Gerard Tichy

Gerhard Johannes Alexander Tichy Wondzinski (11 March 1920 – 11 April 1992), known as Gérard Tichy, was a German-Spanish actor who appeared in numerous films, including several international productions.

Early life Tichy was born Gerhard Johannes Alexander Tichy Wondzinski in Weißenfels, Saxony-Anhalt, the son of a doctor. After a short period as an artist, he was conscripted into the Reich Labour Service during World War II, but was later transferred into the Wehrmacht as an infantry soldier. He served in the Polish and French campaigns, but was captured by Allied forces in 1945.

He was held in a prisoner-of-war camp in Bordeaux for 18 months. Not wanting to be repatriated back to Germany, he made an escape attempt on Christmas Eve, but was quickly re-captured taken to another camp. He escaped, this time successfully, while in transit and fled to Hendaye, near the Spanish border. He attempted to enter neutral Spain by wading through the Bidasoa, and was caught by Spanish authorities. He was released from custody after being vouched for by other German expats, and settled in Madrid.

Career While working as a waiter in 1948, Tichy was spotted by director César Fernández Ardavín, who was looking for someone to play a German officer in the war film Neutrality. He subsequently starred in the war epic Balarrasa (1951) and quickly became a prominent character actor in Spanish cinema, ultimately appearing in 99 films over the course of his career. He won the CEC Award for Best Foreign Actor for his role in the 1955 film El canto del gallo.

A capable if not fluent English speaker, Tichy also appeared in several international productions that were filmed in Spain, most notably King of Kings (1961) as Joseph, El Cid (1961) playing King Ramiro, and Doctor Zhivago (1965) as Liberius, a Red partisan commander.

He appeared in numerous spaghetti Westerns, most notably Sergio Corbucci's Compañeros (1971). He also worked with noted Spanish horror film directors such as Jesus Franco (Marquis de Sade: Justine), Paul Naschy (The Beast and the Magic Sword), Amando de Ossorio (Serpiente del mar) and Juan Piquer Simón (Pieces) and famed Italian director Mario Bava (Hatchet for the Honeymoon).

Tichy also periodically returned to his native Germany, performing at the Hamburg Kammerspiele and acting in the Zarah Leander film Cuba Cabana.

Death Tichy died in Madrid on April 11, 1992.

Selected filmography

Neutrality (1949) - Deutscher Offizier Black Jack (1950) Service at Sea (1951) - Pasajero (uncredited) Servicio en la mar (1951) - Pasajero (uncredited) Cerca del cielo (1951) - Camarada defensor (uncredited) The Floor Burns (1952) - Eduardo Behovia Come Die My Love (1952) - Bill The Call of Africa (1952) - Capitán Andrade Hombre acosado (1952) - Jan Matiz Barco sin rumbo (1952) Cuba Cabana (1952) - Polizei-Oberst Decameron Nights (1953) I Was a Parish Priest (1953) - El Negro Pasaporte para un ángel (Órdenes secretas) (1954) Judas' Kiss (1954) - Pontius Pilate An Impossible Crime (1954) - Eugenio Certal He Died Fifteen Years Ago (1954) - Germán Goeritz Malaga (1954) - Cronkhite Kubala (1955) Lo que nunca muere (1955) - Pierre The Cock Crow (1955) - Gans Nunca es demasiado tarde (1956) - Jorge Alexander the Great (1956) - (uncredited) Miedo (1956) Curra Veleta (1956) - Alfredo Brighton Minutos antes (1956) Cuando el valle se cubra de nieve (1957) ...Y eligió el infierno (1957) Aquellos tiempos del cuplé (1958) - Jorge Cuatro en la frontera (1958) - Julio Hospital general (1958) El frente infinito (1959) - Capitán Estrada Molokai, la isla maldita (1959) - Capitán Un ángel tuvo la culpa (1960) - Sr. X Alerta en el cielo (1961) - Sargento Bell King of Kings (1961) - Joseph El Cid (1961) - King Ramiro Pecado de amor (1961) - Gerardo Esquivel The Happy Thieves (1961) - Antonio, Prado Museum Guard Queen of The Chantecler (1962) - Henri Duchel Face of Terror (1962) - Dr. Chambers Los culpables (1962) - Salvador Senda torcida (1963) - Silvestre The Blancheville Monster (1963) - Rodéric De Blancheville Casablanca, Nest of Spies (1963) - Mayor The Secret Seven (1963) - Rabirio La muerte silba un blues (1964) - Carlos Moroni La Chance et l'Amour (1964) - Un truand (segment "Une chance explosive") Gunmen of the Rio Grande (1964) - Zack Williams Un tiro por la espalda (1964) El niño y el muro (1965) - Guardia alemán #2 The Hell of Manitoba (1965) - Jack Villaine That Man in Istanbul (1965) - Charly Cohen Marie-Chantal contre le docteur Kha (1965) - Maitre d'Hôtel Man from Canyon City (1965) - Hargitay Playa de Formentor (1965) - Carlos Sanromá Operation Double Cross (1965) - Matras 100.000 dollari per Ringo (1965) - Tom Sherry Doctor Zhivago (1965) - Liberius, Red Partisan Commander Agent X-77 Orders to Kill (1966) - Dr. Reichmann 4 Dollars of Revenge (1966) - Clifford The Sea Pirate (1966) - Kernan Le Solitaire passe à l'attaque (1966) - Bernsen The Texican (1966) - Boyd Thompson Il grande colpo di Surcouf (1966) - Kernan Superargo Versus Diabolicus (1966) - Diabolikus Master Stroke (1967) - Max Face to Face (1967) - Mayor of Silvertown (uncredited) Madigan's Millions (1968) - J. P. Ogilvie The Magnificent Tony Carrera (1968) - Serge Sartana Does Not Forgive (1968) - Joe Sullivan They Came to Rob Las Vegas (1968) - Sheriff Klinger Hot Line (1968) - Truman Cantando a la vida (1969) Hora cero: Operación Rommel (1969) - Gen. von Gruber Marquis de Sade: Justine (1969) - Comte Courville Murder by Music (1969) - Inspector Hatchet for the Honeymoon (1970) - Dr. Kalleway Cuadrilátero (1970) - Óscar El último día de la guerra (1970) - Pvt. Bronc Compañeros (1970) - Lieutenant Un verano para matar (1972) - Alex Les Charlots font l'Espagne (1972) - Le capitaine du grand voilier La isla misteriosa y el capitán Nemo (1973) - Cyrus Smith The Corruption of Chris Miller (1973) - Commissioner La orgía de los muertos (1973) - Professor Leon Droila Striptease (1978) - Play Boy Venus de fuego (1978) - Detective Maravillas (1981) - Benito Misterio en la isla de los monstruos (1981) (a.k.a. Mystery on Monster Island) - Capt. Turkott L'ultimo harem (1981) - (uncredited) Los diablos del mar (1982) - Captain Hull Pieces (1982) - Dr. Jennings La Bestia y la Espada Magica (1983) (a.k.a. The Beast and the Magic Sword) - Otton el grande La hoz y el Martínez (1985) - Dimitri Vasilievich ¡Qué tía la C.I.A.! (1985) - Agente de la RFA Serpiente de mar (1985) a.k.a. The Sea Serpent Romanza final (Gayarre) (1986) Yo me bajo en la próxima, ¿y usted? (1992) - (final film role)