Heinrich Wilhelm "Heinz" Rühmann (March 7 1902 – October 3 1994) was a popular German film actor.

Life and Work

Rühmann's role in the 1930 movie Die Drei von der Tankstelle led to him immediate stardom. He remained highly popular as a comedic actor (and sometimes singer) throughout the 1930s and early 1940s. Although he never supported the Nazi regime, his career after 1933 must at least be described as opportunistic, similar to that of his friend and colleague Hans Albers. In 1944, he starred in a nostalgic comedy of mistaken identities, Die Feuerzangenbowle, which must now be called the most popular film of his career, especially as a cult movie for students at university. Rühmann's career had a tough start after the war, but by the mid-1950s the former comedian had established himself again as a star, only this time as Germany's leading character actor.

In 1956, Rühmann starred in the title role of the internationally acclaimed picture Der Hauptmann von Köpenick (The Captain of Köpenick), the true story of a Prussian cobbler, Wilhelm Voigt, who dressed up as an army officer and took over the town hall in Köpenick. In the days of the German Empire, the army had an almost sacred status, and this cobbler embarrassed army officers and civil servants, who obeyed him without questioning. Rühmann was also the leading man in the 1960 film version of The Adventures of the Good Soldier Schweik, set during the First World War, after the novels of Czech author Jaroslav Hašek. In 1965, Rühmann was brought to Hollywood by producer Stanley Kramer for a supporting role in his all-star movie Ship of Fools.

Rühmann was a favorite actor of Holocaust diarist, Anne Frank, who pasted his picture on the wall of her room in her family's hiding place during the war, where it can still be seen today. The enormous ambivalence of Rühmann's early career is illustrated by the fact that he was also a favorite actor of Adolf Hitler and his propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels.

Rühmann died in Aufkirchen, Bavaria, in 1994.

