History Creator / GertFrobe

Fröbe gained fame in one of the first German movies made after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, called ''Berliner Ballade'' (''The Ballad of Berlin'', 1948). His role as Otto Normalverbraucher (literally "Otto Average Consumer") became a German term equivalent to "Average Joe" or "Fred Bloggs". He was still slender at the time, the he gained weight in TheFifties (which gave him his trademark portly looks) and in 1958, he was cast as the villain in the Swiss-German film ''Es geschah am hellichten Tag'' (''It Happened in Broad Daylight''), which was turned into a novel, ''Literature/ThePledge'', by Swiss author Friedrich Dürrenmatt.

Fröbe appeare in a number of movies packing {{All Star Cast}}s in the 1960s, including ''Film/TheLongestDay'', ''Film/IsParisBurning'', ''Film/ThoseMagnificentMenInTheirFlyingMachines'' (he was [[TypeCasting typecast]] as a German officer, being a war veteran helped) and ''Monte Carlo or Bust''. Because of his thick German accent, Fröbe [[SameLanguageDub was dubbed in some of his classic roles]], including by American sitcom star Roger C. Carmel in ''Film/ChittyChittyBangBang'' and British actor Michael Collins in ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'' (he was however allowed to speak English in his own voice in the 1971 film ''Film/{{Dollars}}'').

Karl Gerhart Fröbe, better known as Gert Fröbe (25 February 1913 – 5 September 1988) was a German actor.

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* ''Film/TheLongestDay'' (1962) as ''Unteroffizier'' (Sergeant) "Kaffeekanne"

He was initially a violinist, but he abandoned it for cabaret and theatre work. He joined the [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany Nazi Party]] in 1929 at the age of 16 hoping that "[[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler Hitler]] could bring a solution". This didn't quite happen the way he'd hoped. That was not particularly uncommon in the Germany of the day, but Fröbe left the party in 1937, actually. Once the theaters were closed down in September of 1944, Fröbe was drafted into the [[UsefulNotes/NazisWithGnarlyWeapons German army]] and served until the end of the war. During that time, he met two German Jews and helped them avoid UsefulNotes/TheGestapo.

This latter role as a serial killer of children drew the attention of the producers of the ''Film/JamesBond'' franchise and he was chosen to play what would become one of the franchise's most iconic villains, gold tycoon and DiabolicalMastermind [[Film/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger]]. Because of his former membership in the Nazi Party, [[BannedInChina the film was initially banned]] in UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} until the Jewish family that he saved came forward and thanked him for saving their lives, restoring his reputation in the process. He also appeared as Inspector Kras in Creator/FritzLang's final film, ''Film/Die1000AugenDesDrMabuse'', and two subsequent ''Dr. Mabuse'' films.

Fröbe gained fame in one of the first German movies made after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, called ''Berliner Ballade'' (''The Ballad of Berlin'', 1948). His role as Otto Normalverbraucher (literally "Otto Average Consumer") became a German term equivalent to "Average Joe" or "Fred Bloggs". He was still slender at the time, the he gained weight in TheFifities (which gave him his trademark portly looks) and in 1958, he was cast as the villain in the Swiss-German film ''Es geschah am hellichten Tag'' (''It Happened in Broad Daylight''), which was turned into a novel, ''Literature/ThePledge'', by Swiss author Friedrich Dürrenmatt.

Fröbe gained fame in one of the first German movies made after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, called ''Berliner Ballade'' (''The Ballad of Berlin'', 1948). His role as Otto Normalverbraucher (literally "Otto Average Consumer") became a German term equivalent to "Average Joe" or "Fred Bloggs". He was still slender at the time, the he gained weight in TheFifites (which gave him his trademark portly looks) and in 1958, he was cast as the villain in the Swiss-German film ''Es geschah am hellichten Tag'' (''It Happened in Broad Daylight''), which was turned into a novel, ''Literature/ThePledge'', by Swiss author Friedrich Dürrenmatt.

Fröbe gained fame in one of the first German movies made after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, called ''Berliner Ballade'' (''The Ballad of Berlin'', 1948). His role as Otto Normalverbraucher (literally "Otto Average Consumer") became a German term equivalent to "Average Joe" or "Fred Bloggs". In 1958, he was cast as the villain in the Swiss-German film ''Es geschah am hellichten Tag'' (''It Happened in Broad Daylight''), which was turned into a novel, ''Literature/ThePledge'', by Swiss author Friedrich Dürrenmatt.

