Hans Christian Blech

Hans Christian Blech (20 February 19155 March 1993) was a German film, stage and television character actor who found success in both Germany and Hollywood.

Career Blech was born in Darmstadt, Germany in 1915 during World War I. After Adolf Hitler and the Nazis took over Germany in 1933 Blech was conscripted into the Feldgendarmerie in 1941. He served in the army and fought on the Eastern Front until the end of World War II, where he may have acquired his facial scars. Another possible origin of his scars was a car accident on the Darmstadt Luisenplatz when Blech was 14 years old. After four years on the Russian Front, he remained in Soviet captivity until 1947.

He made his English-language film debut in the 1951 film Decision Before Dawn. In this as in many of his other Hollywood films, he played a German soldier. He had prominent roles in the 1962 World War II blockbuster films The Longest Day, Morituri (1965), Battle of the Bulge (1965) and The Bridge at Remagen (1969).

Partial filmography

Blum Affair (1948), as Karlheinz Gabler The Orplid Mystery (1950), as Martin Jarzombeck, Bräutigam Decision Before Dawn (1951), as Sgt. Rudolf Barth aka Tiger Sauerbruch – Das war mein Leben (1954), as Brauer Confession Under Four Eyes (1954), as Tscheche 08/15 (1954), as Wachtmeister Platzek The Phantom of the Big Tent (1954), as Naso, Clown mit Puppe Children, Mother, and the General (1955), as Feldwebel mit den Orden (1955), as Wachtmeister Platzek Bandits of the Autobahn (1955), as Willi Kollanski (1955), as Wachtmeister Platzek (1956), as Heinze Un homme se penche sur son passé (1958), as Archer As Long as the Heart Still Beats (1958), as Dr. Laue (1960), as Oberarzt Dr. Neugebauer The Inheritance of Bjorndal (1960), as Aslak, Gunvor's Husband Enclosure (1961), as Karl The Longest Day (1962), as Major Werner Pluskat The Visit (1964), as Captain Dobrik Morituri (1965), as Donkeyman Battle of the Bulge (1965), as Conrad La Voleuse (1966), as Radek Kostrowicz Marat/Sade (1967, TV film), as Jean-Paul Marat The Bridge at Remagen (1969), as Capt. Carl Schmidt Cardillac (1969), as Cardillac The Customer of the Off Season (1970), as Hotel Manager The Scarlet Letter (1973), as Roger Chillingworth Giordano Bruno (1973), as Sartori Le Hasard et la Violence (1974) (uncredited) La Chair de l'orchidée (1975), as Gyula Berekian The Wrong Move (1975), as Laertes Innocents with Dirty Hands (1975), as Judge (1975), as Ritter The Clown (1976), as Derkum (1976), as Frank Grete Minde (1977), as Gigas (1977), as Sellman Knife in the Head (1978), as Anleitner Winterspelt (1979), as Wenzel Hainstock (1979, TV miniseries), as Theodor Chindler Victoria (1979), as Tutor See You in the Next War (1980), as Bitter (1981), as Johnny (1981, TV film), as Wilhelm Urack The Magic Mountain (1982), as Hofrat Behrens Solo Run (1983, TV film), as C. Lenin in Zürich (1984, TV film), as Hermann Greulich Colonel Redl (1985), as von Roden Via Mala (1985, TV miniseries), as Maler Lauters (1986, TV film), as Langenau The Cry of the Owl (1987, TV film), as Dr. Knapp The Play with Billions (1989, TV film), as Falk Schönwald Mit den Clowns kamen die Tränen (1990, TV miniseries), as Alwin Westen Magyar rekviem (1990), as Tanár úr (1990), as Svoboda (1990, TV film), as Erich Honecker (1991), as Pfarrer Nothsack (1992, TV film), as Richard