Also Known As: Leo Aschkenasy
Biography: Leon Askin (Born: September 18, 1907, Vienna, Austria-Hungary (now Austria), Height 6ft [1.83m]) was an Austrian-American actor who enjoyed a successful career in both theater and television. He is best known for his portrayal of General Albert Burkhalter in the hit sitcom "Hogan's Heroes," a role he played for six seasons from 1965 to 1971. Born Leo Aschkenasy in Vienna, Austria, in 1907, Askin developed an interest in acting at a young age. He studied at the Max Reinhardt Seminar, a prestigious acting school in Vienna, and began his career on the stage in the early 1930s. With the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany, Askin, a Jew, was forced to flee Austria in 1938. He emigrated to the United States, where he continued to work in theater. He also began appearing in films and television shows, often playing villainous roles due to his imposing stature and commanding presence. Askin's most famous role came in 1965 when he was cast as General Burkhalter in "Hogan's Heroes." The show, which chronicled the exploits of a group of American prisoners of war running a secret operation from a German POW camp, was a huge success, and Askin became a household name. After "Hogan's Heroes" ended in 1971, Askin continued to work steadily in television and film. He appeared in numerous guest roles on popular shows such as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Rockford Files," and "Murder, She Wrote." He also had recurring roles on the soap operas "General Hospital" and "Santa Barbara." Askin's film credits include such movies as "The Dirty Dozen," "The Night of the Generals," and "The Boys from Brazil." He also continued to work in theater throughout his career, appearing in both Broadway and off-Broadway productions. Askin remained active in acting well into his later years. He published an autobiography, "Quietude and Quest: Protagonists and Antagonists in the Theatre, on and Off Stage as Seen Through the Eyes of Leon Askin," in 1997. He also received numerous awards for his work, including the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art in 1988 and the Silver Cross of Honor in 1994. Askin died in Vienna in 2005 at the age of 97. He is remembered as one of the most versatile and talented actors of his generation.
Department: Acting
Place of Birth: Vienna, Austria
Birthday: September 18, 1907
Deathday: June 03, 2005
Adult: No
Gender: Male
Popularity:
Overview: C.R. MacNamara is a managing director for Coca Cola in West Berlin during the Cold War, just before the Wall is put up. When Scarlett, the rebellious daughter of his boss, comes to West Berlin, MacNamara has to look after her, but this turns out to be a difficult task when she reveals to be married to a communist.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1961-12-15
Popularity:
Overview: Split into three episodes, this film examines extrasensory perception, reincarnation and telepathy.
Genres: Drama Horror
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1975-05-02
Popularity:
Overview: Having to leave Melbourne in a hurry to avoid various marriage proposals, two song-and-dance men sign on for work as divers. This takes them to an idyllic island on the way to Bali where they vie with each other for the favours of Princess Lala. The hazardous dive produces a chest of priceless jewels which arouses the less romantic interest of some shady locals.
Genres: Comedy Adventure Music Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1953-01-29
Popularity:
Overview: Harry Steele (Charlton Heston) is a tourist guide determined to make his fortune by finding the Sunburst, an Inca treasure.
Genres: Action Adventure
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1954-06-06
Popularity:
Overview: A by-the-book Captain is ordered to capture a strategic village in Italy. The Italian soldiers are willing to surrender, if they can have a festival first. The lieutenant convinces the Captain this is the only way. Because of aerial reconnaissance, they must look like they are fighting. To sort this out an intelligence officer is sent in. Meanwhile the festival gets complicated with the Mayors daughter.
Genres: Comedy War
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1966-08-31
Popularity:
Overview: Drunk and disillusioned Roman, Marcellus Gallio, wins Jesus' robe in a dice game after the crucifixion. Marcellus has never been a man of faith like his slave, Demetrius, but when Demetrius escapes with the robe, Marcellus experiences disturbing visions and feels guilty for his actions. Convinced that destroying the robe will cure him, Marcellus sets out to find Demetrius — and discovers his Christian faith along the way.
Genres: Drama History
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1953-09-16
Popularity:
Overview: American Mike Harper, sent to do business in England, moves there with his wife, Janet. But she soon becomes convinced that Mike is carrying on with his attractive new assistant, Claire. Mike also has been spending a considerable amount of time with his British bachelor buddies. Vexed and lonely, Claire hires charming antiques expert Paul to decorate the Harper home and maybe make Mike jealous in the process.
