Theo Lingen

Theo Lingen was born on June 10, 1903 in Hanover, Germany as Franz Theodor Schmitz.

Made his stage debut at the Schauburg in Hannover without having attended acting lessons (1921).

In 1929 he was invited by Bertolt Brecht to the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm in Berlin, where he performed as Macheath in The Threepenny Opera.

The film called him up in 1930 and it began an enormous busy time which was lasting till to the 70's.

He was an actor and director, known for M (1931), The Testament of Dr.

Mabuse (1933) and Till Eulenspiegel: Wie Eulenspiegel sich einmal erbot, zu fliegen (1936). He was married to Marianne Zoff.

Ensemble member of the Preußisches Staatstheater, 1936-44.

He starred in drama films like M and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse directed by Fritz Lang and also directed films like Hauptsache glücklich (1941) starring Heinz Rühmann.

In 1944 Lingen moved to Vienna, and in view of the approaching Red Army retired to his cottage at Strobl on the Wolfgangsee shortly afterwards. Here for a few days in May 1945, he acted as de facto mayor, when he managed to dis-empower the local Nazi authorities and surrendered to the US Army at St. Gilgen. Lingen's measures were followed by the liberation of King Leopold III of Belgium and his wife by the 106th Cavalry Regiment.

Nasally-voiced star comic of prolific output, the son of a lawyer. He appeared in just about anything, from musical comedies to crime thrillers. After 1945, Lingen formed a popular comedic partnership with the Austrian comedian Hans Moser. He excelled at supercilious or officious types, immaculate butlers and disdainful servants, prissy secretaries and pedantic school principals.

After the war he went on tour through Austrian cities. In 1946 he got the Austrian nationality and he continued his theater career in the German-speaking Europe till to the 70's.

Ensemble member at the famous Burgtheater in Vienna from 1948 until his death, playing many character roles.

The post-war film offered Theo Lingen especially at the beginning interesting roles, so "Der Theodor im Fussballtor" (1950), "Die Diebin von Bagdad" (1952), "Heidi" (1952), and "Der Mustergatte" (1956). But the German entertainment film sagged more and more into triviality and dragged the in comparable comedian with it. Theo Lingen often impersonated hyper nervous characters whose comic effect only moved on the surface, more demanding roles were exceptional. Still the comedies and slapstick movies enjoyed great popularity and maintained Theo Lingen's fame.

In the 60's he got the chance to show his acting repertoire for television where he was able to impersonate serious roles too like in "Die Kassette" (1961), "Minna von Barnhelm" (1963), "Tonio Kröger" (1964) and "Was ihr wollt" (1968).

Foremeost he pursued his film career, performing in numerous comedies of varied quality, in his later days of the 1970s also on television, for example as an presenter for Laurel and Hardy films.

Theo Lingen died of cancer in 1978 at the age of 75 in Vienna. The city of Vienna dedicated a grave to him at the Zentralfriedhof. The municipalities of Strobl and Lingen (in 2007) have named squares in his honor.