Remembering Reinhardt Koldehoff

Reinhardt Koldehoff was born on April 29, 1914 in Berlin, Germany. The son of a postman initially attended the High School and later took private acting lessons with the acquisition of extras roles at the Grosses Schauspielhaus and the State Opera, in his hometown. In 1936, Kolldehoff made his debut in the National Theatre Altenburg. In 1941, he appeared in the Heinz Riihmann movie “Der Gassmann” his first small movie appearance.

 
After the war Kolldehoff belonged to the ensemble of the Berlin Hebbel Theater until 1948. Also in the following years he was on stage including since 1955 as the Hamburg Schauspielhaus under Gustaf. However Kolldehoff turned his attention increasingly to a movie career. From 1948, he initially appeared in several films of the East German DEFA, in Erich Engels “Affaire Blum”, Wolfgang Staudtes “Rotation” (1949) and as a returning soldier in Hans Mueller comedy

“Bürgermeister Anna” (1950).

 
Then Kolldehoff made a film career in West German in international films (here he was often billed as René Kolldehoff). He worked with such actors as Kirk Douglas, Lee Marvin, Catherine Deneuve, Marianne Koch, Hans Albers, O.W, Fischer, Hardy Kruger, Richard Widmark, Roger Moore, William Holden, Jane Birkin, Marlene Dietrich, Gérard Depardieu and Alain Delon. Among the film directors with whom he worked, included Henri Verneuil, Jacques Deray, Claude Chabrol, George Roy Hill, Edouard Molinaro, José Giovanni, Philippe de Broca and Helmut Käutner.
 
Kolldehoff was used almost exclusively in supporting roles. His gigantic stature and his distinctive voice impressed the public for decades. His appearance predestined him for appearances as a "movie villain" and especially abroad for the type of the "ugly German". Although he took many such roles, Reinhard Kolldehoff was sometimes cast against his usual role type in unfamiliar contexts.
 
As a voice actor he lent among other things, Lex Barker (only in my wife's sake) and Sam Shepard (in In Days of Heaven ) his voice.
 
He appeared in only one Euro-western as René Kolldehoff in “Massacre at Fort Holman” (1972) as Sergeant Brent. His voice was heard as that of Ivan Novak’s in “Flaming Frontier” (1965) and Ilija Ivezic in “Rampage at Apache Wells” in the German film releases.
 
Reinhardt dies in Berlin from Parkinson’s disease on November 18, 1995.
 
Today we remember Reinhardt Koldehoff on what would have been his 100^th birthday.