Helmut Dantine
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Helmut Dantine (7 October 1918 – 2 May 1982) was an Austrian-American actor who often played Nazis in thriller films of the 1940s. His best-known performances are perhaps the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
pilot in ''
Mrs. Miniver ''Mrs. Miniver'' is a 1942 American romantic war drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. Inspired by the 1940 novel '' Mrs. Miniver'' by Jan Struther, it shows how the life of an unassuming Britis ...
'' and the desperate Bulgarian refugee in ''
Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...
'', who tries gambling to obtain travel visa money for himself and his wife. As his acting career waned, he turned to producing. According to one obituary, "He specialized in portrayals of Nazis, sometimes as the handsome but icy SS sadist battling Allied heroes, sometimes as a sympathetic German soldier forced, against his better judgment, to fight".


Early life

Dantine's father, Alfred Guttmann, was the head of the Austrian railway system in Vienna. As a young man, Dantine became involved in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
's anti-Nazi movement. In 1938, when he was 19 years old, the
Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
took over Austria during the ''
Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, ), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a "German Question, Greater Germany") arose after t ...
''. Dantine was rounded up with hundreds of other opponents of the
Third Reich Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...
and imprisoned in a
Nazi concentration camp From 1933 to 1945, Nazi Germany operated more than a thousand concentration camps (), including subcamp (SS), subcamps on its own territory and in parts of German-occupied Europe. The first camps were established in March 1933 immediately af ...
outside Vienna. Three months later, using their influence, his parents obtained his release and immediately sent him to
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
to live with a friend. His father later died in Austria. His mother, Ditha Guttman, was safely brought to the U.S. in 1960 by her son to live in California. Ditha lived there until her death in 1983.


Film career

Dantine enrolled at the
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...
. His relatives thought he would go into business, but he became interested in theater. He began his U.S. acting career at the
Pasadena Playhouse Pasadena Playhouse is a Tony Award-winning historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engag ...
, while running two gas stations in order to pay his expenses. Dantine was spotted by a talent scout from Warner Bros, who signed him to a contract.


Warner Bros

Dantine had uncredited parts in '' International Squadron'' (1942) and '' To Be or Not to Be'' (1942), before his first credited role in MGM's ''
Mrs. Miniver ''Mrs. Miniver'' is a 1942 American romantic war drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. Inspired by the 1940 novel '' Mrs. Miniver'' by Jan Struther, it shows how the life of an unassuming Britis ...
'' (1942), playing a downed German pilot captured by the title character (played by
Greer Garson Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (29 September 1904 – 6 April 1996) was a British-American actress and singer. She was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer who became popular during the Second World War for her portrayal of strong women on the homef ...
). It was a huge hit, and Dantine received much positive attention from being in the film. In August 1942, Warners signed him to a new acting contract. The studio kept him busy with roles in the
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
films, '' The Pied Piper'' (1942), '' Desperate Journey'' (1942) fighting
Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...
, and '' The Navy Comes Through'' (1942). He had a sympathetic role in ''
Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...
'' (1942), as a young refugee trying and failing to earn money via gambling in order to purchase travel visas for him and his wife; he is helped by
Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...
. Warners began to give Dantine more sizeable roles in their "A" films, ''
Watch on the Rhine ''Watch on the Rhine'' is a 1943 American drama film directed by Herman Shumlin and starring Bette Davis and Paul Lukas. The screenplay by Dashiell Hammett is based on the 1941 play '' Watch on the Rhine'' by Lillian Hellman. ''Watch on the Rh ...
'' (1943), ''
Edge of Darkness ''Edge of Darkness'' is a British television drama serial produced by BBC Television in association with Lionheart Television International and originally broadcast in six 50 to 55-minute episodes in late 1985. A mixture of crime drama and pol ...
'' (1943), playing a Nazi officer, again fighting Errol Flynn, and ''
Mission to Moscow Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to: Geography Australia *Mission River (Queensland) Canada * Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality * Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * ...
'' (1943), playing a sympathetic Russian. Dantine's good looks caused him to receive a lot of fan mail and, in the words of one profile, "the studio began to realize it had something else besides a Hollywood Hitlerite on its hands." Warners announced they had bought ''Night Action'' by
Norman Krasna Norman Krasna (November 7, 1909 – November 1, 1984) was an American screenwriter, playwright, producer, and film director who penned Screwball comedy film, screwball comedies centered on a case of mistaken identity. Krasna directed three films ...
as a vehicle for Dantine, but the film appears not to have been made. Instead, he had a large role playing the villain in '' Northern Pursuit'' (1943), as a Nazi running loose in northern Canada fighting Errol Flynn again. Warner Bros. later cast him in a sympathetic role in ''
Passage to Marseille ''Passage to Marseille'', also known as ''Message to Marseille'', is a 1944 American war film made by Warner Brothers, directed by Michael Curtiz. The screenplay was by Casey Robinson and Jack Moffitt (screenwriter), Jack Moffitt from the novel ...
'' (1944), and he was one of several stars in '' Hollywood Canteen'' (1944). In 1944, exhibitors voting for "Stars of Tomorrow" picked Dantine at number 10. Warners gave him a sympathetic lead in '' Hotel Berlin'' (1945) as the leader of the German underground. He was once again a Nazi on-the-run in '' Escape in the Desert'' (1945), a remake of '' The Petrified Forest''. His last role for Warners was in the
film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...
, '' Shadow of a Woman'' (1946). He then left the studio.


