Theo Lingen

Theo Lingen (10 June 1903 – 10 November 1978), born Franz Theodor Schmitz, was a German actor, film director and screenwriter. He appeared in more than 230 films between 1929 and 1978, and directed 21 films between 1936 and 1960.
Life and career
Lingen was born the son of a lawyer in the city of Hanover, and grew up there. He attended the Royal Goethe Gymnasium – the predecessor of the Goethe School – in Hanover, but left before taking the Abitur (final exams). His theatrical talent was discovered during rehearsals for a school performance at the Schauburg boulevard theatre.
Beginning his professional stage career, the young actor adopted as a stage name his middle name together with that of the birthplace of his father, Lingen in the North German Emsland region. As "Theo Lingen" he performed at theatres at Hanover, Halberstadt, Münster and Frankfurt; in plays like The Importance of Being Earnest he very quickly earned a reputation as a superb character comedian, distinguished by his characteristic nasal speech. This distinction followed him when he began appearing in films in 1929, often together with the Viennese actor Hans Moser, since together they made a contrasting pair. In 1929 he was invited by Bertolt Brecht to the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm in Berlin, where he performed as Macheath in The Threepenny Opera. He starred in drama films like M and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse directed by Fritz Lang.
In February 1928, Lingen's daughter, Ursula, was born to Bertold Brecht's then wife Marianne Zoff (1893–1984). Brecht and Zoff divorced in September; Lingen and Zoff married later the same year, they also raised Zoff's elder daughter Hanne. Conditions worsened after the Machtergreifung of 30 January 1933: Because Zoff was of Jewish descent, which under the Nazi regime usually resulted in a professional disqualification (Berufsverbot), Lingen thought about going into exile. However, because of his great popularity with the general public he was given a special permit by Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels to continue to perform and was able to protect his wife from persecution. In 1936 Gustaf Gründgens placed Lingen at the ensemble of the Berlin Prussian State Theatre. He also directed films like Hauptsache glücklich (1941) starring Heinz Rühmann.
In 1944 Lingen moved to Vienna, and in view of the approaching Red Army retired to his cottage at Strobl on the Wolfgangsee shortly afterwards. Here for a few days in May 1945, he acted as de facto mayor, when he managed to disempower the local Nazi authorities and surrendered to the US Army at St. Gilgen. Lingen's measures were followed by the liberation of King Leopold III of Belgium and his wife by the 106th Cavalry Regiment.
After the war he became a naturalised Austrian citizen, and from 1948 worked as a character actor at the Vienna Burgtheater and appeared frequently onstage in Germany, most notably in Carl Sternheim satires directed by Rudolf Noelte. Foremost however he pursued his film career, performing in numerous comedies of varied quality, in his later days of the 1970s also on television, for example as a presenter for Laurel and Hardy films.
Theo Lingen died of cancer in 1978 at the age of 75 in Vienna. The city of Vienna dedicated a grave to him at the Zentralfriedhof. The municipalities of Strobl and Lingen (in 2007) have named squares in his honor.
Selected filmography
Dolly Gets Ahead (1930) - Conny Coon
(1930) - Charles
Die große Sehnsucht (1930) - Self - Theo Lingen
The Flute Concert of Sanssouci (1930) - Kent
The Firm Gets Married (1931) - Reisender Philipps
M (1931) - Bauernfänger
No More Love (1931) - Rhinelander
My Wife, the Impostor (1931) - Manager Ileanas
Ronny (1931)
Man Equals Man (1931, documentary of stage production) - Uria Shelley
You Don't Forget Such a Girl (1932) - Hahnen Jr.
