Oscar Beregi, Jr.
| Oscar Beregi, Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 12, 1918 Budapest, Hungary |
| Died |
November 1, 1976 (aged 58) Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Film, television actor |
Oscar Beregi, Jr. (May 12, 1918 – November 1, 1976) was a Hungarian-born film and television actor. He was the son of actor Oscar Beregi, Sr. but was often billed simply as Oscar Beregi. Beregi was most famous for his roles in the American anthology series, Twilight Zone.
Career
Television
Despite a major recurring role as fictional gang lord Joe Kulak on The Untouchables, Beregi may be best remembered as Captain Gunther Lutze in the classic Twilight Zone episode "Deaths-Head Revisited." The show featured Beregi as a former Dachau commandant who returns to the concentration camp to relive old memories, only to be confronted by the spirits of prisoners he brutalized. The episode is memorably stark and graphic, and, despite the presence of the eminent actor Joseph Schildkraut as the prisoner who accuses him, it is a rare showcase for Beregi as he faces his accuser and descends into insanity. Creator of The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling, was so impressed with their performances that he named Beregi along with Schildkraut when promoting the episode. This was an unusual career distinction, as he often played minor roles and was billed accordingly. Serling also didn't usually name his stars by name the week before the episode aired.
He also appeared in the Twilight Zone episodes "The Rip Van Winkle Caper" and "Mute" and in dozens of shows that used his distinctively paradoxical heavy-set European urbanity to comic effect, including Hogan's Heroes, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Wild Wild West, and Get Smart.
Film
Beregi's film career included small roles in several major films, including Judgement at Nuremberg, Ship of Fools, My Fair Lady, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) and Young Frankenstein.
Death
Beregi died of a heart attack on November 1, 1976 in Los Angeles, California. He was buried in Glendale's Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery.