Occupation Actor Name Charles Puffy | Years active 1914-1938 Role Film actor | |
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Full Name Karoly Hochstadt Other names Karl HuszarCharles Huszar-PuffyKarl Huszar-PuffyKaroly Huszar Movies The Blue Angel, Dr Mabuse the Gambler, I Kiss Your Hand - Madame, Destiny, Mockery Similar People Erich Pommer, Karl Vollmoller, Otto Hunte, Josef von Sternberg, Alexander Korda | ||
CHARLES PUFFY
Charles Puffy (3 November 1884 – 1942 or 1943) born Karoly Hochstadt in Budapest, was a Hungarian film actor. He appeared in 134 films between 1914 and 1938. He was the only slapstick star in Hungary's silent film era, appearing under the name "Pufi" (meaning "Fatty" in Hungarian, referring to his weight). His other stage names were "Karoly Huszar" or "Pufi Huszar". Besides his work on films, he frequently appeared on stage, mostly in comical roles.
Later, he worked in films in both Germany and the United States, including such classics as Fritz Lang's Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler (Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler) (1922) and Josef von Sternberg's Der blaue Engel (The Blue Angel) (1930). He used the names "Karl Huszar", "Karl Huszar-Puffy" or "Charles Puffy". In the sound era, he returned to his native Hungary, where he was featured in smaller roles in a number of films.
Puffy was Jewish, and decided to flee Hungary when the Holocaust started. He and his wife tried to get away to the United States, but Puffy died mid-way, in Tokyo, Japan. Other sources say that he and his wife were captured by the Red Army and imprisoned in a Gulag in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Puffy participated in the camp's amateur acting company, but after one year in capture, he died of diphtheria.