Walter Slezak | |
|---|---|
 Slezakc. 1922 | |
| Born | (1902-05-03)3 May 1902 |
| Died | 21 April 1983(1983-04-21) (aged 80) Flower Hill, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Rottach-Egern, Germany |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1922–1980 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3, includingErika Slezak |
| Father | Leo Slezak |
| Relatives | Margarete Slezak (sister) |
| Awards | Tony Award (1955) |
Walter Slezak (German pronunciation:[ˌvaltɐˈslɛzak]; 3 May 1902 – 21 April 1983) was an Austrian-born film and stage actor active between 1922 and 1976. He mainly appeared in German films before migrating to the United States in 1930 and performing in numerous Hollywood productions.
Slezak typically portrayed wily and loquacious characters, often philosophical, and often with a taste for food, drink, and fine living. He played a crafty villain as aU-boat captain inAlfred Hitchcock's filmLifeboat (1944), a charming, two-timingmajor domo to a tycoon inCome September (1961), and a wandering gypsy inThe Inspector General (1949). He stood out as shrewd, unscrupulous private investigators infilm noir, as inCornered (1945) andBorn to Kill (1947).[1]
Slezak was born inVienna, the son of opera tenorLeo Slezak and Elisabeth "Elsa" Wertheim. He studied medicine for a time and later worked as a bank teller. His older sisterMargarete Slezak was also an actress.
Slezak was talked into taking his first role, in the 1922 Austrian filmSodom und Gomorrah, by his friend and the film's director,Michael Curtiz.[1]In his youth (while still slim) Slezak was cast as a leading man in silent films. He also acted on the stage for many years, debuting onBroadway in 1931.[1]
His first American film wasOnce Upon a Honeymoon (1942), withGinger Rogers andCary Grant.[1] He worked steadily and appeared in over 100 films includingThe Princess and the Pirate (1944),The Spanish Main (1945),Sinbad the Sailor (1947),Born to Kill (1947),Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950),People Will Talk (1951), andCall Me Madam (1953).
Slezak played the lead inBroadway musicals, includingFanny, for which he won theTony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.[2]
Slezak acted in radio in such shows asLux Radio Theater,Columbia Workshop,The Pepsodent Show, andThe Charlie McCarthy Show. He made numerous television appearances, including in the programsThe Loretta Young Show,This Is Show Business,Playhouse 90, andStudio One. He starred in an unsoldtelevision pilot,Slezak and Son, that aired in 1960 as an episode of theanthology seriesNew Comedy Showcase,[3] and appeared asThe Clock King in episodes 45 and 46 of TV seriesBatman in 1966.[4]
In 1959/60, Slezak appeared at theMetropolitan Opera inJohann Strauss's operettaDer Zigeunerbaron. In the 1970s, Slezak played the non-singing role of Frosch, the jailer, in theSan Francisco Opera production ofJohann Strauss's operettaDie Fledermaus.[5] Later film roles in Britain included theCliff Richard vehicleWonderful Life (1964) andBlack Beauty (1971).[6]
Slezak married Johanna "Kaasi" Van Rijn on 10 October 1943. The couple had three children: Ingrid,Erika, and Leo. Erika went on to become anEmmy-winning actress, and starred asVictoria Lord on the long-running soap operaOne Life to Live from 1971 to its cancellation in 2012. In 1974, Slezak appeared on the series as her character's godfather, Lazlo Braedecker.[1]
Slezak was close friends in Vienna in the 1930s with heiressMaria Altmann and her family.[7]
On 21 April 1983, Slezak died from a self-inflicted gunshot.[1] He was reportedly despondent over the state of his health, most notably heart trouble, a recent prostate operation, and a shoulder injury requiring several treatments a week.[8][9][10] He was buried in the grave of his parents in the cemetery of St. Laurentius Church, a Catholic parish inEgern, Bavaria.[11]
Slezak's autobiography,What Time's the Next Swan? was published in 1962. The book's title refers to an alleged incident in the career of his father,heldentenorLeo Slezak. During a performance in the title role ofLohengrin, the elder Slezak was supposed to finish his aria by stepping into a swan boat and then being pulled offstage. When a stagehand removed the boat prematurely, Slezak supposedly reacted to the error by asking the audience "What time's the next swan?"[12]
In 1955, Slezak won aTony Award for his role in theBroadway production ofFanny.[13]
