Little Known Spaghetti Western actors ~ Viktor de Kowa

[These daily posts will cover little known actors or people that have appeared in more recent films and TV series. Various degrees of information that I was able to find will be given and anything that you can add would be appreciated.]

Viktor De Kowa was born Viktor Paul Karl Kowarzik on March 8, 1904, in Hochkirch/Löbau, Saxony, Germany. The son of a farmer and engineer, his family moved to Seifersdorf near Dippoldiswalde in Saxony in 1908 and to Chemnitz in 1913. De Kowa joined a cadet corps before he began occupational training as a graphic designer. Having attended drama classes with Erich Ponto, he gave his acting debut at the Staatstheater Dresden in 1922. After appearances in Lübeck, Frankfurt and Hamburg, de Kowa entered the stages of the Volksbühne and the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, as well as of the Prussian State Theatre under Gustaf Gründgens.

He had a first small film appearance in Nils Olaf Chrisander's “Der Herzensdieb” in 1927 and subsequently became one of the leading comic actors of the UFA film industry. During the Third Reich he joined the Nazi Party, directing the propaganda movie “Kopf hoch, Johannes!” in 1941. The film idealized the education of the German youth in National Political Institutes of Education, which earned de Kowa an entry on the Gottbegnadeten list to evade his Wehrmacht conscription, though Minister Goebbels was disillusioned with his directing.

Despite his involvement in Nazi cinema, de Kowa's film and theatre career quickly proceeded after the war. In 1945 he became director of the Berlin Tribüne theatre and an ensemble member of the Vienna Burgtheater from 1956 to 1962. As chairman of the trade unions for art, culture and media, he was also a board director of the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB).

De Kowa appeared in only one Euro-western: “Winnetou und sein Freund Old Firehand” (Thunder at the Border) in 1966 as Robert Ravenhurst

Viktor died in Berlin Germany on April 8, 1973. He was 69.

de KOWA, Viktor (Viktor Paul Karl Kowarzik) [3/8/1904, Hochkirch/Löbau, Saxony, Germany – 4/8/ 1973, West Berlin, Berlin West Germany (cancer)] – producer, director, writer, theater, film actor, singer, married to actress Ursula Grabley (Ursula Margarete Marie Feodora Grabley) [1908–1977] (1926-1941), married to actress Michiko Tanaka (Mikiko Meinl) [1913–1988] (1941-1973).

Thunder at the Border – 1966 (Robert Ravenhurst)