Friedrich Schoenfelder
Born: 1916-10-17 in Sorau, Germany [now Zary, Lubuskie, Poland]
Died: 2011-08-14
Known For: Acting
Biography
Friedrich Wilhelm Schoenfelder (born October 17, 1916, in Sorau, Lower Lusatia; died August 14, 2011, in Berlin) was a German actor and voice-over artist. Friedrich Schoenfelder received his acting training under Gustaf Gründgens at the Prussian State Theater in Berlin, where he made his stage debut in 1936. After World War II, he performed at major theaters in Stuttgart, Frankfurt am Main, and Berlin, later working as a freelance actor at numerous German-language theaters. He became particularly well known for his elegant stage presence in boulevard plays and musicals. Among his greatest theatrical successes was *My Fair Lady*, in which he appeared approximately 1,200 times over the course of many years. From the late 1940s onward, Schoenfelder also appeared regularly in film and television productions. He acted in numerous light entertainment films, Edgar Wallace adaptations, and TV series, and participated in projects such as *Otto – Der neue Film* and, as the narrator, *Der Schuh des Manitu*. With over 140 film and television roles to his name, he remained one of the defining character actors of German popular cinema and television for decades. His work as a voice-over artist was also of particular significance. In more than 400 productions, Schoenfelder lent his distinctive voice to international actors such as David Niven, John Gielgud, Rex Harrison, Vincent Price, and Alec Guinness. He also enjoyed a successful career as a radio drama actor, narrator, and radio host, working on projects including *Sesame Street*, *Little Britain*, and numerous audio drama productions for the labels Europa and Titania Medien. Even in his advanced years, Schoenfelder continued to appear regularly on stage; in 1996, he published his memoirs, titled *Ich war doch immer ich* ("I Was Always Just Me"). He passed away in Berlin in 2011 at the age of 94.
Filmography
2010
- Lotta & ... as Herr Schlegel
2009
- SOKO Stuttgart as Dieter Posch
2007
- Little King Macius as King Friedewald (voice)
2006
- The Trip to Panama as Paradies Vogel
- Das unreine Mal as Herr Schröder
2004
- Back to Gaya as Albert Drollinger
- A Journey Into Bliss as voice
2003
- Momo as Meister Hora (Voice)
2002
- Das Schloss des Grauens as Sir Douglas
2001
- SOKO Leipzig as Kurt Schwennstedt
- Manitou's Shoe as Narrator (voice)
1999
- Das Mädchen aus der Torte as Uncle
1998
- A Rat's Tale as Walter Demokratz
1997
- Tietjen und Bommes as Self
- Pension Schöller as Major von Mühlen
1995
- Unser Charly as Prof. Vandenberg
1994
- Höchstpersönlich as self
- Matchball as Sir Alec
- Berg & Talk as Self
- Glück im Grünen
1993
1991
- DAS! as Self
- Insel der Träume as Popescu
1988
- Justitias kleine Fische
- Stowaways on the Ark as Der "Chef"
- Romeo mit grauen Schläfen as Hajo Steinberg
1987
- The Country Doctor as Friedrich Schornfeld
- Otto – The New Movie as Professor Edelsen
1986
- Großstadtrevier as Friedrich Schwalbe
- Die Wicherts von nebenan as Dr. Helmer
- Detektivbüro Roth as Arbo von Keilmann
- Boundaries of Time - Caspar David Friedrich as Museumsdirektor
- Gestatten, Bestatter as Friedrich Barnewitz
1985
- Ein Heim für Tiere as Ernst Voller
1984
- Berliner Weiße mit Schuß as Dr. Friedrich Berghoff
- Tanzschule Kaiser
1983
- Kiez as Juweller
1981
- A Case For Two as Dr. Norden
- Das Traumschiff as Karl Preuss
- Kintopp-Kintopp as Konsul Kruse
- Der Schützling
