Peter van Eyck facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter van Eyck
Trailer for Five Graves to Cairo (1943)
Born	Götz von Eick (1911-07-16)16 July 1911 Steinwehr, Pomerania (today in Poland)
Died	15 July 1969(1969-07-15) (aged 57) Männedorf, near Zürich, Switzerland
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1943–1969
Spouse(s)	Ruth Ford (m. 1940; div. 194?) Inge von Voris (m. 19??)
Children	3

Peter van Eyck (born Götz von Eick; 16 July 1911 – 15 July 1969) was an actor from Germany. He was famous for his roles in movies like The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Shalako, and The Bridge at Remagen. These films were made in the 1960s.

About Peter van Eyck

Peter van Eyck was born into a noble German family in a region called Pomerania. This area is now part of Poland. After finishing high school, he studied music in Berlin.

In 1931, Peter van Eyck left Berlin. He lived in many cities around the world. These included Paris, London, Tunis, Algiers, and Cuba. He finally settled in New York.

Early Career and War Service

In New York, he played the piano in a bar to earn money. He also wrote songs and music for shows. He worked for famous people like Irving Berlin as a stage manager. He was also an assistant director for Orson Welles's theater company.

Later, Van Eyck moved to Hollywood. There, he worked as a truck driver. He started getting jobs in radio with help from Billy Wilder. Billy Wilder later gave him small parts in movies.

In 1943, Peter van Eyck became a citizen of the United States. He joined the U.S. Army as an officer. After World War II ended, he went back to Germany. He worked there until 1948 as a control officer for films. He also directed a film section. He was one of the "Ritchie Boys", a group of soldiers trained for intelligence work. In 1949, he acted in his first German movie, Hallo, Fräulein!.

International Success

Peter van Eyck became known around the world in 1953. This was after he played a main role in the film Le Salaire de la peur (The Wages of Fear). This movie was directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot.

He also appeared in several TV shows in the U.S. These included The Adventures of Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In English-language films, he often played characters like Nazis. But in Germany, he was a popular leading actor. He acted in many different types of movies there. This included several films in the Doctor Mabuse thriller series in the 1960s.

Family Life

Peter van Eyck was married to American actress Ruth Ford for a short time. He later married Inge von Voris. They had two daughters together. One of his daughters, Kristina van Eyck, also became an actor.

His Death

Peter van Eyck passed away in 1969 in Männedorf, Switzerland. He died from a serious infection called septicaemia. This was caused by a small injury that was not treated. He died one day before his 58th birthday.

Selected Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Peter van Eyck para niños