Kurt Raab

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Kurt Raab
Born20 July 1941
Bergreichenstein, Germany (now Kašperské Hory, Czech Republic)
Died28 June 1988(1988-06-28) (aged 46)
Hamburg, West Germany
Years active1960s–1988

Kurt Raab (20 July 1941 – 28 June 1988) was a West German stage and film actor, as well as a screenwriter and playwright. Raab is best remembered for his work with German film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, with whom he collaborated on 31 film projects.

Biography

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Raab was born in Bergreichenstein, which is now Kašperské Hory, Czech Republic. He completed the abitur at Musische Gymnasium Straubing, and studied in Munich.[1]

He made his cinema debut in Fassbinder's Liebe ist kälter als der Tod (Love Is Colder than Death) in 1969. Over the next few years, he made numerous films with Fassbinder, including Warum läuft Herr R. Amok? (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?) and Der Amerikanische Soldat (The American Soldier) in 1970, Warnung vor einer heiligen Nutte (Beware of a Holy Whore) in 1971, and Der Händler der vier Jahreszeiten (The Merchant of Four Seasons) in 1972.

He also worked as a production designer, assistant director, producer, and a screenwriter.

Raab was friends with Freddie Mercury of Queen, and appears as a ballerina in the band's music video for "It's a Hard Life".[2] He is also seen in Mercury's "Living on My Own" video, dressed in drag as Mary, Queen of Scots.[3]

On 28 June 1988, at age 46, Raab died of AIDS-related complications. Before Raab died, he worked to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in West Germany. In 1987, he discussed his illness in Herbert Achternbusch's Wohin?, a film about AIDS hysteria.[4] In 1988, he made Mitten im Leben, a documentary about AIDS, for Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen.[5] However, the illness remained poorly understood and Raab was placed in quarantine-like conditions in the Hamburg Tropical Institute. While confined to a hospital bed, Raab and his friend Hans Hirschmüller compiled the documentary Sehnsucht Nach Sodom, in which they explored "subjects as taboo as AIDS, death and the Catholicism of a gay person." Sehnsucht was released posthumously in 1989.[6]

Prejudice about AIDS was also evident when Raab's body was refused burial in Steinbeißen, the Lower Bavarian town in which his family had settled in 1945.[1] He is buried in Ohlsdorf Cemetery in Hamburg.[1]

