Hartmut Becker (6 May 1938 – 22 January 2022) was a German actor. He played Sgt.

Gustav Wagner Gustav Franz Wagner (18 July 1911 – 3 October 1980) was an Austrian member of the '' SS'' with the rank of Master Sergeant (''Hauptscharführer''). Wagner was a deputy commander of Sobibor extermination camp in German-occupied Poland, where 2 ...

in '' Escape From Sobibor'' in 1987. He also starred in the 1970 film '' o.k.'', which was also entered into the

20th Berlin International Film Festival The 20th annual Berlin International Film Festival, usually called the Berlinale, was opened on 26 June 1970 with French-Belgian film '' Klann – grand guignol'' by Patrick Ledoux and scheduled to end on 7 July. However, on 5 July the competit ...

. However, the competition was cancelled and no prizes were awarded, over controversy surrounding the film. After ''O.K.'' Hartmut Becker was one of Germany’s busiest actors in film and theatre (at the State Theatres of Munich and Berlin he performed leading characters in plays from Shakespeare to Tennessee Williams). More important main parts in films followed like in Verhoeven's '' He Who Loves in a Glass House'' (International Film Festival Berlin 1971), ''

When Mother Went on Strike ''When Mother Went on Strike'' () is a 1974 West German comedy film directed by Eberhard Schröder and starring Peter Hall, Gila von Weitershausen and Belinda Mayne.Bock & Bergfelder, p.442 It was based on the 1970 novel '' Oh My Darling Daughte ...

'', ''John Ralling'' (TV), ', ''Audienz'' (TV), ''

Sunday Children Sunday (Latin: ''dies solis'' meaning "day of the sun") is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. Sunday is a day of rest in most Western countries and a part of the weekend. In some Middle Eastern countries, Sunday is a weekday. F ...

''.

Career

Becker was born in

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 ...

on 6 May 1938. His first leading part in an English-language production, Becker performed in the BBC film ''Forgive Our Foolish Ways'', where he played the role of a German prisoner of war next to

Kate Nelligan Patricia Colleen Nelligan (born March 16, 1950), known professionally as Kate Nelligan, is a Canadian stage, film and television actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1991 film '' The Prince of Tid ...

. The television film became a very big success all over the world. Hartmut's following international film was the American-English production '' Jenny's War'' (Columbia Pictures), where he portrayed the main part of Karl Koenig, a character in the crucial test between love and war. His partners in this film were

Dyan Cannon Dyan Cannon (born Samille Diane Friesen; January 4, 1937) is an American actress, filmmaker, and editor. Her accolades include a Saturn Award, a Golden Globe Award, three Academy Award nominations, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Sh ...

Elke Sommer Elke Sommer (; née Schletz, 5 November 1940) is a German actress. She appeared in numerous films throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including roles in ''The Pink Panther'' sequel '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964), the Bob Hope comedy '' Boy, Did I ...

and

Trevor Howard Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988) was an English stage and screen actor. After varied work in the theatre, he achieved leading man star status in the film '' Brief Encounter'' (1945), followed by '' The Third M ...

. In his next "Festival-Film" '' The Tenth One in Hiding'' (Festival International du Film Cannes 1989) Becker worked together with director

Lina Wertmüller Arcangela Felice Assunta "Lina" Wertmüller (; 14 August 1928 – 9 December 2021) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. She is best known for her 1970s art film, art house films ''Seven Beauties'',' ''The Seduction of Mimi'', ''Lov ...

. His female partner in this feature film was

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. Several dream parts followed after the success of ''The Tenth One in Hiding'', for example the characters Niels Jost in ''A Quiet Conspiracy'' (Channel 4; director:

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; also starring

Joss Ackland Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland (29 February 1928 – 19 November 2023) was an English actor who appeared in more than 130 film, radio and television roles. He was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for portraying ...

), Rauscher in the American film '' Triumph of the Spirit'' (director: Robert M. Young; with Willem Dafoe, Robert Loggia), Lutz in the English-French Television film ''Free Frenchmen'' (also starring Derek de Lint, Agnes Soral, directed by

Jim Goddard Jim Goddard was an England, English film and TV director who was born in Battersea, London. He directed episodes of many UK TV series such as ''Public Eye'', ''Callan'', ''Special Branch'', ''The Sweeney'', ''The Ruth Rendell Mysteries'', ''The ...

), Moritz in the English-Austrian feature film ''Gavre Princip'' by

Peter Patzak Peter Patzak (2 January 1945 – 11 March 2021) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He directed 60 films from 1973 to 2021. His film ''Kassbach – Ein Porträt'' was entered into the 29th Berlin International Film Festival and his f ...

, King Christian in ''

Young Catherine ''Young Catherine'' is a 1991 British TV miniseries based on the early life of Catherine II of Russia. Directed by Michael Anderson, it stars Julia Ormond as Catherine and Vanessa Redgrave as Empress Elizabeth. Plot summary In the early 1740 ...

'' (American TV; with a.o.

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress. In her career spanning over six decades, she has garnered List of awards and nominations received by Vanessa Redgrave, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony A ...

