John (Hans) Eduard Wengraf

John formerly Hans Eduard WENGRAF: b. 23 April 1897, Wien - d. 4 May 1974, Santa Barbara

Information courtesy of various sources, especially family files and including the following:

Zitat: "Hans Wengraf war einer der meist beschäftigten Schauspieler des Burgtheaters, als man ihn am 11. März 1938 "beurlaubte“, seine Bezüge einstellte und seinen Vertrag kündigte. Bis dahin war die Bühnenkarriere des als Liebhaber und Bonvivant zum Wiener Publikumsliebling aufgestiegenen, erfolgreich auch als Regisseur tätigen Künstlers so verlaufen, wie er es sich als theaterbesessener junger Mann aus liberaler, großbürgerlicher Familie jüdischer Herkunft wohl erträumt hatte: Einige Monate privater Schauspielunterricht, erste Engagements an Wiener Bühnen, danach Erfolge an ersten deutschen Bühnen - Frankfurt, Hamburg -, bis sich 1932 das Burgtheater meldete. Hans Wengrafs Weg ins Exil führte über Paris und London nach New York und schließlich nach Hollywood. Für ihn stand trotz aller Schwierigkeiten fest, seinen Beruf auch in der, mit bemerkenswerter Zielstrebigkeit perfektionierten, fremden Sprache in der "neuen Heimat“ als John E. Wengraf weiterhin auszuüben. Er zählt zu den wenigen, die dieses Ziel - auf der Bühne und vor allem im Hollywood-Kino - erreicht haben. Aus der Perspektive des Theatermenschen, aber auch als kritischer Zeitzeuge verfasste Hans Wengraf 1962 seine im Feuilletonstil der Jahrhundertwende gehaltenen Memoiren. Kommentiert und annotiert von Hilde Haider-Pregler." Quelle: https://www.amazon.de/Die-Maske-Autobiografisches-Schauspieler-Regi...

Publikation: „Die Maske ab: Autobiografisches zu Hans Wengraf - Schauspieler und Regisseur“. Taschenbuch – Juni 2008. von Hilde Haider-Pregler (Herausgeber), Hans Wengraf (Autor)

Much information about Hans (John) Wengraf is from family archives (see below)

cf. also: An article on Hans (John) Wengraf appears in the recently released publication:

Stern, Frank (Hrsg.): Feuchtwanger und Exil. Glaube und Kultur 1933-1945. «Der Tag wird kommen» Stern, Frank (Hrsg.) Feuchtwanger und Exil Glaube und Kultur 1933-1945. «Der Tag wird kommen» Reihe: Feuchtwanger Studies – Band 2 Erscheinungsjahr: 2011 Peter Lang – Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften Oxford, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Frankfurt am Main, New York, Wien, 2011. XVIII, 509 S., zahlr. Abb. ISBN 978-3-0343-0188-6 br. ISBN 978-3-0353-0156-4 (eBook)

This piece particularly concentrates on the years of exile and features not only Hans Wengraf but also his sister Erny Walk and brother-in-law Leo Walk and their daughter Lisl.. It was wonderfully written - the characters really come to life on the page - by Frau Professor Dr. Hilde Haider-Pregler and is significantly based on family correspondence of the time. – Hilde Haider-Pregler: Hans Wengraf, Schauspieler und Regisseur: Sein Weg ins Exil als Aufbruch in eine «neue Heimat»

Work is still in progress on a book containing Hans Wengraf's memoirs with supplementary material and comments.

also ... but some information is NOT exact ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wengraf

N.B. THE FOLLOWING NOW BEARS SOME CORRECTIONS OF ERRORS IN THIS WIKIPEDIA ENTRY:

John Wengraf (23 April 1897, Vienna, Austria-Hungary – May 4, 1974 in Santa Barbara, California) was an Austrian Actor.

Wengraf emigrated to England in 1938 as the Nazis took over Austria. Wengraf appeared unbilled in a couple of films, as well as in some of the first BBC live-television shows ever presented. In 1941 he appeared on Broadway with Helen Hayes in "Candle in the Wind" and decided to stay in the US. The following year he settled in the Los Angeles area.

He found himself invariably playing the very characters he detested. Some of his more nefarious nasties surfaced in such films as the Humphrey Bogart classic Sahara (1943/I), as well as "The Boy from Stalingrad" (1943), "U-Boat Prisoner" (1944) and "Till We Meet Again" (1944).

In postwar years, he portrayed ethnic professionals (scientists, doctors, professors, foreign royalty). Some of the more quality pictures he enhanced were "Tomorrow Is Forever" (1946); Count Von Papen in "5 Fingers" (1952); and Ronchin in the Ethel Merman musical "Call Me Madam" (1953). In the 1950s and 1960s he transferred his talents to TV, appearing on a number of dramatic showcases and on such popular programs as "The Untouchables" (1959), "Hawaiian Eye" (1959), "The Man from U.N.C.L.E" (1964) and "The Time Tunnel" (1966). His last few films included minor roles in the war-themed "Judgment at Nuremberg" (1961), "Hitler" (1962) and "Ship of Fools" (1965).

