Paul Muller (actor)
Paul Muller | |
---|---|
Muller in 1953. | |
Born |
Paul Konrad Muller 11 March 1923 Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
Other names | Paul Müller, Paul Miller, Paul Muler, Paolo Muller, Robert Muller |
Occupation | Character actor |
Years active | 1948-2004 |
Paul Konrad Muller (born 11 March 1923 in Neuchâtel) is a Swiss character actor.
Acting
Theatre
In 1941/1942 he studied acting at the “Conservatoire National Supérieur d`Art Dramatique” in Paris. Until 1944 he had different engagements at theatres in Paris, e. g. “Theatre Pigalle”, “Salle Pleyel”, “Theatre des Ambassadeurs”. From 1944 to 1946 he was called up for military service in the French Army in Indochina shortly before the First Indochina War took place there. He caught malaria during that time and, in consequence of the disease, was left hard of hearing. From 1947 to 1948 he had different engagements at theatres and touring companies not only in France, but also in the French part of Allied-occupied Germany and in Florence, e. g. “Tournée Spectacles Moyses”, Teatro della Pergola. He acted, inter alia, under the direction of Georges Douking.
Film
Paul Muller appeared in over 230 films since his first role in 1948. He spent most of his life by working in Italy, his main country of residence. He worked over more than 60 years with most of the well-known European actresses and actors of classic cinema and with some famous names of the Cinema of Italy like Roberto Rossellini, Carlo Ponti, Federico Fellini, Mario Bava, Sergio Corbucci, Michelangelo Antonioni. He also made his appearance in films under the direction of Veit Harlan, Artur Brauner, Jesús "Jess" Franco, René Clement, Michael Curtiz, Richard Fleischer, Jean-Pierre Mocky and many others. Today he lives withdrawn near Rome.
Selected filmography
- Sicilian Uprising (1949)
- William Tell (1949)
- Fabiola (1949, director: Alessandro Blasetti)
- Toto Looks for a Wife (1950)
- The Black Captain (1951)
- The Blind Woman of Sorrento (1952)
- Two Nights with Cleopatra (1953, director: Mario Mattoli)
- Journey to Italy (1954, director: Roberto Rossellini)
- Verrat an Deutschland (1954, director: Veit Harlan)
- Tam Tam a Mayumba (1954, director: Gian Gaspare Napolitano)
- Public Opinion (1954)
- Checkpoint (1956)
- Il Conte di Matera (1957)
- The Adventures of Arsène Lupin (1957, director: Jacques Becker)
- I Vampiri (1956, directors: Mario Bava, Riccardo Freda)
- Captain Falcon (1958)
- The Conqueror of the Orient (1960)
- Minotaur, the Wild Beast of Crete (1960) aka "Theseus vs the Minotaur"
- The Wastrel (1961)
- Avenger of the Seven Seas (1962)
- Pontius Pilate (1962)
- Attack of the Normans (1962)
- Kali Yug: Goddess of Vengeance (1963)
- Desert Raiders (1964)
- Nightmare Castle (1965)
- Bootleggers (1969)
- Venus in Furs (1969, director: Jesús Franco)
- How Did a Nice Girl Like You Get Into This Business? (1970)
- Count Dracula (1970, director: Jesús Franco)
- Eugenie De Sade (1970, director: Jesús Franco)
- L'albatros (1971, director: Jean-Pierre Mocky)
- Vampyros Lesbos (1971, director: Jesús Franco)
- She Killed in Ecstasy (1971)
- Lady Frankenstein (1971), as Dr. Charles Marshall
- Treasure Island (1972), as Blind Pew
- Heroes in Hell (1973)
- L'histoire très bonne et très joyeuse de Colinot trousse-chemise (1973) director: Nina Companéez
- Un linceul n'a pas de poches (1974, director: Jean-Pierre Mocky)
- Frauengefängnis (1975, director: Jesús Franco) aka Barbed Wire Dolls
- Derrick - Season 6, Episode 7: "Lena" (1979)
- The Perfect Crime
- The Practice of Love (1985)
- Salome (1986)
- Paprika (1989, director: Tinto Brass)
- Li chiamarono... briganti! (1999)
Awards and honors
In 2009 the German film production company Anolis published a Collector`s Edition of Mario Bava`s and Ricardo Freda`s masterpiece I Vampiri (Der Vampir von Notre-Dame) on a 2-DVD-Set. That item includes, inter alia, three different versions of the first Italian horror movie of the sound era and an exclusive interview with actor Paul Müller about his career (“C`est la Vie – Paul Muller erzählt”). It is the only on-screen interview appearance of him existing so far. The DVD is especially dedicated to Muller and his remarkable work within the European film industry.
Further reading
- Jess Franco, *Memorias del tío Jess (2004) (autobiography, in Spanish)
- Lucas Balbo, Peter Blumenstock, Christian Kessler, Tim Lucas, *Obsession - The Films of Jess Franco (1993)
- Benedikt Eppenberger, Daniel Stapfer *Maedchen, Machos und Moneten: Die unglaubliche Geschichte des Schweizer Kinounternehmers Erwin C. Dietrich. Mit einem Vorwort von Jess Franco. Verlag Scharfe Stiefel, Zurich, 2006, ISBN 3-033-00960-3