John van Dreelen

Van Dreelen was born in Amsterdam, the son of Dutch actor Louis van Dreelen Gimberg and the Countess de Labouchere of Paris.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/9249028/anderson_herald/|title=Jon (sic) Van Dreelen Acclaimed Current Season Theatre Idol|date=November 25, 1962|work=Anderson Herald|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = February 28, 2017}} {{Open access}} He attended the Sorbonne and was fluent in several languages.

During World War II, his stage career was interrupted by the German invasion of the Netherlands. He escaped the Emslandlager labor camp near Papenburg by disguising himself as one of the German officers, a role he would later play so often on both big and small screens.

Until 1950, his stage name was Jack Gimberg, at which time he changed it to John van Dreelen.

Though he appeared in many European films, van Dreelen is best remembered as an A-list guest star in dozens of American television shows from the early 1960s to the mid-1980s, such as 12 O'Clock High, The Twilight Zone ("The Jeopardy Room"), The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Wild Wild West, Combat!, Blue Light, Mission: Impossible and Wonder Woman.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/artist/john-van-dreelen-p72845|title=John van Dreelen – Movies and Filmography – AllMovie}} In 1962, he played the part of Ulrich in the episode "The Immigrants" on CBS's Rawhide.{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8aba85e4|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427103617/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8aba85e4|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 27, 2017|title=The Immigrants (1962)}} In 1964, he played a film producer in the Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Bountiful Beauty."{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/perry-mason-the-case-of-the-bountiful-beauty-v407963/cast-crew|title=Perry Mason: The Case of the Bountiful Beauty (1964) – Irving Moore – Cast and Crew – AllMovie}} In 1965, he appeared on Perry Mason again as Jarvis Logan in the episode, "The Case of the Feather Cloak."{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8129b672|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427103744/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8129b672|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 27, 2017|title=The Case of the Feather Cloak (1965)}}

Never a major player in theatrical films, he nonetheless scored a few choice roles, including the Danish concert pianist who rescues and woos Lana Turner during an extended sequence in Madame X in 1966.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/madame-x-v30682/cast-crew|title=Madame X (1966) – David Lowell Rich – Cast and Crew – AllMovie}} Four episodes of Blue Light were edited together to create the theatrical film I Deal in Danger, which was released in December 1966 and included his appearance.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/i-deal-in-danger-v126372|title=I Deal in Danger (1966) – Walter E. Grauman – Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related – AllMovie}} His other film credits included roles in Von Ryan's Express (1965), Topaz (1969), Lost Horizon (1973), The Big Game (1973), The Clone Master (1978), The Formula (1980), The Money Pit (1986) and Born to Fight (1989), as well as TV miniseries such as The Rhinemann Exchange, The Word and Washington: Behind Closed Doors.

Van Dreelen had an international stage career and starred in a Dutch staging of My Fair Lady. He starred as Baron Von Trapp for 40 weeks{{cite news|title=John van Dreelen: Versatile Actor|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/9249505/the_times/|work=The Times|date=January 18, 1967|location=California, San Mateo|page=83|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = February 28, 2017}} {{Open access}} in the original American touring production of The Sound of Music. (According to the actor, Richard Rodgers wanted van Dreelen and Audrey Hepburn to play the film's leads.){{Citation needed|date=March 2017}}

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• Niet tevergeefs (1948)
• But Not in Vain (1948) – Minor Role (uncredited)
• Gigi (1949) – Bit Part (uncredited)
• Full House (1952) – Lemmy Caution (segment "Je suis un tendre")
• Moulin Rouge (1952) – Bit part (uncredited)
• Red Roses, Red Lips, Red Wine (1953) – Hans Westhoff
• Heartbroken on the Moselle (1953) – Bernd Zagler
• Monte Carlo Baby (1953) – Rudy Walter
• Daybreak (1954)
• Ein Mädchen aus Paris (1954)
• The Last Ten Days (1955) – Major Brinkmann
• Bedevilled (1955) – Michel Trevelle (uncredited)
• In Hamburg When the Nights Are Long (1956) – Peter Drante
• Zwei Herzen voller Seligkeit (1957) – Dieter Lorenz
• A Time to Love and a Time to Die (1958) – Political Officer
• The Flying Fontaines (1959) – Victor Fontaine
• The Leech Woman (1960) – Bertram Garvay
• The Enemy General (1960) – Gen. Bruger
• Beyond the Time Barrier (1960) – Dr. Bourman
• 13 Ghosts (1960) – Van Allen
• The Wizard of Baghdad (1960) – Sultan Jullnar
• Von Ryan's Express (1965) – Col. Gortz
• Madame X (1966) – Christian Torben
• I Deal in Danger (1966) – von Lindendorf
• {{Ill|Von null Uhr eins bis Mitternacht|de}} (1967, TV Series) – Mark Lissen
• {{Ill|Die Ente klingelt um ½ 8|de}} (1968) – Lawyer Kellermann
• Topaz (1969) – Claude Martin
• {{ill|Nightshade (1972 film)|de|3=Nachtschatten (Film)|lt=Nightshade}} (1972) – Jan Eckmann
• Lost Horizon (1973) – Dr. Verden
• The Big Game (1973) – Lee
• Rufus (1975) – Marcel
• Too Hot to Handle (1977) – MacKenzie Portman
• The Clone Master (1978) – Salt
• The Formula (1980) – Hans Lehman, Prefect of Police Berlin
• Hart to Hart (1983) – Henri Beaumont
• The Money Pit (1986) – Carlos
• Mascara (1987) – Minister Weinberger
• Odyssée d'amour (1987) – Dr. Alexander De Winter
• Zoeken naar Eileen (1987) – Philips vader
• Born to Fight (1989) – Gen. Weber
• Gummibärchen küßt man nicht (1989) – Geyer
• Operation Las Vegas (1990) – Parker
• Becoming Colette (1991) – Albert

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• {{IMDb name|0886657|John van Dreelen}}
• {{IBDB name|95174}}

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Category:1922 births

Category:1992 deaths

Category:Dutch male film actors

Category:Dutch male television actors

Category:Male actors from Amsterdam

Category:20th-century Dutch male actors

Category:Dutch male stage actors

Category:University of Paris alumni

Category:Dutch expatriates in France