Erich Johannes Bruno Ponto (14 December 1884 – 14 February 1957) was a German film and stage actor.

Career

Erich Ponto was born in

Lübeck Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the stat ...

as the son of a merchant. After his family had moved to

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

Eimsbüttel Eimsbüttel () is one of the seven boroughs (Bezirke) of Hamburg, Germany. In 2020 the population was 269,118. History On March 1, 2008 Eimsbüttel lost part of its area to the borough Altona where it formed the Sternschanze quarter. Geography ...

, he attended the gymnasium secondary school in Altona and upon his

Abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...

exam began a study of

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...

at the

University of Munich The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich or LMU; german: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) is a public research university in Munich, Germany. It is Germany's List of universities in Germany, sixth-oldest u ...

, where he went to lectures delivered by Nobel prize laureate

Wilhelm Röntgen Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (; ; 27 March 184510 February 1923) was a German mechanical engineer and physicist, who, on 8 November 1895, produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range known as X-rays or Röntgen rays, an achiev ...

. He worked for a few years as a pharmacist, but was already passionate about acting during his university time – he started to take acting lessons and eventually became a full-time actor. Ponto gave his debut on stage at the Stadttheater Passau in 1908, followed by engagements in

Nordhausen Nordhausen may refer to: * Nordhausen (district), a district in Thuringia, Germany ** Nordhausen, Thuringia, a city in the district **Nordhausen station, the railway station in the city * Nordhouse, a commune in Alsace (German: Nordhausen) * Narost ...

, Reichenberg (Liberec), and

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

. From 1914 to 1947 he was a member of the Hoftheater Dresden ensemble (Staatstheater Dresden from 1918), in the season 1946/47 also as

intendant An intendant (; pt, intendente ; es, intendente ) was, and sometimes still is, a public official, especially in France, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The intendancy system was a centralizing administrative system developed in France. In ...

. On stage his most famous role was that of J.J. Peachum in the original production of

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

's ''

The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music ...

'' in 1928. During the Third Reich he won the title of a Staatsschauspieler in 1938, the highest title that could be awarded to a stage actor in Nazi-Germany. Later stage roles included ''

Nathan the Wise ''Nathan the Wise'' (original German title: ', ) is a play by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing from 1779. It is a fervent plea for religious tolerance. It was never performed during Lessing's lifetime and was first performed in 1783 at the Döbbelinsch ...

'' in 1945 and Willy Loman in ''

Death of a Salesman ''Death of a Salesman'' is a 1949 stage play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in late 1940s Brooklyn told through a montag ...

'' in 1950. Ponto only started to appear in films regularly after the start of the sound film, when he was already middle-aged. He became a well-known character actor in German cinema of the 1930s and 1940s, often in eccentric or villainous roles. Among his roles were

Mayer Amschel Rothschild Mayer Amschel Rothschild (23 February 1744 – 19 September 1812; also spelled ''Anschel'') was a German-Jewish banker and the founder of the Rothschild banking dynasty. Referred to as a "founding father of international finance", Rothschild w ...

in the anti-semitic Nazi film '' The Rothschilds'' (1940) and a stuffy school teacher in ''

Die Feuerzangenbowle ''Die Feuerzangenbowle'' (''The Fire Tongs Bowl'', ''The Punch Bowl'') is a German novel, later adapted into several films, which tells the story of a famous writer going undercover as a pupil at a small town gymnasium after his friends tell him ...

'' (1944) with

Heinz Rühmann Heinrich Wilhelm "Heinz" Rühmann (; 7 March 1902 – 3 October 1994) was a German film actor who appeared in over 100 films between 1926 and 1993. He is one of the most famous and popular German actors of the 20th century, and is considered a Ge ...

, widely regarded as a film classic in Germany. After World War II he appeared in

Carol Reed Sir Carol Reed (30 December 1906 – 25 April 1976) was an English film director and producer, best known for ''Odd Man Out'' (1947), '' The Fallen Idol'' (1948), ''The Third Man'' (1949), and '' Oliver!'' (1968), for which he was awarded the ...

