Karl Stepanek
Biography
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).
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (47)
The Heroes of Telemark: Location report from Norway
2003
The Games
as Kubitsek
1970
The File of the Golden Goose
as Mueller
1969
Before Winter Comes
as Count Kerassy
1969
Murderers Club of Brooklyn
as Dyers
1967
The Frozen Dead
as General Lubeck
1966
Sperrbezirk
as Inspector Wagner
1966
The Heroes of Telemark
as Hartmuller
1965
Licensed to Kill
as Henrik Jacobsen
1965
Operation Crossbow
as Prof. Hoffer
1965
Devil Doll
as Dr. Heller
1964
Aufstand der Gehorsamen
as Jawor Stranski
1963
Brainwashed
as Baranow
1960
Sink the Bismarck!
as Admiral Lutjens - 'Bismarck'
1960
Our Man in Havana
as Dr. Braun
1960
Operation Amsterdam
as Diamond Merchant
1959
West of Suez
as Langford
1957
The Traitor
as Friederich Suderman
1957
Anastasia
as Mikhail Vlados
1956
The Man in the Road
as Dmitri Balinkev
1956
Man of the Moment
as Lom
1955
The Cockleshell Heroes
as Assistant Gestapo Officer
1955
Secret Venture
as Zelinsky
1955
A Prize of Gold
as Dr. Zachmann
1955
Dangerous Cargo
as Pliny
1954
Tale of Three Women
as Alfred Dykemann (segment "Final Twist' story)
1954
City Beneath the Sea
as Dwight Trevor
1953
Rough Shoot
as Diss
1953
Never Let Me Go
as Commissar
1953
Affair in Trinidad
as Walters
1952
Walk East on Beacon
as Alexi Laschenkov / Gregory Anders
1952
No Highway in the Sky
1951
The Third Visitor
as Richard Carling
1951
State Secret
as Dr. Revo
1950
Cairo Road
as Edouardo Pavlis
1950
Golden Arrow
as Schroeder
1949
Give Us This Day
as Jaroslav
1949
The Third Man
as Actor at Josefstadt Theater (uncredited)
1949
Conspirator
as Radek
1949
The Fallen Idol
as First Secretary
1948
Counterblast
as Professor Inman
1948
Broken Journey
as Swiss Officer (uncredited)
1948
The Captive Heart
as Forster
1946
Escape to Danger
as Franz von Brinkman
1943
They Met in the Dark
as Riccardo
1943
Tomorrow We Live
as Seitz
1943
Secret Mission
as Major Lang
1942
