ReelRifter
Karl Stepanek

Karl Stepanek

Acting

Born October 27, 1899 — Died December 25, 1980 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).

TV Shows(4)

Movies(67)

The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway

The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway

2003

The Games

The Games

Kubitsek

1970

The File of the Golden Goose

The File of the Golden Goose

Mueller

1969

Before Winter Comes

Before Winter Comes

Count Kerassy

1969

Murderers Club of Brooklyn

Murderers Club of Brooklyn

Dyers

1967

The Frozen Dead

The Frozen Dead

General Lubeck

1966

Sperrbezirk

Sperrbezirk

Inspector Wagner

1966

The Heroes of Telemark

The Heroes of Telemark

Hartmuller

1965

Licensed to Kill

Licensed to Kill

Henrik Jacobsen

1965

Operation Crossbow

Operation Crossbow

Prof. Hoffer

1965

Devil Doll

Devil Doll

Dr. Heller

1964

Aufstand der Gehorsamen

Aufstand der Gehorsamen

Jawor Stranski

1963

Brainwashed

Brainwashed

Baranow

1960

Sink the Bismarck!

Sink the Bismarck!

Admiral Lutjens - 'Bismarck'

1960

Our Man in Havana

Our Man in Havana

Dr. Braun

1960

Operation Amsterdam

Operation Amsterdam

Diamond Merchant

1959

West of Suez

West of Suez

Langford

1957

The Traitor

The Traitor

Friederich Suderman

1957

Anastasia

Anastasia

Mikhail Vlados

1956

The Man in the Road

The Man in the Road

Dmitri Balinkev

1956

Man of the Moment

Man of the Moment

Lom

1955

The Cockleshell Heroes

The Cockleshell Heroes

Assistant Gestapo Officer

1955

Secret Venture

Secret Venture

Zelinsky

1955

A Prize of Gold

A Prize of Gold

Dr. Zachmann

1955

Dangerous Cargo

Dangerous Cargo

Pliny

1954

Tale of Three Women

Tale of Three Women

Alfred Dykemann (segment "Final Twist' story)

1954

City Beneath the Sea

City Beneath the Sea

Dwight Trevor

1953

Rough Shoot

Rough Shoot

Diss

1953

Never Let Me Go

Never Let Me Go

Commissar

1953

Affair in Trinidad

Affair in Trinidad

Walters

1952

Walk East on Beacon

Walk East on Beacon

Alexi Laschenkov / Gregory Anders

1952

No Highway in the Sky

No Highway in the Sky

1951

The Third Visitor

The Third Visitor

Richard Carling

1951

State Secret

State Secret

Dr. Revo

1950

Cairo Road

Cairo Road

Edouardo Pavlis

1950

Golden Arrow

Golden Arrow

Schroeder

1949

Give Us This Day

Give Us This Day

Jaroslav

1949

The Third Man

The Third Man

Actor at Josefstadt Theater (uncredited)

1949

Conspirator

Conspirator

Radek

1949

The Fallen Idol

The Fallen Idol

First Secretary

1948

Counterblast

Counterblast

Professor Inman

1948

Broken Journey

Broken Journey

Swiss Officer (uncredited)

1948

The Captive Heart

The Captive Heart

Forster

1946

Escape to Danger

Escape to Danger

Franz von Brinkman

1943

They Met in the Dark

They Met in the Dark

Riccardo

1943

Tomorrow We Live

Tomorrow We Live

Seitz

1943

Secret Mission

Secret Mission

Major Lang

1942

Our Film

Our Film

Soviet Visitor

1942

The Leghorn Hat

The Leghorn Hat

Felix, Diener bei Farina

1939

Hotel Sacher

Hotel Sacher

Franz

1939

War es der im 3. Stock?

War es der im 3. Stock?

Georg Kilby

1939

Narren im Schnee

Narren im Schnee

Rolf Pinkenkötter

1938

Klatovští dragouni

Klatovští dragouni

1938

The Bat

The Bat

Attaché Baranoff / Orlovsky

1937

The Unknown

The Unknown

Manager at Regina's

1936

Stronger Than Paragraphs

Stronger Than Paragraphs

Robert Wendland

1936

Der Außenseiter

Der Außenseiter

Otto Burian

1935

The Grey Pikes Wharf

The Grey Pikes Wharf

Ladewig

1935

Pozdní láska

Pozdní láska

1935

Na růžích ustláno

Na růžích ustláno

1935

Hermine and the Seven Upright Men

Hermine and the Seven Upright Men

Ruckstuhl

1935

Waltz War

Waltz War

Kellner Leopold

1933

A Song for You

A Song for You

Theo Bruckner

1933

Spione im Savoy-Hotel

Spione im Savoy-Hotel

Jackson

1932

Five from the Jazzband

Five from the Jazzband

Jean

1932

Here's Berlin

Here's Berlin

Max

1932

Berlin-Alexanderplatz: The Story of Franz Biberkopf

Berlin-Alexanderplatz: The Story of Franz Biberkopf

1931