Freelancer

Dantine was the lead in another film noir '' Whispering City'' (1947) for Eagle-Lion Films. In 1947, he co-starred with
Tallulah Bankhead Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress. Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also appeared in several films including an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's ''Lifeboat (194 ...
in the Broadway play '' The Eagle Has Two Heads'', replacing
Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''
. According to
Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau ( , ; ; 5 July 1889 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, film director, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost avant-garde artists of the 20th-c ...
, Bankhead made alterations to the play, and the production was a flop, lasting only 29 performances. Dantine was in ''No Time for Comedy'' on stage in Washington and also performed in the 1950 Broadway play ''Parisienne''. He was also in ''
Arms and the Man ''Arms and the Man'' is a comedy by George Bernard Shaw, whose title comes from the opening words of Virgil's ''Aeneid'', in Latin: ''Arma virumque cano'' ("Of arms and the man I sing"). The play was first produced on 21 April 1894 at the Av ...
'' at Cambridge Summer Playhouse. Dantine starred in the live but short-lived television series '' Shadow of the Cloak'' during the 1951–52 season. He had the lead in a
B-movie A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...
, '' Guerrilla Girl'' (1953), then had a small role in the musical, '' Call Me Madam'' (1953), He was supported by
Patricia Neal Patricia Neal (born Patsy Louise Neal; January 20, 1926 – August 8, 2010) was an American actress of stage and screen. She is well known for, among other roles, playing World WarII widow Helen Benson in ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (195 ...
while starring in the British
science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses Speculative fiction, speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as Extraterrestrial life in fiction, extraterrestria ...
'' Stranger from Venus'' (1953). Dantine acted in the 1956 film production of Tolstoy's ''
War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, the work comprises both a fictional narrative and chapters in which Tolstoy discusses history and philosophy. An ...
'' as Dolokhov, a Cossack officer assigned to harrying the retreat of France's Napoleonic army from Moscow. He also had a small role in ''
Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...
'' (1956), '' Kean: Genius or Scoundrel'' (1957), and '' The Story of Mankind'' (1957). He played the lead role in ''
Hell on Devil's Island ''Hell on Devil's Island'' is a 1957 American adventure film directed by Christian Nyby and written by Steven Ritch. The film stars Helmut Dantine, William Talman (actor), William Talman, Donna Martell, Jean Willes, Rex Ingram (actor), Rex Ingram ...
'' (1957). Dantine directed the 1958 military aviation film '' Thundering Jets'', starring Rex Reason, and continued to act in the films ''
Fräulein ( , ) is the German honorifics, German language honorific for unmarried women, comparable to Miss in English and in French. Description ''Fräulein'' is the diminutive form of ''Frau'', which was previously reserved only for married women. ...
'' (1958) and '' Tempest'' (1958).