Two Heavenly Blue Eyes (1932) - Mr. Bottlekeeper
The Ladies Diplomat (1932) - Drage
The Countess of Monte Cristo (1932) - Etagenkellner
A Mad Idea (1932) - Oberkellner
Modern Dowry (1932) - Brömmel - Autoverkäufer
Gypsies of the Night (1932) - Theo
Frederica (1932) - Lachender Herr
The Testament of Cornelius Gulden (1932) - Edgar Magnussen
(1932) - Köppke, Redakteur
Spell of the Looking Glass (1932) - Rosnowsky, Finanzagent
Das Abenteuer der Thea Roland (1932)
A City Upside Down (1933) - Fred
The Big Bluff (1933) - Der Pressechef
Marion, That's Not Nice (1933) - Der 2.Reklamechef bei Satorius
And Who Is Kissing Me? (1933) - Der Inspizient
Die kleine Schwindlerin (1933) - Der Sohn
The Peak Scaler (1933) - Ein Kellner
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) - Karetzky
The Escape to Nice (1933) - Herr Bock
Little Man, What Now? (1933) - Der Verkäufer
Love Must Be Understood (1933) - Hotel-Emil
(1933) - 1. Gast Lissys
Waltz War (1933) - Sir Phillips
Little Girl, Great Fortune (1933) - Benzig, Besitzer der Audag
Höllentempo (1933) - Harald Löns
Zwei im Sonnenschein (1933) - Der Verkäufer
Her Highness the Saleswoman (1933) - Felix
Das Lied vom Glück (1933) - Francois, Haushofmeister
(1933) - Teddy Flink
The Hunter from Kurpfalz (1933) - Schröder
The Grand Duke's Finances (1934) - Fuerst Potemkin
Financial Opportunists (1934) - Glaser, Grundstücksspekulant
Ich kenn' dich nicht und liebe dich (1934) - Diener Stephan
A Precocious Girl (1934) - Anton, Diener bei Dr. Werner
The Double (1934) - Detektiv Superbus
Ein Mädel wirbelt durch die Welt (1934) - Hugo Kühlemann, Prokurist
My Heart Calls You (1934) - Coq, sein Sekretär
The Flower Girl from the Grand Hotel (1934) - Thumser, Spielleiter
...heute abend bei mir (1934) - Flipp, the servant
Paganini (1934) - Ihr Hofmarschall Pimpinelli
Schön ist es, verliebt zu sein (1934) - Oberkeller im 'Tabarin'
(1934) - Flint, Impressario
Liebe dumme Mama (1934) - Fischer
The Prodigal Son (1934)
Spring Parade (1934) - Baron Zorndorf
(1934) - Heinrich Wittekind
Ich sehne mich nach dir (1934) - Pelle
(1934) - Augustin Schöpser, Ballettmeister
(1935) - Hitzinger, Konzertagent
Die Katz' im Sack (1935) - Tiwi Dollin, ihr Vetter
Winter Night's Dream (1935) - Kautz
Ein falscher Fuffziger (1935) - Karl Lehmann
Der Schlafwagenkontrolleur (1935) - Alois
Heaven on Earth (1935) - Theaterdirektor Platzer
Wer wagt - gewinnt (1935)
Ich liebe alle Frauen (1935) - Hans Heinz Hinz
Das Einmaleins der Liebe (1935) - Melchior Feuerfuchs
The Valley of Love (1935) - Der Keuschheitskommissar
The White Horse Inn (1935) - Kommerzienrat Fürst
Held einer Nacht (1935) - Oberlehrer Schneemilch
Miguel Strogoff (1936) - Harry Blount, British journalist
The Czar's Courier (1936)
Ungeküsst soll man nicht schlafen gehn (1936) - Direktor Toni Miller
(1936) - Justin
Thank You, Madame (1936) - Der Diener
Der verkannte Lebemann (1936) - Fritz Bolke - Diener bei Schröder
Fräulein Veronika (1936) - Fuchs - Abteilungschef
A Wedding Dream (1936) - Prinz von Illyrien
Die Leute mit dem Sonnenstich (1936) - Thomas Bruckmann - Kompagnon des Konsuls