Wengraf retired in 1966, and died in Santa Barbara, California, at age 77, on May 4, 1974.

External links -- John Wengraf at the Internet Movie Database

cf. mainly family records:

Address at birth was Wien Stadt 379, Salvatorgasse 6. His family moved to Wien IX, Grünetorgasse 16, when he was about one year-old.

Between 1917 and 1918, from the age of 20, he was a recruit rising to status of officer in Austrian cavalry based especially in Romania.

In 1920, aged about 23, Hans became an actor at the Komödienhaus, Renaissance Bühne, Volkstheater in Wien. (N.B. in 1920: theatre summer season in Marienbad (Czech. Rep.))

Between 1923 and 1931, from the age of 26, he was an actor/director at theThalia-Theater, Hamburg, with short spells at the Neues Theater, Frankfurt in Hamburg & Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany.

Between 1923 and 1938, from the age of 26, he was a performer who also appeared in several films & made a few phonograph records etc. in Austria & Germany.

Between 1931 and 1938, from the age of 34, he was an actor/director at the Burgtheater, Vienna in Wien.

Exile in March 1938, aged 40, from Wien to London/England. He fled Vienna alone via Switzerland and Paris.

Between May 1938 and July 1940, from the age of 41, Hans was an employee working as the "Austrian Voice" for BBC Radio anti-Nazi propaganda programmes, appeared in minor roles in a couple of English films, and was also involved in some work for televised plays by the BBC. in London.

Hans - who had now assumed the name of "John" - departed for New York, U.S.A., in March 1939. He contracted pneumonia on the voyage over and fell desperately ill, remaining in critical condition in hospital for some months. He returned to convalesce in England in July 1939.

After returning to the U.S.A. in July 1940, Hans had a lucky break in a first stage success on Broadway (and then on tour throughout the States) in Maxwell Anderson's "Candle in the Wind". in New York.

Between 1942 and 1974, from the age of 45, Hans became an American citizen who settled for good in California. He established himself as quite a sought-after "character actor", specialising in "foreign parts". He performed various acting roles in Hollywood movies, TV plays & series, stage productions. He also had some success in his own night-club act, singing Lieder & Chansons etc. in California.

Hans died on 4 May 1974, aged 77, in Santa Barbara. He was buried on 7 July 1974 in Wien, Gersthofer Friedhof: 2-2-8. (alongside his beloved father, Edmund Wengraf)

The following information is also recorded for Hans. Religion: Protestant.

Marriage to Irma Brandt on 3 July 1926, aged 29, in Hamburg; Separation about 1928, aged about 31, in Hamburg; Divorce about 1930, aged about 33, in Hamburg. Second marriage in 1943, aged about 46, in California. Second divorce in circa 1970.

cf. basic marriage data in Hamburg marriages index:

Heiraten 1926

Generalregister Heiraten A-Kw 1926 (Best. 332-5 Nr. 47040)
Generalregister Heiraten L-Z 1926 (Best. 332-5 Nr. 47040)

His hobbies included oil painting - particularly in his later years in California. All of his life he had fun doing practical D.I.Y. tasks and very much enjoyed writing ... poetry, scripts, letters ...

Addresses: About 1925, aged about 28, Hans resided at Hartwickusstrasse 8, Hamburg. About 1926, aged about 29, he resided at Ottostrasse 10/III, Frankfurt. About 1927, aged about 30, he resided at Isestrasse 69, Hamburg. Between 1929 and 1930, from the age of 32, Hans resided at Heidberg 58, Hamburg, & Hamburg 39. About 1937, aged about 40, he resided at Wien 8, Josefstädterstrasse 34. Between 1942 and 1943, from the age of 45, he resided at 1770, Orchid Avenue, Hollywood. After 1943, when older than 46, he resided at 1761 Orange Grove Avenue, Hollywood. In 1974, aged about 77, Hans resided at 122 West Arrelaga Street, Santa Barbara.

Various further details:

First arrival in USA: 28.03.1939, SS American Trader from London, England

New York passenger listings:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-95N9-3SZQ?i=278&cc...

Profession given as "producer, actor".

Next page - contact people:

Departure: "mother" Marianne WENGRAF, Lerchenfelderstrasse 81, Vienna

Arrival: "friend" Julius STEGER, Gramercy Park, NYC

Second arrival in USA: 06.07.1940 on SS Samaria from Liverpool

New York passenger listings:

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G5J3-9HRH?i=512&cc...

Profession given as "actor, producer"

Next page - contact people.

Departure: "friend" Mr. Hamilton GAY, Ealing Studios Ltd., Ealing Green, London W5

Arrival: "friend" Julius STEGER, 15 Gramercy Park, NYC