Gustaf Gründgens
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| Gustaf Gründgens | |
|---|---|
 Gustaf Gründgens, appearing in Fritz Lang's 1931 film M. |
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| Born | December 22, 1899 Düsseldorf, German Empire |
| Died | October 7, 1963 (aged 63) Manila, Philippines |
| Years active | 1920 – 1963 |
| Spouse(s) | Erika Mann (1926 – 1929) Marianne Hoppe (1936 – 1946) |
Gustaf Gründgens (December 22, 1899 – October 7, 1963) was one of Germany's most famous actors of the 20th century, leading theatres in Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg. His single most famous role was that of Mephistopheles in Goethe's Faust in 1956/57, which is still considered by many to have been the best interpretation of the role ever given.
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[edit] Controversy
Born in Düsseldorf, Gründgens was also involved in one of the most famous literary cases in 20th century Germany, as the subject of a novel entitled Mephisto by Klaus Mann, son of Thomas Mann. The novel, a thinly veiled account of Gründgens' life, portrayed its main character as having shady connections with the Nazi regime. A lawsuit ensued, as well as a controversy about libel and the freedom of fiction. Their relation was a complicated one, since Gründgens was at one point married to Erika Mann, Klaus' sister, and the three had together worked in the theater. Both had sexual relationships with men – Mann was gay- and Gründgens bisexual – but this topic was avoided in the novel.
Gründgens adopted son was Peter Gorski, who directed Faust in 1960 and later sued the publisher of Mephisto on his father's behalf.
[edit] Personal life
From 1936 till 1946, Gründgens was married to the famous German actress Marianne Hoppe.
On October 7, 1963, he died in Manila of an internal hemorrhage.
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Director
- 1932: Eine Stadt steht Kopf (also actor)
- 1933: Die Finanzen des Großherzogs
- 1937: Kapriolen (also actor)
- 1938: Der Schritt vom Wege
- 1939: Zwei Welten
- 1940: Friedemann Bach (also actor)
- 1960: Faust (also actor)
[edit] Actor
- 1929: Ich glaub' nie mehr an eine Frau
- 1930: Va Banque
- 1930: Hokuspokus
- 1930: Danton
- 1930: Brand in der Oper
- 1931: Yorck
- 1931: M – Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder
- 1931: Luise, Königin von Preußen
- 1931: Die Gräfin von Monte Christo
- 1931: Der Raub der Mona Lisa
- 1932: Teilnehmer antwortet nicht
- 1932: Liebelei
- 1933: Der Tunnel
- 1933: Die schönen Tage von Aranjuez
- 1934: So endete eine Liebe
- 1934: Schwarzer Jäger Johanna
- 1934: Das Erbe in Pretoria
- 1935: Pygmalion
- 1935: Das Mädchen Johanna
- 1936: Eine Frau ohne Bedeutung
- 1938: Tanz auf dem Vulkan
- 1941: Ohm Krüger
- 1956/57 Faust
- 1960: Faust (film)
- 1960: Das Glas Wasser
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- A biographical article http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/dec1999/gust-d29.shtml
- Photographs of Gustaf Gründgens
- Gustaf Gründgens playing Mephisto in the Hamburg Theatre production of Goethe's Faust, in German with English subtitles
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Gründgens, Gustaf |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | German actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 22, 1899 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Düsseldorf, German Empire |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 7, 1963 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Manila, Philippines |