's British thriller ''

The Third Man ''The Third Man'' is a 1949 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Set in postwar Vienna, the film centres on American Holly Martins (Cotten), ...

'' (1949), he played

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

' sinister physician in a supporting role. In 1955 Ponto won the

German Film Award The German Film Award (), also known as Lola after its prize statuette, is the national film award of Germany. It is presented at an annual ceremony honouring cinematic achievements in the German film industry. Besides being the most important ...

as the "Best male actor in a Supporting role" for '' Himmel ohne Sterne'' (1955). He worked as an actor until shortly before his death. As a synchronisation actor, Ponto dubbed English-language actors like

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future w ...

and

Charley Grapewin Charles Ellsworth Grapewin (December 20, 1869 – February 2, 1956) was an American vaudeville and circus performer, a writer, and a stage and film actor. He worked in over 100 motion pictures during the silent and sound eras, most notably portr ...

in a number of films between the mid 1930s and early 1950s.

Personal life

In 1916 he married Tony Kresse, they had two children. Ponto also worked as an acting teacher, among his students was

Gert Fröbe Karl Gerhart "Gert" Fröbe (; 25 February 1913 – 5 September 1988) was a German actor. He was best known in English-speaking countries for his work as Auric Goldfinger in the James Bond film '' Goldfinger'', as Peachum in ''The Threepenny Oper ...

of Goldfinger fame. Ponto's final film was ''

Der Stern von Afrika ''Der Stern von Afrika'' () is a 1957 black-and-white German war film portraying the combat career of a World War II Luftwaffe fighter pilot Hans-Joachim Marseille. The film stars Joachim Hansen and Marianne Koch and was directed by Alfred Weid ...

'', released in the year of his death. He died at the age of 72 after a long cancer illness. Erich Ponto was the uncle of

Dresdner Bank Dresdner Bank AG was a German bank and was based in Frankfurt. It was one of Germany's largest banking corporations and was acquired by competitor Commerzbank in May 2009. History 19th century The Dresdner Bank was established on 12 Novemb ...

general director

Jürgen Ponto Jürgen Ponto (17 December 1923 Bad Nauheim, Hesse - 30 July 1977 Frankfurt am Main) was a German banker and since 1969 chairman of the Dresdner Bank board of directors. Previously, he had worked as a lawyer. He was murdered by members of the R ...

, who was murdered by members of the communist

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

in 1977.Fünf Schüsse im eigenen Haus
Süddeutsche Zeitung (German)

Selected filmography

* ''Der Geiger von Meissen'' (1921) * '' Woman in the Jungle'' (1931) - Joyce * ''

The Man Who Murdered ''The Man Who Murdered'' (german: Der Mann, der den Mord beging) is a 1931 German crime drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Conrad Veidt, Trude von Molo and Heinrich George.Grange p. 357 It is adapted from the play by Pierre Fro ...

'' (1931) - Boucher * '' Love, Death and the Devil'' (1934) - The Old Man * ''Santa Joana D'Arc'' (1935) - Lord Talbot * ''

The King's Prisoner ''The King's Prisoner'' (german: Der Gefangene des Königs) is a 1935 German historical comedy film directed by Carl Boese and starring Michael Bohnen, Paul Kemp, and Susi Lanner. It is based around the development of Meissen porcelain durin ...

'' (1935) - Friseur * ''

The Last Four on Santa Cruz ''The Last Four on Santa Cruz'' (german: Die letzten Vier von Santa Cruz) is a 1936 German drama film directed by Werner Klingler and starring Hermann Speelmans, Irene von Meyendorff and Valéry Inkijinoff.Parish p. 507 The film was shot at the Ba ...

'' (1936) - Alexander Ghazaroff * ''

Schlußakkord ''Schlußakkord'' (''Final Accord'' or better ''Final Chord'';Sabine Hake, ''Popular Cinema of the Third Reich'', Austin: University of Texas, 2001, , p. 246, note 4: the title "refers to a musical term" whereas that of Sierck's 1939 French-languag ...

'' (1936) - Jury President * ''

The Hound of the Baskervilles ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set i ...

