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Erich Ponto

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Occupation
  
Actor

Name
  
Erich Ponto

Years active
  
1908–1957

Role
  
Film actor


Full Name
  
Erich Johannes Bruno Ponto

Born
  
14 December 1884 (
1884-12-14
)
Free City of Lubeck, German Empire

Resting place
  
Tolkewitz cemetery, Dresden

Children
  
Eva Doering (born 1918), Klaus Ponto (born 1927), Manoel Ponto (born 1950)

Awards
  
Baden-Wurttemberg State actor (1952) Federal Cross of Merit (1954) Deutscher Filmpreis (1956)

Died
  
February 14, 1957, Stuttgart, Germany

Spouse
  
Tony Kresse (m. 1916–1957)

Movies
  
The Third Man, Die Feuerzangenbowle, Sky Without Stars, The Rothschilds, The Four Companions

Erich Johannes Bruno Ponto (14 December 1884 – 14 February 1957) was a German film and stage actor.

Contents

Life

Erich Ponto was born in Lubeck as the son of a merchant. After his family had moved to Hamburg-Eimsbuttel, he attended the gymnasium secondary school in Altona and upon his Abitur exam began a study of pharmacy at the University of Munich, where he went to lectures delivered by Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen. Passionate about acting already during his studying, he took drama lessons from 1906.

Ponto gave his debut on stage at the Stadttheater Passau in 1908, followed by engagements in Nordhausen, Reichenberg (Liberec), and Dusseldorf. From 1914 to 1947 he was a member of the Hoftheater Dresden ensemble (Staatstheater Dresden from 1918), in the season 1946/47 also as intendant. On stage his best known role was that of J.J. Peachum in the original production of The Threepenny Opera in 1928. He won the title of a Staatsschauspieler in 1938, the highest title that could be awarded to a stage actor in Nazi-Germany.

Ponto's film career only took off when he was already over 50 years old, but he became a well-known character actor in German cinema of the 1930s and 1940s, often in eccentric or villanous roles. He played Mayer Amschel Rothschild in the anti-semitic Nazi film The Rothschilds (1940) and portrayed a curious school teacher in Die Feuerzangenbowle (1944) with Heinz Ruhmann, widely regarded as a great film classic in Germany. After World War II he appeared in Carol Reeds British thriller The Third Man (1949), where he played the doctor of Orson Welles in a supporting role. In 1955 Ponto won a "Film Award in Silver" as the best male actor in a supporting role for Himmel ohne Sterne (1955). He worked until his death.

In 1916 he married Tony Kresse, they had two children. Ponto was the acting coach of Gert Frobe of Goldfinger fame. His final film was Der Stern von Afrika, released in the year of his death. He died at the age of 72 after a long cancer illness. Erich Ponto was the uncle of Dresdner Bank general director Jurgen Ponto, who was murdered in 1977.

Erich Ponto in the Web

Erich Ponto at the Internet Movie Database

Songs

Die 3 Groschenoper: Finale
Overture Und Moritat Von Mackie: IX Ballade Vom Angenehmen Leben
Leiben Von Der Uzulanglichkeit: III Wie Man Sie Bettet
Overture Und Moritat Von Mackie: II Die Moritat Von Mackie Masser
Leiben Von Der Uzulanglichkeit: V Das Nachtgespenst
Die Dreigroschenoper: Liebeslied
Leiben Von Der Uzulanglichkeit: VI Peter
Overture Und Moritat Von Mackie: X Eifersuchts Duet
Lied von der Unzulanglichkeit menschlichen Strebens - aus der 'Dreigroschenoper'
Die 3 Groschenoper: Liebeslied
Leiben Von Der Uzulanglichkeit: IV Alabama Song
Die 3 Groschenoper: Lied von der Unzulaenglichkeit Menschlichen Sterbens
Die Dreigroschenoper: Lied von der Unzulanglichkeit des menschlichen Strebens
Overture Und Moritat Von Mackie: VI Erstes Dre
Leiben Von Der Uzulanglichkeit: I Ds Menschlichen Strebe
Overture Und Moritat Von Mackie: VIII Zuhalter Ballade
Overture Und Moritat Von Mackie: I Messer
Die Dreigroschenoper: Erstes Dreigroschen - Finale
Lied Des Gauklers
Finale/1st Finale
Overture Und Moritat Von Mackie: VII Abscheid
Lied von der Unzulanglichkeit menschlichen Strebens
Gluck Doch Nicht Immer Dem: I Tangogeiger Hin
Liebeslied/Love Song
Gluck Doch Nicht Immer Dem: III Vom Seeman Kuttel Daddeldu
Overture Und Moritat Von Mackie: III Kanonen Song
Overture Und Moritat Von Mackie: V Liebeslied
Overture Und Moritat Von Mackie: IV Liebeslied
Lied von der Unzulanglichkeit des menschlichen Strebens: Die Dreigroschenoper
Gluck Doch Nicht Immer Dem: II Jonny
Overture Und Moritat Von Mackie: XI Zweites Dreigroschen - Finale
Leiben Von Der Uzulanglichkeit: II Moritat Und Schlusschoral

Filmography

Actor
1957
Der Stern von Afrika as
Ein alter Franzose
1957
The Zurich Engagement (uncredited)
1957
The Girl and the Legend as
Daniel Defoe
1957
Made in Germany - Die dramatische Geschichte des Hauses Zeiss as
Professor Virchow
1956
Eine Christuslegende (TV Short) as
Narrator
1956
Wenn wir alle Engel wären as
Amtsrichter
1956
Ballerina as
Schimanski, Pförtner
1955
Sky Without Stars as
Vater Otto Kaminski
1954
Die goldene Pest as
Dr. Sierich
1954
Die verschwundene Miniatur
1954
Kinderbücher für Erwachsene (TV Series) as
Narrator
- Das Triptychon von den Heiligen Drei Königen (1954) - Narrator
1954
Keine Angst vor Schwiegermüttern
1954
Flying Classroom as
Der Sanitätsrat
1954
...und ewig bleibt die Liebe
1954
Sauerbruch - Das war mein Leben as
Chefarzt Psychiatrie
1953
Hocuspocus as
Mr. Arthur Graham
1953
Keine Angst vor großen Tieren as
Polizei-Kommissar
1953
Tobias Knopp, Abenteuer eines Junggesellen as
Plünne (voice)
1952
Die große Versuchung as
Professor Dr. Gandolphi
1952
Der weißblaue Löwe as
Regierungspräsident
1952
Mönche, Mädchen und Panduren as
Fellerer, Goldschmied
1952
Haus des Lebens as
Geheimrat Merk
1952
Wochenend im Paradies as
Giersdorfs Onkel
1952
No Greater Love as
Minister
1951
Primanerinnen as
Krautkopf
1951
Veronika, die Magd
1951
Das fremde Leben as
Prokurist Knopp
1950
Frauenarzt Dr. Prätorius as
Professor Speiter
1950
Geliebter Lügner as
Plage
1949
Hans im Glück
1949
Schicksal aus zweiter Hand as
Professor Sapis
1949
Verspieltes Leben as
Mathematik-Professor
1949
The Third Man as
Dr. Winkel
1949
Liebe '47 as
Alter Mann
1948
Palace Scandal as
Serenissimus
1948
Die kupferne Hochzeit as
Alter Lehrer
1948
Secrets of a Soul as
Wissenschaftler
1948
Film Without a Name as
Herr Schichtholz
1947
Zwischen gestern und morgen as
Professor von Walther
1945
Der Fall Molander as
Dannemann
1945
Der Scheiterhaufen
1945
Am Abend nach der Oper as
Stephan Schneider
1944
Der Engel mit dem Saitenspiel as
Barnabas, Diener bei Strengholt
1944
Philharmoniker as
Straehle
1944
Der Meisterdetektiv as
Gutsbesitzer Theobald Langendorff
1944
The Punch Bowl as
Professor Crey - called Schnauz
1943
Die beiden Schwestern as
Adolph Menzel
1943
Ein glücklicher Mensch as
Pauly
1942
Diesel as
Theodor Diesel
1942
Der große Schatten as
Oswald Siebel
1942
Anschlag auf Baku as
Jenssen, dänischer Ölherr in Baku
1942
Der Fall Rainer as
Hotelwirt
1942
Die Nacht in Venedig as
Direktor Arnold Richard Schmitz, Parfümfabrikant
1941
Das andere Ich as
Geheimrat Wuellner
1941
Leichte Muse as
Chorleiter Palitsch
1941
I accuse as
Professor Werther
1941
Blutsbrüderschaft as
Direktor Gösch
1940
The Heart of a Queen as
Der Gaukler (Singer)
1940
Das Fräulein von Barnhelm as
Wirt
1940
Kleider machen Leute
1940
Achtung! Feind hört mit! as
Monsieur Bock
1940
Wie konntest Du, Veronika! as
Bankier
1940
Aus erster Ehe as
Professor Skutor
1940
Die Rothschilds as
Mayer Amschel Rothschild
1940
Der Feuerteufel as
Kaiser Napoleon Bonaparte
1939
In letzter Minute as
Alexander Piepenbrink
1939
Schneider Wibbel as
Schneider Anton Wibbel
1939
Hallo Janine as
M. Pamion
1938
Dreizehn Mann und eine Kanone
1938
The Four Companions as
Regierungsrat Alfred Hintze
1938
Am seidenen Faden as
Theodor Kalbach
1938
Das Geheimnis um Betty Bonn as
Kapitän Spurling
1937
Tango Notturno as
Ein armer Kerl
1937
The Hound of the Baskervilles as
Stapleton
1936
The Final Chord as
Vorsitzender des Schwurgerichts
1936
Die letzten Vier von Santa Cruz as
Alexander Ghazaroff
1935
Der Gefangene des Königs as
Friseur
1935
Das Mädchen Johanna as
Lord Talbot
1934
Liebe, Tod und Teufel as
The Old Man
1931
Der Mann, der den Mord beging as
Boucher - franz. Gesandter
1931
Woman in the Jungle as
Joyce
1929
1. Klangfilm (Short)
1921
Der Geiger von Meißen
1920
Hampelmanns Glückstag (Short)
Writer
1965
Trilltrall und seine Brüder (TV Movie) (play)
Soundtrack
1940
The Heart of a Queen (performer: "Nur nicht dran denken, nichts soll uns kränken")
Self
1954
Erich Ponto rezitiert 'Reinecke Fuchs' (TV Movie) as
Self - Narrator
1953
Das Künstlerporträt (TV Series documentary) as
Self
1949
Der Griff nach dem Atom (Documentary short) as
Der Physiker / Narrator
Archive Footage
1992
Historiska teaterpremiärer (TV Mini Series documentary) as
Mr. Pechum
- Bertolt Brecht's "Threepenny Opera" at the Theater am Schifferbauerdamm in 1928. (1992) - Mr. Pechum
1963
Lieblinge unserer Eltern (TV Series documentary) as
Self
1955
Das Künstlerporträt (TV Series documentary) as
Self
- Erich Ponto (1955) - Self

References

Erich Ponto Wikipedia