Karl Michael Vogler

Karl Michael Vogler (28 August 1928 – 9 June 2009) was a German actor, probably best known for his appearances in several big-budget English language films. In The Blue Max (1966), he co-starred with George Peppard and Ursula Andress as the squadron commander, and in Patton (1970), he portrayed General Erwin Rommel. In between, he was in Robert Redford's Downhill Racer (1969) as a ski company owner. Vogler primarily worked in German film and television, often typecast as authority figures. He was also an acclaimed stage actor, perhaps best remembered for playing Horatio to Maximilian Schell's Hamlet in 1960's Munich August Festival and a subsequent television adaptation. Born in Remscheid, Germany and brought up in Bregenz, Austria, Vogler was the son of a blacksmith. After graduation, he started his career as theatre actor and made his debut in Innsbruck in 1950. Between the 1970s and 2005 he made appearances on German TV and European films. Vogler died at age 80 in Seehausen am Staffelsee, Germany.