Gordon Sterne (16 January 1923 – 4 April 2017) was a German-born English actor.
Gordon Sterne | |
---|---|
Born | Gerhard Paul Stern 16 January 1923 |
Died | 4 April 2017 | (aged 94)
Other names |
|
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1956–2009 (film & TV) |
Biography
editSterne born on 16 January 1923 in Essen, Germany.[1] He left his native Nazi-dominated birth country in 1941 and became a native of Windsor, Ontario with a father who worked in the tobacco business and mother, who was supportive of his theatre aspirations. Sterne studied economics at the University of Western Ontario before volunteering for the Canadian Army in 1944, serving in the infantry as a sergeant.[2][3]
Heading to New York in 1945, he trained and graduated from the Dramatic Workshop[4] under the tutelage of its founder Erwin Piscator, at the same time as Rod Steiger, Bea Arthur, Walter Matthau, Tony Curtis and Harry Belafonte.[3][5] Sterne then began his acting career in America, working on radio and TV, in summer stock and off-Broadway.[6][7]
After a career on stage, playing the leading man in various plays in New Jersey during the 1940s,[8][9][10][11][12] as well as Benvenuto Cellini in The Firebrand at Washington's Arena Stage and Joseph K in The Trial at New York's Provincetown Playhouse during the early 1950's, Sterne moved to Britain in 1956 where he had over 50 years working in theatre, TV and film.
Being able to speak German (and French)[13] enabled Sterne to perform in Drop Dead Darling on tour in Germany as well as a spell with the English Theatre in Vienna.[3]
Selected filmography
editFilm
edit- Battle of the V-1 (1958) - Margraaf
- The Great Van Robbery (1959) - Robledo
- The Child and the Killer (1959) - Sergeant
- Libel (1959) - Maddox
- Sink the Bismarck! (1960) - German Officer (uncredited)
- The Millionairess (1960) - 2nd Secretary
- Taste of Fear (1961) - Policeman (uncredited)
- The Fur Collar (1962) - Duclos
- The V.I.P.s (1963) - Official (uncredited)
- From Russia with Love (1963) - SPECTRE Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)
- The Vulture (1967) - Edward Stroud
- The Assassination Bureau (1969) - Corporal (uncredited)
- The Chairman - U.S. Airforce Sergeant
- The Adding Machine (1969) - Yard guard
- This, That and the Other (1970) - Producer
- Sex Play (1974) - Randolph O'Hara
- An American Werewolf in London (1981) - Mr. Kessler
- The Razor's Edge (1984) - Doctor
- Orion's Belt (1985) - American tourist
- Highlander (1986) - Dr. Willis Kennedy
- Fourplay (2001) - Color of My Life Actor
- Laws of Attraction (2004) - Judge
Television
edit- I Spy (1956) - Captain Price
- ITV Play of the Week (1956) - Lieutenant Charles / Dr. Aristides Agramonte
- Armchair Theatre (1956–1962) - Harry / Lionel / Schroder
- Sunday Night Theatre (1956–1959) - Samuel Ellis / Howie Newson / Leander Nolan / Administrator / Clark
- Escape (1956) - Colonel Goodwin, USAAF
- O.S.S. (1958) - Flight Medic
- The Four Just Men (1959–1960) - Franconi / Dr. Wayne
- The Charlie Drake Show (1959) - Mike Slade
- No Hiding Place (1959) - Ward Mayhoff
- International Detective (1960) - The Records Officer / The Professor
- Hancock's Half Hour (1960) - Canada House Clerk[14][15]
- Man from Interpol (1960) - Lebois
- Garry Halliday (1960) - Viner
- One Step Beyond (1961) - Man
- Tales of Mystery (1962) - Steve Brodie
- Out of This World (1962) - Journalist
- Zero One (1962–1965) - Ziggy
- Suspense (1963) - Mr. Shenner
- The Saint (1963–1966) - Fritz Kapel / Vopos
- Court Martial (1966) - Captain Carey
- The Prisoner (1964) - Bystander
- Man in a Suitcase (1968) - Ernst Liebkind
- Doctor Who (1970) - Heldorf
- Crossroads (1970) - George Baxter
- UFO (1970–1971) - German Delegate / Helmsman Ellis
- Paul Temple (1970) - Hotel receptionist
- The Troubleshooters (1970) - Dan Harper
- The Protectors (1973) - Barman
- Anne of Avonlea (1975) - Thomas Lynde
- Second Verdict (1976) - Dr. Dolan
- The New Avengers (1977) - Professor Vasil
- Panorama (1982) - Prosecutor
- Reilly, Ace of Spies (1983) - Ford
- Bulman (1985) - Legal Counsellor
- Jeeves and Wooster (1992) - Diner
- Gulliver's Travels (1996) - Brobdingnag Scientist
- Kavanagh QC (1997) - Old Timer
- Little Britain (2005) - Mr. Jeffries
- The Tudors (2007–2009) - Bishop Tunstall
References
edit- ^ Lentz III, Harris M. (2018). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2017. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 375. ISBN 978-1-4766-7032-4.
- ^ "Ex-Windsorite on N.Y. stage", Windsor Star, 4 October 1947 (pg.3)
- ^ a b c "Newcomer baffled by Vic cash row". Staffordshire Sentinel. 9 March 1990. p. 16. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ https://www.regisautographs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Scan-79-1-e1579350856974.jpeg Biography in South Pacific programme
- ^ "A 'court-martial' worth seeing (we kid you not)". Norwood News. 12 April 1957. p. 2. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ https://www.infotextmanuscripts.org/webb/webb_sexual_chicago.pdf Sexual Perversity in Chicago & Duck Variations programme, Regent Theatre
- ^ https://www.infotextmanuscripts.org/webb/webb_best_little.pdf The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas programme, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
- ^ "Deal Theater Group Seen In 'Death Takes A Holiday'". Asbury Park Press. 7 July 1948. p. 14. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ ""No Exit" Big Hit At Deal". The Daily Record. 22 July 1948. p. 12. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ "'Blithe Spirit' Played at Deal", Asbury Park Press, 12 August 1948 (pg.21)
- ^ "To Play Lead In 'Claudia' On Deal Stage", The Daily Record, 23 August 1948 (pg.4)
- ^ "'Hasty Heart' Pleases at Deal", Asbury Park Press, 1 July 1949 (pg.19)
- ^ https://books.google.com/books?id=Y-4rAQAAIAAJ&q=gordon+sterne+german Spotlight - Issue 131, Part 2 - Page 1400
- ^ Guide, British Comedy. "Gordon Sterne". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Hancock's Half Hour: The Emigrant (Tue 6th Jan 1987, 20:00; rpt)". Radio Times. 3 January 1987. Retrieved 28 March 2024 – via BBC Archives.
External links
edit- Gordon Sterne at IMDb
- Gordon Sterne at the Internet Broadway Database
- Gordon Sterne at Theatricalia
- Gordon Sterne at British Film Institute