Kurt Raab
{{Short description|West German stage and film actor}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kurt Raab
| image =
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| 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 =
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}}
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
|Aufsichtsperson im Kaufhaus | | |
1970
|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
|Herr R | | |
1970
|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
|Tankwart |TV movie | |
1971
|Fritz Rechthaler, Jungbauer | | |
1971
|The Pianist |Uncredited | |
1971
|Warnung vor einer heiligen Nutte |Fred | | |
1971
|Die Ahnfrau - Oratorium nach Franz Grillparzer |n/a |Pfarrer |TV movie | |
1972
|Händler der vier Jahreszeiten |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
|Harald |4 episodes | |
1973
| | |
1973
|Mark Holm |2 episodes | |
1974
|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
|Secretary |TV movie | |
1974
|Der Verfolger |n/a |n/a |TV movie | |
1974
|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
|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
|Walter Kranz | | |
1977
|Eierdiebe |Petty Thieves |n/a | | |
1977
|Adolf und Marlene |Adolf and Marlene | | |
1977
|Parteifunktionär | | |
1977
|Xaver Ferdinand Maria Bolwieser - Station Master |TV movie | |
1977
|Belcanto oder Darf eine Nutte schluchzen? |n/a |Arthur | | |
1978
|Fletcher | | |
1979
|Victor |n/a |Ein Zirkusansager |TV movie | |
1979
|Mann von Glorias Freundin | | |
1979
|n/a |TV series | |
1979
|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
|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
|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 |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 | Gerichtspräsident
| |
1982
|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
|Poli | | |
1982
|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
|n/a |Butler |Episode: "Via Genua" | |
1983
|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
|n/a |Rado | | |
1984
|Cheaters |Jorg | | |
1984
|Humus |n/a |Horst |Short | |
1984
|Rambo Zambo |n/a |n/a |TV movie | |
1984
|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
|Maslanka | | |
1985
|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}} | | |
1985
|Mussolini: The Decline and Fall of Il Duce |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
|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
|TV movie | |
1987
|Underwood |TV movie, Uncredited | |
1987
|Der elegante Hund |n/a |n/a |TV series | |
1988
|n/a |Gast | | |
1989
|n/a |n/a |TV series, (final appearance) |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0704624|Kurt Raab}}
- [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=2:107322~C Kurt Raab] at Allmovie
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raab, Kurt}}
Category:People from Kašperské Hory
Category:People from Sudetenland
Category:Sudeten German people
Category:AIDS-related deaths in Germany
Category:German male stage actors
Category:German male film actors
Category:German male television actors
Category:German autobiographers
Category:20th-century German male actors
Category:German male non-fiction writers