Frank Wolff (actor)

Frank Wolff (born: Walter Frank Hermann Wolff, born May 11, 1928 in San Francisco, † December 12, 1971 in Rome ) was an American actor, who has worked in many European film productions and was often represented, especially in the spaghetti westerns. There he was one of the genre Stars. He played among other things, the farmer McBain in Sergio Leone's masterpiece play me the song of death (1968 ) or the Sheriff in Sergio Corbuccis corpses pave its way (1968). He was elected in 1951 and 1952, twice in direct succession to the best actor of UCLA in Los Angeles, among other things, for his portrayal of Macbeth.

Beginning in the U.S.

Wolff was born in San Francisco. His parents were German or Austrian. He began his film career in the late '50s in TV series and with small movie roles, having previously heard at UCLA with two " Best Actor" titles of the most successful graduates. His first major film role after the extent he was in the horror film Beast from Haunted Cave by director Monte Hellman, whom he knew from UCLA. Result, he was also occupied by Roger Corman in two major roles ( in Ski Troop Attack and Atlas ). This should remain the only three turned in America movies in which Frank Wolff played a central role.

Moved to Italy

Frank Wolff left the U.S. in the early 60s on a council said Corman's back, with whom he had already turned a total of four films. Corman saw in Italy better opportunities for talented actors that threatened to be used in the U.S. only in b -movies. In addition, Wolff was branded insofar as that his parents had been active for left-wing politics, which could represent the time of the McCarthy era and shortly thereafter a professional political problem for actors. Until his death, Frank Wolff was from 1961, seen almost exclusively in movies and series that were filmed on European soil, including a few British and / or American productions. Exceptions represented only Judith ( in Israel rotated ), hot on African soil (some in / around Tripoli turned) and excess (partly in Los Angeles rotated, Frank Wolff scenes may not belong to it) dar.

Image

Wolff earned within the Italian cinema, an excellent reputation and was also among colleagues as one of the best actors of the Italo - cinema of this era. Irregular, but already from the outset him leading roles were transferred to Italy. With fondness he turned artfully staged to experimental films. As a result, he refused a role in A Fistful of Dollars, because the spaghetti westerns and Sergio Leone at the time were still nameless or even non-existent and did not seem to be promising the later genre in the run-up to the first film. In his penultimate film, Milano Calibre 9, get Frank Wolff and Luigi Pistilli, which can be seen in the competing roles of a conservative and a left -oriented police officers, two such remarkable acting performances that the director Fernando Di Leo refused their scenes substantially to cut, although he was aware of the fact that the subplot thus at times very superficially came and diverted attention from the main story. Both actors committed suicide later and both will lack artistic appreciation have been a reason for her suicide. It is characteristic of Wolff's work and comparatively unusual that he frequently appeared with striking different hairstyles. Whether with a mustache, beard or shaved, with red, blonde, black, or gray hair - depending on role here did on some significant differences. At a certain type Wolff was, contrary to some rumors, finally not specify what he had neither necessary in the course of his acting assets, nor even remotely considered to be desirable due to its force as secured relatively high artistic standards is likely to have. Although he played several villains roles, but also sufficiently otherwise parts.

Private

There is no interview with Wolff that would be accessible to the public, if at all interviews have survived. Even "making of" footage or similar behind-the -scenes impressions are not known. The only sound document of Wolff, which does not present him in a film role, his voice-over commentary for Western documentation. Italian Style, in whose production he was also instrumental. It is also known that Wolff at the time of his death or at least until recently was in a relationship, but said to have been depressed because he was apparently betrayed by his partner. Depending on the source, it is said that she eloped with his agent or one of his stuntmen. In individual cases of a marriage is the speech and the fact that the woman was pregnant. From a coherent source location is, however, not to speak. Wolff said in the course of its origin broken German, which is hopelessly in love with the movie location - but can not seriously listen. The actor Robert Hoffmann also confirmed that Wolff also in everyday life, even if only " perfect and upright ", the language proved powerful. Hoffmann is seen with Wolff in the film excess and moved to Wolff's death in the Roman apartment.

Death

Frank Wolff's last film was Toll it drove the ancient Germans, a sequel to When the women still had tails, in which he had participated. During filming, he took in his apartment at a Hilton Hotel in Rome 's life. After ( as of traditional ) statement of the actor Tony Anthony in an interview he is said to have only a few months earlier tried desperately to play a role in Blindman, which was acquired instead of Ringo Starr. Anthony Wolff indirectly owed ​​a favor - since Wolff had given him his first starring role in a dollar between the teeth - why Wolff asked him for help. Against such a popular competitors like Ringo Starr Wolff, however, was not to make the producers tasty. Wolff then fell out with Anthony. In a later interview Anthony made ​​it clear that he regretted having not made ​​sufficient efforts to the role of Wolff, as this would perhaps still be alive today. Supposedly have had not only due to his relationship, but also for professional reasons depression, which ultimately led to his suicide Wolff. The second consists assumption is controversial, as Wolff, according to contemporaries, was quite well known in Italy in the early 70s and until his death, continually standing among others in lead roles before the camera. However, it is important to consider the aspect that Wolff obviously put a lot of emphasis on art full movies, which would appear plausible that he, like When the women Had Tails with his career in B- and even trash films, despite the fact that he could earn his livelihood in this way easily, may have been very dissatisfied.