Hans Heinrich von Twardowski

Biography

German actor Hans Heinrich von Twardowski, born in Stettin, Germany, now Szczecin, Poland, began his screen career in the silent era. He made his first film appearance in Robert Wiene's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) and appeared in more than 20 movies in Weimar Germany during the 1920s, including Lady Hamilton, Die Weber, and Fritz Lang's Spione. His first sound film was Der König von Paris in 1930, and his last German movie was Der Herzog von Reichstadt in 1931. He later worked in Hollywood, where he played Max Helldorf in Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939), a German officer in Casablanca, and Reinhard Heydrich in Hangmen Also Die! (1943). He also appeared in The Dawn Express (1942) as Captain Gemmler. After World War II ended his movie career, he wrote and directed stage plays and returned to acting on stage.

60years old at death

Born May 5, 1898Szczecin
Died November 19, 1958New York City
Star sign: TaurusThe sign runs April 20 to May 20
Hans Heinrich Reinhold August von Twardowski (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 5
Career span: 23 years1920 to 1943

Every film, newest first

1943Hangmen Also Die!IMDb rating 7.4
1942The Dawn ExpressIMDb rating 4.6
1939Confessions of a Nazi SpyIMDb rating 6.7
1920Genuine: The Tragedy of a VampireIMDb rating 5.9
1920The Cabinet of Dr. CaligariIMDb rating 8.0

Genres

Did you know?!

First role
In 1920, Twardowski appeared in his first film, the Robert Wiene-directed horror movie Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, which featured Conrad Veidt, Werner Krauss and Lil Dagover.
Languages
In 1943 Twardowski appeared in Lang's Hangmen Also Die!, playing the notorious Nazi SS Commandant Reinhard Heydrich. Every line he had in this movie was in German.
Behind the camera
During the 1930s, Twardowski took on both directing and acting duties for stage productions of The Brothers Karamazov and Old Heidelberg at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Behind the camera
Twardowski wrote and produced a play in 1939. It was staged at the St. Felix Street Playhouse in Brooklyn and was titled Shakespeare Merchant - 1939, drawing on Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.