Ralf Wolter

Ralf Wolter (26 November 1926 – 14 October 2022) was a German stage and screen actor. Wolter appeared in nearly 220 films and television series in his over 60 years as a character actor.
Life and career
Wolter began his long career on the Berlin stage and in cabaret during the late 1940s. He made his first film appearance in Die Frauen des Herrn S. and quickly achieved prominence as an actor for comedic supporting roles. In 1961, he appeared as the baldheaded Soviet agent Borodenko in Billy Wilder's comedy One, Two, Three with James Cagney and Horst Buchholz. Another Hollywood film with Wolter in a supporting role was Cabaret (1972), where he played, alongside Liza Minnelli, the role of the neighbour Herr Ludwig, a publisher of pornographic books who later turns out to be a Nazi.
In Germany, Wolter achieved his greatest fame as the eccentric but friendly trapper Sam Hawkens and as Hadschi Halef Omar in a number of highly successful Karl May film adaptations during the 1960s. He reprised his role as Sam Hawkens in a television series from 1980. He also appeared with Heinz Erhardt in the 1970 comedy What Is the Matter with Willi? and in a few musical films with singing child star Heintje Simons. As his film roles got more obscure during his later years, he turned more and more towards television since the 1970s. He appeared in some of the most successful German television series. As of 2014, Wolter still appeared as a stage and screen actor, one of his final films was (2012), co-starring Otto Sander.
In May 2002, he caused a motorway accident on the Bundesautobahn 24 with three deaths. He was sentenced to ten months on conditional discharge.
Wolter was married with his wife Edith from 1959 until his death, they had two children. He died on 14 October 2022, at the age of 95.
Selected filmography
Die Frauen des Herrn S. (1951) – Pachulles
The Phantom of the Big Tent (1954) – Motta, Geschäftsführer
The Captain and His Hero (1955) – Ängstlicher Rekrut
Sergeant Borck (1955) – Zopfer
Hotel Adlon (1955) – Mann vom Soldatencorps (uncredited)
Vor Gott und den Menschen (1955)
Your Life Guards (1955) – Bursche Jonny
Urlaub auf Ehrenwort (1955) – Gefreiter Max Schmiedecke
The Girl from Flanders (1956) – German Soldier
A Thousand Melodies (1956) – Hugo Pähler
Der Glockengießer von Tirol (1956) – Aufnahmeleiter Knopf
My Father, the Actor (1956) – Lokal-Besucher
The Model Husband (1956) – Trainer
Like Once Lili Marleen (1956) – Deutscher Soldat
The Old Forester House (1957) – Max
Der Adler vom Velsatal (1957)
Jede Nacht in einem anderen Bett (1957) – Portier
Victor and Victoria (1957) – Friseur (uncredited)
Confessions of Felix Krull (1957) – Gestellungspflichtiger
Tired Theodore (1957) – Gerichtsvollzieher Storch
Spring in Berlin (1957) – Erklärer im Rundfahrtbus
The Legs of Dolores (1957) – Mecki Wenzel, ein Alles-Könner
The Spessart Inn (1958) – Räuber (uncredited)
A Time to Love and a Time to Die (1958) – Feldmann the Taylor (uncredited)
Schmutziger Engel (1958) – Turnlehrer
Grabenplatz 17 (1958) – Ringrichter
The Muzzle (1958) – Thürnagel
Wir Wunderkinder (1958) – Bathroom waiter (uncredited)
Wenn die Conny mit dem Peter (1958) – Pedell Haberstock
Schlag auf Schlag (1959) – Balduin Balg
Freddy, the Guitar and the Sea (1959) – Fietje
Bobby Dodd greift ein (1959)
Every Day Isn't Sunday (1959) – Dienstmann Huber
Of Course, the Motorists (1959) – Oberwachtmeister
Roses for the Prosecutor (1959) – Hessel
The Beautiful Adventure (1959) – Taschendieb
Two Times Adam, One Time Eve (1959) – Paavo
Peter Voss, Hero of the Day (1959) – Charley, der Jockey
Triplets on Board (1959) – Friseur
The Goose of Sedan (1959) – Uhlan Lehmann
The High Life (1960) – Schlotter
We Cellar Children (1960) – Kameramann Keschke der 'Neuen Deutschen Schau'
Conny and Peter Make Music (1960) – Lehmann, Sulzbachs Assistant
Grounds for Divorce (1960) – Dr. Waldgeist
Mal drunter - mal drüber (1960) – Buschbeck
Kauf dir einen bunten Luftballon (1961) – Luggi
