Carl Esmond
Willy Eichberger was an Austrian actor, credited in most of his English-language roles as Carl Esmond. He had a successful stage and screen career in Europe, before emigrating to the United States in the late 1930s as a refugee from Nazi Germany.
Early life
Esmond was born Carl Cäsar Willy Simon in Vienna. Although his age was given as 33 in the passenger list when he arrived in the US in January 1938, in his naturalization petition his birth year is stated as 1902.
Prior to his acting career, he worked as a bank clerk. He studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, where he was a pupil of Ernst Arndt. While in drama school, he changed his name to Willy Eichberger.
Career
Esmond made his professional debut at the Burgtheater aged 22. He played leading roles on stage in Vienna, Berlin, and Hamburg. He made his film debut in the operetta The Emperor's Waltz. He was active in the Viennese genre of light romantic comedies so popular in the Austria of the interwar period. One of his best known film roles in this period was in Max Ophüls' Liebelei. From 1935 to 1936, he was a matinee idol for UFA.
In 1933, he traveled to London to appear in the musical [Blossom Time (1934 film)|Blossom Time], for which used the stage name Carl Esmond, which thereafter became his name in English-language productions. He then starred as Prince [Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha|Prince Albert] in the West End stage play Victoria Regina, to great critical success.
In January 1938, Esmond came to Hollywood to play a German World War I pilot in [The Dawn Patrol (1938 film)|The Dawn Patrol]. While in America, he received threats to his family from Das Schwarze Korps, a newspaper run by the Nazi SS. Three months later, the Anschluss occurred, and Esmond refused to return to Austria for fear of reprisal. He remained in America, where he continued to appear on stage as well as in English-language films.
He appeared in over 50 films and numerous television programs. During World War II, he often portrayed a Nazi villain, though he also played more sympathetic roles in films like [Little Men (1940 film)|Little Men] and The Story of Dr. Wassell. He worked with many prominent directors in Hollywood, including Cecil B. DeMille, Howard Hawks, Jacques Tourneur, Edmund Goulding, Fritz Lang and Otto Preminger.
After the war, he became a fixture of early television plays. In 1953, he had a brief return to his native Europe, once again billed as Eichsberger, appearing in three films including Max Ophüls' Lola Montès.
His last on-screen work was in the made-for-television biopic My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn.
Death
Esmond died in Brentwood, Los Angeles in 2004 at the age of 102.
Filmography
The Emperor's Waltz as Viktor EggersdorfLiebelei as Oberleutnant Theo KaiserLittle Girl, Great Fortune as Georg HellwigInge and the Millions as Walter BrinkBlossom Time as Count Rudi von HohenbergEvensong as Archduke TheodoreLove Conquers All as Willy SchneiderInvitation to the Waltz as CarlBlood Brothers as MirkoDie Pompadour as François BoucherThe Postman from Longjumeau as ChapelouThe Empress's Favourite as Fähnrich Alexander Tomsky Fräulein Veronika as Paul Schmidt as FredCourt Theatre as Josef RainerRomance as Graf Eduard RomanelThe Dawn Patrol as Hauptmann Von MuellerThunder Afloat as U-boat CaptainLittle Men as Professor BhaerSergeant York as German MajorSundown as Jan KuypensPacific Rendezvous as Andre LeemuthPanama Hattie as Lucas Kefler The Navy Comes Through as Richerd KronerSeven Sweethearts as Carl RandallMargin for Error as Baron Max von AlvenstorFirst Comes Courage as Maj. Paul DichterAddress Unknown as Baron von FreischeThe Story of Dr. Wassell as Lt. Dirk van DaalResisting Enemy Interrogation as Major von Behn The Master Race as Dr. Andrei KrystoffMinistry of Fear as Willi HilfeExperiment Perilous as MaitlandWithout Love as Paul CarrellHer Highness and the Bellboy as Baron Zoltan FaludiThis Love of Ours as Uncle BobThe Catman of Paris as Charles RegnierLover Come Back as Paul MillardSmash-Up, the Story of a Woman as Dr. LorenzSlave Girl as El HamidWalk a Crooked Mile as Dr. Ritter von StolbThe Desert Hawk as KibarMystery Submarine as Lt. HeldmanRacket Squad Stars Over Hollywood The World in His Arms as Prince SemyonGruen Guild Playhouse as Baron de Sarnac, Chief of PoliceBiff Baker, U.S.A. as Major MorovikSchlitz Playhouse of Stars as Count BorselliFord Theatre as Maurice de SzekelyLove's Awakening as Michael RainerRegina Amstetten as Prof. Werner GrüterLola Montès as DoctorCrossroads as Major ZuntzLux Video Theatre as Pierre / Victor LaszloJane Wyman Presents: The Fireside Theatre Cheyenne as Col. PicardPassport to Danger as FabianThe Joseph Cotten Show as VailSoldiers of Fortune as Nicholas Van Loon / Helmut Van DornClimax! as Paul EhrenhardtMeet McGraw as Baron Von SchektFrom the Earth [to the Moon (film)|From the Earth to the Moon] as Jules VerneBehind Closed Doors as Dr. HaasGeneral Electric Theater as Nikolas BethlanThunder in the Sun as Andre Dauphin77 Sunset Strip as Kurt von PaulusFive Fingers as MarcuseBehind Closed Doors as Dr. HaasAlcoa Presents: One Step Beyond as EmileThe Deputy as Duke DmitriMaverick as Comte deLisleHawaiian Eye as Von SteubenBrushfire as MartinHitler as Field Marshal Wilhelm KeitelKiss of Evil as Anton The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters as Baron PyrrhosMorituri as BuschRun for Your Life as Otto HiltzConvoy as Field Marshal Von SpearAgent for H.A.R.M. as Professor Jan StefánikThe Man from U.N.C.L.E. as Baron Freddy de ChasseurGarrison's Gorillas as German GeneralInsight The Big Valley as Marquis de LaccaiseTo Rome With Love as KurtO'Hara, U.S. Treasury as August WernerMcMillan & Wife as ZeissThe Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries as KolbeMy Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn as General Von Helmuth