Helmuth Lohner

Helmuth Lohner (24 April 1933 – 23 June 2015) was an Austrian actor, theatre director, and from 1997 to 2006 director of the Theater in der Josefstadt.

Early life Born in Vienna, Lohner initially trained as a commercial artist, while also taking private acting lessons. He made his acting début in 1952 at the municipal theatre in Baden bei Wien. He also appeared as operetta buffo at the Stadttheater Klagenfurt. From 1953 to 1963 he appeared in various productions of the Theater in der Josefstadt, as well as making numerous film appearances.

Career Further engagements in Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Zurich followed. During this period, he appeared at the Burgtheater, and at the Salzburg Festival several times, taking the roles of "Death", "The Devil", and "Jedermann" in Hugo von Hofmannsthal's play Jedermann (which by tradition is performed every year). He made his film debut in 1955 in Josef von Báky's Hotel Adlon. From 1963 he was active in television as actor and director.

Personal life Lohner married and divorced the German actress Susanne Cramer twice. Their daughter Konstanze Lohner is a pedagogue in Germany. He then married the German actress Karin Baal, with whom he had a daughter, actress Therese Lohner. In 2011, he married Elisabeth Gürtler-Mauthner. The couple lived together for 19 years before their marriage.

Death Helmuth Lohner died aged 82 on 23 June 2015.

Selected works As opera director 1994: La belle Hélène by Jacques Offenbach 1997: The Merry Widow by Franz Lehár 1999: Eine Nacht in Venedig by Johann Strauss II 2002: Die Csárdásfürstin by Emmerich Kálmán 2005: The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

As theatre actor 1978: Das weite Land by Arthur Schnitzler, directed by Otto Schenk 1987: Der einsame Weg by Arthur Schnitzler, directed by Thomas Langhoff 1991–1993: Ein Jedermann (Salzburg festival) 1999: Figaro lässt sich scheiden by Ödön von Horváth, directed by Luc Bondy

Partial filmography

Das Licht der Liebe (1954) – (uncredited) An der schönen blauen Donau (1955) Hotel Adlon (1955) – Erzherzog Karl Urlaub auf Ehrenwort (1956) Grenadier Richard Hellwig My Sixteen Sons (1956) King in Shadow (1957) – Count Holck Salzburg Stories (1957) – Franz Wie schön, daß es dich gibt (1957) – Rainer Widower with Five Daughters (1957) – Dr. Klaus Hellmann The Spessart Inn (1958) – Felix Stefanie (1958) The House of Three Girls (1958) – Moritz von Schwind Eva (1959) – Ein Student (1959) – Martin Graf Waldau / Count Waldau Marili (1959) – Peter Markwart Mrs. Warren's Profession (1960) – Frank Gardner Pension Schöller (1960) – Peter Klapproth Immer will ich dir gehören (1960) – Klaus Stettner My Husband, the Economic Miracle (1961) – Tommy Schiller – ein Journalist Man in the Shadows (1961) – Franz Villinger You Must Be Blonde on Capri (1961) – Hannes Niklas The Last Chapter (1961) – Oliver Fleming Im sechsten Stock (1961) – Jojo, Arbeiter So toll wie anno dazumal (1962) – Susannes Traummann #3 (uncredited) (1962) – Nikolaus Tschinderle The Seventh Victim (1964) – Gerald Mant (1965, TV film) – Carl Joseph von Trotta (1965, TV film) – Don Juan (1968, TV Mini-Series) – Manfred Krupka Hannibal Brooks (1969) – Willi Liliom (1971, TV Movie, directed by Otto Schenk) – Liliom Der Paukenspieler (1971) – Friedrich Hofstetter (1973, directed by Otto Schenk) – The Count Derrick: (1974, TV Series episode) – Alfred Balke Aus nichtigem Anlass (1976, TV film) – Ullrich Wältzing (1981, TV film) – Fedor Protasov Shalom Pharao (1982) – Joseph (voice) Der elegante Hund (1987–1988, TV Series) – Alois Stange (1989, TV Movie) – Leo Kaminski Mozart und da Ponte (1989) – Narrator (1990, TV film) – Gottfried von Yosch Harms (2013) – Onkel (2015, TV film) – Hans Perner

Decorations and awards 1980 Kainz Medal 1988 Nestroy Ring 1991 Gold Honorary Medal of Vienna 1992 Kammerschauspieler 2001 Nestroy nomination for Best Actor 2003 Honorary Member of the Theater in der Josefstadt 2003 Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class 2006 Gold Medal for services to the City of Vienna