Es geht um mein Leben (1936) - Fritz Schlemke
Madona in Warenhaus (1936)
(1937) - Diener Haßler
Premiere (1937) - Inspizient Dornbusch
Dangerous Game (1937) - Paul Hoffmann
Heiratsinstitut Ida & Co (1937) - Dr. Linke
Die unentschuldigte Stunde (1937) - Fritz Ortmann - Lehramtskandidat
Fremdenheim Filoda (1937) - Paul 'Bulli' Trinkmeyer
Die Austernlilli (1937) - Lucien Mercour, ein Revue-Autor
The Charm of La Boheme (1937) - Aristide Boupon
Die verschwundene Frau (1937)
Die verschwundene Frau (1937)
The Tiger of Eschnapur (1938) - Emil Sperling, Mitarbeiter Fürbringers
Immer wenn ich glücklich bin..! (1938) - Schnuller, Ballettmeister
The Indian Tomb (1938) - Emil Sperling
(1938) - Kurt Stegemann
Diskretion – Ehrensache (1938) - Lord Benton
Der Optimist (1938)
Dir gehört mein Herz (German-language version, 1938) - Luigi
The Stars Shine (1938) - Himself
Dance on the Volcano (1938) - Graf Cambouilly
Marionette (Italian-language version, 1939) - Luigi
Drunter und drüber (1939)
(1939) - Gepke - Sekretär
Eine Frau für Drei (1939) - Karl Findeisen
Hochzeitsreise zu dritt (1939) - Klinke
Opera Ball (1939) - Diener Philipp
Rote Mühle (1940)
The Unfaithful Eckehart (1940) - Eckehart, Schwiegerson
(1940) - Dr. Kiesewetter
Was wird hier gespielt? (also director, 1940)
The Girl from Barnhelm (1940) - Riccaut de la Marlinière
Herz – modern möbliert (also director, 1940) - Hans Schröder
Roses in Tyrol (1940) - Leberle, Adjutant
Seven Years Hard Luck (1940) - Paul, Kerstens Diener
Happiness Is the Main Thing (1941, director) - (uncredited)
(1941) - Felix
(also director, 1941) - Lepke
Was geschah in dieser Nacht? (1941, also director) - Anton
Sonntagskinder (1941) - Hoteldirektor Oberweger
Vienna Blood (1942) - Jean (Georg's chamberlain)
Seven Years of Good Luck (1942, German-language version) - Paul Griebling
Seven Years of Happiness (1942, Italian-language version) - Gribling, il cameriere
Liebeskomödie (1943, also director) - Max, Oberkellner im Imperial
Tolle Nacht (1943, also director) - Viktor - Dirigent
Johann (1943) - Kammerdiener Johann Schmidt / Bauunternehmer Hans Pietschmann
Das Lied der Nachtigall (1944, also director) - Der Sekretär
Es fing so harmlos an (1944, also director) - Bonifatius 'Boni' Zeck
Hazugság nélkül (1946) - Ladislaus
Renee XIV (1946, uncompleted)
Wiener Melodien (1947, director, co-director: Hubert Marischka)
(1948, also director) - Peter Vogel
(also director, 1945/1949) - Benno Paradis - Tierstimmen-Imitator
(1949, also director) - Leo Flügel
Nothing But Coincidence (1949) - Dr. Renatus Elmhorst
(1949) - Felix Rabe, Zeitungsfahrer
Schuß um Mitternacht (1944/1950) - Schauspieler Roderich Halden
Theodore the Goalkeeper (1950) - Theo Lubitz
(1950) - Diener Max
(1950, also director) - Wimmerl, Reklamechef beim Zuckerl-König
The Midnight Venus (1951) - Meister Anton
Hilfe, ich bin unsichtbar (1951) - Fritz Sperling
(1951, also director) - Theodor Müller
The Thief of Bagdad (1952) - Hadschi
Shame on You, Brigitte! (1952) - Paul Fellmeier
You Only Live Once (1952) - Robert Heinemann
