Oscar Homolka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oskar Homolka
Homolka in Ebb Tide (1937)
Born	Oskar Homolka (1898-08-12)August 12, 1898 Vienna, Austria-Hungary
Died	January 27, 1978(1978-01-27) (aged 79) Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1926–1976
Spouse(s)	Grete Mosheim ​ ​ (m. 1928; div. 1937)​ Baroness Vally Hatvany ​ ​ (m. 1937; died 1938)​ Florence Meyer ​ ​ (m. 1939; div. 1948)​ Joan Tetzel ​ ​ (m. 1949; died 1977)​
Children	2

Oskar Homolka (born August 12, 1898 – died January 27, 1978) was a famous actor from Austria. He worked in many different countries like Germany, Britain, and America. He was known for his strong voice and looks, which often led him to play roles like spies or government officials.

Oskar Homolka was a very busy actor. By the time he was 30, he had acted in over 400 plays! His career in movies and TV shows included at least 100 different roles. He was even nominated for a special award called the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the movie I Remember Mama (1948).

Oskar Homolka's Acting Journey

After serving in the army during World War I, Oskar Homolka studied acting in his hometown of Vienna, Austria. He started his acting career on stage in Austria.

In 1924, he played a character named Mortimer in a play by Bertolt Brecht in Munich, Germany. From 1925, he worked in Berlin under a famous director named Max Reinhardt.

Oskar Homolka in 1932

Oskar Homolka acted in many plays during this time. Some of these included The Emperor Jones, Anna Christie, and Pygmalion. He also performed in many plays by the famous writer William Shakespeare, such as A Midsummer Night's Dream and King Lear. When he moved to London, he continued to act on stage.

His first movies were made in Germany. These included Uneasy Money (1926) and Dreyfus (1930). He even said he made at least 30 silent movies (movies without spoken words) and was in the very first "talking picture" (a movie with sound) ever made in Germany.

Moving to New Countries

When the Nazi party came to power in Germany, Oskar Homolka moved to Britain. There, he acted in movies like Rhodes of Africa (1936) and Everything Is Thunder (1936). Later, like many other actors from Austria, he moved to the United States.

In 1936, he appeared in the exciting thriller movie Sabotage, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Even though he often played bad guys, like spies or military officers, he was nominated for an Academy Award! This was for his role as a kind uncle in I Remember Mama (1948).

Oskar Homolka and Danielle De Metz in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1960)

Oskar Homolka acted alongside many famous stars. He worked with Ingrid Bergman in Rage in Heaven, Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch, and Katharine Hepburn in The Madwoman of Chaillot. He also acted with Ronald Reagan in Prisoner of War.

In the mid-1960s, he returned to England. There, he played a Soviet KGB officer named Colonel Stok in the movies Funeral in Berlin (1966) and Billion Dollar Brain (1967), where he acted with Michael Caine. His last movie was The Tamarind Seed in 1974.

In 1967, Oskar Homolka received a special award called the Filmband in Gold for his amazing contributions to German movies.

He also appeared on television. He was in three episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1957 and 1960. He was even mentioned in the TV show The Odd Couple. In one episode, a character named Oscar Madison asks, "How many Oscars do you know?" and then jokes, "You know Oscar Homolka?"

Oskar Homolka's Family Life

Oskar Homolka was married four times during his life.

• His first wife was Grete Mosheim, an actress from Germany. They got married in 1928 and divorced in 1937.
• His second wife was Baroness Vally Hatvany, an actress from Hungary. They married in December 1937, but she sadly passed away just four months later.
• In 1939, Oskar married Florence Meyer, who was a photographer. They had two sons named Vincent and Laurence. They divorced after nine years.
• His last wife was actress Joan Tetzel. They married in 1949 and stayed together until Joan's death in 1977.

Later Life and Passing

After 1966, Oskar Homolka made his home in Britain. He passed away from pneumonia on January 27, 1978, in Tunbridge Wells, England. He was 79 years old. This was just three months after his fourth wife, Joan Tetzel, had passed away. Oskar Homolka and Joan Tetzel are buried together in a churchyard in Fairwarp, England. Their gravestone has two theatrical masks carved into it, showing their love for acting.

Movies Oskar Homolka Was In

See also

In Spanish: Oskar Homolka para niños

• List of Academy Award winners and nominees from German-speaking countries