Gertan Klauber

Gertan Klauber
Gertan Klauber in the TV series One Step Beyond, episode The Villa
Born(1932-03-05)5 March 1932
Czechoslovakia
Died1 August 2008(2008-08-01) (aged 76)
London, England
Alma materBirmingham School of Acting
OccupationActor
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1959; died 2000)​
Children2
RelativesSally Watts (sister-in-law)

George Gertan Klauber[1] (5 March 1932 – 1 August 2008) was a Czech-born British actor, known for playing various character parts in films and television programmes, particularly the Carry On comedies.[2]

Early life

Of Sudeten German and Jewish descent, Klauber was born in Czechoslovakia in 1932, and moved to the United Kingdom prior to the outbreak of World War II. He studied drama at the Birmingham School of Acting (now the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire).

Career

Theatre

Klauber appeared on stage for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.[3][4] He acted in Peter Hall's 1957 West End production of Tennessee Williams' Camino Real, and played opposite Glenda Jackson in All Kinds of Men. He played the Tartar opposite Nicol Williamson and Prunella Scales in the RSC's 1962 production of The Lower Depths.

Television

He appeared in numerous television productions, often playing minor villains, including episodes of The Saint, The Professionals, Danger Man, The Avengers, twice in Doctor Who as The Galley Master in The Romans and as Ola in The Macra Terror and as mad king George III in Blackadder the Third.[5] He appeared in the TV musical Pickwick for the BBC in 1969.[6] He also played a servile yet pompous waiter in one episode, "The Old Magic", of Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?.[7]

Film

Klauber was one of the regular recurring cast members of the Carry On films, appearing in seven films total (one uncredited). He usually played small roles, cast when the producers wanted someone big and sinister, or big and jovial, but had a prominent part as 'Marcus' in Carry On Cleo (1964).

He appeared in two James Bond films: Octopussy (1983) and The Living Daylights (1987), though he was uncredited for the latter.

His last film role was as a pimp in the Beatles biopic Backbeat (1994).

Personal life

Klauber was married to the actress Gwendolyn Watts, from 1959 until her death in 2000.[3] They had two children together.

Death

Klauber died in London at the age of 76 on August 1, 2008. His cause of death was not disclosed.[1]

Partial filmography

References

  1. ^ a b Gaughan, Gavin (28 November 2008). "Gertan Klauber". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  2. ^ "Gertan Klauber". BFI. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b Gaughan, Gavin (28 November 2008). "Obituary: Gertan Klauber" – via www.theguardian.com.
  4. ^ "Gertan Klauber | Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  5. ^ "Gertan Klauber". www.aveleyman.com.
  6. ^ "Pickwick (1969)". BFI. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016.
  7. ^ "BBC One - Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Series 1, The Old Magic". BBC.
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