Bernhard Wicki

Bernhard Wolfgang Wicki (28 October 1919 – 5 January 2000) was an Austrian-Swiss actor, film director and screenwriter. He was a key figure in the revitalization of post-war German-language cinema, particularly in West Germany, and also directed several Hollywood films.

His works as a director include his debut 1959 anti-war film Die Brücke, the religious drama The Miracle of Father Malachia (1961), the Friedrich Dürrenmatt adaptation The Visit (1964), and the German segments of the World War II epic The Longest Day (1962). He won four German Film Awards for Best Direction.

Life and career Wicki studied in the city of Breslau such topics as art history, history and German literature. In 1938, he transferred to the drama school of the Staatliches Schauspielhaus in Berlin. In 1939, because of his membership in the Bündische Jugend, he was imprisoned for many months in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. After his release, he moved to Vienna, then in 1944 to Switzerland.

After World War II, he starred in many films, including Die letzte Brücke (1953) and Es geschah am 20. Juli (1955). He was also a photographer. His first attempt at directing came three years later with the documentary Warum sind sie gegen uns? (1958). He became internationally famous with his 1959 anti-war film Die Brücke, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 1961 he won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 11th Berlin International Film Festival for his film The Miracle of Father Malachia. His break in Hollywood came shortly thereafter when he was chosen to direct Marlon Brando and Yul Brynner in the highly acclaimed World War II espionage thriller, Morituri in 1965.

Wicki was a patron of the International Film Festival in Emden-Norderney, which first started in 1990.

Wicki first married Agnes Fink, a fellow acting colleague, and later married Elisabeth Endriss, also a colleague. In the documentary Verstörung – und eine Art von Poesie (June 2007), Elisabeth Wicki-Endriss portrayed Wicki's life and work.

Wicki is buried at the Nymphenburger cemetery in Munich (grave number 4-1-23).

In 2001, the Bernhard Wicki Memorial Fund was established in Munich. Since 2002, it has awarded a yearly prize, The Bridge, to selected films that promote peace. A further prize of 15,000 euros, endowed in 2006, is presented in his name in the city of Emden.

Selected filmography Director Warum sind sie gegen uns? (1958) Die Brücke (1959) The Miracle of Father Malachia (1961) The Longest Day (with Ken Annakin and Andrew Marton) (1962) The Visit (1964) Morituri (1965) Das falsche Gewicht (1971) Karpfs Karriere (1971) The Conquest of the Citadel (1977) (1984) (1987) Spider's Web (1989)

Actor

Der Postmeister (1940) – Statist (uncredited) The Falling Star (1950) – Otto Young Heart Full of Love (1953) – Vitus Zingerl The Last Bridge (1954) – Boro Circus of Love (1954) – Franz Prisoners of Love (1954) – Franz Martens The Mosquito (1954) – Hugo A Double Life (1954) – Rainer von Hohenburg The Eternal Waltz (1954) – Johann Strauß Sohn Children, Mother, and the General (1955) – Hauptmann Dornberg Jackboot Mutiny (1955) – Oberst Graf v. Stauffenberg Du mein stilles Tal (1955) – Erik Linden Roses in Autumn (1955) – Geert von Innstetten Fruit Without Love (1956) – Dr. Kolb Weil du arm bist, mußt du früher sterben (1956) – Dr. Grüter (1956) – Dr. Jan Vlimmen Queen Louise (1957) – Zar Alexander (1957) – Robert The Zurich Engagement (1957) – Paul Frank Es wird alles wieder gut (1957) – Unterhaltungschef Dr. Johann Krapp Escape from Sahara (1958) – Luigi Locatelli The Cat (1958) – Bernard Werner Restless Night (1958) – Priest Brunner Frauensee (1958) – Karl Anton Graf Chur (1959) – Tex Richards Stage Fright (1960) – Rohrbach La Notte (1961) – Tommaso Garani Of Wayward Love (1962) – Hans (segment "Il serpente") Eleven Years and One Day (1963) – Karl Rodenbach Portuguese Vacation (1963) – Bernard Count Oederland (1968, TV Movie) – Prosecutor / Count Oederland Your Caresses (1969) – Father Carlos (1971, TV Movie) – Philipp Crime and Passion (1976) – Rolf Derrick (1977, Season 4, Episode 3: "Eine Nacht im Oktober") – Dr. Lechner The Glass Cell (1978) – Police Commissioner Österreicher Despair (1978) – Orlovius The Left-Handed Woman (1978) – Verleger The Man in the Rushes (1978) – Sir Gerald Death Watch (1980) – Katherine's Dad Derrick (1980, Season 7, Episode 9: "Zeuge Yuroski") – Karl Yurowski In the Land of Cockaigne (1981, TV Movie) – James Türkheimer (1982) – Lehrter The Mysterious Stranger (1982, TV Movie) – Heinrich Stein Spring Symphony (1983) – Baron von Fricken A Love in Germany (1983) – Dr. Borg Dangerous Moves (1984) – Pühl Paris, Texas (1984) – Doctor Ulmer Bereg (1984) – Weber, Verleger A Kind of Anger (1984, TV Movie) – Philipp Sanger (1985) – George Abbot (1986) – Von der Mühle Spider's Web (1989) – Herr Waizenbaum The Betrothed (1989, TV Miniseries) – Gentleman's Father Martha and I (1990) – Narrator (scenes deleted) Success (1991) – Bichler Das Geheimnis (1993) – Dr. Virgil Schwarz Prinzenbad (1993) – Dany

Decorations and awards 1958: Film Award in Silver (documentary) for Warum sind sie gegen uns? (Why they are against us?) 1960: The Golden Bowl, Film Award (Director), German Film Critics Award, German Youth Film Award, Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination (Best Foreign Film) for Die Brücke (The Bridge) 1960: United Nations award for contribution to peace 1961: Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival (Best Director) for The Miracle of Father Malachia 1962: Bambi 1972: Golden Camera (Director) and Film Award (Director) for Das falsche Gewicht (The wrong weight) 1976: Film Award for many years of excellent work in the German film industry 1977: Film Award in Silver for The Conquest of the Citadel 1979: St. Jakob Prandtauer Prize for Science and Art of the city of St Pölten 1982: Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1985: Film Award (Director) for Die Grünstein-Variante (The greenstone variant) 1986: Helmut Käutner Award 1986: Critics Award for Die Grünstein-Variante 1988: Adolf Grimme Award for Sansibar oder Der letzte Grund (Zanzibar or The last Reason) 1989: Film Award (Special Film Award 40 years Federal Republic of Germany) for Die Brücke 1989: Bavarian Film Award 1989: Honorary Award of the Abendzeitung (Evening Paper) 1989: Academy Award nomination (Best Foreign Film) and Film Award (Director) for The Spider's Web 1990: Berlin International Film Festival: Berlinale Camera 1990: Schwabing Art Prize (prize) 1992: Universum Film AG prize 1992: Bavarian Order of Merit 1998: DIVA Award 1999: Medal "Munich shines" in gold 2000: Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class