Peter van Eyck (1911 - 1969)

German-American actor

* July 16, 1911 Steinwehr, Germany (now Kamienny Jaz, Poland)
 as Götz von Eick
 July 15, 1969 Zurich, Switzerland



Born as Götz von Eick he was trained as pianist, and worked all over Europe to end up via Cuba in the US. Here his old friend from Berlin times, Billy Wilder helped him to obtain a place in a radio show. Wilder later on arranged a screen test for The Moon Is Down and Van Eyck got the role. In 1943 he became an American citizen and changed his name to Peter van Eyck. After some minor roles he became active in the US army as Controlling Officer. After the Second World War he was control officer for film in Germany for the US army. After playing in German productions he had his international breaktrough in 1953 with Le Salaire de la peur. Most often typecast as a Nazi, he played in German films mostly the good guy. One of his most notable roles in the 60's was in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold.

Peter Van Eyck died in 1969 near Zurich.

Books with an entry on Peter van Eyck

Robert C. Reimer, Carol J. Reimer Historical Dictionary of German Cinema Robert C. Reimer, Carol J. Reimer
Historical Dictionary of German Cinema
Lanham, Maryland, Toronto, Plymouth, UK, 2008

Kay Weniger Das große Personenlexikon des Films Kay Weniger
Das große Personenlexikon des Films, Zweiter Band, C-F
Berlin, 2001

Adolf Heinzlmeier, Berndt Schulz Lexikon der deutschen Film- und TV-Stars Adolf Heinzlmeier, Berndt Schulz
Lexikon der deutschen Film- und TV-Stars
Berlin, 2000

Alfred E. Twomey and Arthur F. McClure The Versatiles Alfred E. Twomey and Arthur F. McClure
The Versatiles, A Study of Supporting Character Actors and Actresses in the American Motion Picture, 1930-1955
South Brunswick and New York - London, 1969

Films

1942
Random Harvest

1943
Above Suspicion
Background to Danger
Edge of Darkness
Five Graves to Cairo
The Moon Is Down
Hitler's Madman
Action in the North Atlantic
Hitler's Children

1944
Address Unknown
The Seventh Cross
The Impostor

1949
Hallo, Fräulein!

1950
Epilog
Export in Blond
Königskinder
Furioso
Die Dritte von rechts

1951
The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel

1953
Le salaire de la peur
Alerte au sud

1954
Night People
La chair et le diable
Le grand jeu

1955
Der Cornet - Die Weise von Liebe und Tod
Mr. Arkadin
A Bullet for Joey
Jump Into Hell

1956
The Rawhide Years
Attack
Run for the Sun

1957
Der gläserne Turm
Tous peuvent me tuer

1958
Dr. Crippen lebt
Das Mädchen Rosemarie
Schmutziger Engel
Schwarze Nylons - Heiße Nächte
The Snorkel

1959
Labyrinth
Lockvogel der Nacht
Der Rest ist Schweigen
Rommel ruft Kairo
Abschied von den Wolken
Verbrechen nach Schulschluß
Geheimaktion Schwarze Kapelle
Du gehörst mir

1960
Die 1000 Augen des Dr. Mabuse
Liebling der Götter

1961
Die Stunde, die du glücklich bist
La fête espagnole
Unter Ausschluß der Öffentlichkeit

1962
The Longest Day
The Devil's Agent
The Brain

1963
Station Six-Sahara
Scotland Yard jagt Dr. Mabuse
Ein Alibi zerbricht
Das große Liebesspiel

1964
Kennwort... Reiher
Die Todesstrahlen des Dr. Mabuse

1965
The Dirty Game
Die Herren
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

1966
Comando de asesinos

1968
Heidi
Shalako

IMDb: 0886870