Kurt Raab

{{Short description|West German stage and film actor}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Kurt Raab

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = 20 July 1941

| birth_place =Bergreichenstein, Germany (now Kašperské Hory, Czech Republic)

| death_date = {{death date and age|1988|6|28|1941|7|20|df=y}}

| death_place = Hamburg, West Germany

| othername =

| yearsactive = 1960s–1988

| spouse =

| partner =

| parents =

| website =

}}

Kurt Raab (20 July 1941 – 28 June 1988) was a West German stage and film actor, as well as a screenwriter and playwright. Raab is best remembered for his work with German film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, with whom he collaborated on 31 film projects.

Biography

Raab was born in Bergreichenstein, which is now Kašperské Hory, Czech Republic. He completed the abitur at Musische Gymnasium Straubing, and studied in Munich.{{cite web | title =Kurt Raab - Biographie | publisher =Deutsches Filminstitut | date =28 June 1998 | url =http://www.difarchiv.deutsches-filminstitut.de/dt2tp0115.htm | accessdate =26 January 2013 }}

He made his cinema debut in Fassbinder's Liebe ist kälter als der Tod (Love Is Colder than Death) in 1969. Over the next few years, he made numerous films with Fassbinder, including Warum läuft Herr R. Amok? (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?) and Der Amerikanische Soldat (The American Soldier) in 1970, Warnung vor einer heiligen Nutte (Beware of a Holy Whore) in 1971, and Der Händler der vier Jahreszeiten (The Merchant of Four Seasons) in 1972.

He also worked as a production designer, assistant director, producer, and a screenwriter.

Raab was friends with Freddie Mercury of Queen, and appears as a ballerina in the band's music video for "It's a Hard Life".{{cite web |title=It's A Hard Life - An interview from the set of the video shoot |url=http://www.queenonline.com/en/the-band/interviews/queen-1/it-s-a-hard-life/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121219040301/http://www.queenonline.com/en/the-band/interviews/queen-1/it-s-a-hard-life/ |archive-date=2012-12-19}} He is also seen in Mercury's "Living on My Own" video, dressed in drag as Mary, Queen of Scots.{{cite news |last=Hall |first=James |date=25 October 2019 |title=Drag, drugs and horse-drawn carriages: inside Freddie Mercury's epic 39th birthday party |website=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/drag-drugs-horse-drawn-carriages-inside-freddie-mercurys-epic/ |access-date=22 June 2020}}

On 28 June 1988, at age 46, Raab died of AIDS-related complications. Before Raab died, he worked to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in West Germany. In 1987, he discussed his illness in Herbert Achternbusch's Wohin?, a film about AIDS hysteria.[http://www.imdb.de/title/tt0096458/] Internet movie database, retrieved 7 June 2009 In 1988, he made Mitten im Leben, a documentary about AIDS, for Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen.{{cite web |url=http://www.deutsches-filminstitut.de/dt2tp0115.htm |title=Kurt Raab |accessdate=2010-06-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516195851/http://www.deutsches-filminstitut.de/dt2tp0115.htm |archivedate=2011-05-16 }} Kurt Raab filmography, retrieved 11 June 2010

However, the illness remained poorly understood and Raab was placed in quarantine-like conditions in the Hamburg Tropical Institute. While confined to a hospital bed, Raab and his friend Hans Hirschmüller compiled the documentary Sehnsucht Nach Sodom, in which they explored "subjects as taboo as AIDS, death and the Catholicism of a gay person." Sehnsucht was released posthumously in 1989.{{Citation |last=Baethe |first=Hanno |title=Sehnsucht Nach Sodom : Yearning for Sodom |date=2016-10-12 |url=https://vitheque.com/en/titles/sehnsucht-nach-sodom-yearning-for-sodom |language=en |access-date=2022-06-10}}

Prejudice about AIDS was also evident when Raab's body was refused burial in Steinbeißen, the Lower Bavarian town in which his family had settled in 1945. He is buried in Ohlsdorf Cemetery in Hamburg.

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable"
Year

!Title

!American title

!Role

!Notes

1969

|Liebe ist kälter als der Tod

|Love Is Colder Than Death

|Aufsichtsperson im Kaufhaus

|

1970

|Götter der Pest

|Gods of the Plague

|Gast in der Kneipe

|Uncredited

1970

|{{Interlanguage link|The Coffee Shop (film)|fr|3=Le Café|lt=Das Kaffeehaus}}

|{{Interlanguage link|The Coffee Shop (film)|fr|3=Le Café|lt=The Coffee Shop}}

|Don Marzio

|TV movie

1970

|Warum läuft Herr R. Amok?

|Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?

