Oskar Sima(1896-1969)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
This corpulent, balding character actor was a ubiquitous presence in
German-speaking films for almost half a century. So much so, that a
contemporary critic referred to him as 'the king of the supporting
roles'. A baker's son, Sima had at first aspired to become a writer.
When this somehow failed to materialise, he went on to study drama at
Vienna Conservatory. His first theatrical engagement in 1919 took him
to the Deutsche Theater in Prague. Afterwards, he was to divide his
time on stage between Vienna and Berlin. From 1927, Sima came under the
auspices of Max Reinhardt, who was
astute enough to recognise his singular comic talent and had him cast
in satirical or comedic roles.
Sima's screen career commenced in 1921. He made limited headway until
the arrival of sound. All of a sudden, he started to average several
films per year, often acting in commercially successful pictures like
Die Fledermaus (1931),
So ein Flegel (1934),
Liebe, Tod und Teufel (1934),
Glückskinder (1936),
Gasparone (1937),
Frau im Strom (1939) and
Jenny und der Herr im Frack (1941).
His stock-in-trade character was the surly curmudgeon: sometimes
villainous, cigar-chewing and choleric, sometimes shifty and scheming,
all the while deceptively amiable. At other times, he provided
effective, often scene-stealing comedy relief, as pompous, easily
deflatable editors, industrialists or burgomasters. Sima continued,
unabated, during the post-war era, alternating comedies with romantic
melodramas. In 1967, he was forced into retirement following a heart
attack, retreating to his horse-breeding stud near Vienna.
During the national socialist era, Sima's stance towards the ruling
regime seemed ambivalent. On the one hand, he vociferously applauded
Austria's 'Anschluss' with Germany. He went as far as to join the
NSDAP, ostensibly, in order to continue performing. On the other hand,
Sima appears also to have been associated with at least one resistance
cell during the 1940's. Perhaps, that curious ambiguity accounted for
his receiving the one major award of his prolific career, the Filmband
in Gold, only just prior to his death in June 1969.
German-speaking films for almost half a century. So much so, that a
contemporary critic referred to him as 'the king of the supporting
roles'. A baker's son, Sima had at first aspired to become a writer.
When this somehow failed to materialise, he went on to study drama at
Vienna Conservatory. His first theatrical engagement in 1919 took him
to the Deutsche Theater in Prague. Afterwards, he was to divide his
time on stage between Vienna and Berlin. From 1927, Sima came under the
auspices of Max Reinhardt, who was
astute enough to recognise his singular comic talent and had him cast
in satirical or comedic roles.
Sima's screen career commenced in 1921. He made limited headway until
the arrival of sound. All of a sudden, he started to average several
films per year, often acting in commercially successful pictures like
Die Fledermaus (1931),
So ein Flegel (1934),
Liebe, Tod und Teufel (1934),
Glückskinder (1936),
Gasparone (1937),
Frau im Strom (1939) and
Jenny und der Herr im Frack (1941).
His stock-in-trade character was the surly curmudgeon: sometimes
villainous, cigar-chewing and choleric, sometimes shifty and scheming,
all the while deceptively amiable. At other times, he provided
effective, often scene-stealing comedy relief, as pompous, easily
deflatable editors, industrialists or burgomasters. Sima continued,
unabated, during the post-war era, alternating comedies with romantic
melodramas. In 1967, he was forced into retirement following a heart
attack, retreating to his horse-breeding stud near Vienna.
During the national socialist era, Sima's stance towards the ruling
regime seemed ambivalent. On the one hand, he vociferously applauded
Austria's 'Anschluss' with Germany. He went as far as to join the
NSDAP, ostensibly, in order to continue performing. On the other hand,
Sima appears also to have been associated with at least one resistance
cell during the 1940's. Perhaps, that curious ambiguity accounted for
his receiving the one major award of his prolific career, the Filmband
in Gold, only just prior to his death in June 1969.