Anecdotes

His hobbies were painting and sculpting.

German star character actor, trained at the Max Reinhardt Academy in Berlin, 1927-28. On stage from 1929, after 1931 coming into his own in leading roles at the Deutsches Theater until 1944. Subsequently became an ensemble member of the Munich Kammerspiele (1946-49). He also acted in films from 1934, often as dependable professional men, senior officers, naive, cuckolded husbands (excellent in Lumière dans la nuit (1943)), academics or bankers. He was popularly cast in humorous or crusty roles on German television during the 1970's, as well as being the dubbing voice for English-speaking stars Vincent Price, Lee J. Cobb and Charles Laughton.

Throughout the 1930s he worked with popular actors like Emil Jannings, Zarah Leander, Lil Dagover or Lída Baarová.

In the 60's and especially in the 70's Dahlke turned to the television, in feature movies he only appeared from time to time.

When he went to lectures of Germanistik and theater science for six semesters it was only a small step to become an actor. He became a student at the Max-Reinhardt school and got his first small roles two years later at the Lessing theater.

With his engagement at the Deutsche Theater he managed his breakthrough and became soon an ideal actor in plays by Gerhard Hauptmann. Paul Dahlke worked at the Deutsche Theater till 1944.

After the war he first worked again at the theater where he impersonated among others General Harras in Carl Zuckmayr's play "Des Teufels General".

Nothing pointed out at the beginning of Paul Dahlke's life that he will enter an acting career. He studied an the Bergacademy in Clausthal-Zellerfeld and earned his first money in a local ore mine during his school vacation. He showed first artistic ambitions with his interest in painting and wood-carving.

Paul Dahlke was in the happy situation to be able to work in front of the camera just before his death.

The theater director Heinz Hilpert, who had engaged Paul Dahlke for several plays before, gave him also his first role in a movie called "Liebe, Tod und Teufel" (1934). He became soon established in the film business in the following years and impersonated powerful men and plain souls with all their facets.