|Herr R

|

1970

|Der Amerikanische Soldat

|The American Soldier

|Ricky's brother

|

1970

|{{Interlanguage link|Niklashauser Fart|de}}

|{{Interlanguage link|Niklashauser Fart|de|3=Niklashauser Fart|lt=The Niklashausen Journey}}

|Bishop

|TV movie

1970

|Weg vom Fenster

|n/a

|Erster Erzieher

|TV movie

1971

|Rio das Mortes

|Rio das Mortes

|Tankwart

|TV movie

1971

|Mathias Kneissl

|Mathias Kneissl

|Fritz Rechthaler, Jungbauer

|

1971

|Whity

|Whity

|The Pianist

|Uncredited

1971

|Warnung vor einer heiligen Nutte

|Beware of a Holy Whore

|Fred

|

1971

|Die Ahnfrau - Oratorium nach Franz Grillparzer

|n/a

|Pfarrer

|TV movie

1972

|Händler der vier Jahreszeiten

|The Merchant of Four Seasons

|Kurt

|

1972

|{{Interlanguage link|Jail Bait (1972 film)|de|3=Wildwechsel (Film)|lt=Wildwechsel}}

|{{Interlanguage link|Jail Bait (1972 film)|de|3=Wildwechsel (Film)|lt=Jail Bait}}

|Factory Boss

|TV movie

1972

|{{Interlanguage link|Bremen Freedom|de|3=Bremer Freiheit|lt=Bremer Freiheit}}

|{{Interlanguage link|Bremen Freedom|de|3=Bremer Freiheit|lt=Bremen Freedom}}

|Carpenter

|TV movie

1972–1973

|Acht Stunden sind kein Tag

|Eight Hours Don't Make a Day

|Harald

|4 episodes

1973

|Zärtlichkeit der Wölfe

|The Tenderness of Wolves

|Fritz Haarmann

|

1973

|Welt am Draht

|World on a Wire

|Mark Holm

|2 episodes

1974

|Angst essen Seele auf

|Ali: Fear Eats the Soul

|Car Mechanic

|Uncredited

1974

|{{Interlanguage link|Die Verrohung des Franz Blum|de}}

|{{Interlanguage link|Die Verrohung des Franz Blum|de|3=Die Verrohung des Franz Blum|lt=The Brutalisation of Franz Blum}}

|Wupke, prison guard

|

1974

|Martha

|Martha

|Secretary

|TV movie

1974

|Der Verfolger

|n/a

|n/a

|TV movie

1974

|Effi Briest

|Effi Briest

|Apotheker Gieshübler

|Voice

1975

|{{Interlanguage link|Münchner Geschichten|de}}

|n/a

|Peter Pickl

|TV movie

1975

|Wie ein Vogel auf dem Draht

|Like a Bird on a Wire

|Barbesucher

|TV movie, Uncredited

1975

|Faustrecht der Freiheit

|Fox and His Friends

|Wodka-Peter

|

1975

|Mutter Küsters Fahrt zum Himmel

|Mother Küsters' Trip to Heaven

|Barbesitzer Gustav

|

1975

|{{Interlanguage link|Angst vor der Angst|de}}

|{{Interlanguage link|Angst vor der Angst|de|3=Angst vor der Angst|lt=Fear of Fear}}

|Herr Bauer

|TV movie

1976

|Die Atlantikschwimmer

|The Atlantic Swimmers

|Polizist

|

1976

|Satansbraten

|Satan's Brew

|Walter Kranz

|

1977

|Eierdiebe

|Petty Thieves

|n/a

|

1977

|Adolf und Marlene

|Adolf and Marlene

|Führer

|

1977

|Gruppenbild mit Dame

|Group Portrait with a Lady

|Parteifunktionär

|

1977

|Bolwieser

|The Stationmaster's Wife

|Xaver Ferdinand Maria Bolwieser - Station Master

|TV movie

1977

|Belcanto oder Darf eine Nutte schluchzen?

|n/a

|Arthur

|

1978

|Leidenschaftliche Blümchen

|Preppy School Girls

|Fletcher

|

1979

|Victor

|n/a

|Ein Zirkusansager

|TV movie

1979

|Der Durchdreher

|It Can Only Get Worse

|Mann von Glorias Freundin

|

1979

|Die Buddenbrooks

|The Buddenbrooks

|n/a

|TV series

1979

|Bildnis einer Trinkerin

|Ticket of No Return

|Chef

|

1979

|{{Interlanguage link|The Fall (1979 film)|de|3=Der Sturz (Film)|lt=Der Sturz}}

|{{Interlanguage link|The Fall (1979 film)|de|3=Der Sturz (Film)|lt=The Fall}}

|Theopont Dirlewanger

|

1979–1980

|Der ganz normale Wahnsinn

|n/a

|Franz

|5 episodes

1980

|{{Interlanguage link|Why the UFOs Steal Our Lettuce|de|3=Warum die UFOs unseren Salat klauen|lt=Warum die UFOs unseren Salat klauen}}

|''{{Interlanguage link|Why the UFOs Steal Our Lettuce|de|Warum die UFOs unseren Salat klauen}}