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1965-12-22
Popularity:
Overview:
Genres: Drama
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1959-11-15
Popularity:
Overview: Leon Alastray is an outlaw who has been given sanctuary by Father John, whom he then escorts to the village of San Sebastian. The village is deserted, with its cowardly residents hiding in the hills from Indians, who regularly attack the village and steal all their supplies. When Father John is murdered, the villagers mistakenly think the outlaw is the priest. Alastray at first tells them he is not a priest, but they don't believe it, and an apparent miracle seems to prove they are correct. Eventually, he assists them in regaining their confidence and defending themselves.
Genres: Western
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1968-03-20
Popularity:
Overview: A scientist who has been preserved in suspended animation wakes up to find himself in a primitive society in the future.
Genres: Science Fiction TV Movie
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1973-03-23
Popularity:
Overview: John Considine plays the flamboyant Dr. Death, a thousand-year-old magician who has mastered he art of transferring souls from one body to another and thereby manages to perpetuate himself by jumping from one body to the next. Apparently the Doc is a kindred spirit since his blood is a highly-corrosive acid that can strip flesh from bone
Genres: Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1973-10-01
Popularity:
Overview: Ventriloquist Jerry Morgan has failed with another love affair. The reason: when the relationship reaches the point when it is time to discuss marriage, his two dolls become mean and jealous. Morgan's dollmaker Papinek is a member of a spy ring who has stolen the secret plans for the top-secret Lafayette airplane. Since Morgan is leaving for Zurich the same night, he decides to hide the secret plan in the heads of the dolls.
Genres: Action Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1954-04-06
Popularity:
Overview: Drama students decide to pay tribute to their favorite horror star by stealing his body from his crypt for a farewell party. They fail to realize their violation of the tomb has triggered powerful black magic, and Conrad hasn't taken his final bows yet.
Genres: Horror Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1981-09-09
Popularity:
Overview: When private detective Bob Martin looking for a stolen diamond necklace, he also has a clever serial killer on the trail ...
Genres: Drama Thriller
Original Language: it
Release Date: 1969-11-25
Popularity:
Overview: Marine Sergeant James O'Hearn is being tried at the San Diego Marine base for desertion, theft, scandalous conduct and destruction of property in time of war. He refuses to testify or plead guilty or not guilty to the charges. Showgirl Ginger Martin takes the stand against his protest. She testifies O'Hearn won't talk because he is protecting the name of his pal, Marine Private Davey White. Ginger tells how she, broke and stranded, met the two marines in Shanghai two weeks before Pearl Harbor.
Genres: Adventure Comedy Romance War
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1953-06-27
Popularity:
Overview: Women who have been captured and sold as slave labor to a South American emerald mine hatch a plan for revolution and revenge.
Genres: Drama Action
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1985-09-01
Popularity:
Overview: Judy and her grandpa run a trolley between a train depot and a ghost town in Nevada, near the California border. Three spies intent of tracking down an atomic missile gone astray arrive. When the trolley breaks down, Judy and Grandpa unwittingly install the engine from the nearby crashed missile.
Genres: Music Comedy Science Fiction
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1955-01-28
Popularity:
Overview: Hard-boiled archeologist Mark Brandon is searching for ancient tombs in Egypt when he is approached by beautiful Ann Mercedes, who convinces him to help her fulfill her deceased father's life's ambition - to provide solid proof of the biblical Joseph's travels in ancient Egypt. As an ex-pupil of Ann's father, Mark accepts and the two embark on a search for the tomb of the Pharoah Ra Hotep, said to have had some connection with Joseph. The trail to the tomb is fraught with intrigue, betrayal, murder, and the possibility that the tomb itself has been emptied of all its artifacts by ancient looters.
Genres: Adventure
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1954-07-21
Popularity:
Overview: A man with cognitive problems lives and works in a hospice. One day an American banker discovers that the man is his son.
Genres: Comedy Fantasy
Original Language: it
Release Date: 1994-12-25
Popularity:
Overview: Slip and the gang (Bowery Boys) foil foes of the exiled, incognito king of Truania (Sig Ruman).
