Friedrich von Ledebur

Friedrich Anton Maria Hubertus Bonifacius Graf (Count) von Ledebur-Wicheln ( – ) was an Austrian actor who was known for Moby Dick, Alexander the Great (1955) and Slaughterhouse-Five (1972).

Early life Ledebur was born in Nisko, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Poland) in 1900. Friedrich enlisted in the Austro-Hungarian Army in 1916, and was an officer in the Austrian Cavalry Division during the last years of World War I.

Interwar period In the 1930s Ledebur became a close friend of Charles Bedaux, with whom he traveled extensively in Africa and Canada. After the war, Ledebur spent the next two decades travelling the world, working all manner of odd jobs from gold mining to deep sea diving, to riding and winning prize money at rodeos. Ledebur settled in the United States in 1939 and anglicised his name to 'Frederick'. A close friendship with fellow adventurer and director John Huston, gave Ledebur his entrée to character acting.

Acting career

In 1945, Ledebur made his film debut. He later appeared in Alexander the Great (1955), and played chief harpooneer Queequeg, a South Sea chieftain, in the film Moby Dick (1956). "Better a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian", Herman Melville's Ishmael famously says of Queequeg in the book and the film. He appeared as Brother Christophorus in The Twilight Zone episode "The Howling Man".

Death Ledebur died on December 25, 1986 in Linz, Austria. He was 86 years old.

Selected filmography

A Royal Scandal (1945) - Russian General (uncredited) Notorious (1946) - Knerr (uncredited) Forever Amber (1947) - Cavalier (uncredited) My Girl Tisa (1948) - Igor (uncredited) Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) - Workman (uncredited) The Great Sinner (1949) - Casino Secretary Moulin Rouge (1952) - Maitre d'Hotel at Maxim's (uncredited) Alexander the Great (1956) - Antipater Moby Dick (1956) - Queequeg Voodoo Island (1957) - Native Chief The Man Who Turned to Stone (1957) - Eric The 27th Day (1957) - Dr. Karl Neuhaus The Brothers Karamazov (1958) - Chief Judge (uncredited) Crash Landing (1958) - Priest (uncredited) Fräulein (1958) - German Police Captain (uncredited) The Roots of Heaven (1958) - Peer Qvist Enchanted Island (1958) - Mehevi The Buccaneer (1958) - Capt. Bart A Breath of Scandal (1960) - Count Sandor Barabbas (1961) - Officer Freud: The Secret Passion (1962) - (uncredited) The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) - Barbarian (uncredited) The Shoot (1964) - Mübarek The Treasure of the Aztecs (1965) - Count Don Fernando di Rodriganda y Sevilla Juliet of the Spirits (1965) - Medium The Blue Max (1966) - Feldmarschall von Lenndorf Il Natale che quasi non fu (1967) - (uncredited) Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967) - Lieutenant at Garden Party (uncredited) Assignment K (1968) - Ski Shop Proprietor (uncredited) Oedipus the King (1968) - King Laius Mayerling (1968) - Hofmarschall (uncredited) The Last Roman (1968/69) - Hildebrand The Christmas Tree (1969) - Vernet Slaughterhouse-Five (1972) - German Leader Ludwig (1973) - Hofmarschall (uncredited) A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe (1975) - Don Felipe, the priest Potato Fritz (1976) - Martin Ross The Standard (1977) - General Sorcerer (1977) - 'Carlos' Bloodline (1979) - Innkeeper Ginger and Fred (1986) - Admiral Aulenti (final film role)