'' (1937) - Stapleton * ''

Tango Notturno ''Tango Notturno'' is a 1937 German drama film directed by Fritz Kirchhoff and starring Pola Negri, Albrecht Schoenhals, and Lina Carstens. The film's sets were designed by the art director Carl Böhm (art director) and Erich Czerwonski. It wa ...

'' (1937) - Poor Man * ''

The Mystery of Betty Bonn ''The Mystery of Betty Bonn'' (german: Das Geheimnis um Betty Bonn) is a 1938 German adventure film directed by Robert A. Stemmle and starring Maria Andergast, Theodor Loos and Hans Nielsen.Kreimeier p. 286 The film was shot at the Babelsberg S ...

'' (1938) - Capitain Spurling * ''

By a Silken Thread ''By a Silken Thread'' (german: Am seidenen Faden) is a 1938 German drama film directed by Robert A. Stemmle and starring Willy Fritsch, Carl Kuhlmann and Käthe von Nagy. The film was intended to be an exposure of "crooked Jewish capitalists" ...

'' (1938) - Theodor Kalbach * ''

The Four Companions The Four Companions, also called the Four Pillars of the Sahaba, is a Shia term for the four Companions () of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who are supposed to have stayed most loyal to Ali ibn Abi Talib after Muhammad's death in 632: * # Salm ...

'' (1938) - Alfred Hintze * ''Dreizehn Mann und eine Kanone'' (1938) * '' Hallo Janine'' (1939) - Mr. Pamion * '' Wibbel the Tailor'' (1939) - Schneider Anton Wibbel * ''In letzter Minute'' (1939) - Alexander Piepenbrink * '' The Fire Devil'' (1940) - Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte * '' Die Rothschilds'' (1940) -

* ''Aus erster Ehe'' (1940) - Professor Skutor * ''Wie konntest Du, Veronika!'' (1940) - Banker * ''Achtung! Feind hört mit!'' (1940) - Mr. Bock * '' Kleider machen Leute'' (1940) * ''

The Girl from Barnhelm ''The Girl from Barnhelm'' (german: Das Fräulein von Barnhelm) is a 1940 German historical comedy film directed by Hans Schweikart and starring Käthe Gold, Ewald Balser and Fita Benkhoff. It is an adaptation of the 1767 play '' Minna von Bar ...

'' (1940) - Wirt * ''

Das Herz der Königin ''Das Herz der Königin'' (''The Heart of the Queen'') is a 1940 German historical film, making selective use of the life story of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her execution by Queen Elizabeth I for anti-English and pro-Scottish propaganda, in the c ...

'' (1940) - Singer * ''Blutsbrüderschaft'' (1941) - Director Gösch * ''

Ich klage an ''Ich klage an'' (; en, I Accuse, italic=yes, link=yes) is a 1941 Nazi German pro-euthanasia propaganda film directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and produced by Heinrich Jonen and Ewald von Demandowsky. It was banned by Allied powers after the wa ...

'' (1941) - Professor Werther * ''Leichte Muse'' (1941) - Chorleiter Palitsch * ''

Her Other Self ''Her Other Self'' (german: Das andere Ich, "The other 'I'") is a 1941 German drama film directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner Wolfgang Georg Louis Liebeneiner (6 October 1905 – 28 November 1987) was a German actor, film director and theatre dir ...

'' (1941) - Geheimrat Wuellner * ''Eine Nacht in Venedig'' (1942) - Director Arnold Richard Schmitz * ''

The Rainer Case ''The Rainer Case'' (german: Der Fall Rainer) is a 1942 German drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Luise Ullrich, Paul Hubschmid and Karl Schönböck.Bock & Bergfelder p. 386 The film's sets were designed by the art director Franz ...

'' (1942) - Hotel Director * ''

Attack on Baku ''Attack on Baku'' (german: Anschlag auf Baku) is a 1942 German thriller film directed by Fritz Kirchhoff and starring Willy Fritsch, René Deltgen, and Fritz Kampers. The film was intended as anti-British propaganda during the Second World ...

'' (1942) - Jenssen * ''Der große Schatten'' (1942) - Oswald Siebel * ''

Diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...