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1955-07-31
Popularity:
Overview: Germany at the time of the economic miracle: the boorish and equally rude Jupp Grapsch has made a small fortune through his bustling activities. His wife Lisbeth, on the other hand, does not feel comfortable with this, but silently accepts the circumstances. Even when Jupp gets involved with the somewhat disreputable Nina Sonntag, an extravagant young woman, she accepts this at first. At some point, however, the situation escalates and Lisbeth slips a slap in the face, which Jupp cleverly wants to use to finally get rid of his wife by divorcing her. But Lisbeth refuses and so Jupp hires an unscrupulous man to create a reason for the separation in exchange for money...
Genres: Drama
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1960-09-26
Popularity:
Overview: A commander in the Foreign Legion romances a mysterious and exotic princess.
Genres: Action Adventure Drama War
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1953-05-08
Popularity:
Overview: Peter Churchman stopped robbing banks a long time ago and is now living as a wealthy and respected citizen in Pamplona, Spain. But then his former companion Angela appears and blackmails him to help her robbing the Spanish National Bank of Pamplona. He gives in and develops a brilliant plan... Will this be then end of his comfortable life?
Genres: Action Comedy Crime
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1967-05-24
Popularity:
Overview: Professor Johansson has made a huge scientific breakthrough; a device that will create a huge magnetic pulse that knocks out all electricity over a continent-wide area. The military applications are already being thought of when Dr. Johansson is kidnapped by a group of profit-seeking mercenaries. Meanwhile, his daughter, Karin, finds herself having to consort with all manner of shady characters as she searches for her father.
Genres: Science Fiction Adventure Crime
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1960-04-14
Popularity:
Overview:
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1960-07-14
Popularity:
Overview:
Genres: Drama Crime Music
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1960-11-03
Popularity:
Overview: Dr. Mabuse has been locked away for years in an insane asylum. Suddenly crimes start occurring and no one knows the culprit. A detective goes to visit the Doctor to find some sort of clues to the robberies.
Genres: Crime Mystery
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1962-09-06
Popularity:
Overview: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson embark on a search for Cleopatra's ancient necklace, which has been stolen.
Genres: Drama Mystery Thriller
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1962-11-30
Popularity:
Overview: A group of criminals hijacks a plane, intending to fly it to Cuba.
Genres: Thriller Adventure
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1959-11-05
Popularity:
Overview:
Genres: Drama
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1995-01-01
Popularity:
Overview: An unusual love story between a farmer from a small village and a 25-year-old recently released prisoner from Vienna. First he wins the acceptance and sympathy of the villagers before his past catches up with him.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1994-10-15
Popularity:
Overview: After eleven years of solitary confinement, Perahim, convicted of murdering a police officer, is released early from prison after exceptionally good behavior. He has a son that he wants to take care of.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1974-05-13
Popularity:
Overview: A man is accused of murdering his wife. The state prosecutor assumes he did the deed to spend more time with his lover. But the woman in question says that his wife committed suicide in her presence and that the accused is innocent. Despite the objections of the prosecutor, the accused is set free and is found dead shortly thereafter. The prosecutor decides to pursue the case and comes upon a band of criminals, who sell German state secrets. Shortly before the investigation comes to a close, a woman is murdered. When a witness asserts to have seen him near the woman's dead body, the prosecutor himself ends up in court and must now prove his innocence.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1961-10-05
Popularity:
Overview:
Genres: Crime
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1960-07-06
Popularity:
Overview: A German police man thinks his wife is a call girl.
Genres: Comedy Crime
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1961-08-11
Popularity:
Overview: A beautiful East German Olympic hopeful pole-vaults over the Berlin Wall to freedom.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1968-01-03
Popularity:
Overview: Karin is now continuing her father's research and is also caught in the cross hairs of the mysterious opponents. Johanson himself retreats to a Cambodian monastery in order to escape the gangsters' shots and recover. Meanwhile, the international criminals manage to steal Johanson's energy formula. Karin then goes after the thieves, supported by Lundstrom. But he also has his own goals. The hunt takes them around the world. It soon turns out that a certain Madame Latour is behind the sinister machinations. Eventually old Johanson falls into her hands. In Southeast Asia, a showdown ensues between the kidnappers and Lundstrom and Karin.
Genres: Science Fiction Adventure Crime
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1960-04-26
Popularity:
Overview: Following the failure of the marriage of the influential publisher Helmreich and his wife, Helmreich wins the suit for the custody of their 6-year old son. His former wife, Uschi, robbed of the meaning of her life, commits an act of desperation.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1995-01-01
Popularity:
Overview: The story of young Tchaikovsky through the premiere of his "Sleeping Beauty" ballet.
