Kurt Kasznar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kurt Kasznar
from the trailer for the film Lili (1953)
Born	Kurt Servischer (1913-08-13)August 13, 1913 Vienna, Austria-Hungary
Died	August 6, 1979(1979-08-06) (aged 65) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1924–1978
Spouse(s)	Cornelia Woolley ​ ​ (m. 1939; died 1948)​ Leora Dana ​ ​ (m. 1950; div. 1958)​

Kurt Kasznar (born Kurt Servischer; August 13, 1913 – August 6, 1979) was an actor from Austria and America. He was famous for his roles on Broadway, which is a big theater area in New York City. He starred in popular shows like Waiting for Godot, The Sound of Music, and Barefoot in the Park.

Kurt Kasznar also appeared in many movies and TV shows. One of his most well-known TV roles was in the science fiction series Land of the Giants. People often cast him as a fancy European gentleman because of his accent and stylish look.

During World War II, Kasznar was a soldier. He was one of the first photographers for the U.S. Army to film the destroyed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bombings.

Early Life and First Steps

Kurt Kasznar was born Kurt Servischer on August 13, 1913, in Vienna, which was then part of Austria-Hungary. His family was Jewish. His father left when Kurt was very young. Later, his mother married Ferdinand Kasznar, who owned a restaurant. Kurt then took his stepfather's last name.

While working as an apprentice waiter at the restaurant, Kurt met a famous director named Max Reinhardt. Kurt joined Reinhardt's acting classes. He later said, "There I learned to act, write, build sets and live."

When he was just eleven years old, Kurt appeared in a movie called Der Zirkuskönig (The King of the Circus) in 1924. This was the last movie made by the famous actor Max Linder. Kurt started working on stage in 1931. His first play was Jedermann (Everyman) at the Salzburg Festival.

From Stage to War Hero

In 1936, Kurt Kasznar moved from Austria to the United States. He traveled with Max Reinhardt's theater group. He acted in Reinhardt's play The Eternal Road on Broadway in 1937. He played many different characters during the show's three-month run.

In 1941, Kasznar tried to produce his own musical show on Broadway, called Crazy With the Heat. But it did not make money. Later that year, he joined the United States Army. He was trained to be a cinematographer, which means someone who films movies.

He served in the Pacific during the war. He filmed important events like landings on New Guinea and in the Philippines. He also filmed the signing of the Japanese surrender on the USS Missouri. He was among the first Army photographers to film the aftermath of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

While in the army, Kurt Kasznar also wrote a play called First Cousins. He wrote it for soldiers who were born in other countries but became American. His play was one of five that won a contest for soldier-playwrights. These plays were performed on Broadway to help the Sailors and Soldiers Club.

Becoming a Star

Kurt Kasznar's first big role on Broadway was in the 1950 play The Happy Time. He played the role of Uncle Louie. He later played the same role in the 1952 movie version and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his acting.

He also appeared in other famous Broadway plays. He was the director in Six Characters in Search of an Author (1955–1956). He also played Pozzo in the first Broadway show of Waiting for Godot (1956).

William Shatner (Archie Goodwin) and Kurt Kasznar (Nero Wolfe) in the TV series Nero Wolfe (1959)

In 1959, while still acting on stage, Kasznar also played the detective Nero Wolfe in a TV series. This show was supposed to be the first TV series based on Rex Stout's popular characters. William Shatner played Archie Goodwin in the show. However, the series was stopped after only a few episodes were filmed.

Kurt Kasznar and Stefan Arngrim in Land of the Giants, around 1969

Kurt Kasznar created the role of Max Detweiler in the first Broadway production of The Sound of Music (1959–1963). He was nominated for a Tony Award for this role. He was so dedicated that he never missed a single show during its first 1,000 performances! Even though he was considered for the movie version of The Sound of Music, the role went to another actor.

He also played Victor Velasco in Neil Simon's play Barefoot in the Park (1963–1967). Later, he played Tevye in several productions of Fiddler on the Roof. In the mid-1970s, Kasznar toured across the country with other famous actors like Myrna Loy and Ricardo Montalbán. They performed in a play called Don Juan in Hell.

Kurt Kasznar acted in more than 80 films and TV shows. He had a regular role as Alexander Fitzhugh in the science fiction TV series Land of the Giants. Some of his movies include Lili, Kiss Me Kate, The Last Time I Saw Paris, My Sister Eileen, A Farewell to Arms, and 55 Days at Peking.

Life Off Stage

Kurt Kasznar married Cornelia Woolley in 1939. She was a wealthy woman known for helping the theater world with her donations. Cornelia passed away in June 1948. At that time, Kasznar was performing in a Broadway play called Joy to the World.

Kasznar met his second wife, actress Leora Dana, when they worked together in the Broadway play The Happy Time in 1950. They got married in 1950 but later divorced in 1958.

His Final Years

Kurt Kasznar died on August 6, 1979, just one week before his 66th birthday. He passed away in Santa Monica, California. He had been diagnosed with cancer about ten months before his death. He did not have any known children or close family members who survived him.

Partial Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Kurt Kasznar para niños