'' (1942) - Theodor Diesel * ''Ein glücklicher Mensch'' (1943) - Pauly * ''Die beiden Schwestern'' (1943) -

Adolph Menzel Adolph Friedrich Erdmann von Menzel (8 December 18159 February 1905) was a German Realist artist noted for drawings, etchings, and paintings. Along with Caspar David Friedrich, he is considered one of the two most prominent German painters of th ...

* ''

'' (1944) - Professor Crey - called Schnauz * ''

The Master Detective ''The Master Detective'' (german: Der Meisterdetektiv) is a 1944 German comedy film directed by Hubert Marischka and starring Rudolf Platte who plays a private detective. The film's art direction was by Gustav A. Knauer and Arthur Schwarz. C ...

'' (1944) - Gutsbesitzer Theobald Langendorff * ''Philharmoniker'' (1944) - Straehle * ''Der Engel mit dem Saitenspiel'' (1944) - Barnabas * ''Am Abend nach der Oper'' (1945) - Stephan Schneider * ''Der Scheiterhaufen'' (1945) * ''

Der Fall Molander ''The Molander Case'' (german: Der Fall Molander) is a 1945 German drama film directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst. The movie is based on the novel ''Die Sternegeige'' by Alfred Karrasch. On August 28, 1944, Pabst started shooting the movie for Terra ...

'' (unfinished film, 1945) - Dannemann * '' Between Yesterday and Tomorrow'' (1947) - Professor von Walther * ''

Film Without a Title ''Film Without a Title'' (German: ''Film ohne Titel'') is a 1948 German comedy film directed by Rudolf Jugert and starring Hans Söhnker, Hildegard Knef and Irene von Meyendorff.Shandley p.159 It was made by Bavaria Film at the Emelka Studios in M ...

'' (1948) - Mr. Schichtholz * '' The Lost Face'' (1948) - Scientific * ''Die kupferne Hochzeit'' (1948) - Alter Lehrer * ''

The Court Concert ''The Court Concert'' (german: Das Hofkonzert) is a 1936 German historical romantic comedy film directed by Detlef Sierck (later known as Douglas Sirk), and starring Mártha Eggerth, Johannes Heesters, and Kurt Meisel.Hake p. 142 It was made b ...

'' (1948) - Serenissimus * ''

Love '47 ''Love '47'' (german: Liebe 47) is a 1949 Cinema of Germany, German drama film directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Dieter Horn, Hilde Krahl and Sylvia Schwarz. It was part of the cycle of rubble films made in post-war Germany. A young ma ...

'' (1949) - Old Man * ''

'' (1949) - Dr. Winkel * ''Verspieltes Leben'' (1949) - Mathematic Professor * ''

Second Hand Destiny ''Second Hand Destiny'' (german: Schicksal aus zweiter Hand) is a 1949 West German drama film directed by Wolfgang Staudte and starring Erich Ponto, Heinz Klevenow and Marianne Hoppe. It is sometimes considered a film noir.Spicer p. 460 At the t ...

'' (1949) - Professor Sapis * ''Hans im Glück'' (1949) * ' (1950) - Plünne (voice) * ''

Beloved Liar ''Beloved Liar'' (german: Geliebter Lügner) is a 1950 West German romantic comedy film directed by Hans Schweikart and starring Elfie Mayerhofer, Hans Söhnker and Gustav Knuth.Bock & Bergfelder p.252 It was made at the Bavaria Studios in Munich ...

'' (1950) - Plage * '' Doctor Praetorius'' (1950) - Professor Speiter * ''Das fremde Leben'' (1951) - Prosecutor Knopp * ''

Veronika the Maid ''Veronika the Maid'' (german: Veronika, die Magd) is a 1951 West German drama film directed by Leopold Hainisch and starring Ilse Exl, Viktor Staal and Ilse Steppat.Wiesen p. 273 It was shot at the Göttingen Studios. The film's sets were designe ...

