Helmut Qualtinger
Known for Acting · 66 credits
- Born
- 1928-10-08
- Died
- 1986-09-29
- Place of birth
- Vienna, Austria
- Also known as
- Helmut Gustav Friedrich Qualtinger · Helmuth Qualtinger
Biography
Helmut Qualtinger was born in Vienna, Austria. He initially studied medicine, but quit university to become a newspaper reporter and film critic for local press, while beginning to write texts for cabaret performances and theater plays. Qualtinger debuted as an actor at a student theater and attended the Max Reinhardt Seminar as a guest student.
Beginning in 1947, he appeared in cabaret performances. In 1949, Qualtinger's first theatrical play, Jugend vor den Schranken, was staged in Graz. Up to 1960, Qualtinger collaborated on various cabaret programmes with the Namenlosen Ensemble made up of Gerhard Bronner, Carl Merz, Louise Martini, Peter Wehle, Georg Kreisler, and Michael Kehlmann.
Qualtinger was famous for his practical jokes. In 1951, he managed to launch a false report in several newspapers announcing a visit to Vienna of a (fictional) famous Inuit poet named Kobuk (author of "The Burning Igloo"). The reporters who assembled at the railway station however were to witness Qualtinger, in fur coat and cap, stepping from the train. Asked about his "first impressions of Vienna", the "Inuit poet" commented in broad Viennese dialect, "Haaaßis'sdo - [It's hot here]".
The short one-man play Der Herr Karl, written by Qualtinger and Carl Merz and performed by Qualtinger in 1961, made the author known across German-speaking countries. "Herr Karl", a grocery store clerk, tells the story of his life to an imaginary colleague - from the days of the Habsburg empire, the First Austrian Republic, the Austrofascist regime leading up to the Anschluss (annexation) by Nazi Germany, World War II and finally military occupation by Allied forces in the 1950s, seen from the perspective of a one who is a prototypical opportunist. Qualtinger's portrayal of the petit-bourgeois Nazi collaborator came at a time when "normality" had just been restored and Austrians' involvement in the Nazi movement was being downplayed and "forgotten", making many enemies for the author, who even received anonymous threats of murder.
Beginning in the 1970s, Qualtinger frequently performed recitals of his own and other texts, including excerpts from Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf and Karl Kraus' Die letzten Tage der Menschheit (The Last Days of Mankind). These recitals were highly popular and resulted in several records being published.
Known For
TV Shows (7)
Movies (59)
The Name of the Rose
1986
as Remigio da Varagine
Kurzer Prozeß
1967
as Inspektor Pokorny
The Abbey of Crime: Umberto Eco's 'The Name of the Rose'
1986
as Self
Radetzkymarsch
1965
as Kapturak
Hanussen
1955
as Ernst Röhm
End of the Game
1978
as Von Schwendi
Lumpazivagabundus
1965
as Knieriem, ein Schustergeselle
Grandison
1978
as Dr. Ludwig Pfister
The Castle
1968
as Bürgel
The Magnificent Rogue
1960
as Seppl Reber
Tales from the Vienna Woods
1979
as Zauberkönig
Der große Zauberer - Max Reinhardt
1973
as Self
Mikosch of the Secret Service
1959
as Oberst Fedor Fedorowitsch Ganiew
Eiszeit
1975
as Officer
Mann im Schatten
1961
as Oberpolizeirat Dr. Radosch
Weights and Measures
1973
as Anselm Eibenschütz
Cat's Game
1985
as Viktor
An Oral History of: The Name of the Rose
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Geschäfte mit Plückhahn
1971
as Erwin Plückhahn
Der Herr Karl
1967
as Herr Karl
April 1, 2000
1952
Das weite Land
1970
as Natter
Man müßte nochmal zwanzig sein
1958
as Kanzakis
Die schöne Lügnerin
1959
as Detective Zawadil
Du bist die Richtige
1955
as Orientalischer Fürst
MitGift
1976
as Huck
König der Manege
1954
as Mirko
Einmal keine Sorgen haben
1953
as Kraps
Diary of a Serial Killer
1969
as Rudi Böhm
Der Paukenspieler
1967
as Ferry
Scherben bringen Glück
1957
as Wollner
Qualtinger
2011
Mulligans Rückkehr
1977
as Mulligan
Die heilige Johanna
1971
as Soldat
The Diary of Dr. Döblinger
1986
as Dr. Döblinger
Das Abgründige in Herrn Gerstenberg
1957
as Der Schlechtere
Der Himbeerpflücker
1965
as Konrad Steisshäuptl
König Johann
1971
as Johann Plantagenet, König von England
Abelard - Die Entmannung
1977
Umsonst
1967
as Pitzl
Biedermann und die Brandstifter
1963
as Schmitz - ein Ringer
Hab’ ich nur Deine Liebe
1953
as Direktor Pokorny
Die Kurve
1961
as Ministerialdirigent Kriegbaum
Sonnenschein und Wolkenbruch
1955
as Werbefachmann
Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald
1961
as Oskar
Die Geschichte der 1002. Nacht
1969
as Ignaz Trummer
Feuerwasser
1978
as Sepp O'Brian
Der Kulterer
1974
as Kulterer
Einen Jux will er sich machen
1962
as Melchior - Hausknecht
Ward 6
1974
as Ragin
Passion eines Politkers
1970
as Nationalrat Bröschl
Das vierte Gebot
1968
as Schalanter
Von und mit....Helmut Qualtinger
1975
Die Hinrichtung
1966
as Scharfrichter Engel
Die Hinrichtung
1981
Samba
1966
as Capitano Agamemnon Heredia
Der Fall Bohr
1966
as Matzenauer
Helmut Qualtinger liest Mein Kampf
1985
Wer war Andre Heller?
1972
as Himself
About Helmut Qualtinger
Helmut Qualtinger was born in Vienna, Austria. He initially studied medicine, but quit university to become a newspaper reporter and film critic for local press, while beginning to write texts for cabaret performances and theater plays. Qualtinger debuted as an actor at a student theater and attended the Max Reinhardt Seminar as a guest student. Beginning in 1947, he appeared in cabaret performances. In 1949, Qualtinger's first theatrical play, Jugend vor den Schranken, was staged in Graz. Up to 1960, Qualtinger collaborated on various cabaret… With 66 credits spanning from 1951 to 2022, Helmut Qualtinger has appeared in 59 films and 7 TV shows.
Fans searching for Helmut Qualtinger movies, Helmut Qualtinger filmography, or the latest projects starring Helmut Qualtinger can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Helmut Qualtinger Movies
- The Name of the Rose (1986) — as Remigio da Varagine
- Kurzer Prozeß (1967) — as Inspektor Pokorny
- The Abbey of Crime: Umberto Eco's 'The Name of the Rose' (1986) — as Self
- Radetzkymarsch (1965) — as Kapturak
- Hanussen (1955) — as Ernst Röhm
Where to Watch Helmut Qualtinger Films
Most Helmut Qualtinger movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Helmut Qualtinger, check our movies catalogue and browse page.