Werner Stock

Werner Stock was a German character actor known for his prolific career in supporting roles across film and television from the early 1930s until the early 1970s. Born on October 20, 1903, in Sangerhausen, Germany, he studied acting at the Neue Münchner Schauspielschule and the Otto Falckenberg School of the Performing Arts before establishing himself as a reliable presence in German-language productions. ^{[1] [2]} Stock began his screen career in the early 1930s and appeared in numerous films during the Nazi era, including Bismarck (1940) and Quax der Bruchpilot (1941), often in small supporting parts. After World War II, he resumed his work in West Germany, contributing to both cinema and the burgeoning medium of television, where he frequently took on character roles in series and teleplays. ^[3] He was particularly active in the postwar decades, with notable appearances in films such as Die Rose von Stambul (1953), Rommel ruft Kairo (1959), and Rheinsberg (1967), as well as recurring roles in television productions like Drei Frauen im Haus (1968–1969). Described as an emaciated-looking small-part character actor and occasional stage director, Stock amassed credits in more than 130 films and television shows over his lifetime. He died on April 30, 1972, in West Berlin, West Germany. ^{[2] [3]}

Early life and education

Birth and studies

Werner Bruno Wilhelm Hermann Stock was born on October 20, 1903, in Sangerhausen, Germany. ^{[4] [5]} He studied Germanistik (German studies), philosophy, and Theaterwissenschaft (theater studies) for six semesters until the mid-1920s. ^[4] He subsequently studied acting at the Neue Münchner Schauspielschule and the Otto Falckenberg School of the Performing Arts. ^{[1] [2]}

Theater career

Pre-war stage work

Werner Stock began his professional acting career on stage with his debut at the Württembergische Volksbühne in Stuttgart, where he appeared in William Shakespeare's Der Kaufmann von Venedig. In 1927, he received an engagement at the Staatstheater Kassel, marking his entry into more established regional theater. In 1932, Stock moved to Berlin and joined the Deutsches Künstlertheater, beginning a period of sustained work in the capital's theater scene. He subsequently performed at various Berlin theaters, including the Schillertheater and the Schauspielhaus am Gendarmenmarkt, remaining active on stage until 1945.

Post-war theater and directing

After World War II, Werner Stock resumed his theater career in the Soviet occupation zone, where he was appointed in 1946 as artistic director (künstlerischer Leiter) and theater director (Theaterregisseur) at the Mecklenburgisches Staatstheater Schwerin. In this dual capacity as both administrator and director, he shaped the theater's repertoire and productions during the early post-war reconstruction period. At the Schwerin theater, Stock continued acting in prominent roles while fulfilling his directing duties. These included Zettel in Shakespeare's Ein Sommernachtstraum (A Midsummer Night's Dream) and the Moor in Schiller's Die Verschwörung des Fiesco zu Genua. In 1948, he portrayed Korth in Franz Molnár's Spiel im Schloß at the Kleines Theater Schwerin, a production marking the 70th birthday of the playwright. Stock's final major stage role was as Nagg in Samuel Beckett's Endspiel (Endgame), which he performed on stage in his later years. This role overlapped with a 1969 television adaptation of the play in which he also appeared. Throughout the post-war period, Stock's work exemplified the combination of administrative leadership and continued acting that characterized many German theater artists rebuilding the cultural landscape after 1945.

