Horst Buchholz(1933-2003)
- Actor
- Additional Crew
On the cast list of
The Magnificent Seven (1960),
you will find several names that doubtless you know well:
Charles Bronson,
Steve McQueen, and
Yul Brynner. But there is one name that you
will have difficulty pronouncing, let alone identifying as an actor you
have seen before. That man is
Horst Buchholz, and he was one of the few
German actors to have a considerable success in both Hollywood and in
Europe. One would hardly guess that he was sought out to act in one of
the most famous films of all time, only to have to turn it down.
Horst Buchholz was born in Berlin, Germany, in the year 1933. His
father was a German shoemaker, while his mother was born to Danish
parents. Buccholz was put in a foster home in Czechoslovakia when World
War II broke out in Europe, but he returned to Berlin the moment he had
the chance. Realizing his talent in acting, Buchholz dropped out of
school to perfect his acting skills. After moving from East Berlin to
West Berlin, he became well-known for his work in theatre and on the
radio. In 1952 he turned to film, and after a series of small roles, he
found a larger one in the
Julien Duvivier film
Marianne of My Youth (1955).
He was praised for his role in the romantic/drama
film Sky Without Stars (1955)
by Helmut Käutner, but it was the
lead role in the comedic
Confessions of Felix Krull (1957)
that made him an established German actor.
He followed this breakthrough role with the romantic film
Two Worlds (1958) and the
thriller Wet Asphalt (1958),
where the handsome young actor plays a former criminal who associates
himself with a journalist. Now a familiar face in his country, Buchholz
pursued making foreign films. His first non-German film was the British
film Tiger Bay (1959). The film is
about a girl who witnesses a seaman named Korchinsky (Buchholz) murder
his girlfriend. The film won praise in both Germany and Britain, but it
was Buchholz' next foreign film that secured his name in the history of
classic films. This film was the epic western
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
directed by John Sturges. Buchholz played
Chico, the inexperienced Mexican youth that wants to be a gunman and
abandon his past. Buchholz starred alongside such legends as
Charles Bronson and
Yul Brynner. both of whom had strong
European roots. The film was a hit, first in Europe, then was
re-distributed in the States to a much higher profit. The film gained
massive popularity, and even now is treasured as a classic.
Buchholz could now find good and steady work nationally and
internationally, which is something few actors could do at the time. He
worked on the romantic film Fanny (1961),
which is based on a trilogy of plays written by legendary writer
Marcel Pagnol. Buchholz plays the role of
Marius, a passionate but unsure youth who must choose between the girl
he loves, and the life at sea he has always wanted. The film was a fine
success, nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best
Actor for Charles Boyer (who plays
Buchholz' onscreen father).
It was at this point in his film career where he was sought as the
first choice to play the role of Sherif Ali in
David Lean's legendary film
Lawrence of Arabia (1962).
However, Buchholz had to turn it down, as he had already signed up for
another film, which turned out to be the Oscar-nominated comedy
One, Two, Three (1961) (directed
by Billy Wilder). The film was once again a
fine success to add to Buchholz' career, but ultimately gained nowhere
near as much of a status as
David Lean's film. Buchholz also made
the Italian film The Empty Canvas (1963) in which
he plays an untalented artist who begins a love affair with a young
model. Throughout his in the early 60s, Buchholz had made a name for
himself, acting in one Oscar-nominated film after another and showing
off his talent as an actor. However, the success he had reached was not
to last.
Buchholz continued with film, including the James Bond spoof
That Man in Istanbul (1965) and the crime film
Johnny Banco (1967). He starred in
the B-movie failure that was
The Young Rebel (1967). Buchholz rebounded
with the fiery film The Saviour (1971)
in which he plays a man who claims to be organizing resistance against
the Nazis. He also played Johann Strauss in the Golden Globe-nominated
musical The Great Waltz (1972).
which was sadly another failure.
The rest of the 1970s and the early 1980s were spent mostly on
television and movies released for television, whether it be foreign
(Dead of Night (1977), Return to Fantasy Island (1978)) or German
(Derrick). Buchholz found mild success again when he returned to the
big screen with the WW II espionage film
Code Name: Emerald (1985) in
which he plays alongside such stars as
Ed Harris and
Max von Sydow. After this film,
Buchholz returned to European movies, such as
And the Violins Stopped Playing (1988)
in which a group of gypsies flee Nazi persecutors. After taking a
supporting role in the fantasy film
Faraway, So Close! (1993),
Buchholz acted in one of his most well known films: the Oscar-winning
Italian film
Life Is Beautiful (1997) which was
directed by and starred Roberto Benigni.
Buchholz played the role of a doctor who befriends Benigni's character
and frequently duels with him in riddles. This choice of role proved to
be an echo of Buchholz' taste in choosing his projects in earlier
years; the film won best foreign film that year, and was also nominated
for Best Picture. Thanks to his gift for languages, Buchholz was able
to dub himself in the foreign releases of the film.
Buchholz continued making films and television appearances until 2002,
by which time he was sixty-eight years old. He died the next year, in
Berlin, of pneumonia. Berlin had been the city of his heart, and was
buried there in honour of that fact. Horst Buchholz had been a renowned
German actor, and had gained credibility in the United States and other
countries. He was a varied performer, acting all kinds of roles in his
life, but was always a proud German to the last.
