Otto Wernicke

Otto Karl Robert Wernicke (30 September 1893, Osterode am Harz – 7 November 1965) was a German actor. He is best known for his role as police inspector Karl Lohmann in the two Fritz Lang films M and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse.

Married to a Jewish woman, he was only able to continue working in Germany after the Nazi Party took power in 1933 because he received a special dispensation from the Reich Chamber of Culture. In 1943, he portrayed Captain Smith in Titanic, the first film on the subject which was simply titled Titanic, and the first to combine various fictional characters and subplots with the true events of the sinking; both conventions went on to become a staple of Titanic films. After being cast in 1944 in the propaganda epic Kolberg, he was added to the Gottbegnadeten-Liste, a list of artists considered crucial to Nazi culture which Joseph Goebbels compiled for Adolf Hitler's approval.

Selected filmography

Girls You Don't Marry (1923) Wo Menschen Frieden finden (1923) The Searching Soul (1925) Mrs Worrington's Perfume (1925) - Philipp Worrington The Gambling Den of Montmartre (1928) - Der Apache M (1931) - Inspector Karl Lohmann Storms of Passion (1932) - Police Commissioner Nacht der Versuchung (1932) Peter Voss, Thief of Millions (1932) - Pitt The Bartered Bride (1932) - Kezal - Heiratsvermittler The Naked Truth (1932) - Karl, Lokomotivführer The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) - Inspector Karl Lohmann Die blonde Christl (1933) - Franz Lechner S.A.-Mann Brand (1933) - Herr Brand The Tunnel (1933) - Bärmann The Fugitive from Chicago (1934) - Wolke, Werkmeister Achtung! Wer kennt diese Frau? (1934) - Thomas Burger The Switched Bride (1934) - Der Gefängnisdirektor Master of the World (1934) - Wolter, Oberingenieur Stupid Mama (1934) - Inspektor Beneke Between Heaven and Earth (1934) - Motz, Schieferbruchbesitzer Peer Gynt (1934) - Parker Knockout (1935) - P. F. Schmidtchen Ein ganzer Kerl (1935) - Eckhardt, Wiegemeister The Valiant Navigator (1935) - Bäckermeister Holm Hangmen, Women and Soldiers (1935) - Pieter Timm The Merry Wives (1936) - Herr Fluth / Frank Ford A Doctor of Conviction (1936) - Geheimrat Grimm, Chefarzt der Klinik Street Music (1936) - Godemann - Gastwirt The Castle in Flanders (1936) - Bonnet - Agent Uncle Bräsig (1936) - Onkel Bräsig Dangerous Crossing (1937) - Scheffler - Aufsichtsbeamter Wie der Hase läuft (1937) - Warnecke - Ortsvorsteher in Pümpelhausen Heimweh (1937) - Stober, Pastor Unternehmen Michael (1937) - Der Artillerie-Kommandeur Manege (1937) - Jan Morell Autobus S (1937) - 'Kapitän' Kröker Der Katzensteg (1937) - Gastwirt Merckel Starke Herzen (1937) - Ludwig Das große Abenteuer (1938) - Kriminalrat Stimme des Blutes (1938) Mystery About Beate (1938) - Vater Hübner - Schmied Wie einst im Mai (1938) - Schradecke, Stellmacher Eine Frau kommt in die Tropen (1938) - Verwalter Miller Secret Code LB 17 (1938) - Police Commissar Borel Northern Lights (1938) - Kaufmann Hansen Love Letters from Engadin (1938) - Thomas Viertinger, Hotelier Dreizehn Mann und eine Kanone (1938) Three Wonderful Days (1939) New Year's Eve on Alexanderplatz (1939) - Gast im 'Elite' Gold in New Frisco (1939) - Jonathan Pepper D III 88 (1939) - Oberwerkmeister Bonicke Midsummer Night's Fire (1939) - Vogelreuter Der Stammbaum des Dr. Pistorius (1939) - Franz Maria Ilona (1939) - Fürst Windischgrätz Was wird hier gespielt? (1940) Ohm Krüger (1941) - British concentration camp commander Friedemann Bach (1941) - Kunde im Musikladen (uncredited) Heimkehr (1941) - Old Manz The Waitress Anna (1941) - Ludwig Burgstaller His Son (1942) - Vater Brugg, Geschäftsführer bei Hellmers The Great King (1942) - Oberst Rochow The Old Boss (1942) - Georg von Schulte, Pferdezüchter Titanic (1943) - Captain Edward J. Smith Der große Preis (1944) - Obermeister Kramp Seinerzeit zu meiner Zeit (1944) - Amtgerichtsrat Witt Life Calls (1944) - Der Vater Kolberg (1945) - Bauer Werner Kamerad Hedwig (1945) - Fritz Beier Der Fall Molander (1945) - Kunsthändler Between Yesterday and Tomorrow (1947) - Ministerialdirektor Trunk Der Herr vom andern Stern (1948) - General Long Is the Road (1949) - Senior Doctor Amico (1949) - Robert Kornagel, Konditormeister Du bist nicht allein (1949) - Martin Jürgens Who Drove the Grey Ford? (1950) - Kriminalkommissar Thieme Chased by the Devil (1950) - Herr Dakar Die fidele Tankstelle (1950) - Gustav Krause Love and Blood (1951) Shadows Over Naples (1951) - Pietro Sky Without Stars (1955) - Inspektor Hoffmann (1956) - Dr. Rainer sr. The Captain from Köpenick (1956) - Schuhmachermeister Das Sonntagskind (1956) - Willowitz The Scarlet Baroness (1959) (1959) - Hausmeister Immer die Mädchen (1959) - Diener Adam Fröschl