Walter Rilla

Walter Rilla (22 August 1894 – 21 November 1980) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 130 films between 1922 and 1977. He was born in Neunkirchen, Germany and died in Rosenheim, Germany.

Career Rilla began his acting career on the German stage, then debuted in film during the silent era. This included an early role for him in Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau's The Grand Duke's Finances in 1924. Following the rise of the Nazi Party to power in 1933, Rilla, a member of the communist party, immigrated in 1936 to Britain and became a regular performer in British films often in villainous or aristocratic roles. Both during and after the Second World War he played Nazi officers or agents.

From the 1950s onwards he returned to West Germany to appear in films and on television, alternating this with continued roles in British cinema. He was the father of film director Wolf Rilla, who directed him in the 1963 film Cairo.

Filmography

Hannele's Journey to Heaven (1922) as Todesengel The Fall of Jerusalem (1922) as Amosa, Captain of the Guard All for Money (1923) as Henry von Lauffen The Beautiful Girl (1923) as Franz, Sohn der Götts The Grand Duke's Finances (1924) as Luis Hernandez In the Name of the King (1924) Leap Into Life (1924) as Frank - Ideas Partner The Monk from Santarem (1924) The Blackguard (1925) as Michael Caviol The Doll of Luna Park (1925) Fire of Love (1925) as Harald von Bodenstein The Ones Down There (1926) as Andre Cab No. 13 (1926) as Lucien Rebout The Fiddler of Florence (1926) as Maler Should We Be Silent? (1926) as Dr. Georg Mauthner Maytime (1926) as Fred W. Kietz Her Highness Dances the Waltz (1926) The Divorcée (1926) as Karel van Lysseweghe, Staatssekretär The World Wants To Be Deceived (1926) as Dr. Stone, Arzt The Queen of the Baths (1926) as Lord Arthur Blythe Wie bleibe ich jung und schön - Ehegeheimnisse (1926) The Sporck Battalion (1927) as Leutnant von Naugard Children's Souls Accuse You (1927) Poor Little Colombine (1927) as Ernst Honsel The White Spider (1927) as Lord Barrymore That Dangerous Age (1927) as Jörgen - Student Orient Express (1927) as Allan Wilton Doña Juana (1928) as Don Ramon Sajenko the Soviet (1928) as Mirow, Sekretär des Handelsbüros The Schorrsiegel Affair (1928) as Bernhard Benda Eva in Silk (1928) as Dr. Erich Stiereß, Schriftsteller Princess Olala (1928) as Prince Boris, the Prince's Son The Last Night (1928) as Ernest Honour Thy Mother (1928) as Fritz - ihr Sohn The Abduction of the Sabine Women (1928) as Emil Groß, genannt Sterneck, sein Sohn The Man with the Frog (1929) as Henri Vallencours Inherited Passions (1929) as Henry Bourtyne The Monte Cristo of Prague (1929) as Fred Born Gentlemen Among Themselves (1929) as Heinz Rüdiger, Student der Medizin Incest (1929) as Martin Hollman Sin of a Beautiful Woman (1929) as Richard Kent Marriage in Trouble (1929) as Mann Karriere (1930) It Happens Every Day (1930) Rendezvous (1930) as Armand The Great Longing (1930) as Himself Marriage in Name Only (1930) as Baron Hans v. Velten Different Morals (1931) as Norman Circus Life (1931) as Morini. Kunstschütze Checkmate (1931) as Georg Holl, Journalist Reckless Youth (1931) as Dan O'Bannon, Prosecutor 24 Hours in the Life of a Woman (1931) as Sascha Lonay The Men Around Lucy (1931) as Robert Hände aus dem Dunkel (1933) as Direktor Leermann A Certain Mr. Gran (1933) as Pietro Broccardo, Maler Un certain monsieur Grant (1933) as Mario Landi Adventures on the Lido (1933) as Leonard The Hunter from Kurpfalz (1933) as Baron Hans, sein Bruder, Buchhändler The Champion of Pontresina (1934) as Peter Tonani, Geigenvirtuose The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) as Armand St. Just Abdul the Damned (1935) as Hassan-Bey Lady Windermere's Fan (1935) as Lord Windermere Love's Awakening (1936) as Robert Lund - Violinvirtuose The Accusing Song (1936) as Detlef Ollmer - Bildhauer Victoria the Great (1937) as Prince Ernest Mollenard (1938) as Frazer Sixty Glorious Years (1938) as Prince Ernst The Gang's All Here (1939) as Prince Homouska Black Eyes (1939) as Roudine Hell's Cargo (1939) as Cmndt. Lestailleur At the Villa Rose (1940) as Mr. Ricardo The Adventures of Tartu (1943) as Inspector Otto Vogel Candlelight in Algeria (1944) as Dr. Muller Mr. Emmanuel (1944) as Brockenburg Lisbon Story (1946) as Karl von Schriner It's Hard to Be Good (1948) as Kamerovsky (uncredited) Golden Salamander (1950) as Serafis State Secret (1950) as General Niva My Daughter Joy (1950) as Andreas Shadow of the Eagle (1950) as Prince Radziwill I'll Get You for This (1951) as Mueller Without a Flag (1951) as Spionagechef Venetian Bird (1952) as Count Boria Desperate Moment (1953) as Col. Bertrand, Dutch consulate Star of India (1954) as Van Horst The Green Carnation (1954) as Frank Olsen Track the Man Down (1955) as Austin Melford The Gamma People (1956) as Boronski Confessions of Felix Krull (1957) as Lord Kilmarnock Scampolo (1958) as Lombardo (1958) as Michael Fabian For the First Time (1959) as Dr. Bessart Love Now, Pay Later (1959) as Alexander Woltikoff, Geschäftsmann Beloved Augustin (1960) as Baron von Gravenreuth Song Without End (1960) as Archbishop The Secret Ways (1961) as Jancsi Our House in Cameroon (1961) as John Leith (1961) as Nikanos The Forger of London (1961) as Konsul Steensand The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962) as Priest Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse (1962) as Prof. Pohland Cairo (1963) as Kuchuk Scotland Yard Hunts Dr. Mabuse (1963) as Dr. Pohland / 'Dr. Mabuse' (1963, TV film) as Juror 9 Death Drums Along the River (1963) as Dr. Schneider Room 13 (1964) as Sir Marney The Secret of Dr. Mabuse (1964) as Prof. Pohland The River Line (1964) as Pierre, Maries Vater Victim Five (1964) as Wexler The Seventh Victim (1964) as Lord John Mant Frozen Alive (1964) as Sir Keith The Face of Fu Manchu (1965) as Muller 4 Schlüssel (1966) as Bankdirektor Rose Die Rechnung – eiskalt serviert (1966) as John M. Clark Once a Greek (1966) as Staatspräsident Martin Soldat (1966) as Général von Haffelrats Day of Anger (1967) as Murph Allan Scott The Girl from Rio (1969) as Ennio Rossini (uncredited) Detectives (1969) as Krüger Pepe, der Paukerschreck (1969) as Ministerialdirektor The Devil Came from Akasava (1971) as Lord Kingsley Malpertuis (1971) as Eisengott (1977)