Walter Jack Gotell (15 March 1924 – 5 May 1997) was a German actor, known for his role as

General Gogol This is a list of allies of ''James Bond'' who appear throughout the film series and novels. MI6 M M is a Rear Admiral of the Royal Navy, and the head of the Secret Intelligence Service. Fleming based the character on a number of people ...

, head of the KGB, in the

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 1 ...

-era of the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...

film series,Tom Vallanc
Obituary: Walter Gotell
''The Independent'', 20 June 1997. as well as having played the role of Morzeny, a villain, in '' From Russia With Love''. He also appeared as Gogol in the final part of ''

The Living Daylights ''The Living Daylights'' is a 1987 spy film, the fifteenth entry in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the first of two to star Timothy Dalton as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Directed by John Glen, the film's ...

'' (1987),

Timothy Dalton Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett (; born 21 March 1946) is a British actor. Beginning his career on stage, he made his film debut as Philip II of France in the 1968 historical drama '' The Lion in Winter''. He gained international prominence a ...

's debut Bond film.

Life and career

Gotell was born in

Bonn The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ru ...

; his family emigrated to

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

after the arrival of

Nazism 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) i ...

in Germany. A fluent English speaker, he started in films as early as 1943, usually playing villains and German officers, such as in ''

We Dive at Dawn ''We Dive at Dawn'' is a 1943 war film directed by Anthony Asquith and starring John Mills and Eric Portman as Royal Navy submariners in the Second World War. It was written by Val Valentine and J. B. Williams with uncredited assistance from Fra ...

'' (1943). He began to have more established roles by the early 1950s, appearing in '' The African Queen'' (1951), '' The Red Beret'' (1953) for

Albert R. Broccoli Albert Romolo Broccoli ( ; April 5, 1909 – June 27, 1996), nicknamed "Cubby", was an American film producer who made more than 40 motion pictures throughout his career. Most of the films were made in the United Kingdom and often filmed at Pi ...

, ''

Ice Cold in Alex ''Ice Cold in Alex'' is a 1958 British war film set during the Western Desert campaign of World War II based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Landon. Directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring John Mills, the film was a prizewinner ...

'' (1958), '' The Guns of Navarone'' (1961), '' The Road to Hong Kong'' (1962), ''

Lord Jim ''Lord Jim'' is a novel by Joseph Conrad originally published as a serial in ''Blackwood's Magazine'' from October 1899 to November 1900. An early and primary event in the story is the abandonment of a passenger ship in distress by its crew, i ...

'' (1965), '' Black Sunday'' (1977), '' The Boys from Brazil'' (1978) and ''

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribb ...

'' (1979). His first role in the James Bond film series was in 1963, when he played the henchman Morzeny in '' From Russia with Love''. From the late 1970s he played the recurring role of KGB General

Anatol Gogol This is a list of allies of ''James Bond'' who appear throughout the film series and novels. MI6 M M is a Rear Admiral of the Royal Navy, and the head of the Secret Intelligence Service. Fleming based the character on a number of people ...

in the series, beginning with '' The Spy Who Loved Me'' (1977). Gotell gained the role of Gogol because of his resemblance to the former head of Soviet secret police

Lavrentiy Beria Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria (; rus, Лавре́нтий Па́влович Бе́рия, Lavréntiy Pávlovich Bériya, p=ˈbʲerʲiə; ka, ლავრენტი ბერია, tr, ; – 23 December 1953) was a Georgian Bolshevik ...

. The character returned in '' Moonraker'' (1979), '' For Your Eyes Only'' (1981), ''

Octopussy ''Octopussy'' is a 1983 spy film and the thirteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. It is the sixth to star Roger Moore as the MI6 agent James Bond. It was directed by John Glen and the screenplay was written by ...

'' (1983), ''

A View to a Kill ''A View to a Kill'' is a 1985 spy film and the fourteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and is the seventh and final appearance of Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Although the title is adapted ...

'' (1985), and ''

'' (1987). As the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...

neared its end, the role of leader of the KGB was seen to change attitudes to the West – from direct competitor to collaborator. Gotell is one of a few actors to have played a villain and a Bond ally in the film series (others being Charles Gray,

Richard Kiel Richard Dawson Kiel (September 13, 1939 – September 10, 2014) was an American actor. Standing tall, he was known for portraying Jaws in '' The Spy Who Loved Me'' (1977) and '' Moonraker'' (1979). Kiel's next-most-recognized role is the t ...

and Joe Don Baker). Throughout his career, Gotell also made numerous guest appearances in television series including ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again b ...

