Great in "A Bridge Too Far". And "The Wild Geese".
And in John Wayne's "Hatari" ...
Posted on 02/15/2026 11:23:18 AM PST by MAGA2017
When I was growing up in the 1980s, I often saw old war movies on TV, and in many appeared a certain German actor usually playing a Nazi villain, from 'Where Eagles Dare' to 'Escape to Victory'. I recently discovered that this star, Anton Diffring, is buried only 9 miles from my childhood home, so I decided to make a pilgrimage and find his largely forgotten last resting place and thank him for so many great performances.
(Excerpt) Read more at youtube.com ...
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Robert Clary (LeBeau) was born in Paris. At age 16, he was deported from Paris to the Buchenwald concentration camp, where he spent 31 months and was tattooed with ID A5714. 12 of his 13 family members were killed in Auschwitz.
John Banner (Sgt Schultz) was born to Jewish parents in Stanislau, Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine). He was acting in Switzerland in 1938 after the Anschluss and went to the US. At age 28, he weighed 180 pounds and spoke no english.
Werner Klemperer (Klink) was born in Cologne, Germany. His family came to US when he was a teenager. He was in the US Army 1942-1945.
Yes, he was in "Fahrenheit 451". He was the fireman who
was envious of Oscar Werner ("Montag") because Montag got
the promotion he wanted. He also disliked Montag because Montag
always treated him contemptuously.
Yes. Also Richard Burton in one of his last best performances before the booze destroyed him.
Between him and Richard Harris, I can only imagine what the bar tabs must have been.
well, Hauer was Dutch. Yeah, great work. Roy Batty... unforgettable.
well, Hauer was Dutch
If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend “Solider of Orange”.
It’s especially satisfying to see the one Dutch Nazi meet his fate.
LOL! If only they had cast Oliver Reed and Peter O’Toole to go with them.
I have not. I’ll check it out.
The Nazis were indeed evil. That just reinforced what people know.
That is not the same as characterizing Luftwaffe pilots or Wehrmacht solders were evil. Many of them were simply roped in the same way young men have been roped in for centuries.
But the leadership? Unmitigated Evil.
We shouldn’t forget Donald Pleasence. Wonderful actor who was actually tortured by the Germans during the war. Played Himmler in The Eagle has Landed.
Ah Frauline Diane Kruger... She was only a German’s daughter, but oh what a Heine. :)
How about Lorenzo St. DuBois?
I have always liked Donald Pleasance as an actor. He always seemed to own whatever part he had.
And in John Wayne's "Hatari" ...
Wasn't that Eric Braeden?
As a 4-year old, Braeden (Hans-Jorg Gudegast) survived the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff in 1945.
Yeah,I screwed up that one. Probably because I watched Colossus the Forbin Project recently. Surviving the Wilhelm Gustloff is 5 lifetimes of luck right there.
Werner Klemperer (Klink) was born in Cologne, Germany. His family came to US when he was a teenager. He was in the US Army 1942-1945.
Both men appeared in the drama Operation Eichmann, which is worthwhile just for the novelty of seeing them in serious roles.
And The Flight of the Phoenix.
Boy, do I remember that face.
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