Ewald Wenck

Personal

Vocation

German actor, cabaret artist and radio presenter, who appeared in more than 230 films and television shows between 1919 and 1978. After treading the boards in his youth, Ewald Wenck started his career as a film actor in the silent film era and made his debut in 1919 as a star in Hans Werckmeister's Margots Freier, followed by other film productions. His real breakthrough, however, came only with the advent of sound film, when he became a sought-after actor in the 1930s and 1940s. Often, however, he was cast in minor roles, but he did eventually became one of the busiest supporting role actors of the German film industry. Even during World War II, he managed to participate in various entertainment films, including German film classics such as Helmut Weiss' Die Feuerzangenbowle (1944). After the war Wenck became popular in Germany mainly through his participation in the RIAS radio cabaret Die Insulaner as well as in the RIAS radio play series Pension Spreewitz and as the narrator in Damals war’s – Geschichten aus dem alten Berlin. In 282 RIAS broadcasts of "Ewald's hit parade" he was the oldest DJ in the world from 27 January 1970 until 26 January 1981. He died on 3 April 1981, aged 89, in West Berlin. Link to Wikipedia biography