'', '' Knight Rider'', ''

The A-Team ''The A-Team'' is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from January 1983 to March 1987 about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. The four members of the team were tried by court ma ...

'', ''

Airline An airline is a company that provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for codeshare agreements, in wh ...

'', ''

Airwolf ''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series that centers on a high-technology military helicopter, code-named ''Airwolf'', and its crew. The show follows them as they undertake various exotic missions, many involving e ...

'', ''

The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...

'', ''

Scarecrow and Mrs. King ''Scarecrow and Mrs. King'' is an American television series that aired from October 3, 1983, to September 10, 1987, on CBS. The show starred Kate Jackson and Bruce Boxleitner, as divorced housewife Amanda King and top-level "Agency" operative ...

'', ''

MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both p ...

'', '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', ''

Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo ...

'', ''

Cagney & Lacey ''Cagney & Lacey'' is an American police procedural drama television series that aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982, to May 16, 1988. The show is about two New York City police detectives who lead very di ...

'' and '' The Saint'' among others. He played Chief Constable Cullen in '' Softly, Softly: Taskforce'' (1969–75). Other television roles included that of Sam Baker, a KGB agent in the hard-hitting British police drama '' The Professionals (1978) - '' the episode titled ''"The Female Factor"''.

Personal life

Gotell was a businessman as well as an actor, and used his acting salaries to fund his business interests. He had one daughter, Carol, born in 1960. He died on 5 May 1997, at the age of 73.

Filmography

Film

* ''

The Day Will Dawn ''The Day Will Dawn'', released in the US as ''The Avengers'', is a 1942 British war film set in Norway during World War II. It stars Ralph Richardson, Deborah Kerr, Hugh Williams and Griffith Jones, and was directed by Harold French from a sc ...

'' (1942) as German Soldier (uncredited) * '' The Goose Steps Out'' (1942) as SS Guard (uncredited) * '' Secret Mission'' (1942) as Lieutenant Langfeld (uncredited) * '' Tomorrow We Live'' (1943) as Hans * ''

'' (1943) as Luftwaffe Captain (uncredited) * '' Schweik's New Adventures'' (1943) as Captured resistance member * ''

The Night Invader ''The Night Invader'' is a 1943 British, black-and-white, drama, thriller, war film, directed by Herbert Mason, produced by Max Milder for Warner Bros. - First National Productions Ltd. the British subsidiary of Warner Bros. and starring Ronal ...

'' (1943) * ''

Two Thousand Women ''Two Thousand Women'' is a 1944 British comedy-drama war film about a German internment camp in Occupied France which holds British women who have been resident in the country. Three RAF aircrewmen, whose bomber has been shot down, enter the ca ...

'' (1944) as German Soldier (uncredited) * '' No Orchids for Miss Blandish'' (1948) as Joe - Nightclub Doorman (uncredited) * ''

Cairo Road Cairo Road is the main thoroughfare of Lusaka, Zambia and the principal business, retail and service centre of the city. It is a section of the T2 road and was so named because it is a link in Cecil Rhodes' then dream of a Cape to Cairo Road ...

'' (1950) as Prison Officer * ''

The Wooden Horse ''The Wooden Horse'' is a 1950 British Second World War war film directed by Jack Lee and starring Leo Genn, David Tomlinson and Anthony Steel. It is based on the book of the same name by Eric Williams, who also wrote the screenplay. The ...

'' (1950) as The Follower * '' Lilli Marlene'' (1950) as Direktor of Propaganda * '' The Man Who Disappeared'' (1951) as Luzatto * '' The African Queen'' (1951) as the Second Officer of the Königin Luise * ''

Desperate Moment ''Desperate Moment'' is a 1953 British thriller film directed by Compton Bennett and starring Dirk Bogarde, Mai Zetterling and Philip Friend. It is based on the 1951 novel of the same title by Martha Albrand. It was made at Pinewood Studios ...

'' (1953) as Ravitch's Servant-Henchman * '' The Red Beret'' (1953) as German sentry * ''

Albert R.N. ''Albert R.N.'' is a 1953 British war film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Jack Warner, Anthony Steel and Robert Beatty. Plot An escape tunnel for the naval officer prisoners during the Second World War at a German prisoner-of-war cam ...

'' (1953) as Feldwebel * ''

Stryker of the Yard ''Stryker of the Yard'' (also known as ''Stryker of Scotland Yard'' and ''Scotland Yard Cases'' ) is a 1953 British crime film directed by Arthur Crabtree and starring Clifford Evans, Susan Stephen, Jack Watling and Eliot Makeham. A second ...