Eine hübscher als die andere (1961) – Straßenkehrer
Immer Ärger mit dem Bett (1961) – Meister
Adieu, Lebewohl, Goodbye (1961)
Robert and Bertram (1961) – Toni Knauer
Blind Justice (1961) – Fotograf
One, Two, Three (1961) – Borodenko
The Liar (1961) – (uncredited)
Ramona (1961) – Delon
Freddy und das Lied der Südsee (1962) – Hannes
The Post Has Gone (1962) – Herr Ratsam
Treasure of the Silver Lake (1962) – Sam Hawkens
Love Has to Be Learned (1963) – Müller
Ferien wie noch nie (1963)
(1963, TV Movie) – Juror 6
Apache Gold (1963) – Sam Hawkens
Das Wirtshaus von Dartmoor (1964) – O'Hara
Old Shatterhand (1964) – Sam Hawkens
The Shoot (1964) – Hadschi Halef Omar
Coffin from Hong Kong (1964) – Bob Tooly
Massacre at Marble City (1964) – Tim Fletcher
The Treasure of the Aztecs (1965) – Andreas Hasenpfeffer
The Pyramid of the Sun God (1965) – Andreas Hasenpfeffer
Wild Kurdistan (1965) – Hadschi Halef Omar
The Desperado Trail (1965) – Sam Hawkens
Kingdom of the Silver Lion (1965) – Hadschi Halef Omar
Who Killed Johnny R.? (1966) – Billy Monroe
Winnetou and the Crossbreed (1966) – Sam Hawkens
Treasure of San Gennaro (1966) – Frank
(1967, TV Series) – Titus Bunge
Murderers Club of Brooklyn (1967) – Photographer (voice, uncredited)
Spy Today, Die Tomorrow (1967) – Spiegel
(1967) – Iskey
The Heathens of Kummerow (1967) – Krischan
Heubodengeflüster (1967) – Dr. Leo Dorn
Paradies der flotten Sünder (1968) – Butler Percy
Otto ist auf Frauen scharf (1968) – Dr. Kobalt
Sexy Susan Sins Again (1968) – Bookdealer
The Valley of Death (1968) – Sam Hawkens
(1968, TV Movie) – Dr. Knopf
Hannibal Brooks (1969) – Dr. Mendel
House of Pleasure (1969) – Watchmaker Bobinet
(1969) – Toni
Charley's Uncle (1969) – Polizist
The Young Tigers of Hong Kong (1969) – Bob
Heintje: A Heart Goes on a Journey (1969) – Harry
Helgalein (1969)
(1969) – Philippe
(1969) – Cajetan Fingerlos
Heintje - Einmal wird die Sonne wieder scheinen (1970) – Jahrmarktsbude
Hilfe, mich liebt eine Jungfrau (1970)
What Is the Matter with Willi? (1970) – Felix Klein
Heintje - Mein bester Freund (1970) – Max
(1970) – Christian Wagner
Das Glöcklein unterm Himmelbett (1970) – Emil Giesecke
Zwanzig Mädchen und die Pauker – Heute steht die Penne kopf (1971)
Das haut den stärksten Zwilling um (1971) – Richard Strauss
Aunt Trude from Buxtehude (1971) – Der Hausverwalter
Wir hau'n den Hauswirt in die Pfanne (1971) – Amadeus Kleinschmidt
Morgen fällt die Schule aus (1971) – Dr. Geis
Einer spinnt immer (1971) – Notar
Holiday Report (1971) – Horst-Dieter Mitterer
Außer Rand und Band am Wolfgangsee (1972) – Notar
Cabaret (1972) – Herr Ludwig
Kinderarzt Dr. Fröhlich (1972) – Notar Fritz Pfeiffer
My Daughter, Your Daughter (1972) – Bibo
Lilli - die Braut der Kompanie (1972) – Stabsarzt
The Heath Is Green (1972) – Herr Hoegen
The 500 Pound Jerk (1973, TV Movie) – Glabov
Old Barge, Young Love (1973) – Erwin
Unsere Tante ist das Letzte (1973) – Luigi
Schwarzwaldfahrt aus Liebeskummer (1974) – Evas Vater
Waldrausch (1977) – Rixner
The Serpent's Egg (1977) – Partner of the Master of Ceremonies
Graf Dracula beißt jetzt in Oberbayern (1979) – Boris
Mein Freund Winnetou (1980, TV Series) – Sam Hawkens
(1982) – Rundfunkintendant
A Love in Germany (1983) – Schulze
Lass das - ich hass das (1983) – Richter
(1985) – Kaminski
Der Schatz im Niemandsland (1987, TV Series) – Kriminalbeamter
High Score (1990)
Ein Schloß am Wörthersee (1990, TV Series) – Schultz
Otto - Der Liebesfilm (1992) – Intendant Gotthilf Gutmann
Mit Leib und Seele (1990–1993, TV Series) – Horst Metzger
Asterix Conquers America (1994) – Getafix (German Dub)
Vendetta (1995) – Don Giovanni
Killer Condom (1996) – Prof. Smirnoff
The Children of Captain Grant (1996) – Monk
(2009) – Peter
(2012) – Willy Stronz
References
External links
1926 births
2022 deaths
Male actors from Berlin
20th-century German male actors
21st-century German male actors
German male film actors
German male television actors
German people convicted of manslaughter