'' (1951) * ''Primanerinnen'' (1951) - Krautkopf * '' No Greater Love'' (1952) - Minister * '' Weekend in Paradise'' (1952) - Giersdorfs Onkel * ''

House of Life ''House of Life'' (german: Haus des Lebens) is a 1952 West German drama film directed by Karl Hartl and starring Gustav Fröhlich, Cornell Borchers and Edith Mill.Bock & Bergfelder p.139 The film's setting is a maternity hospital, portraying t ...

'' (1952) - Geheimrat Merk * ''

Monks, Girls and Hungarian Soldiers ''Monks, Girls and Hungarian Soldiers'' (german: Mönche, Mädchen und Panduren) is a 1952 West German historical adventure comedy film directed by Ferdinand Dörfler and starring Joe Stöckel, Paul Hartmann and Rudolf Fernau.Klossner p. 262 I ...

'' (1952) - Fellerer * ''

The Blue and White Lion ''The Blue and White Lion'' (german: Der weißblaue Löwe) is a 1952 West German comedy film directed by Werner Jacobs and Olf Fischer and starring Wastl Witt, Elise Aulinger and Lore Frisch. It was shot at the Bavaria Studios in Munich. The film ...

'' (1952) - Government President * ''

The Great Temptation ''The Great Temptation'' (german: Die große Versuchung) is a 1952 West German drama film directed by Rolf Hansen and starring Dieter Borsche, Ruth Leuwerik and Renate Mannhardt.Hake p. 115 It was made at the Bavaria Studios in Munich. The film' ...

'' (1952) - Professor Dr. Gandolphi * ''

Not Afraid of Big Animals ''Not Afraid of Big Animals'' (german: Keine Angst vor großen Tieren) is a 1953 West German comedy film directed by Ulrich Erfurth and starring Heinz Rühmann, Ingeborg Körner and Gustav Knuth.Bock & Bergfelder p. 340 It is a circus film and a ...

'' (1953) - Police Commissioner * '' Hocuspocus'' (1953) - Mr. Arthur Graham * ''

Sauerbruch – Das war mein Leben ''The Life of Surgeon Sauerbruch'' sometimes shortened to ''Surgeon Sauerbruch'' (German: ''Sauerbruch – Das war mein Leben'') is a 1954 West German biographical drama film directed by Rolf Hansen and starring Ewald Balser, Heidemarie Hathey ...

'' (1954) - Chefarzt Psychiatrie * '' Love is Forever'' (1954) * ''

The Flying Classroom ''The Flying Classroom'' (German: ''Das fliegende Klassenzimmer'') is a 1933 novel for children written by the German writer Erich Kästner. In the book Kästner took up the predominantly British genre of the school story, taking place in a b ...

'' (1954) - Medical Councilman * '' Keine Angst vor Schwiegermüttern'' (1954) * ''

The Missing Miniature ''The Missing Miniature'' (german: Die verschwundene Miniatur) is a 1954 West German comedy crime film directed by Carl-Heinz Schroth and starring Paola Loew, Ralph Lothar and Paul Westermeier.Bock & Bergfelder p.236 It is based on the 1935 stor ...

'' (1954) * '' The Golden Plague'' (1954) - Dr. Sierich * ''

Sky Without Stars ''Sky Without Stars'' (german: Himmel ohne Sterne) is a 1955 West German drama film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring Erik Schumann, Eva Kotthaus and Horst Buchholz. The film's sets were designed by the art director Hans Berthel and R ...

'' (1955) - Father Otto Kaminski * ''

Ballerina A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on yea ...

'' (1956) - Schimanski * '' If We All Were Angels'' (1956) - Magistrate * ''Made in Germany'' (1957) - Professor Virchow * ''

The Girl and the Legend ''The Girl and the Legend'' (german: Robinson soll nicht sterben) is a 1957 German historical drama film directed by Josef von Báky and starring Romy Schneider, Horst Buchholz and Erich Ponto. It was shot at the Bavaria Studios in Munich.Petzel ...

'' (1957) -

Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, trader, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its ...

* ''

The Zurich Engagement ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1957) - (uncredited) * ''

'' (1957) - Old Frenchman (final film role)

Erich Ponto in the Web

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ponto, Erich 1884 births 1957 deaths Actors from Lübeck German male film actors German male stage actors 20th-century German male actors Recipients of the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany