Richard Ryen
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Richard Ryen (13 September 1885 – 22 December 1965) was a Hungarian-born actor who was expelled from Germany by the Nazis prior to World War II.


Early life

Ryen was born Richard Anton Robert Felix Revy in Hungary. He began working in Germany as an actor and later became a well-respected stage director at the
Munich Kammerspiele The Munich Kammerspiele (German: Münchner Kammerspiele) is a state-funded German-language theater company based at the ''Schauspielhaus'' on Maximilianstrasse in the Bavarian capital. The company currently has three venues: the main stage of ...
(Munich Chamber Theater). His first movie was the comedy ' followed by a bit part in '' Must We Get Divorced?'' (1933) with S. Z. Sakall. Felix made three more movies, ''Weiße Majestät'', '' Peer Gynt'' and '' Das Erbe von Pretoria'' (all 1934) in Germany before the
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
s expelled him.


Settles in Hollywood

Felix emigrated to Hollywood in October 1938 and changed his name to Ryen. In Hollywood, as was the fate for so many German actors and actresses of that time, like
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 Laug ...
, he was mainly cast in Nazi roles, which kept him working during the war years. Working for
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 ...
, his first movie was as an uncredited role as a Nazi radio station manager in the anti-Nazi movie ''
Berlin Correspondent ''Berlin Correspondent'' is a 1942 American film. Plot Dana Andrews portrays an American radio correspondent reporting from within Nazi Germany, whose principal source of information is an elderly philatelist. His reports prove so embarrassing ...
'' (1942) which starred
Dana Andrews Carver Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 – December 17, 1992) was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts ...
. Right after that movie, he received another small role as a German policeman in ''
Desperate Journey ''Desperate Journey'' is a 1942 American World War II action and aviation film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Raymond Massey, Alan Hale Sr., and Arthur Kennedy. The melodramatic f ...
'' starring Ronald Reagan,
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 Olivia ...
and Raymond Massey. He appeared on screen for 15 seconds while he is checking a license plate. Within weeks, at age 56, Ryen obtained the role which resulted in his best remembered performance, that of Colonel Heinze in '' Casablanca'' (1942), where he constantly had to tail his superior Major Heinrich Strasser (Conrad Veidt). His scenes took four week to shoot and, at $400 a week, he earned $1,600. After ''Casablanca'', Ryen appeared in 16 more films. His first credited film in America was '' The Constant Nymph'' (1943) with
Charles Boyer Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...
and
Joan Fontaine Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (October 22, 1917 – December 15, 2013), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, was a British-American actress who is best known for her starring roles in Hollywood films during the "Golden Age". Fontaine appeared ...
. He played the radio announcer in
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
's ''
Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas ''Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas'' is a war film made by Twentieth Century Fox in 1943. The film starred Philip Dorn, Anna Sten, and Martin Kosleck. The film was originally titled ''The Seventh Column''. It was directed by Louis King and i ...
''. Later in the year, Ryen played a Nazi officer in the war drama '' The Cross of Lorraine'' with
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 movin ...
and
Hans Twardowski Hans Heinrich von Twardowski (5 May 1898 – 19 November 1958) was a German film actor. Career in Germany Twardowski was born in Stettin, Germany (now Szczecin in Poland). He made his first film appearance in the 1920 Robert Wiene-directed h ...
. In 1944, he appeared with
John Qualen John Qualen (born Johan Mandt Kvalen, December 8, 1899 – September 12, 1987) was an American character actor of Norwegian heritage who specialized in Scandinavian roles. Early years Qualen was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the son ...
in '' An American Romance'' and '' The Hitler Gang'' showing the rise of Adolf Hitler.


Postwar

With the end of the World War II, German actors playing Nazis were less in demand and Ryen's appearances in films dried up by the end of the decade. He had small roles in three movies in 1945, ''
This Love of Ours ''This Love of Ours'' is a 1945 American drama film directed by William Dieterle and starring Merle Oberon, Claude Rains, Charles Korvin and Carl Esmond. The film's composer, Hans J. Salter, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original ...
'' starring Claude Rains, '' Salome Where She Danced'' with Yvonne De Carlo and '' Paris Underground''. Ryen appeared in one movie in 1946, playing a butler in '' Crack-Up'' with
Pat O'Brien Pat O'Brien may refer to: Politicians * Pat O'Brien (Canadian politician) (born 1948), member of the Canadian House of Commons *Pat O'Brien (Irish politician) (c. 1847–1917), Irish Nationalist MP in the United Kingdom Parliament Others *Pat O'Br ...
. His last film, another small role, was ''
A Foreign Affair ''A Foreign Affair'' is a 1948 American romantic comedy- drama film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jean Arthur, Marlene Dietrich, and John Lund. The screenplay by Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Richard L. Breen is based on a story by D ...
'' (1948) with
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 . (, ; ...
. In 10 of the 19 films he made in America, including ''Casablanca'', he was omitted from the credits. He also appeared on stage in America and after 1946 took guest roles at a theater in
Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
, Switzerland, before becoming a freelance writer. Ryen died in Los Angeles on December 22, 1965 at the age of 80.