Filmography

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Year Title American title Role Notes
1969 Liebe ist kälter als der Tod Love Is Colder Than Death Aufsichtsperson im Kaufhaus
1970 Götter der Pest Gods of the Plague Gast in der Kneipe Uncredited
1970 Das Kaffeehaus [fr] The Coffee Shop [fr] Don Marzio TV movie
1970 Warum läuft Herr R. Amok? Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? Herr R
1970 Der Amerikanische Soldat The American Soldier Ricky's brother
1970 Niklashauser Fart [de] The Niklashausen Journey [de] Bishop TV movie
1970 Weg vom Fenster n/a Erster Erzieher TV movie
1971 Rio das Mortes Rio das Mortes Tankwart TV movie
1971 Mathias Kneissl Mathias Kneissl Fritz Rechthaler, Jungbauer
1971 Whity Whity The Pianist Uncredited
1971 Warnung vor einer heiligen Nutte Beware of a Holy Whore Fred
1971 Die Ahnfrau - Oratorium nach Franz Grillparzer n/a Pfarrer TV movie
1972 Händler der vier Jahreszeiten The Merchant of Four Seasons Kurt
1972 Wildwechsel [de] Jail Bait [de] Factory Boss TV movie
1972 Bremer Freiheit [de] Bremen Freedom [de] Carpenter TV movie
1972–1973 Acht Stunden sind kein Tag Eight Hours Don't Make a Day Harald 4 episodes
1973 Zärtlichkeit der Wölfe The Tenderness of Wolves Fritz Haarmann
1973 Welt am Draht World on a Wire Mark Holm 2 episodes
1974 Angst essen Seele auf Ali: Fear Eats the Soul Car Mechanic Uncredited
1974 Die Verrohung des Franz Blum [de] The Brutalisation of Franz Blum [de] Wupke, prison guard
1974 Martha Martha Secretary TV movie
1974 Der Verfolger n/a n/a TV movie
1974 Effi Briest Effi Briest Apotheker Gieshübler Voice
1975 Münchner Geschichten [de] n/a Peter Pickl TV movie
1975 Wie ein Vogel auf dem Draht Like a Bird on a Wire Barbesucher TV movie, Uncredited
1975 Faustrecht der Freiheit Fox and His Friends Wodka-Peter
1975 Mutter Küsters Fahrt zum Himmel Mother Küsters' Trip to Heaven Barbesitzer Gustav
1975 Angst vor der Angst [de] Fear of Fear [de] Herr Bauer TV movie
1976 Die Atlantikschwimmer The Atlantic Swimmers Polizist
1976 Satansbraten Satan's Brew Walter Kranz
1977 Eierdiebe Petty Thieves n/a
1977 Adolf und Marlene Adolf and Marlene Führer
1977 Gruppenbild mit Dame Group Portrait with a Lady Parteifunktionär
1977 Bolwieser The Stationmaster's Wife Xaver Ferdinand Maria Bolwieser - Station Master TV movie
1977 Belcanto oder Darf eine Nutte schluchzen? n/a Arthur
1978 Leidenschaftliche Blümchen Preppy School Girls Fletcher
1979 Victor n/a Ein Zirkusansager TV movie
1979 Der Durchdreher It Can Only Get Worse Mann von Glorias Freundin
1979 Die Buddenbrooks The Buddenbrooks n/a TV series
1979 Bildnis einer Trinkerin Ticket of No Return Chef
1979 Der Sturz [de] The Fall [de] Theopont Dirlewanger
1979–1980 Der ganz normale Wahnsinn n/a Franz 5 episodes
1980 Warum die UFOs unseren Salat klauen [de] Why the UFOs Steal Our Lettuce [de] Film-Hitler
1980 Unter Verschluß Under Lock and Key n/a TV movie
1980 Endstation Freiheit [de] Slow Attack [de] Maria Franz Beekenbrandt
1981 Total vereist Totally Frozen Herr Münch
1981 Engel aus Eisen Angels of Iron Chauffeur
1981 Exil n/a Heilbrunn 2 episodes
1981 Wie die Weltmeister n/a Oberamtmann
1981 Heute spielen wir den Boß n/a Reichenstein
1981 Frankfurt Kaiserstraße [de] Frankfurt: The Face of a City [de] Onkel Ossi
1981 Sechsunddreißig Stunden n/a n/a TV movie
1981 Feuer und Schwert - Die Legende von Tristan und Isolde Fire and Sword Ganelon
1981 Die Fahrt nach Schlangenbad n/a Alfred Wittkowsky TV movie
1981 Der glücklose Mann n/a n/a TV movie
1982 Bekenntnisse des Hochstaplers Felix Krull The Confessions of Felix Krull Sally Meerschaum 5 episodes
1982 Liebeskonzil Council of Love Gerichtspräsident
1982 Der Zauberberg The Magic Mountain Dr. Krokowski
1982 Ich werde warten I'll Be Waiting Herr Dankert TV movie
1982 Die Komplizen n/a Marcel Lambert Episode: "Mein kleiner Betrüger/Das Haus des Colonels/Tschüs, Charlie!/Schmerzlose Behandlung/Schabernack mit einer alten Frau"
1982 Das Gespenst The Ghost Poli
1982 Dr. Margarete Johnsohn n/a Herr Körber TV movie
1983 Die Insel der blutigen Plantage [de] Escape from Blood Plantation [de] Pevney
1983 Der Zappler The Twitcher Nachbar
1983 Derrick n/a Butler Episode: "Via Genua"
1983 Bella Donna n/a n/a
1983 Die Olympiasiegerin n/a n/a
1983 Hauptsache konsequent n/a n/a TV movie
1983 Traumlage n/a Fellner TV movie
1983 Krimistunde n/a n/a TV series
1983 Bolero n/a Rado
1984 Tricheurs Cheaters Jorg
1984 Humus n/a Horst Short
1984 Rambo Zambo n/a n/a TV movie
1984 Abwärts Out of Order Elevator mechanic
1984 Der Rekord The Record P.K. Wütrich
1984 Im Himmel ist die Hölle los [de] n/a Intendant
1984 Die Schwarzen Brüder n/a Man with scar TV mini-series
1985 Kleine Stadt, ich liebe dich n/a n/a TV mini-series
1985 Bittere Ernte Angry Harvest Maslanka
1985 Parker Bones Haag
1985 Franz Xaver Brunnmayr n/a n/a Episode: "Das Palais"
1985 Der Formel Eins Film [de] Feel the Motion [de] Mephisto
1985 Mussolini: The Decline and Fall of Il Duce Mussolini and I Hitler 3 episodes
1986 Transitträume n/a Kaderleiter
1986 Miko – Aus der Gosse zu den Sternen Miko: From the Gutter to the Stars Walter Hahn
1986 Motten im Licht n/a Brenner
1986 Rette mich, wer kann [de] n/a 1. Geige Episode: "Kulturpause"
1986 Kir Royal n/a Michel, butler Episode: "Das Volk sieht nichts"
1986 Schloßherren n/a n/a TV series
1986 Das Totenreich n/a John Hagen TV movie
1987 Escape from Sobibor Escape from Sobibor Commandant Frenzel TV movie
1987 Das Rätsel der Sandbank The Riddle of the Sands Underwood TV movie, Uncredited
1987 Der elegante Hund n/a n/a TV series
1988 Wohin? n/a Gast
1989 Reporter n/a n/a TV series, (final appearance)

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Kurt Raab - Biographie". Deutsches Filminstitut. 28 June 1998. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
  2. ^ "It's A Hard Life - An interview from the set of the video shoot". Archived from the original on 2012-12-19.
  3. ^ Hall, James (25 October 2019). "Drag, drugs and horse-drawn carriages: inside Freddie Mercury's epic 39th birthday party". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  4. ^ [1] Internet movie database, retrieved 7 June 2009
  5. ^ "Kurt Raab". Archived from the original on 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2010-06-11. Kurt Raab filmography, retrieved 11 June 2010
  6. ^ Baethe, Hanno (2016-10-12), Sehnsucht Nach Sodom : Yearning for Sodom, retrieved 2022-06-10
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