Producing

As his acting career wound down, he became a vice-president of Hollywood mogul
Joseph Schenck Joseph Michael Schenck (; December 25, 1876 – October 22, 1961) was a Russian-born American film studio executive. Life and career Schenck was born to a Jewish family in Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russian Empire. He emigrated to New York Cit ...
's company, Schenck Enterprises, in 1959; Schenck was his wife's uncle. He later went to work as producer with Robert L. Lippert Productions and then as president of Hand Enterprises Inc. Among Dantine's later screen appearances, there were three films for which he was the executive producer: ''
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia ''Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia'' () is a 1974 neo-Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, co-written by Peckinpah and Gordon Dawson from a story by Peckinpah and Frank Kowalski, and starring Warren Oates and Isela Vega, with Robert W ...
'' (1974) and ''
The Killer Elite ''The Killer Elite'' is a 1975 American action film, action thriller film directed by Sam Peckinpah and written by Marc Norman and Stirling Silliphant, adapted from the Robert Syd Hopkins novel ''Monkey in the Middle.'' It stars James Caan and ...
'' (1975), both directed by
Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic '' The Wild Bunch'' received two Academy Award nominations and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Instit ...
, and '' The Wilby Conspiracy'' (1975). He was also in '' The Fifth Musketeer'' (1979) and '' Tarzan the Ape Man'' (1981).


Personal life

Before graduating from UCLA, he married fellow theater student Gwen Anderson; they divorced in 1943. In 1943, he was in a car accident and accused of hit-and-run. In January 1945 he was arrested for biting
Ida Lupino Ida Lupino (4 February 1918Recorded in ''Births Mar 1918'' Camberwell Vol. 1d, p. 1019 (Free BMD). Transcribed as "Lupine" in the official births index – 3 August 1995) was a British actress, director, writer, and producer. Throughout her 48-y ...
's assistant on the arm during a New Year's Eve party; after apologizing to the assistant, he was released. He became an American citizen in April 1944. In 1947, he married Charlene Stafford Wrightsman (1927–1963), the younger daughter of Charles Bierer Wrightsman, an oil millionaire whose collection of French furniture and decorative arts fills several galleries at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...
. The couple had a son, Dana Wrightsman Dantine, before divorcing in 1950. His ex-wife claimed Dantine was after her father's money. In 1958, Dantine married Nicola Schenck, daughter of
Nicholas Schenck Nicholas M. Schenck (14 November 1880, Rybinsk, Russian Empire, Russia – 4 March 1969, Florida) was a Russian-American Studio executive, film studio executive and businessman. Biography Early life One of seven children, Schenck was born t ...
, one of the founders of Loews. His wife acted under the name Niki Dantine; the couple had three children: Dita, Nicola, and Shelley. In 1971, Helmut and Niki were divorced.Kennedy, D. (May 10, 1982)
Political activities as youth lent credibility to film roles.
''Los Angeles Times''


Death

On 2 May 1982, Helmut Dantine died in
Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...
of a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
at age 63.