This latter role as a serial killer of children drew the attention of the producers of the ''Film/JamesBond'' franchise and he was chosen to play what would become one of the franchise's most iconic villains, gold tycoon and DiabolicalMastermind [[Film/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger]]. Because of his former membership in the Nazi Party, [[BannedInChina the film was initially banned]] in UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} until the Jewish family that he saved came forward and thanked him for saving their lives, restoring his reputation in the process. He also appeared as Inspector Kras in ''Film/Die1000AugenDesDrMabuse''.

* ''Characters/ThoseMagnificentMenInTheirFlyingMachines'' (1965) as Colonel Manfred von Holstein

This latter role as a serial killer of children drew the attention of the producers of the Film/JamesBond franchise and he was chosen to play one of the most well-remembered Bond villains, gold tycoon and DiabolicalMastermind [[Film/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger]]. Because of his former membership in the Nazi Party, [[BannedInChina the film was initially banned]] in UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} until the Jewish family that he saved came forward and thanked him for saving their lives, restoring his reputation in the process. He also appeared as Inspector Kras in ''Film/Die1000AugenDesDrMabuse''.

He was initially a violinist, but he abandoned it for cabaret and theatre work. He joined the [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany Nazi Party]] in 1929 at the age of 16 hoping that "Hitler could bring a solution". This didn't quite happen the way he'd hoped. That was not particularly uncommon in the Germany of the day, but Fröbe left the party in 1937, actually. Once the theaters were closed down in September of 1944, Fröbe was drafted into the [[UsefulNotes/NazisWithGnarlyWeapons German army]] and served until the end of the war. During that time, he met two German Jews and helped them avoid UsefulNotes/TheGestapo.

Fröbe appeare in a number of movies packing {{All Star Cast}}s in the 1960s, including ''Film/TheLongestDay'', ''Film/IsParisBurning'', ''Film/ThoseMagnificentMenInTheirFlyingMachines'' (he was [[TypeCasting typecast]] as a German officer, being a war veteran helped) and ''Monte Carlo or Bust''. Because of his thick German accent, Fröbe [[SameLanguageDub was dubbed in some of his classic roles]], including by American sitcom star Roger C. Carmel in ''Film/ChittyChittyBangBang'' and British actor Michael Collins in ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}''. (He was however allowed to speak English in his own voice in the 1971 film ''Film/{{Dollars}}''.)

He was initially a violinist, but he abandoned it for cabaret and theatre work. He joined the [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany Nazi Party]] in 1929 at the age of 16 hoping that "Hitler could bring a solution". This didn't quite happen the way he'd hoped. That was not particularly uncommon in the Germany of the day, but Fröbe left the party in 1937, actually. Once the theaters were closed down in September of 1944, Fröbe was drafted into the [[UsefulNotes/NazisWithGnarlyWeapons German army]] and served until the end of the war. During that time, he helped two German Jews by hiding them from UsefulNotes/TheGestapo.

He was initially a violinist, but he abandoned it for cabaret and theatre work. He joined the [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany Nazi Party]] in 1929 at the age of 16 hoping that "Hitler could bring a solution". This didn't quite happen the way he'd hoped. That was not particularly uncommon in the Germany of the day, but Fröbe '''left''' the party in 1937. Once the theaters were closed down by the Nazis in September of 1944, Fröbe was drafted into the [[UsefulNotes/NazisWithGnarlyWeapons German army]] and served until the end of the war. During that time, he helped two German Jews by hiding them from UsefulNotes/TheGestapo.

He was initially a violinist, but he abandoned it for cabaret and theatre work. He joined the [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany Nazi Party]] in 1929 at the age of 16 hoping that "Hitler could bring a solution". This didn't quite happen the way he'd hoped. That was not particularly uncommon in the Germany of the day, but Fröbe '''left''' the party in 1937. Once the theaters were closed down by the Nazis in September of 1944, Fröbe was drafted into the German army and served until the end of the war. During that time, he helped two German Jews by hiding them from UsefulNotes/TheGestapo.