|Film-Hitler

|

1980

|Unter Verschluß

|Under Lock and Key

|n/a

|TV movie

1980

|{{ill|Slow Attack (film)|de|3=Endstation Freiheit|lt=Endstation Freiheit}}

|{{ill|Slow Attack (film)|de|3=Endstation Freiheit|lt=Slow Attack}}

|Maria Franz Beekenbrandt

|

1981

|Total vereist

|Totally Frozen

|Herr Münch

|

1981

|Engel aus Eisen

|Angels of Iron

|Chauffeur

|

1981

|Exil

|n/a

|Heilbrunn

|2 episodes

1981

|Wie die Weltmeister

|n/a

|Oberamtmann

|

1981

|Heute spielen wir den Boß

|n/a

|Reichenstein

|

1981

|{{Ill|Frankfurt: The Face of a City|de|3=Frankfurt Kaiserstraße|lt=Frankfurt Kaiserstraße}}

|{{Ill|Frankfurt: The Face of a City|de|Frankfurt Kaiserstraße}}

|Onkel Ossi

|

1981

|Sechsunddreißig Stunden

|n/a

|n/a

|TV movie

1981

|Feuer und Schwert - Die Legende von Tristan und Isolde

|Fire and Sword

|Ganelon

|

1981

|Die Fahrt nach Schlangenbad

|n/a

|Alfred Wittkowsky

|TV movie

1981

|Der glücklose Mann

|n/a

|n/a

|TV movie

1982

|Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers Felix Krull

|The Confessions of Felix Krull

|Sally Meerschaum

|5 episodes

1982

|Liebeskonzil

|Council of Love

Gerichtspräsident

|

1982

|Der Zauberberg

|The Magic Mountain

|Dr. Krokowski

|

1982

|Ich werde warten

|I'll Be Waiting

|Herr Dankert

|TV movie

1982

|Die Komplizen

|n/a

|Marcel Lambert

|Episode: "Mein kleiner Betrüger/Das Haus des Colonels/Tschüs, Charlie!/Schmerzlose Behandlung/Schabernack mit einer alten Frau"

1982

|Das Gespenst

|The Ghost

|Poli

|

1982

|Dr. Margarete Johnsohn

|n/a

|Herr Körber

|TV movie

1983

|{{Interlanguage link|Die Insel der blutigen Plantage|de}}

|{{Interlanguage link|Die Insel der blutigen Plantage|de|3=Die Insel der blutigen Plantage|lt=Escape from Blood Plantation}}

|Pevney

|

1983

|Der Zappler

|The Twitcher

|Nachbar

|

1983

|Derrick

|n/a

|Butler

|Episode: "Via Genua"

1983

|Bella Donna

|n/a

|n/a

|

1983

|Die Olympiasiegerin

|n/a

|n/a

|

1983

|Hauptsache konsequent

|n/a

|n/a

|TV movie

1983

|Traumlage

|n/a

|Fellner

|TV movie

1983

|Krimistunde

|n/a

|n/a

|TV series

1983

|Bolero

|n/a

|Rado

|

1984

|Tricheurs

|Cheaters

|Jorg

|

1984

|Humus

|n/a

|Horst

|Short

1984

|Rambo Zambo

|n/a

|n/a

|TV movie

1984

|Abwärts

|Out of Order

|Elevator mechanic

|

1984

|Der Rekord

|The Record

|P.K. Wütrich

|

1984

|{{Interlanguage link|Im Himmel ist die Hölle los|de}}

|n/a

|Intendant

|

1984

|Die Schwarzen Brüder

|n/a

|Man with scar

|TV mini-series

1985

|Kleine Stadt, ich liebe dich

|n/a

|n/a

|TV mini-series

1985

|Bittere Ernte

|Angry Harvest

|Maslanka

|

1985

|Parker

|Bones

|Haag

|

1985

|Franz Xaver Brunnmayr

|n/a

|n/a

|Episode: "Das Palais"

1985

|{{Interlanguage link|Feel the Motion|de|3=Der Formel Eins Film|lt=Der Formel Eins Film}}

|{{Interlanguage link|Feel the Motion|de|Der Formel Eins Film}}

|Mephisto

|

1985

|Mussolini: The Decline and Fall of Il Duce

|Mussolini and I

|Hitler

|3 episodes

1986

|Transitträume

|n/a

|Kaderleiter

|

1986

|Miko – Aus der Gosse zu den Sternen

|Miko: From the Gutter to the Stars

|Walter Hahn

|

1986

|Motten im Licht

|n/a

|Brenner

|

1986

|{{Interlanguage link|Rette mich, wer kann|de}}

|n/a

|1. Geige

|Episode: "Kulturpause"

1986

|Kir Royal

|n/a

|Michel, butler

|Episode: "Das Volk sieht nichts"

1986

|Schloßherren

|n/a

|n/a

|TV series

1986

|Das Totenreich

|n/a

|John Hagen

|TV movie

1987

|Escape from Sobibor

|Escape from Sobibor

|Commandant Frenzel

|TV movie

1987

|Das Rätsel der Sandbank

|The Riddle of the Sands

|Underwood

|TV movie, Uncredited

1987

|Der elegante Hund

|n/a

|n/a

|TV series

1988

|Wohin?

|n/a

|Gast

|

1989

|Reporter

|n/a

|n/a

|TV series, (final appearance)

References

{{Reflist}}