Julia Ormond Julia Karin Ormond (born 4 January 1965) is an English film and television actress. She rose to prominence by appearing in '' The Baby of Mâcon'' (1993), '' Legends of the Fall'' (1994), '' First Knight'' (1995), '' Sabrina'' (1995), '' Smilla ...

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; director: Michael Anderson), Rusty in the Italian TV-film ''Requiem per Voce e Pianoforte'' (RAI DUE), and last but not least Dieter Krause in the English TV-thriller ''The Waiting Time'' (ITV 1999; director: Stuart Orme). His last leading roles in German feature films of the last years were ''The Unforgotten'', ''Montag kommen die Fenster''/''Windows will drive on Monday'' (International Filmfestival Berlin), ''The Gift'' and ''Amatores Meae Matris''. Between 2007 and 2012 Becker was a member in the committee of the German Academy of Film (Deutsche Filmakademie). As a songwriter and singer his first single was produced in 2013. Becker died of cancer in Berlin on 22 January 2022, at the age of 83.Zum Tod des Berliner Schauspielers Hartmut Becker: Der Markante
(In German)

Selected filmography

* '' Student of the Bedroom'' (1970), as Schläger auf Fest * '' o.k.'' (1970, International Filmfestival Berlin), as Ralph Clarke * '' He Who Loves in a Glass House'' (1971, International Filmfestival Berlin), as Igor * ''

'' (1974), as Gabriel Gillhoff * ''John Ralling'' (1974, TV Series) * ''

Derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its Guy-wire, guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower ...

'' (1975, Season 2, Episode 1: ), as Erich Holler * ' (1976), as Dr. Sand * ''

21 Hours at Munich ''21 Hours at Munich'' is a 1976 American historical drama television film directed by William A. Graham and starring William Holden, Shirley Knight and Franco Nero. It is based on the 1975 non-fiction book ''The Blood of Israel'' by Serge Gro ...

'' (1976, TV Movie) * '' A Bridge Too Far'' (1977), as German sentry * ''Bier und Spiele'' (1977, TV Series), as Jupp Krüger * ''

'' (1978, Season 5, Episode 5: "Steins Tochter"), as Alexander Bork * ''

'' (1980), as Konradi * ''Forgive Our Foolish Ways'' (1980, TV Movie) * ' (1981, TV Movie) * '' Jenny's War'' (1984, TV Movie) * ' (1985), as Pater Roger Lee * '' Escape from Sobibor'' (1987, TV Movie), as Hauptscharführer Gustav Wagner * '' The Tenth One in Hiding'' (''Portraits with Women'' / ''Nine plus One'') (1988, Festival International du Film Cannes) * ''A Quiet Conspiracy'' (1988, TV Movie) * '' Triumph of the Spirit'' (1989), as Sturmbannführer Rauscher * ''

'' (1990, TV Mini-Series) * ''Requiem per Voce e Pianoforte'' (1991, TV Movie) * ' (1990), as Cpl. Moritz * ''Saint Peter's Snow'' (1991), as Prince Praxatin * ''

Dr. Stefan Frank – Der Arzt, dem die Frauen vertrauen is a German medical television series produced by Phoenix Film for RTL (German TV channel), RTL from 1995 to 2001. The show was adapted from a series of pulp magazines, written by Gerhard B. Wenzel. Synopsis The series centers on Stefan Fran ...

'' (1995, TV Series) as Dr. Ulrich Waldner * ''

SOKO 5113 Soko ( sh-Cyrl, Соко) was a Yugoslav aircraft manufacturer based in Mostar, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina. The company was responsible for the production of many military aircraft for the Yugoslav Air Force. SOKO was created in 1950 by the rel ...

'' (1995, Episode: "Der Keltendolch") * ''

Rosa Roth ''Rosa Roth'' is a German television series. It consisted of 31 television films between 1994 and 2013. See also *List of German television series The following is a list of television series produced in Germany: Current Drama * ''4 Blocks ...

'' (1997, Episode: "The Voice") * ''The Waiting Time'' (1999, TV Movie) * ''Medicopter 117'' (2000, Episode: "Gehertzt") * ''A Touch of Love'' (2003, TV Movie) * ''

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'' (2004, TV Series) * ''The Unforgotten'' (short film, 2005, Short) * ''Montag kommen die Fenster'' (''Windows will come on Monday'') - (2005, International Film festival Berlin 2006), as Herr Buchner * ''Crazy Partners'' (TV film, 2006) * ''Love and Passion'' (TV film, 2007) * ''The Gift'' (2008) * ''Interim'' (2009) * '' - One Murder too much'' (TV film, 2010) * '' The German Friend'' (2012), as Herr Werner Kunheim * ''Amatores Mea'' (short film, 2012) * ''Couples'' (TV film, 2013) * ''Verfehlung'' (2015), as Kardinal Schoeller * ''Die Spezialisten - Miss Mai 1988'' (TV film, 2016), as Big Toni * ''Liebesfilm'' (2017), as Lenz Senior

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Becker, Hartmut 1938 births 2022 deaths Male actors from Berlin German male film actors German male stage actors German male television actors 20th-century German male actors 21st-century German male actors Deaths from cancer in Germany