Heidi (1952) - Sebastian - Sesemanns Diener / Sebatian - Sesemann's servant
Heute nacht passiert's (1953) - Studienrat Dr. Bräutigam
The Postponed Wedding Night (1953) - Dr. Reinhold Zibelius
The Daughter of the Regiment (1953) - Colonello
Secretly Still and Quiet (1953) - Theo
Hooray, It's a Boy! (1953) - Prof. Waldemar Weber
Räubergeschichte (1954, TV Movie) - Johannes Gerstner
Heidi and Peter (1955) - Sebastian
How Do I Become a Film Star? (1955, also director) - Paul Kubisch
When the Alpine Roses Bloom (1955) - Dr. Krüger
(1955, also director) - Blackwell
And Who Is Kissing Me? (1956) - Theo Lingen
Ein tolles Hotel (1956) - August Birnstiel
Das Liebesleben des schönen Franz (1956) - Dr. Erwin Hacker, Rechtsanwalt
Opera Ball (1956) - Philipp, Diener bei Dannhauser
My Aunt, Your Aunt (1956) - Theo Müller
The Model Husband (1956) - Jakob Wieler
(1956) - René Valentin
(1957) - Schneidermeister Titus Hasenklein
August der Halbstarke (1957) - August Rums, Schnapsfabrikant
The Schimeck Family (1957) - Anton Kaltenbach
Die Unschuld vom Lande (1957) - Werner Sturm
(1957) - Tom Hossfeld
Drei Mann auf einem Pferd (1957) - Mäcki
Egon der Frauenheld (1957) - Landstreicher Egon / Falscher Bobby Bellmann / Richtiger Bobby Bellmann
The Legs of Dolores (1957) - Theobald Schreyer, Finanzier
Almenrausch and Edelweiss (1957) - Kammerdiener Leo Amadeus Schulze
Was ihr wollt (1958, TV Movie) - Malvolio
(1958) - Herr Schindler
A Song Goes Round the World (1958) - Himmel
(1958) - Sir David Lindsay
(1958) - Tabarelli - Notar in Nipozzano
Die gute Sieben (1959, TV Movie) - Roberto Rossi
The Night Before the Premiere (1959) - Karl Schmitt
(1959) - Sir David Lindsay
Hinter den sieben Gleisen (1959) - Herr Fliegenschild - Triangelspieler (uncredited)
The Goose of Sedan (1959) - Oberst Graf von Tuplitz
Pension Schöller (1960) - Professor Schöller
Sie können's mir glauben (1960, TV Movie, also director) - H.F. Pheeming
A Woman for Life (1960) - Ganove #1
(1960) - Hoteldirektor
Die Kassette (1961, TV Movie) - Heinrich Krull
(1961) - Pichler
Schule der Gattinnen (1961, TV Movie, also director) - Robert Carruche
The Model Boy (1963) - Prof. Dr. Liebreich
Das alte Hotel (1963, TV Series, 6 episodes) - Studienrat Sesselbein
Minna von Barnhelm (1964, TV Movie) - Riccaut de la Marlinière
Tonio Kröger (1964) - Knaak
Kolportage (1964, TV Movie) - Baron Barrenkrona
(1965, TV Movie) - Pater Diego
(1965) - Onkel Nolte
Schwarzer Peter (1966, TV Movie) - Der Sterndeuter
(1967) - Ronald
The Heathens of Kummerow (1967) - Sanftleben
Der Vogelhändler (1968, TV Movie) - Professor Würmchen
(1968–1970, TV Series, 13 episodes) - Theo Lampe
Zur Hölle mit den Paukern (1968) - Dr. Gottlieb Taft
Wenn die kleinen Veilchen blühen (1968, TV Movie)
Herbst (1968, TV Movie) - Graf Dingelstädt
Zum Teufel mit der Penne (1968) - Studienrat Dr. Taft
Was ihr wollt (1968, TV Movie) - Malvolio
Königin einer Nacht (1969, TV Movie) - Dr. Hermann Frank
(1969) - Dr. Gottlieb Taft
(1969, TV Movie) - König Ferdinand
Hurra, die Schule brennt! (1969) - Oberstudiendirektor Dr. Taft
