Raimund Harmstorf
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| Raimund Harmstorf | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 7, 1939 Hamburg, Germany |
| Died | May 3, 1998 (aged 58) Marktoberdorf, Germany |
| Occupation | Actor |
Raimund Harmstorf (*7 October 1939 at Hamburg[1] - d. 3 May 1998 at Marktoberdorf) was a German actor. He became famous as the protagonist of a German TV mini series after Jack London's the Sea-Wolf (which was sold into many countries) and starred later on successfully in another German TV series after Jules Verne's Michael Strogoff.[2]
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[edit] Life
Harmstorf was the son of a medic from Hamburg. He started a sports career and early became a regional master of the decathlon. He then studied medicine, later music and performing arts. From the beginning of the 1960s he started performing in smaller TV productions. His breakthrough was in 1971 with the TV series The Sea-Wolf, after Jack London's novel, where he played the evil-minded Captain Larsen. Later he played in several spaghetti westerns along with Bud Spencer, Franco Nero and Charlton Heston.
[edit] Downfall
Early on tabloids learned that a substantial audience relished it when a man like Harmstorf was derided, as in this example: Harmstorf having to play a role where he is heavily ridiculed during arm-wrestling
Toward the end of his career he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and weakened by a regimen of heavy medication. His illness and vulnerability was greatly exploited by the tabloids. Like Princess Diana he eventually paid with his life for being haunted by paparazzi. His death caused a scandal [3]
German tabloids were investigated by German police who consequently stated that Harmstorf's suicide had been substantially promoted by certain tabloids.[4] In particular Bild was blamed because Bild [5] had already published Harmstorf's suicide on its main page before his actual death.[6] Harmstorf's girlfriend confirmed that the actor had obviously already been dismayed after he had read this article, even before these news had been patly quoted on Germany's popular TV channel RTL Television.[7]
[edit] Filmography
The following is a selection of Harmstorf's roles in film:
- 1971: Der Seewolf (The Sea-Wolf) - Wolf Larsen
- 1971: Semesterferien (TV series) Paul
- 1973: Zanna Bianca - Kurt Jansen
- 1975: Un genio, due compari, un pollo - Sergeant Milton
- 1975: Derrick - Season 2, Episode 5: "Zeichen der Gewalt" - Günter Hausmann
- 1976: Michel Strogoff - Michel Strogoff
- 1977: California - Rope Whittaker
- 1978: Quel maledetto treno blindato (The Inglorious Bastards) - Adolf Sachs
- 1978: Lo chiamavano Bulldozer - Sergeant Kempfer
- 1979: Uno sceriffo extraterrestre - poco extra e molto terrestre (The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid) - Capt. Briggs
- 1979: Derrick - Season 6, Episode 6: "Tandem" - Rudolf Nolde
- 1983: S.A.S. à San Salvador
[edit] External links
- Raimund Harmstorf at the Internet Movie Database
- Raimund Harmstorf on a page dedicated to Italian western films
- Fanpage
[edit] References
- ^ "Raimund Harmstorf wurde laut Grabinschrift am 07.10.1939 (alle anderen Quellen besagten bislang, er sei am 07.10.1940 geboren worden) in Hamburg geboren, wo er auch seine Kindheit verlebte". http://cinema-italiano-db.de/darsteller.php?darsteller=224. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
- ^ "Eine Paraderolle hatte Harmstorf 1976 im Fernsehen: Hier glänzte er mit der Titelrolle in dem ZDF-Vierteiler "Michael Strogoff" nach dem Roman "Der Kurier des Zaren" von Jules Verne". http://www.steffi-line.de/archiv_text/nost_filmdeutsch2/08h_harmstorf.htm. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
- ^ "Der Selbstmord von Raimund Harmstorf war auch ein Medienskandal.". http://www.focus.de/kultur/kino_tv/raimund-harmstorf-das-traurige-ende-des-seewolfs_aid_298791.html. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
- ^ "Die Polizei machte die Boulevardpresse mit verantwortlich für den Suizid". http://www.lichtblick99.de/aufsatz3.html. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
- ^ "Der Selbstmord von Harmstorf ist für die Bild der Super-Gau", sagt ein leitender "Bild"-Redakteur im Rückblick". http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/archiv/.bin/dump.fcgi/1998/0613/medien/0007/index.html. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
- ^ "RAIMUND HARMSTORF. ER ERHÄNGTE SICH AM 3. MAI 1998, EINEN TAG, NACHDEM BILD BERICHTET HATTE: "SEEWOLF RAIMUND HARMSTORF IN DER PSYCHIATRIE".". http://www.guenter-wallraff.com/5schicksale.html. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
- ^ "Wie groß die Macht von "Bild" wirklich ist, zeigte sich wenig später, als das RTL-Magazin "Explosiv" den "Bild"-Artikel aufgriff und zweieinhalb Millionen Zuschauer wissen ließ, daß sich Harmstorf nach einem blutigen Selbstmordversuch in der Psychiatrie befindet". http://www.stefan-niggemeier.de/blog/was-ddp-raimund-harmstorf-nicht-erspart/. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