Partial filmography

* '' Escape'' (1940) – Porter (uncredited) * '' International Squadron'' (1941) – Flyer (uncredited) * '' To Be or Not to Be'' (1942) – Co-Pilot (uncredited) * ''
Mrs. Miniver ''Mrs. Miniver'' is a 1942 American romantic war drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. Inspired by the 1940 novel '' Mrs. Miniver'' by Jan Struther, it shows how the life of an unassuming Britis ...
'' (1942) – German Flyer * '' The Pied Piper'' (1942) – Aide * '' Desperate Journey'' (1942) – German Co-Pilot (uncredited) * '' The Navy Comes Through'' (1942) – Frightened Young German Seaman (uncredited) * ''
Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...
'' (1942) – Jan Brandel (uncredited) * ''
Edge of Darkness ''Edge of Darkness'' is a British television drama serial produced by BBC Television in association with Lionheart Television International and originally broadcast in six 50 to 55-minute episodes in late 1985. A mixture of crime drama and pol ...
'' (1943) – Captain Koenig * ''
Mission to Moscow Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to: Geography Australia *Mission River (Queensland) Canada * Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality * Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * ...
'' (1943) – Maj. Kamenev * ''
Watch on the Rhine ''Watch on the Rhine'' is a 1943 American drama film directed by Herman Shumlin and starring Bette Davis and Paul Lukas. The screenplay by Dashiell Hammett is based on the 1941 play '' Watch on the Rhine'' by Lillian Hellman. ''Watch on the Rh ...
'' (1943) – Young Man * '' Northern Pursuit'' (1943) – Col. Hugo von Keller * ''
Passage to Marseille ''Passage to Marseille'', also known as ''Message to Marseille'', is a 1944 American war film made by Warner Brothers, directed by Michael Curtiz. The screenplay was by Casey Robinson and Jack Moffitt (screenwriter), Jack Moffitt from the novel ...
'' (1944) – Garou * '' Hollywood Canteen'' (1944) – Helmut Dantine * '' Hotel Berlin'' (1945) – Dr. Martin Richter * '' Escape in the Desert'' (1945) – Capt. Becker * '' Shadow of a Woman'' (1946) – Dr. Eric Ryder * '' Whispering City'' (1947) – Michel Lacoste * '' Guerrilla Girl'' (1953) – Demetri Alexander * '' Call Me Madam'' (1953) – Prince Hugo * '' Stranger from Venus'' (1954) – The Stranger * ''
Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...
'' (1956) – Nectenabus * ''
War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, the work comprises both a fictional narrative and chapters in which Tolstoy discusses history and philosophy. An ...
'' (1956) – Dolokhov * '' Kean: Genius or Scoundrel'' (1956) – Lord Mewill * ''
Hell on Devil's Island ''Hell on Devil's Island'' is a 1957 American adventure film directed by Christian Nyby and written by Steven Ritch. The film stars Helmut Dantine, William Talman (actor), William Talman, Donna Martell, Jean Willes, Rex Ingram (actor), Rex Ingram ...
'' (1957) – Paul Rigaud * '' The Story of Mankind'' (1957) – Marc Antony * ''
Fräulein ( , ) is the German honorifics, German language honorific for unmarried women, comparable to Miss in English and in French. Description ''Fräulein'' is the diminutive form of ''Frau'', which was previously reserved only for married women. ...
'' (1958) – Lt. Hugo Von Metzler * '' Tempest'' (1958) – Svabrin * ''
Operation Crossbow ''Crossbow'' was the code name in World War II for Anglo-American operations against the German V-weapons, long range reprisal weapons (V-weapons) programme. The primary V-weapons were the V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket, which were launched agai ...
'' (1965) – General Linz * ''
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia ''Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia'' () is a 1974 neo-Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah, co-written by Peckinpah and Gordon Dawson from a story by Peckinpah and Frank Kowalski, and starring Warren Oates and Isela Vega, with Robert W ...
'' (1974) – Max * '' The Wilby Conspiracy'' (1975) – Prosecuting Counsel * ''
The Killer Elite ''The Killer Elite'' is a 1975 American action film, action thriller film directed by Sam Peckinpah and written by Marc Norman and Stirling Silliphant, adapted from the Robert Syd Hopkins novel ''Monkey in the Middle.'' It stars James Caan and ...
'' (1975) – Vorodny * '' The Fifth Musketeer'' (1979) – Spanish Ambassador (final film role)


References


External links

* *
Helmut Dantine
at the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dantine, Helmut 1918 births 1982 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century Austrian male actors American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors University of California, Los Angeles alumni Warner Bros. contract players Austrian emigrants to the United States Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Emigrants from Austria after the Anschluss Male actors from Vienna Naturalized citizens of the United States Nazi concentration camp survivors