We'll Take Care of the Teachers (1970) - Oberstudiendirektor Dr. Taft / Gotthold Emmanuel Taft
Die Feuerzangenbowle (1970) - Professor Crey
Wer zuletzt lacht, lacht am besten (1971)
Who Laughs Last, Laughs Best (1971) - Theo Frobenius
Tante Trude aus Buxtehude (1971) - Pauli
Morgen fällt die Schule aus (1971) - Oberstudiendirektor Dr. Taft
(1971) - Onkel Theo
(1971) - Direktor Bercelius
Ball im Savoy (1971, TV Movie) - Archibald
The Mad Aunts Strike Out (1971) - Dr. Theo Schatz
(1972) - Oberstudiendirektor Taft
(1972) - Herr Kannenberg
Always Trouble with the Reverend (1972) - Bischof
So'n Theater (1973, TV Movie) - Eugéne Labotte
Orpheus in der Unterwelt (1973, TV Movie) - Styx
Die Powenzbande (1974, TV Mini-Series) - Bürgermeister Dattel
Hochzeitsnacht im Paradies (1974, TV Movie) - Bastian
(1974, TV Mini-Series) - Sergeant Cuff
Im Hause des Kommerzienrates (1975, TV Movie) - Medizinalrat Bär
(1975, TV Series) - Intendant Baron von Krombholz
Tristan (1975, TV Movie) - Dr. Leander
Beschlossen und verkündet (1975, TV Series, Episode: "Jean") - Kammerdiener Jean
Damals wie heute (1975, TV Movie) - Zeitgenosse
The Secret Carrier (1975) - Dr. Thoms
(1976, TV Series, Episode: "Die Klempner kommen") - Klemptner
Lady Dracula (1977) - Theo Marmorstein
Pariser Geschichten (1977, TV Series, Episode: "Der unbequeme Wasserträger") - Joseph Chiffonet
Kleine Geschichten mit großen Tieren (1978, TV Movie) - Chef III
Zwei himmlische Töchter (1978, TV Series, 2 episodes) - Graf Jehan von Hoftenstein / James Bond 007 / Sherlock Holmes
Unsere heile Welt – Kleine Schule für große Leute (1980, TV Mini-Series) - (final appearance)
Short films
Ins Blaue hinein (1931) - Prokurist Spitz
Mein Name ist Lampe (1932)
Nur ein Viertelstündchen (1932)
Welle 4711 (1933) - Sendeleiter
Meine Frau – seine Frau (1933) - Diener
Wie werde ich energisch? (1933) - Herr Knöllchen
Gutgehendes Geschäft zu verkaufen (1933) - Wahrsager Meier
Die Goldgrube (1933) - Josef, Kellner in der »Goldgrube«
Schlagerpartie (1934)
Herr oder Diener? (1934) - Heinz Udo von Zickezack
Die Abschieds-Symphonie (1934) - Thomasini
Wie Eulenspiegel zu Marburg den Landgrafen malte (1936, also director) - Till Eulenspiegel
Wie Eulenspiegel sich einmal erbot, zu fliegen (1936, also director) - Till Eulenspiegel
Wie Eulenspiegel ein Urteil spricht (1936, also director) - Till Eulenspiegel
Wie Eulenspiegel den Neunmalweisen Rede und Antwort steht (1936, also director) - Till Eulenspiegel
Films based on plays by Theo Lingen
Was wird hier gespielt?, directed by Theo Lingen (1940, based on the play Was wird hier gespielt?)
, directed by Luigi Zampa (1941, based on the play Was wird hier gespielt?)
Johann, directed by Robert A. Stemmle (1943, based on the play Johann)
References
External links
Theo Lingen at Virtual History
1903 births
1978 deaths
Deaths from cancer in Austria
German male stage actors
German male film actors
Film people from Hanover
German male silent film actors
Burials at the Vienna Central Cemetery
Actors from Hanover
20th-century German male actors
German male writers
Lingen family