Franz Eichberger (31 July 1919 in

Puchberg am Schneeberg Puchberg am Schneeberg is a town in the south-eastern part of Lower Austria with approximately 2650 inhabitants. It is situated about 80 kilometres from Vienna. The highest point of Puchberg is the Schneeberg with 2076 m, the highest mountain of ...

– 29 May 1991) was an

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ** Austria-Hungary ** Austria ...

Actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

Biography

Franz Eichberger came to the film industry through

Leni Riefenstahl Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (; 22 August 1902 – 8 September 2003) was a German film director, Film producer, producer, screenwriter, Film editing, editor, photographer, and actress. She is considered one of the most controversial ...

. The director was searching for a suitable actor for the role of the young shepherd Pedro in her film adaptation of the opera ''Tiefland''. In her

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

, she writes that she noticed the then 20-year-old Austrian at the 1939 Kandahar Ski Race in St. Anton am Arlberg, and he visually matched her vision for the film character. After the war, however, an article in the magazine ''Revue'' claimed, Riefenstahl made 2,000 ''

Gebirgsjäger ''Gebirgsjäger'' () is a German language, German military term for light infantry trained in mountain warfare. Currently used in the militaries of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the term includes the word ''Jäger (military), jäger'', anot ...

'' walk by in front of her multiple times to choose a suitable actor. Riefenstahl strongly denied this claim and insisted on her version of events, which was confirmed by Eichberger and her former assistant

Harald Reinl Harald Reinl (8 July 1908 in Bad Ischl, Austria – 9 October 1986 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain) was an Austrian film director. He is known for the films he made based on Edgar Wallace and Karl May books (see Karl May movies and Edgar Wallace ...

in sworn statements. However, an article from the early 1940s stated that the director had chosen an actor from among the mountain troops. Originally a medic, Eichberger was assigned by the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

as a ski instructor in the

Arlberg The Arlberg (, also: ''Arlberg Pass'') is a mountain pass between states of Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria. Ski resorts at the Arlberg include Lech, Zürs, Stuben, St. Christoph, St. Anton, Oberlech, Stubenbach, Zug, and Warth. It is the m ...

area. Although he was extremely shy initially, screen tests confirmed his acting talent. However, there were issues with his dialect, so he received language lessons at a

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

acting school.Leni Riefenstahl: ''Memoiren.'' Köln 2000, Seite 360 After the war, Eichberger received further role offers. In 1947, he appeared in the Austrian-French co-production '' Wintermelodie''. Later, he worked with notable directors such as

Georg Wilhelm Pabst Georg Wilhelm Pabst (25 August 1885 – 29 May 1967) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He started as an actor and theater director, before becoming one of the most influential German-language filmmakers during the Weimar Republic. ...

( ''Der Prozeß'', '' Geheimnisvolle Tiefe'') and

Helmut Käutner Helmut Käutner (25 March 1908 – 20 April 1980) was a German film director active mainly in the 1940s and 1950s. He entered the film industry at the end of the Weimar Republic and released his first films as a director in Nazi Germany. Käu ...

('' Die letzte Brücke''), but mostly in smaller supporting roles. Only in the adaptation of

Adalbert Stifter Adalbert Stifter (; 23 October 1805 – 28 January 1868) was a Bohemian- Austrian writer, poet, painter, and pedagogue. He was notable for the vivid natural landscapes depicted in his writing and has long been popular in the German-speaking wo ...

's work, '' Bergkristall'' (1949), was he entrusted with a leading role. After '' Ich heirate Herrn Direktor'' (1960), Eichberger ended his film career.

Filmography

* 1947: ''Wintermelodie'' (''Les amours de Blanche Neige'') * 1948: ''Der Prozeß'' * 1949: G''eheimnisvolle Tiefe'' as Bergführer Nino * 1949: ''Bergkristall'' * 1954: ''Tiefland'' as Pedro * 1954: '' Die letzte Brücke'' as a ''Gebirgsjäger'' * 1955: '' Die Sennerin von St. Kathrein'' as Otto * 1959: '' 12 Mädchen und 1 Mann'' as Revierinspektor * 1960: '' Ich heirate Herrn Direktor'' as Polizist

References

External links

*
Franz Eichberger bei filmportal.de
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eichberger, Franz 1919 births 1991 deaths People from Neunkirchen District, Austria Austrian male actors Male actors from Lower Austria