Genres: Music History
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1959-01-30
Popularity:
Overview: Paul and Bernd take over a small upscale antique store together. On one nightly excursion, Bernd introduces Paul and Lisa with each other. What was intended as a little variety to marriage-like everyday life develops into a great romance accompanied by a threat: If Eva hears about the affair, the financing for the shop will be in danger. Slowly but surely, Paul is ready to give up everything for Lisa: the shop, Eva and especially the loan. Bernd knows that Dragan is his only hope.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1999-08-19
Popularity:
Overview:
Genres: History
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1974-09-07
Popularity:
Overview: A U.S. Navy submarine captain tries to prevent the Soviets from trying to launch World War III.
Genres: Drama Thriller
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1985-05-10
Popularity:
Overview: A faulty computer causes a passenger space shuttle to head straight for the sun, and man-with-a-past Ted Striker must save the day and get the shuttle back on track – again – all the while trying to patch up his relationship with Elaine.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1982-12-10
Popularity:
Overview: An unhappy young photographer is about to make his debut as a journalist. He is to write an obituary about the weapons-crazy mayor of a Lower Austrian village who, it is said, had a tank from WWII. In the course of his research he unearths a conspiracy of wifes murdering their husbands to get an early widowers pension.
Genres: Crime Comedy
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1998-07-01
Popularity:
Overview: The fanatical son of a Nazi General leads a squad of German commandos, disguised as American Troops, behind the lines in order to sabotage the Allied Forces.
Genres: War Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1959-01-30
Popularity:
Overview: A 14-year-old girl is caught while trying to pick a doctor's pocket. The doctor ends up taking her in and turning her into a sophisticated lady, whom he marries off to a wealthy man.
Genres: Drama Crime
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1962-06-07
Popularity:
Overview: Antar is sent by Suleiman, head of the Ottoman Empire, to Bagdad to prevent Hammam, Pasha of Bagdad, from purchasing the services of local leader Mustapha to unite the hill tribes and overthrow the emperor. The intrigue mounts as Antar falls in love with dancer Selima, who tries to avenge her father's death against Hammam's right-hand-man Kasseim, whose wife Rosanna has fallen in love with Antar!
Genres: Drama Action Adventure
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1953-10-06
Popularity:
Overview: Stuck with a feeble sports department, college coach Sam Archer (John Amos) faces the ax unless he can reverse the school's athletic fortunes. An African vacation with his assistant (Tim Conway) answers Archer's prayers when he spots the athletically gifted Nanu (Jan-Michael Vincent). Sam counts on Nanu's remarkable abilities to put the team back on the winning track. This upbeat farce boasts an impressive cast of comedians.
Genres: Comedy Family
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1973-02-14
Popularity:
Overview: The Faust legend retold (loosely) and applied to a mentally disturbed patient in a hospital run by a doctor of dubious sanity himself. The patient offers the innocent orderly vast riches if he'll help him escape.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1972-05-12
Popularity:
Overview: A man buys a house and comes to believe that not only is the house haunted by werewolves, but a family of vampires lives next door.
Genres: Mystery Comedy Horror
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1969-06-18
Popularity:
Overview: When singer Guy Lambert goes on tour in Europe, he is pursued by two beautiful women, bumbling jewel thieves, and a mysterious killer.
Genres: Comedy Crime Drama Music Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1967-04-05
Popularity:
Overview: Fabrizio finds refuge from thugs in a convent, and passion in the arms of Lucrezia Borgia.
Genres: Adventure Drama
Original Language: it
Release Date: 1968-07-07
Popularity:
Overview: Fanny Hobichler, a young promising actress, moves to Vienna in the 1920s in order to pursue her big break. She draws inspiration and seeks help from the popular stage actor Albert Kortz who once started out from the same provincial town as she did and was a close friend of her late father. Kortz, however, dreams of retiring as he is tired of his fame and having to deal with the short-tempered theatre director Jason. Together, they try to outwit Jason.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1975-03-31
Popularity:
Overview: Adele and Sibylle, the two brides of narrow-gauge crooks Heinz and Hermann , are fed up with being just appendages . Together with fellow sufferers , they decide to pull off their own coups - and they do it much better , more cleverly and more successfully than their unsuspecting men... underworldand the police are at a loss.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1998-07-29
Popularity:
Overview: A small retirement home on the edge of Vienna where the city's oldest residents live. Patients over the age of 100 begin to die under mysterious circumstances. The police's secret investigation concentrates on the nursing staff at first. But the new medical director, Dr. Klein, discovers that one of the patients is the culprit.
