German actor
Was wounded while serving with a German artillery unit in Serbia during the first world war (1914-1918).
Tall, athletic, dark-eyed star of 1930s and 40s German Ufa films, the son of a goldsmith. His first major stage role was in 1910. On screen only from 1934, invariably in masculine or romantic roles, with a noted penchant for portraying straight-backed cavalry officers, cultured governors, aristocratic landowners, industrialists and charming bon vivants. His post-war career was harmed by having featured in several Nazi propaganda films. He was banned from acting in films until 1947. From 1959, he was a regular member of the ensemble of the Schauspielhaus Zurich.
From the 60s he normally worked for the television, with few exceptions, and of course at the theater.
Reichspropagandaminister Joseph Goebbels named Birgel Staatsschauspieler or roughly Actor of the State, the highest honor Germany had for actors at the time.
After a theater performance in 1907 he was seized by the acting virus and attended an acting school. He got his first theater engagement at the Stadttheater Bonn in 1913. His career was interrupted with his entry to the army during World War I. After the war he continued his theater career and became a star on the Mannheimer stage.
After World War II, Birgel was on the Allied black-list and did not make another film until 1947. By the 1950s, he was back to his pre-war popularity, often appearing with German film superstar Hans Albers.
Till he became one of the most successful actors of the 30s it took a little while. For the time being he studied at the arts and crafts school in Cologne and Dsseldorf in order to prepare for the takeover of fatherly company - a gold smithy.
The actor Willy Birgel is a phenomenon among the German actors. At an age when other stars are worried about getting attractive roles, Willy Birgel began his own film career.
He continued his career till the end of World War II but after the war he fell out of favour with the Allies and owned his continuation of his film career to the intercession of Erich Pommer.
Already over forty years old he was engaged by Paul Wegener for an easily remembered support role in the movie "Ein Mann will nach Deutschland". No one had counted on a huge career of Willy Birgel at this time but he became soon a public magnet and a darling of the women.
