Karl Stepanek
Born
October 27, 1899
Died
December 25, 1980 (81 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Brünn, Moravia, Austria-Hungary [now Brno, Czech Republic]
Though born in Czechoslovakia, actor Karel Stepanek was generally regarded as a German actor due to his extensive film work in Germany (as Karl Stepanek) in the years before World War II. Stepanek fled to England in 1940, where, like many European refugee actors, he specialized in portraying Teutonic villains. He tried to stay away from out-and-out Nazi roles, but his predilection for wearing black uniforms and barking out guttural commands left little doubt as to the political preferences of Stepanek's screen characters. One of his most typical characterizations could be found in the 1946 POW drama, The Captive Heart; Stepanek also registered well as a friendlier foreigner in The Fallen Idol (1949). Commuting between London and Hollywood, Karel Stepanek continued to fight World War II, usually on the wrong side, into such '60s films as Sink the Bismarck! (1960), I Aim at the Stars (1960) and Operation Crossbow (1965).
Known For
The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway
2003
The Games
Kubitsek
1970
The File of the Golden Goose
Mueller
1969
Before Winter Comes
Count Kerassy
1969
Murderers Club of Brooklyn
Dyers
1967
The Frozen Dead
General Lubeck
1966
Sperrbezirk
Inspector Wagner
1966
The Heroes of Telemark
Hartmuller
1965
Licensed to Kill
Henrik Jacobsen
1965
Operation Crossbow
Prof. Hoffer
1965
Devil Doll
Dr. Heller
1964
Aufstand der Gehorsamen
Jawor Stranski
1963
Das Kriminalmuseum
Dr. Robert Großmann · (1 episode)
1963
Brainwashed
Baranow
1960
Sink the Bismarck!
Admiral Lutjens - 'Bismarck'
1960
Our Man in Havana
Dr. Braun
1960
Operation Amsterdam
Diamond Merchant
1959
West of Suez
Langford
1957
The Traitor
Friederich Suderman
1957
Anastasia
Mikhail Vlados
1956
The Man in the Road
Dmitri Balinkev
1956
The Cockleshell Heroes
Assistant Gestapo Officer
1955
Secret Venture
Zelinsky
1955
A Prize of Gold
Dr. Zachmann
1955
Man of the Moment
Lom
1955
Dangerous Cargo
Pliny
1954
Tale of Three Women
Alfred Dykemann (segment "Final Twist' story)
1954
City Beneath the Sea
Dwight Trevor
1953
Rough Shoot
Diss
1953
Never Let Me Go
Commissar
1953
Affair in Trinidad
Walters
1952
Walk East on Beacon
Alexi Laschenkov / Gregory Anders
1952
No Highway in the Sky
1951
The Third Visitor
Richard Carling
1951
State Secret
Dr. Revo
1950
Cairo Road
Edouardo Pavlis
1950
Golden Arrow
Schroeder
1949
Give Us This Day
Jaroslav
1949
The Third Man
Actor at Josefstadt Theater (uncredited)
1949
Conspirator
Radek
1949
The Fallen Idol
First Secretary
1948
Counterblast
Professor Inman
1948
Broken Journey
Swiss Officer (uncredited)
1948
The Captive Heart
Forster
1946
Escape to Danger
Franz von Brinkman
1943
They Met in the Dark
Riccardo
1943
Tomorrow We Live
Seitz
1943
Secret Mission
Major Lang
1942
Our Film
Soviet Visitor
1942
The Leghorn Hat
Felix, Diener bei Farina
1939
Hotel Sacher
Franz
1939
War es der im 3. Stock?
Georg Kilby
1939
Narren im Schnee
Rolf Pinkenkötter
1938
Klatovští dragouni
1938
Die Fledermaus
Attaché Baranoff / Orlovsky
1937
The Unknown
Manager at Regina's
1936
Der Außenseiter
Otto Burian
1935
Pozdní láska
1935
Na růžích ustláno
1935
Hermine and the Seven Upright Men
Ruckstuhl
1935
Waltz War
Kellner Leopold
1933
A Song for You
Theo Bruckner
1933
Spione im Savoy-Hotel
Jackson
1932
Five from the Jazzband
Jean
1932
Here's Berlin
Max
1932
Berlin-Alexanderplatz: The Story of Franz Biberkopf
1931