Ruedi Walter

Theater, television and film

Trained by Eva Bernoulli and Margit von Tolnai and at the Basel conservatory, from 1941 Ruedi Walter and his sister Gertrud Heffler, worked as side jobs in small roles at Stadttheater Basel. From 1943 to 1946 Walter played in Alfred Rasser's Cabaret Cactus in Basel, among others in Rasser's productions "HD soldier Läppli" and "Democrat Läppli". In 1944 he joined the Swiss soldiers stage Bäretatze, and from 1948 to 1950 he was a member of the Cabaret Cornichon ensemble in Zürich. There he met Margrit Rainer, with whom he first appeared as cabaret duo in 1951, then as a "Ehepaar Ehrsam" in the popular satirical radio program "Spalebärg 77a" (1955–1965, filmed in 1957, in 1962 as a musical) and in numerous popular dialect plays and farces. Walter and Rainer were during thirty years probably the most popular entertainment duo in Switzerland. At the Schauspielhaus Zürich, they had great success in "Die Kleine Niederdorf-Oper" (1951 and 1959) and in 1954 in "Der schwarze Hecht". Great touring successes were among others the dialect adaption of Arthur Lovegrove's "Goodnight, Mrs. Puffin!" in 1969, in 1977 "D'Mueter wott nur s'Bescht", and in 1980 "Potz Millione", both directed by Rainer's spouse Inigo Gallo. At Schauspielhaus Walter played among others, in 1956 the blind eunuch Loby in the premiere of Friedrich Dürrenmatt's play Der Besuch der alten Dame (The Visit of the Old Lady), and in 1984 the title role in the premiere of "Dr neu Noah". In addition, Walter worked from 1969 to 1985 under the direction of Jörg Schneider in several children's fairy tales and musicals at the Bernhard-Theater Zürich, After Margrith Rainer's death, Walter toured from 1983 to 1985 with "Drei Männer im Schnee" and in Mary Chase's "My Fründ Hanspi" (Swiss German version of Harvey).

The appreciative designation Volksschauspieler used by the Swiss press, remained for years without a comment by Ruedi Walter. Shortly before he died, Walter said: The term takes me proud, because I feel accepted by the people as one of them. Ruedi-Walter-Strasse in Zürich-Oerlikon was named after the popular actor. Walter was a very good actor, probably one of the best that Switzerland ever had. 1984: Der Besuch der alten Dame (TV Movie) – Koby 1988: Klassezämekunft – Jack Lutz 1990: Bingo – Sturzi (final film role)

Awards 1978: Prix Walo 1984: Hans Reinhart-Ring 1986: Prix Walo Publikumsliebling

Literature Ernst Reinhardt: Ruedi Walter. Spuren eines Schauspielerlebens. Friedrich Reinhardt Verlag, Basel 1984.