'' (1953) * '' Duel in the Jungle'' (1954) as Jim * ''

Above Us the Waves ''Above Us the Waves'' is a 1955 British war film about human torpedo and midget submarine attacks in Norwegian fjords against the German battleship ''Tirpitz''. Directed by Ralph Thomas, it is based on two true-life attacks by British commando ...

'' (1955) as German Officer on Tirpitz. (uncredited) * '' Dial 999'' (1956) as Policeman (uncredited) * ''

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

'' (1956) as Guard (uncredited) * '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956) as Matthews , Scotland Yard Patrol Car (uncredited) * ''

'' (1958) as 1st German Officer * '' The Man Inside'' (1958) as Profuno * ''

I Was Monty's Double ''I Was Monty's Double'' (released in the US as ''The Counterfeit General Montgomery''The Bandit of Zhobe ''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 ...

'' (1959) as Azhad * ''

No Safety Ahead ''No Safety Ahead'' is a 1959 British film.''No Safety Ahead''
at

'' (1959) (uncredited) * ''

The Treasure of San Teresa ''The Treasure of San Teresa'' (German: ''Rhapsodie in Blei'') is a 1959 British-West German thriller film directed by Alvin Rakoff and starring Eddie Constantine, Dawn Addams and Marius Goring. It was based on a play by Jeffrey Dell. The film i ...

'' (1959) as Hamburg inspector * ''

Sink the Bismarck! ''Sink the Bismarck!'' is a 1960 black-and-white CinemaScope British war film based on the 1959 book '' The Last Nine Days of the Bismarck'' by C. S. Forester. It stars Kenneth More and Dana Wynter and was directed by Lewis Gilbert.Weiler, A.H ...

'' (1959) as Signals Officer Miller on the Bismarck (uncredited) * '' Circus of Horrors'' (1960) as Baron Von Gruber (uncredited) * ''

The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll ''The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll'' is a 1960 British horror film produced by Hammer Film Productions. It was directed by Terence Fisher, and stars Paul Massie as Dr. Jekyll, and co-stars Dawn Addams, Christopher Lee and David Kossoff. The screenp ...

'' (1960) as Heverton - Second Gambler (uncredited) * ''

A Circle of Deception ''Circle of Deception'' is a 1960 CinemaScope British war film directed by Jack Lee and starring Bradford Dillman, Suzy Parker and Harry Andrews. Plot A Canadian officer is sent on a secret and dangerous mission during World War II. His sup ...

'' (1960) as Phoney Jules Ballard * '' The Guns of Navarone'' (1961) as Oberleutnant Muesel * '' The Devil's Daffodil'' (1961) as Oberinspektor Whiteside / Supt. Whiteside * '' Road to Hong Kong'' (1962) as Dr. Zorbb (3rd Echelon scientist) * '' The Devil's Agent'' (1962) as Dr. Ritter * '' The Longest Day'' (1962) as German Officer (uncredited) * ''

55 Days at Peking ''55 Days at Peking'' is a 1963 American epic historical war film dramatizing the siege of the foreign legations' compounds in Peking (now known as Beijing) during the Boxer Rebellion, which took place in China from 1899 to 1901. It was produ ...

'' (1963) as Capt. Hoffman * '' These Are the Damned'' (1963) as Major Holland * '' Lancelot and Guinevere'' (1963) as Cedric * '' From Russia with Love'' (1963) as Morzeny * ''

'' (1965) as Captain of Patna * '' The Spy Who Came in From The Cold'' (1965) as Holten (uncredited) * ''

Attack on the Iron Coast ''Attack on the Iron Coast'' is a 1967 DeLuxe Color Anglo-American Oakmont Productions international co-production war film directed by Paul Wendkos in the first of his five-picture contract with Mirisch Productions, and starring Lloyd Bridges, ...

'' (1968) as Van Horst * '' Cry Wolf'' (1969) * ''

The File of the Golden Goose ''The File of the Golden Goose'' is a 1969 British neo noir thriller film directed by Sam Wanamaker and starring Yul Brynner, Charles Gray and Edward Woodward. Its plot involves an American detective being sent to Britain to track down a maj ...

'' (1969) as George Leeds * ''

Our Miss Fred ''Our Miss Fred'' is a 1972 British comedy film starring Danny La Rue, set during World War II. The film was also known by its video release titles ''Beyond the Call of Duty'' (Canada) and ''Operation: Fred'' (US). In the 1960s, La Rue was one ...