Selected filmography

* ''
The Bartered Bride ''The Bartered Bride'' ( cz, Prodaná nevěsta, links=no, ''The Sold Bride'') is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The work is generally regarded as a major contribution towards the ...
'' (1932) - Finanzrat (uncredited) * '' Must We Get Divorced?'' (1933) - Gottfrieds Rechtsanwalt * '' The Tunnel'' (1933) - Gordon * ''White Majesty'' (1933) - Direktor des Berghotels * '' The Legacy of Pretoria'' (1934) - Georg Miller * '' Peer Gynt'' (1934) - Gunarson * ''
Berlin Correspondent ''Berlin Correspondent'' is a 1942 American film. Plot Dana Andrews portrays an American radio correspondent reporting from within Nazi Germany, whose principal source of information is an elderly philatelist. His reports prove so embarrassing ...
'' (1942) - Official (uncredited) * ''
Desperate Journey ''Desperate Journey'' is a 1942 American World War II action and aviation film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Raymond Massey, Alan Hale Sr., and Arthur Kennedy. The melodramatic f ...
'' (1942) - Staadtpoliceman Heinze (uncredited) * '' Casablanca'' (1942) - Col. Heinz - Strasser's Aide (uncredited) * ''
Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas ''Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas'' is a war film made by Twentieth Century Fox in 1943. The film starred Philip Dorn, Anna Sten, and Martin Kosleck. The film was originally titled ''The Seventh Column''. It was directed by Louis King and i ...
'' (1943) - Commentator (uncredited) * ''
Mission to Moscow ''Mission to Moscow'' is a 1943 film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on the 1941 book by the former U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, Joseph E. Davies. The movie chronicles the experiences of the second American ambassador to the Soviet ...
'' (1943) - German Major (uncredited) * ''
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 Operation Anthropoid, assassination of Nazi official Reinhard Heydrich and the resulting Lidice massacre, which the Nazi G ...
'' (1943) - Gestapo (uncredited) * '' The Constant Nymph'' (1943) - Kyril Trigorin * '' First Comes Courage'' (1943) - Dr. Hoff (uncredited) * ''
Hostages A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized, such as a relative, employer, law enforcement or government to act, or r ...
'' (1943) - Elderly Nazi Soldier * '' The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler'' (1943) - Gen. Palzer * ''
Gangway for Tomorrow Broadly speaking, a gangway is a passageway through which to enter or leave. Gangway may refer specifically refer to: Passageways * Gangway (nautical), a passage between the quarterdeck and the forecastle of a ship, and by extension, a passage th ...
'' (1943) - Col. Mueller * '' The Cross of Lorraine'' (1943) - Lieutenant Schmidt * '' The Hitler Gang'' (1944) - Adolf Wagner * ''
Secrets of Scotland Yard ''Secrets of Scotland Yard'' is a 1944 American thriller film directed by George Blair and starring Edgar Barrier, Stephanie Bachelor and C. Aubrey Smith. The screenplay was by Denison Clift, adapting one of his own stories "Room 40, O.B." from ...
'' (1944) - Friedrich Eberling (uncredited) * '' An American Romance'' (1944) - Papa Hartzler (uncredited) * '' Salome Where She Danced'' (1945) - Theatre Manager (uncredited) * '' Paris Underground'' (1945) - Mons. Renard * ''
This Love of Ours ''This Love of Ours'' is a 1945 American drama film directed by William Dieterle and starring Merle Oberon, Claude Rains, Charles Korvin and Carl Esmond. The film's composer, Hans J. Salter, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original ...
'' (1945) - Chabon (uncredited) * ''
A Foreign Affair ''A Foreign Affair'' is a 1948 American romantic comedy- drama film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Jean Arthur, Marlene Dietrich, and John Lund. The screenplay by Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Richard L. Breen is based on a story by D ...
'' (1948) - Herr Maier (uncredited) (final film role)


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ryen, Richard 1885 births 1965 deaths Hungarian emigrants to Germany German emigrants to the United States American male actors