1980
- Guten Abend, Mrs. Sunshine as Henry Fordyce
1979
- NDR Talk Show as Self
- The Magician of Lublin as Count Zaruski
- Hatschi! as Polizeipräsident
- Aktion Abendsonne
1977
- Drei Damen vom Grill
- Erben ist menschlich as Fischer
- Begegnung im Herbst as Mr. Brown
1976
- Rosaura kam um zehn as Herr
1975
- Kommissariat 9 as Dr. Freiherr von Arning
- Beschlossen und verkündet as Hugo von Bessem
1974
- Die Montagsmaler as Self
- Am laufenden Band as Self - Guest
- Madame Pompadour as Der König
1972
- Algebra um acht
- Semesterferien as Prof. Hufschmidt
- Das System Fabrizzi as Kommissar Nera
1971
- Dalli Dalli as Self - Contestant
- Angels of Terror as Anthony Wyman
- Duell zu Dritt
1970
- Scene of the Crime as Alexander Nilgens
- Mark of the Devil as Narrator
- Was ist denn bloß mit Willi los? as Dr. Senn
- Heintje - Einmal wird die Sonne wieder scheinen as Comissioner
- Gentlemen in White Vests as Shopping Mall Director
- Unsere Pauker gehen in die Luft as Schuldirektor
- Die lieben Kinder as John Carlton
1969
- Das Sonntagskonzert as Self - Host
- De Sade as Marquis' Father
- Heintje - A Heart Goes on a Journey as Schweizer Grenzpolizist
- Waterloo as Marschall Soult
1968
- Die Rivalin as Edouard - Baron de Rodemans
1967
- Death Runs After Them as David Stone
- Pension Clausewitz as Dr. Rudolf Zabel
- Hugenberg - Gegen die Republik as Franz von Papen
- Das Attentat - Schleicher: General der letzten Stunde as Papen
1966
- Cliff Dexter as Botschafter
- Förster Horn as Herr Tietz
- Long Legs, Long Fingers
- Quadrille as Lord Hubert Heronden
- Vater einer Tochter as Dr. Leopold Walter
- Weiß gibt auf as Basil Mallard
1965
- Auf der Lesebühne der Literarischen Illustrierten as Regisseur
1964
- The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse as Jason Monta (voice)
- The Inn on Dartmoor as Sir James
- Casanova wider Willen as Julius Seibold
1963
- The Black Abbot as Dr. Loxon
- The White Spider as Sir James
- Berlin-Melodie
- Sophienlund as Erik Stjernborg
- Bezauberndes Fräulein as Papa
1962
- Frau Cheneys Ende as Jerome
- Wild Waters as Baron Ferdinand von Lindner
- Everyone Dies Alone as Staatsschauspieler Harteisen
- Only a Woman as Kellner
1961
- Komische Geschichten mit Georg Thomalla as Hugo
- Mein Mann, das Wirtschaftswunder as Dr. Bach
- Die Sache mit dem Ring as Tom Gore
1960
- The Avenger as Jack Jackson, Regisseur
- The High Life as Ranowsky
- Willy, der Privatdetektiv as Direktor Schieske
- Bis dass das Geld euch scheidet… as Gerichtsvorsitzender
- Sabine und die hundert Männer as William Hellberg
1959
- The Indian Tomb as Narrator (voice)
- Rebel Flight to Cuba as Reverend Wilson
- Peter schießt den Vogel ab as Toni Hartwig
- Mein Freund Harvey as Dr. Chumley
- Grand Hotel as Receptionist
- For Love and Others as Generaldirektor Schreiber
- Der Mann im Manne as Tommy Turner
1958
- Der eiserne Gustav as Deutscher Botschafter
- Die Bürger von Calais as Ein englischer Gesandter
- Escape from Sahara
- Eine Geschichte aus Soho as Oberst Smith
- Jim und Jill as Robbi
- Der Dank der Unterwelt as Superintendent Smith
1957
- Zum blauen Bock as Self
1954
- The Gallery of the Great Detectives as Hauptmann Peter Wain
- Viktoria und ihr Husar as Ehemaliger Rittmeister Graf Sandor Koltay
- Augsburger Puppenkiste - Der kleine Prinz as Saint-Ex (voice)
1950
- City in the Fog as Dr. Sven Berling
- Königskinder as Prinz Sascha Alexander von Thessalien
- Liebe auf Eis as Birger Sörensen
1949
- Tragödie einer Leidenschaft as Dodja