'' (1972) as Schmidt * '' Endless Night'' (1972) as Constantine * '' Black Sunday'' (1977) as Colonel Riat * '' The Spy Who Loved Me'' (1977) as General

* '' The Assignment'' (1977) as Frankenheimer * '' March or Die'' (1977) as Col. Lamont * '' The Stud'' (1978) as Ben Khaled * '' The Boys from Brazil'' (1978) as Mundt * '' The Word'' (1978) as Hennig * '' The London Connection'' (1979) as Simmons * '' Moonraker'' (1979) as General Anatol Gogol * ''

'' (1979) as Don Jose Pulido * ''Flygnivå 450'' (1980) as Herbert Anchell * '' For Your Eyes Only'' (1981) as General Anatol Gogol * '' The Scarlet and the Black'' (1983) as SS-Obergruppenführer Max Helm ( Karl Wolff) * ''

'' (1983) as General Anatol Gogol * ''Kalabaliken i Bender'' (1983) as Storvesiren * ''

Memed My Hawk ''Memed My Hawk'' is a 1984 British-Yugoslav drama film directed by Peter Ustinov (the final film he directed) and starring Ustinov, Herbert Lom, Denis Quilley and Michael Elphick. It is an adaptation of the 1955 Turkish novel ''Memed, My Hawk'' ...

'' (1984) as Sgt. Asim * ''

'' (1985) as General Anatol Gogol * '' KGB: The Secret War'' (1985) as Nicholai * ''

Basic Training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...

'' (1985) as Nabokov * ''

'' (1987) as General Anatol Gogol * '' Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers'' (1988) as Uncle John * '' Wings of Fame'' (1990) as Receptionist * '' Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge'' (1991) as General Müeller * ''

Prince Valiant ''Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur'', often simply called ''Prince Valiant'', is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretc ...

'' (1997) as Erik the Old (final film role)

Television

* '' The Saint'' - episode - "The Hi-jackers" (1964) as Hans Lasser * '' Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color'' - 3 episodes - (1964 & 1979) as Benton / Simmons * ''

Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...

'' - episode - "Wisteria Lodge" (1968) as Henderson * ''

The Zoo Gang ''The Zoo Gang'' is a 1974 ITC Entertainment drama series that ran for six one-hour colour episodes, based on the 1971 book of the same name by Paul Gallico. Plot Five French Resistance fighters, known by their animal-based code names (the Wo ...

'' - episode - "Revenge: Post-Dated" (1974) as Boucher * '' Softly, Softly: Task Force'' (1969-1975) - 55 episodes - as Chief Constable Arthur Cullen * '' Hallelujah!'' as Lt. Colonel Henderson * '' The Professionals'' (6 January 1978), Series 1, episode 2 "The Female Factor" - as Baker * ''

'' - episode - "Service Above and Beyond" (1983) as Kurt Hollander * ''

'' - episode - "Fight Like a Dove" (1984) as Oberst Helmut Krüger / Hans Daubert * ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tatto ...

'' - episode - "Bojangles and the Dancer/Deuces Are Wild" (1984) as Edward C. Bass / Charles Childress * ''

'' - episode - "Where Is the Monster When You Need Him?" (1985) as Ramon DeJarro *''

Spenser for Hire ''Spenser: For Hire'' is an American crime drama series based on Robert B. Parker's '' Spenser'' novels. The series, developed for TV by John Wilder and starring Robert Urich, was broadcast on ABC from September 20, 1985, until May 7, 1988. Pr ...

'' - episode - "A Madness Most Discreet" (1986) as Max Claus * '' Knight Rider'' - episode - "Knight Sting" (1985) as Simon Carascas * ''

'' - episode - "GX-1" (1987) as Starkoss * ''

'' - episode - "When Irish Eyes Are Crying" (1986) as Max Klizer * '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' - episode - "

Home Soil "Home Soil" is the eighteenth episode of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. It first aired in broadcast syndication on February 22, 1988. Robert Sabaroff, Karl Geurs and Ralph Sanchez developed t ...

" (1988) as Kurt Mandl * ''

'' - episode - "Gold Rush" (1989) as General Barenov * ''

'' - episode - "Paper Clip" (1995) as Victor Klemper

Other appearances

* ''Inside 'From Russia with Love - Video documentary short (2000) - Himself / Morzeny

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gotell, Walter 1924 births 1997 deaths Deaths from cancer in California German male film actors German male television actors Actors from Bonn People from the Rhine Province Emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United Kingdom 20th-century German male actors