Wolfgang Zilzer - Biography

Wofgang Zilzer (January 20, 1901 – June 26, 1991) was a German-American stage and film actor.

Career

Zilzer was born in Cincinnati, Ohio to German-Jewish emigrant Max Zilzer, who was engaged at the local theater. Zilzer's mother died soon after his birth and his father returned to Germany in 1905. Zilzer appeared at different stages in children roles and made his first movie appearance in the age of 14. Around 1930 he moved to the United States but had only small success as an actor. He returned to Germany, but after Adolf Hitler's seizure of power Zilzer fled to France, where he worked as dubbing voice at several French versions of Hollywood productions. In 1935 Zilzer returned to Germany again, finally emigrating to the USA in 1937. Applying for a visa at the U.S. embassy, he first realized his already existing US citizenship. After his emigration he started to work with Ernst Lubitsch in several anti-Nazi movies, using pseudonyms to protect his father, who was still living in Berlin.

Zilzer married the German-Jewish actress Lotte Palfi, both appeared in the 1942 movie Casablanca. After World War II Zilzer appeared at different stages in the United States and in Germany.

At the end of the 1980s Zilzer contracted the Parkinson's disease and decided to return to Germany, his wife Lotte Palfi refused to do so and their marriage was divorced after almost 50 years and close to the death of Zilzer and Palfi.

Wofgang Zilzer died in Berlin and is buried at Waldfriedhof Zehlendorf.

Filmography

External links

• Biography of Casablanca- actors
• Photographs of Wolfgang Zilzer