Film career

Early films and during the Nazi era (1932–1945)

Werner Stock began his screen career in the early 1930s, debuting in 1932 with a role in Strich durch die Rechnung. ^[4] Known for his slender, emaciated appearance, he specialized in supporting and character parts, quickly establishing himself as a prolific presence in German cinema during the Nazi era. ^[2] Between 1932 and 1945, Stock appeared in approximately 50 films, nearly always in minor or uncredited roles that capitalized on his distinctive look and versatility as a character actor. ^[6] Representative examples include Lockvogel (1934), Das Hofkonzert (1936), Tango Notturno (1937), Madame Bovary (1937), Tanz auf dem Vulkan (1938), Pour le Mérite (1938), Ohm Krüger (1941), Quax, der Bruchpilot (1941), and Familie Buchholz (1944). ^{[6] [4]} These appearances reflected the steady demand for reliable ensemble players in the Third Reich's extensive film production, where Stock contributed to a range of genres from comedies and musicals to propaganda-tinged historical dramas without achieving starring status. ^[6] This pattern of typecasting as a supporting actor persisted into the postwar years. ^[2]

Post-war and later films (1946–1971)

After the end of World War II, Werner Stock resumed his acting career in West German cinema, continuing seamlessly as a reliable supporting actor in a variety of genres. ^{[2] [7]} He became especially active during the 1950s, a period when he appeared in numerous character parts, including several popular fairy tale adaptations (Märchenfilme) that were staples of West German family entertainment at the time. ^[7] Among his notable roles in this prolific decade were supporting appearances in Die wunderschöne Galathee (1950), Der fröhliche Weinberg (1952), Die Rose von Stambul (1953), Frau Holle (1954), and Aschenputtel (1955). ^[2] In the late 1950s, his credits included war and adventure films such as U 47 – Kapitänleutnant Prien (1958), Rommel ruft Kairo (1959), and the musical comedy Freddy, die Gitarre und das Meer (1959). ^[2] Stock's film work continued into the 1960s, though at a reduced pace, with appearances in Wir wollen niemals auseinandergehen (1960) and Rheinsberg (1967). ^{[2] [7]} During this later period, his screen activity overlapped increasingly with television engagements. ^[7]

Television and radio career

Television roles

Werner Stock contributed to West German television in the 1960s and early 1970s, appearing in several series and made-for-TV films during the later stage of his career. ^[2] He appeared in two episodes of the comedy series Meine Frau Susanne in 1963, playing Herr Schimanski and Dr. Stein. ^[8] He appeared as Mücke in an episode of the crime series Kommissar Freytag in 1966. In 1969, he guest-starred as Onkel Hubert in an episode of Polizeifunk ruft. ^[2] His most substantial television role came as the recurring character Herr Oehmchen in Drei Frauen im Haus, where he featured in 23 episodes from 1968 to 1969. ^[2] Stock also took part in TV movies, notably portraying Nagg in Endspiel (1969), a role he had previously performed on stage. ^[2] Among his later television appearances were Die gefälschte Göttin (1971) and Duell zu dritt (1971). ^[2]

Radio performances

Werner Stock's radio career consisted of occasional supporting roles in German Hörspiele during the late 1950s and early 1960s, contributing to audio productions at various broadcasters as part of his broader work as a character actor. One early appearance came in 1959, when he played Inspektor Blankenhorn in Curt Goetz-Pflug's original radio play Die Lebensläufe des Herrn Schinowski, first broadcast by Sender Freies Berlin on 9 April 1959.^[9] He frequently collaborated with director Fritz Schröder-Jahn at Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), including a role as Cahir Bowes (the stone-cutter) in the 1962 adaptation of Seumas O'Kelly's Das Grab des Webers, which premiered on 21 November 1962.^[10] In 1963, he voiced Pisanio in Schröder-Jahn's NDR production of Shakespeare's Cymbeline (adapted from the Lambs' Tales from Shakespeare), broadcast on Christmas Day, 25 December 1963.^[11] These performances highlight Stock's reliable presence in ensemble casts for literary adaptations and original works during this period.

Death

Final years and burial

Werner Stock died on April 30, 1972, in West Berlin, West Germany (now Berlin, Germany). ^[2] His acting career had extended until the previous year, with final appearances in film and television productions in 1971. ^[2] He was buried at Friedhof Dahlem in Berlin. ^[12] No further details about his final years, including personal life or circumstances surrounding his death, are documented in available sources.