt. Gemmler * '' The Pied Piper'' (1942) - Sergeant (uncredited) * '' Joan of Ozark'' (1942) - Hans * '' Enemy Agents Meet Ellery Queen'' (1942) - Capt. Earhardt (uncredited) * '' Desperate Journey'' (1942) - German Soldier (uncredited) * '' The Navy Comes Through'' (1942) - U-boat Captain (uncredited) * ''

'' (1942) - German Officer (uncredited) * ''

'' (1942) - German Officer with Yvonne (uncredited) * '' Margin for Error'' (1943) - Fritz - Butler (uncredited) * ''

'' (1943) - Reinhard Heydrich * ''

Hitler's Madman ''Hitler's Madman'' is a 1943 World War II drama directed by Douglas Sirk. It is a highly fictionalized account of the 1942 assassination of Nazi official Reinhard Heydrich and the resulting Lidice massacre, which the Germans committed as reveng ...

'' (1943) - Lt. Buelow (uncredited) * '' Background to Danger'' (1943) - German Officer (uncredited) * '' First Comes Courage'' (1943) - Nazi Captain (uncredited) * '' The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler'' (1943) - Judge * ''

'' (1943) - German Officer in Car (uncredited) * ''

Passage to Marseille ''Passage to Marseille'', also known as ''Message to Marseille'', is a 1944 American war film made by Warner Brothers, directed by Michael Curtiz. The screenplay was by Casey Robinson and Jack Moffitt from the novel ''Sans Patrie'' (''Men Withou ...

'' (1944) - French Airfield Radio Man (uncredited) * '' The Hitler Gang'' (1944) - Department Doctor (uncredited) * ''

'' (1944) - Herr Mahler - German Red Cross Representative (uncredited)

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Twardowski, Hans 1898 births 1958 deaths Actors from Szczecin German male film actors German male silent film actors German gay actors People from the Province of Pomerania Emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States 20th-century German male actors 20th-century LGBT people