Awards

• 1986 Bavarian Film Award, Honorary Award

Filmography

• Das deutsche Mutterherz, 1926, with Margarethe Kupfer
• Das Mädchen mit den fünf Nullen, 1927, with Adele Sandrock
• Einbrecher, 1930, with Ralph Arthur Roberts, Lilian Harvey, Willy Fritsch, Oskar Sima
• Die drei von der Tankstelle, 1930, with Lilian Harvey, Willy Fritsch, Oskar Karlweis and the Comedian Harmonists
• Bomben auf Monte Carlo, 1931, with Hans Albers
• Meine Frau, die Hochstaplerin, 1931, with Käthe von Nagy, Fritz Grünbaum, Theo Lingen, Fritz Alberti
• Man braucht kein Geld, 1931, with Hans Moser, Hedy Lamarr
• Der brave Sünder, 1931, Director: Fritz Kortner
• Der Stolz der 3. Kompanie, 1932, with Rudolf Platte
• Es wird schon wieder besser, 1932, with Fritz Grünbaum
• Lachende Erben, 1933, Director: Max Ophüls, with Max Adalbert
• Heimkehr ins Glück, 1933, with Paul Hörbiger
• Die Finanzen des Großherzogs, 1934, with Fritz Alberti, Theo Lingen
• So ein Flegel, 1934, with Inge Konradi
• Frasquita, 1934, with Hans Moser
• Ein Walzer für dich, 1934, with Adele Sandrock, Theo Lingen
• Heinz im Mond, 1934, with Annemarie Sörensen, Rudolf Platte, Oskar Sima, Inge Konradi
• Himmel auf Erden, 1935, with Adele Sandrock, Hermann Thimig, Hans Moser, Rudolf Carl, Theo Lingen, Lizzi Holzschuh
• Eva, 1935, with Hans Moser, Adele Sandrock, Magda Schneider
• Allotria, 1936, Director: Willi Forst
• Ungeküsst soll man nicht schlafen gehn, 1936, with Liane Haid, Theo Lingen, Hans Moser
• Lumpacivagabundus, 1936, with Hans Holt, Paul Hörbiger, Fritz Imhoff
• Der Mann, von dem man spricht, 1937, with Hans Moser, Theo Lingen, Gusti Huber
• Der Mann, der Sherlock Holmes war, 1937, with Hans Albers
• Der Mustergatte, 1937, with Leny Marenbach
• 5 Millionen suchen einen Erben, 1938, with Leny Marenbach, Vera von Langen, Oskar Sima
• Nanu, Sie kennen Korff noch nicht?, 1938, with Victor Janson
• 13 Stühle, 1938, with Hans Moser
• Kleider machen Leute, 1940, Director: Helmut Käutner, Book: Helmut Käutner nach einer Novelle von Gottfried Keller, with Hertha Feiler, Erich Ponto
• Quax, der Bruchpilot, 1941
• Hauptsache glücklich!, 1941, Director: Theo Lingen
• Die Feuerzangenbowle, 1944, with Karin Himboldt (Eva Knauer), Hilde Sessak (Marion), Erich Ponto (Professor Crey, Schnauz), Paul Henckels (Professor Bömmel), Hans Leibelt (Direktor Knauer, Zeus)
• Quax in Afrika, 1945/53 Director: Helmut Weiss, Book: Hermann Grote, with Bruni Löbel, Beppo Brem
• Sag' die Wahrheit, 1946, with Georg Thomalla, Susanne von Almassy
• Das kann jedem passieren, 1952, Director: Paul Verhoeven, with Gisela Schmidting, Liesl Karlstadt
• Schäm' dich, Brigitte!, 1952, with Hans Moser, Margarete Slezak, Theo Lingen, Nadja Tiller, Hilde Berndt
• Keine Angst vor großen Tieren, 1953
• Briefträger Müller, 1953, Director: Heinz Rühmann, with Heli Finkenzeller
• Auf der Reeperbahn nachts um halb eins, 1954, with Hans Albers
• Zwischenlandung in Paris (Escale à Orly), 1955, with Claus Biederstaedt
• Wenn der Vater with dem Sohne, 1955, with Oliver Grimm, Waltraut Haas
• Charleys Tante, 1956, with Hertha Feiler, Claus Biederstaedt, Walter Giller
• Das Sonntagskind, 1956, Director: Kurt Meisel, with Walter Giller, Siegfried Lowitz (Kriminalinspektor)
• Der Hauptmann von Köpenick, 1956
• Vater sein dagegen sehr, 1957, Director: Kurt Meisel, with Marianne Koch
• Es geschah am hellichten Tag, 1958, with Sigfrit Steiner, Siegfried Lowitz (Inspektor Henzi), Gert Fröbe, Ewald Balser
• Eisene Gustav., 1958, Director: Georg Hurdalek, with Lucie Mannheim, Ernst Schröder, Karin Baal, Ingrid van Bergen
• Der Pauker, 1958, Director: Axel von Ambesser, with Wera Frydtberg, Gert Fröbe, Klaus Löwitsch, Peter Kraus
• Menschen im Hotel, 1959, with O. W. Fischer, Gert Fröbe
• Ein Mann geht durch die Wand, 1959
• Mein Schulfreund, 1960, with Loni von Friedl, Ernst Schröder, Mario Adorf
• Der brave Soldat Schwejk, 1960, Director: Axel von Ambesser, with Ernst Stankovski, Franz Muxeneder, Ursula von Borsody, Senta Berger, Jane Tilden, Fritz Eckhardt, Fritz Muliar
• Das schwarze Schaf, 1960, with Karl Schönböck, Maria Sebaldt, Siegfried Lowitz (Pater-Brown-Film)
• Er kanns nicht lassen, 1962, Director: Axel von Ambesser, with Rudolf Forster, Grit Böttcher, Ruth Maria Kubitschek, Horst Tappert (Pater-Brown-Film)
• Max, der Taschendieb, 1962, with Elfie Pertramer, Hans Clarin und Ruth Stephan
• Meine Tochter und ich, 1963, with Gertraud Jesserer, Gustav Knuth, Agnes Windeck, Herta Staal
• Das Haus in Montevideo, 1963, Book: Curt Goetz
• Das Narrenschiff, Ship of Fools, 1965, with Vivien Leigh, Simone Signoret, Oskar Werner, Lee Marvin
• Das Liebeskarussell, 1965, with Curd Jürgens, Nadja Tiller, Ivan Desny, Gert Fröbe, Catherine Deneuve, Friedrich von Thun, Ingeborg Wall, Johanna von Koczian, Anita Ekberg, Peter Alexander, Axel von Ambesser
• Dr. med. Hiob Prätorius, 1965, Book: Curt Goetz, with Liselotte Pulver
• Hokuspokus oder: Wie lasse ich meinen Mann verschwinden...?, 1966, Book: Curt Goetz, with Liselotte Pulver
• Geld oder Leben, La Bourse et la vie, 1966, with Fernandel
• Maigret und sein größter Fall, 1966, with Günter Strack (Kommissar Delvigne), Eddi Arent
• Die Abenteuer des Kardinal Brown, 1967 (Pater-Brown-Film)
• Der Tod des Handlungsreisenden, TV, 1968
• Die Ente klingelt um 1/2 8, 1968
• Mein Freund Harvey, 1970, TV, with Susi Nicoletti
• Der Kapitän, 1971, with Johanna Matz, Horst Tappert, Ernst Stankovski, Horst Janson, Günter Pfitzmann; Musik: James Last
• Oh Jonathan, oh Jonathan!, 1973, with Peter Fricke
• Gefundenes Fressen, 1977, with Mario Adorf, Elisabeth Volkmann, Joachim Fuchsberger
• Das Chinesische Wunder, 1977, with Senta Berger, Peter Pasetti
• Noch 'ne Oper, 1979, TV, Director: Heinz Erhardt, with Grit Böttcher, Heinz Erhardt, Gert Fröbe, Rudolf Schock, Margit Schramm, Vicco von Bülow
• Balthasar im Stau, 1979, TV, with Cornelia Froboess, Louise Martini
• Ein Zug nach Manhattan, 1981, TV, Director: Rolf von Sydow, with Ulrike Bliefert, Charles Brauer, Hans Hessling, Bruni Löbel
• Es gibt noch Haselnuß-Sträucher, 1983, TV, Director: Vojtech Jasny, with Katharina Böhm, Marion Kracht, Luitgard Im, Anneliese Uhlig, Sigmar Solbach
• In weiter Ferne, so nah!, 1993, Director: Wim Wenders, with Otto Sander, Bruno Ganz, Nastassja Kinski, Martin Olbertz, Aline Krajewski, Peter Falk