He was initially a violinist, but he abandoned it for cabaret and theatre work. He joined the [[UsefulNotes/NaziGermany Nazi Party]] in 1929 at the age of 16 hoping that "Hitler could bring a solution". This didn't quite happen the way he'd hoped. Once the theaters were closed down by the Nazis in September of 1944, Fröbe was drafted into the German army and served until the end of the war. During that time, he helped two German Jews by hiding them from UsefulNotes/TheGestapo.

Fröbe appeare in a number of movies packing {{All Star Cast}}s in the 1960s, including ''Film/TheLongestDay'', ''Film/IsParisBurning'', ''Film/ThoseMagnificentMenInTheirFlyingMachines'' (he was [[TypeCasting typecast]] as a German officer, being a war veteran helped) and ''Monte Carlo or Bust''. Because of his thick German accent, Fröbe [[SameLanguageDub was dubbed in some of his classic roles]], including by American sitcom star Roger C. Carmel in ''Film/ChittyChittyBangBang'' and British actor Michael Collins in ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}''. (He was however allowed to speak English in his own voice in 1971 film ''Film/{{Dollars}}''.)

Fröbe gained fame in one of the first German movies made after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, called ''Berliner Ballade'' (''The Ballad of Berlin'', 1948). His role as Otto Normalverbraucher (literally "Otto Average Consumer") became a German term equivalent to "Average Joe" or "Fred Bloggs". In 1958, he was cast as the villain in the Swiss-German film ''[[Literature/ThePledge Es geschah am hellichten Tag]]'' (''It Happened in Broad Daylight''), which was turned into a novel by Swiss author Friedrich Dürrenmatt.

This latter role as a serial killer of children drew the attention of the producers of the Film/JamesBond franchise and he was chosen to play one of the most well-remembered Bond villains, gold tycoon and DiabolicalMastermind [[Film/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger]]. Because of his former membership in the Nazi Party, [[BannedInChina the film was initially banned]] in UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} until the Jewish family that he protected came forward and thanked him for saving their lives, restoring his reputation in the process. He also appeared as Inspector Kras in ''Film/Die1000AugenDesDrMabuse''.

Fröbe gained fame in one of the first German movies made after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, called ''Berliner Ballade'' (''The Ballad of Berlin'', 1948). His role as Otto Normalverbraucher (literally "Otto Average Consumer") became a German term equivalent to "Average Joe" or "Fred Bloggs". In 1958, he was cast as the villain in the Swiss-German film ''[[Literature/ThePledge Es geschah am hellichten Tag]]'' (''It Happened in Broad Daylight''), which was turned into a novel by Swiss author Friedrich Dürrenmatt. His role as a serial killer of children drew the attention of the producers of the Film/JamesBond franchise and he was chosen to play one of the most well-remembered Bond villains, gold tycoon and DiabolicalMastermind [[Film/{{Goldfinger}} Auric Goldfinger]]. Because of his former membership in the Nazi Party, [[BannedInChina the film was initially banned]] in UsefulNotes/{{Israel}} until the Jewish family that he protected came forward and thanked him for saving their lives, restoring his reputation in the process. He also appeared as Inspector Kras in ''Film/Die1000AugenDesDrMabuse''.

Fröbe appeare in a number of movies packing {{All Star Cast}}s in the 1960s, including ''Film/TheLongestDay'', ''Film/IsParisBurning'', ''Film/ThoseMagnificentMenInTheirFlyingMachines'' (he was [[TypeCasting typecast]] as a German officer, being a war veteran helped) and ''Monte Carlo or Bust''. Because of his thick German accent, Fröbe [[SameLanguageDub was dubbed in some of his classic roles]], including by American sitcom star Roger C. Carmel in ''Film/ChittyChittyBangBang'' and British actor Michael Collins in ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}''. (He was however allowed to speak English in his own voice in 1971 film ''Film/{{Dollars}}''.

Fröbe appeare in a number of movies packing {{All Star Cast}}s in the 1960s, including ''Film/TheLongestDay'', ''Film/IsParisBurning'', ''Film/ThoseMagnificentMenInTheirFlyingMachines'' (he was [[TypeCasting typecast]] as a German officer, being a war veteran helped) and ''Monte Carlo or Bust''. Because of his thick German accent, Fröbe [[SameLanguageDub was dubbed in some of his classic roles]], including by American sitcom star Roger C. Carmel in ''Film/ChittyChittyBangBang'' and British actor Michael Collins in ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}''.