Genres: Comedy Crime
Original Language: de
Release Date: 2001-08-10
Popularity:
Overview:
Genres: Drama
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1959-12-17
Popularity:
Overview: The Confiscation of Confession and 10 million Marks bring the young accident priest Wolf into an adventurous situation: A deadly injured gobber has entrusted him with the hiding-place of the millions of heavy prey, making him the key figure of dangerous gangster interests. The ice-cold cheeks, the fat Felix, and the sex bomb Roma are placed on him to reveal the secret. But Wolf remains ironic - even as Roma tried to seduce him in a completely unchristian way. On the contrary, Wolf brings the beautiful blonde even to think - and so the hunt for the prey ends quite differently
Genres: Crime
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1968-09-14
Popularity:
Overview:
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1961-05-04
Popularity:
Overview:
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1996-02-13
Popularity:
Overview: During the Cold War, John Goldfarb crashes his spy plane in the Middle East and is taken prisoner by the local government. His captor, King Fawz, soon discovers that Goldfarb used to be a college football star. So he issues him an ultimatum: coach his country's football team, or Fawz will surrender him to the Russians. Goldfarb teams up with undercover reporter Jenny Ericson, and together they plot to escape their dangerous situation.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1965-03-24
Popularity:
Overview:
Genres: Drama
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1959-09-05
Popularity:
Overview: Using archive film material never seen before, Hollywood veteran Leon Askin portrays Adolf Lanz (1874-1954), the man who gave Hitler his ideas.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1994-01-01
Popularity:
Overview: 1802: The adventurous life story of Hans Bückler, known as “Schinderhannes”, who fights against the French occupying forces and large landowners who exploit poor farmers in the Hunsrück region during the Napoleonic Wars.
Genres: History Romance Drama
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1958-12-17
Popularity:
Overview: A detective gets involved with the beautiful daughter of an old friend. The daughter turns out to be a jewel thief, who in turn gets the detective involved in a caper in Austria.
Genres: Adventure Comedy Crime Romance
Original Language: it
Release Date: 1968-09-27
Popularity:
Overview: Five college buddies start their own moving business only to find themselves tangling with sleazy competitors and the mob.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1986-03-01
Popularity:
Overview: Paris-based New York Herald Tribune reporter Jimmy Race (Andrews) is sent by his boss (Sanders) behind the Iron Curtain in Budapest to investigate a meeting involving the Hungarian ambassador.
Genres: Thriller Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1952-09-04
Popularity:
Overview: When his father - who owned a circus - dies, Oscar inherits 5 million dollars - and 3 orangutans. However there's a condition connected to the money: if he gives away the apes or just one gets sick or dies during the next 3 years, the zoologic society will get all the money. So he not only has to deal with 3 apes and an annoyed girlfriend, but also with a greedy zoologic society's president.
Genres: Comedy Crime Family
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1981-04-10
Popularity:
Overview: "The art of the stage actor and even of a stage director is evanescent. Nothing remains of it but a 'still' photograph or two (...) Not everyone can be a genius. Somebody has to be a Leon Askin - and that's me." Leon Askin, born in Vienna in 1907 , fled from the Nazis to the USA in 1940. The private Leon Askin is portrayed: his daily routine, his contact with those around him, at work. During quiet moments, he discusses his thoughts about persecution, emigration, work, discipline, success, the image one projects to the world, his identity as a Jew, loneliness, the struggle for recognition and health, life acting - and also about death.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: de
Release Date: 1997-01-01
Popularity:
Overview: American soldiers undertake a mission to capture a Japanese admiral who has survived an air crash in China during WWII.
Genres: War
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1953-09-07
Popularity:
Overview: Pauline becomes involved in a series of adventures around the world and is aided by her ever present friend, George.
Genres: Adventure Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1967-08-02
Popularity:
Overview: A short film made for the United Jewish Appeal, reuniting the main players behind The Sniper, writers Edna and Edward Anhalt, director Edward Dmytryk, and star Arthur Franz.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1953-09-17
Popularity: