
John Wengraf
Known for Acting · 66 credits
- Born
- 1897-04-22
- Died
- 1974-05-04
- Place of birth
- Vienna, Austria-Hungary, now Austria
Biography
Emigrating to England in 1933 as the Nazis began their rise to power, Wengraf appeared unbilled in a couple of films there, as well as in some of the first BBC live-television shows ever presented but his career began to languish. In late 1941, however, he had the good fortune of appearing on Broadway with Helen Hayes in "Candle in the Wind" and decided to stay. The following year he headed west and settled permanently in the Los Angeles area. A dark, cold-eyed, thin-lipped player with a precise, meticulous air about him, 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 was often spotted portraying 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). Although Wengraf never made it to the very top of the Hollywood character ranks, he remained a throughly strong and reliable player. 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). He retired in 1966, and died in Santa Barbara, California, at age 77, on May 4, 1974.
Known For
TV Shows (22)

Matinee Theater
1955
Four Star Playhouse
1952
as Denoir

Hawaiian Eye
1959

77 Sunset Strip
1958

Bat Masterson
1958
as Colonel Anders Dorn

One Step Beyond
1959
as Ernest / Felix Borgner

The Millionaire
1955
as Count Victor Turec

Telephone Time
1956

The Detectives
1959
as Varchek

The Time Tunnel
1966
as Dr. Hans Kleinemann

The Danny Thomas Show
1953
as Victor Waingraft
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Landau / Max von Mayerling

Cavalcade of America
1952
as German Colonel / Von Schwarz

The Third Man
1959

The Rogues
1964
as Drozhin

Behind Closed Doors
1958
as Von Elm

Bourbon Street Beat
1959

Panic!
1957

Dangerous Assignment
1952

The Walter Winchell File
1957

Jericho
1966

General Electric Theater
1953
Movies (44)

Judgment at Nuremberg
1961
as Karl Wieck

Sahara
1943
as Maj. von Falken

T-Men
1947
as 'Shiv' Triano

The Razor's Edge
1946
as Joseph - Gray & Isabel's Butler

The Prize
1963
as Hans Eckhart

Ship of Fools
1965
as Graf

Lucky Jordan
1942
as Herr Kesselman

The Racers
1955
as Dr. Tabor

The Disembodied
1957
as Dr. Carl Metz

Tomorrow Is Forever
1946
as Dr. Ludwig

The Pride and the Passion
1957
as Sermaine

5 Fingers
1952
as Count Franz Von Papen

Never Say Goodbye
1956
as Prof. Zimmelman

Hell and High Water
1954
as Col. Schuman (uncredited)

The Desert Rats
1953
as German Doctor (uncredited)

Wake of the Red Witch
1948
as Prosecuting Attorney

Week-End at the Waldorf
1945
as Alex

Night Train to Munich
1940
as KL Physician (uncredited)

Mission to Moscow
1943
as Polish Ambassador Grzybowski (uncredited)

Tropic Zone
1953
as Lukats

Portrait in Black
1960
as Dr. Kessler

The Seventh Cross
1944
as Overkamp

Sealed Verdict
1948
as German Doctor

The Return of Dracula
1958
as John Merriman

Sailors Three
1940
as German Captain

Convoy
1940
as Commander Deutschland

Valerie
1957
as Mr. Louis Horvat

Gog
1954
as Dr. Zeitman

Paris Playboys
1954
as Vidal

12 to the Moon
1960
as Dr. Erich Heinrich

Strange Affair
1944
as Rudolph Kruger

The Gambler from Natchez
1954
as Nicholas Cadiz

Dangerous Comment
1940
as German Radio Operator

The Lovable Cheat
1949
as Pierquin

The French Line
1954
as Commodore Renard

Hitler
1962
as Dr. Morell

Sofia
1948
as Peter Goltzen

Till We Meet Again
1944
as Gestapo Chief

Oh, Men! Oh, Women!
1957
as Dr. Krauss
The Moon in the Yellow River
1938
as Tausch

The Boy from Stalingrad
1943
as German Major

U-Boat Prisoner
1944
as Gunther Rudehoff, Gestapo Agent

Bretter, die die Welt bedeuten
1935
as Paul Rainer

All Hands
1940
as German
About John Wengraf
Emigrating to England in 1933 as the Nazis began their rise to power, Wengraf appeared unbilled in a couple of films there, as well as in some of the first BBC live-television shows ever presented but his career began to languish. In late 1941, however, he had the good fortune of appearing on Broadway with Helen Hayes in "Candle in the Wind" and decided to stay. The following year he headed west and settled permanently in the Los Angeles area. A dark, cold-eyed, thin-lipped player with a precise, meticulous air about him, he found himself inva… With 66 credits spanning from 1935 to 1966, John Wengraf has appeared in 44 films and 22 TV shows.
Fans searching for John Wengraf movies, John Wengraf filmography, or the latest projects starring John Wengraf can stream many of these titles on CineFlixo, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular John Wengraf Movies
- Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) — as Karl Wieck
- Sahara (1943) — as Maj. von Falken
- T-Men (1947) — as 'Shiv' Triano
- The Razor's Edge (1946) — as Joseph - Gray & Isabel's Butler
- The Prize (1963) — as Hans Eckhart
Where to Watch John Wengraf Films
Most John Wengraf movies and series are available to stream on CineFlixo in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring John Wengraf, check our movies catalogue and browse page.