Autobiography

• Das war's. Erinnerungen. Ullstein, Berlin 1994, ISBN 3-548-20521-6

Literature

• Franz J. Görtz, Hans Sarkowicz: Heinz Rühmann 1902 - 1994. Der Schauspieler und sein Jahrhundert. Beck, München 2001, ISBN 3-406-48163-9
• Torsten Körner: Ein guter Freund: Heinz Rühmann. Aufbau-Verlag, Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-7466-1925-4
• Hans-Ulrich Prost: Das war Heinz Rühmann. Bastei, Bergisch Gladbach 1994, ISBN 3-404-61329-5
• Fred Sellin: Ich brech die Herzen..., das Leben des Heinz Rühmann. Rowohlt, Reinbek 2001, ISBN 3-498-06349-9
• Gregor Ball, Eberhard Spiess, Joe Hembus (Hrsg.): Heinz Rühmann und seine Filme. Goldmann, München 1985, 3-442-10213-8
• Hans Hellmut Kirst, Mathias Forster, et al.: Das große Heinz Rühmann Buch. Naumann & Göbel / VEMAG, Köln o.J., ISBN 3-625-10529-2

External links

• Heinz Rühmann at the Internet Movie Database
• ruehmann-heinz.de
• LeMO-Biografie
• Radio Bremen
• kinosessel.de
• Heinz Rühmann Gedenkbuch
• Umfangreiche Informationen zu Heinz Rühmann und seinen Filmen
• Heinz Rühmann in www.filmportal.de
• Bibliography and photographs