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Biography
After this he appeared in the films "Ein Laecheln im Sturm" and
"Entfuehrung ins Glueck" until the beginning of the year. At this point,
having been discovered at a party by director, Anatole Litvak, he
signed a contract with 20th Century Fox to play the lead in his first
American film "Decision Before Dawn".
After this film, he returned to the stage of The Theater In The
Josefstadt playing a prince in "Leocadia." He appeared as a guest
artist at the Burgtheater in "Gesang im Feuerofen". He stated in a
broadcast at this time Max Reinhardt's "speech over the actor" and this
became his artistic Credo.
Following an unproductive stay in Hollywood as a result of his work in
"Decision Before Dawn". He dissolved his contract with 20Th Century Fox
in favor of a return to the stage to play Shakespeare's "Hamlet"
With an architect friend he designed and built his home in Triesen,
Liechtenstein. It was there, in seclusion, that he learned his lines
for "Hamlet" while hiking the mountain paths. He felt "that in Hamlet
(he) had found a twin." He signed the contract on his 30th birthday.
"Hamlet" was to become his greatest role.
He appeared in the Zurich Schauspielhaus in "Danton's Death".
Then made his first appearance as "Hamlet" in Frankfurt/Main to superb reviews:
"He does not perform "Hamlet". He IS "Hamlet.!" He also appeared in "The Prince of Homburg."
In 1954 he married Anne Power, daughter of French actress, Annabella,
and adopted daughter of American actor, Tyrone Power.
On the occasion of the reopening of the Burgtheater he played the title
role in "Don Carlos", and, again appeared as "Hamlet" in The Theater In
The Josefstadt under the direction of Lothar Muethel.
He established the "Theater Ensemble Oskar Werner" and starred in
"Bacchus." He also toured with "Hamlet."
He wrote directed and starred in "Ein gewisser Judas" under the alias
"Erasmus Nothnagel."
The Theater Ensemble Oskar Werner went to the Innsbruck Drama Festival
with the pieces, "Kabale und Liebe" as well as "Weh dem der lügt".
Following the festival the group went on tour with both productions.
Following this Werner was called to return to the Burgtheater by Ernst
Haeussermann. There he played "Prince Hal" in Shakespeare's "Henry IV",
the title part in "Torguato Tasso" and starred as Thomas Becket in
"Becket Or The Honor Of God." He played the title role in
Shakespeare's "Henry V." and settled the Burgtheater contract.
Werner starred as "Orpheus" by Felix Braun with the Bregenzer
Festivals. Later he took his Ensemble on tour with "Torquato Tasso".
During this period, his marriage to Anne Power ended in divorce.
In 1966 Felix Florian, Werner's son from a liason with American model,
Diane Anderson, was born.
During the latter half of the 1960's Werner made several films. Then,
in 1970, he returned to his first love, the stage, starring in and
directing "Hamlet" with his Theater Ensemble at the Salzburg Festival.
During the 1970's he spent much time traveling to Israel, Italy, Malta,
France and the USA. Coming out of retirement to do readings of "poems
against the war" annually, while he was living in Vienna and his summer
home in Thallern in the Wachau.
Starred for the last time on stage during 1983 in "The Prince of Homburg" in Krems.
Commemoration ceremony in the former KZ area in Mauthausen.
Sadly the alcoholism that Werner was a victim of through his life was by now,
slowly ending it. His last appearances were readings in the Palace
Auersperg; a commemoration ceremony for the Jews; and a reading in the
large Mozart Hall in Salzburg just ten days before his death.
At the start of a projected reading tour of Germany, in the Hotel
Europaeischer Hof in Marburg an der Lahn, on October 22, 1984, Werner,
saying he felt ill, cancelled that night's reading. The next morning,
October 23, 1984, he was found dead of a heart attack.
He is buried in his adopted country of Liechtenstein.
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