The Magnificent Seven (1960),
you will find several names that doubtless you know well:
Charles Bronson,
Steve McQueen, and
Yul Brynner. But there is one name that you
will have difficulty pronouncing, let alone identifying as an actor you
have seen before. That man is
Horst Buchholz, and he was one of the few
German actors to have a considerable success in both Hollywood and in
Europe. One would hardly guess that he was sought out to act in one of
the most famous films of all time, only to have to turn it down.
Horst Buchholz was born in Berlin, Germany, in the year 1933. His
father was a German shoemaker, while his mother was born to Danish
parents. Buccholz was put in a foster home in Czechoslovakia when World
War II broke out in Europe, but he returned to Berlin the moment he had
the chance. Realizing his talent in acting, Buchholz dropped out of
school to perfect his acting skills. After moving from East Berlin to
West Berlin, he became well-known for his work in theatre and on the
radio. In 1952 he turned to film, and after a series of small roles, he
found a larger one in the
Julien Duvivier film
Marianne of My Youth (1955).
He was praised for his role in the romantic/drama
film Sky Without Stars (1955)
by Helmut Käutner, but it was the
lead role in the comedic
Confessions of Felix Krull (1957)
that made him an established German actor.
He followed this breakthrough role with the romantic film
Two Worlds (1958) and the
thriller Wet Asphalt (1958),
where the handsome young actor plays a former criminal who associates
himself with a journalist. Now a familiar face in his country, Buchholz
pursued making foreign films. His first non-German film was the British
film Tiger Bay (1959). The film is
about a girl who witnesses a seaman named Korchinsky (Buchholz) murder
his girlfriend. The film won praise in both Germany and Britain, but it
was Buchholz' next foreign film that secured his name in the history of
classic films. This film was the epic western
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
directed by John Sturges. Buchholz played
Chico, the inexperienced Mexican youth that wants to be a gunman and
abandon his past. Buchholz starred alongside such legends as
Charles Bronson and
Yul Brynner. both of whom had strong
European roots. The film was a hit, first in Europe, then was
re-distributed in the States to a much higher profit. The film gained
massive popularity, and even now is treasured as a classic.
Buchholz could now find good and steady work nationally and
internationally, which is something few actors could do at the time. He
worked on the romantic film Fanny (1961),
which is based on a trilogy of plays written by legendary writer
Marcel Pagnol. Buchholz plays the role of
Marius, a passionate but unsure youth who must choose between the girl
he loves, and the life at sea he has always wanted. The film was a fine
success, nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best
Actor for Charles Boyer (who plays
Buchholz' onscreen father).
It was at this point in his film career where he was sought as the
first choice to play the role of Sherif Ali in
David Lean's legendary film
Lawrence of Arabia (1962).
However, Buchholz had to turn it down, as he had already signed up for
another film, which turned out to be the Oscar-nominated comedy
One, Two, Three (1961) (directed
by Billy Wilder). The film was once again a
fine success to add to Buchholz' career, but ultimately gained nowhere
near as much of a status as
David Lean's film. Buchholz also made
the Italian film The Empty Canvas (1963) in which
he plays an untalented artist who begins a love affair with a young
model. Throughout his in the early 60s, Buchholz had made a name for
himself, acting in one Oscar-nominated film after another and showing
off his talent as an actor. However, the success he had reached was not
to last.
Buchholz continued with film, including the James Bond spoof
That Man in Istanbul (1965) and the crime film
Johnny Banco (1967). He starred in
the B-movie failure that was
The Young Rebel (1967). Buchholz rebounded
with the fiery film The Saviour (1971)
in which he plays a man who claims to be organizing resistance against
the Nazis. He also played Johann Strauss in the Golden Globe-nominated
musical The Great Waltz (1972).
which was sadly another failure.
The rest of the 1970s and the early 1980s were spent mostly on
television and movies released for television, whether it be foreign
(Dead of Night (1977), Return to Fantasy Island (1978)) or German
(Derrick). Buchholz found mild success again when he returned to the
big screen with the WW II espionage film
Code Name: Emerald (1985) in
which he plays alongside such stars as
Ed Harris and
Max von Sydow. After this film,
Buchholz returned to European movies, such as
And the Violins Stopped Playing (1988)
in which a group of gypsies flee Nazi persecutors. After taking a
supporting role in the fantasy film
Faraway, So Close! (1993),
Buchholz acted in one of his most well known films: the Oscar-winning
Italian film
Life Is Beautiful (1997) which was
directed by and starred Roberto Benigni.
Buchholz played the role of a doctor who befriends Benigni's character
and frequently duels with him in riddles. This choice of role proved to
be an echo of Buchholz' taste in choosing his projects in earlier
years; the film won best foreign film that year, and was also nominated
for Best Picture. Thanks to his gift for languages, Buchholz was able
to dub himself in the foreign releases of the film.
Buchholz continued making films and television appearances until 2002,
by which time he was sixty-eight years old. He died the next year, in
Berlin, of pneumonia. Berlin had been the city of his heart, and was
buried there in honour of that fact. Horst Buchholz had been a renowned
German actor, and had gained credibility in the United States and other
countries. He was a varied performer, acting all kinds of roles in his
life, but was always a proud German to the last.