Biography and filmography

Friedrich von Ledebur

Friedrich Anton Maria Hubertus Bonifacius Graf von Ledebur-Wicheln (June 3, 1900 – December 25, 1986) was an Austrian actor who was known for Moby Dick (1956), Alexander the Great (1955) and Slaughterhouse-Five (1972).

Ledebur was born in Nisko, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Poland) in 1900. Friedrich enlisted in the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Army in 1916, and was an officer in the Austrian Cavalry Division during the last years of World War I.

In the 1930s Ledebur became a close friend of Charles Bedaux, with whom he traveled extensively in Africa and Canada.

After the war, Ledebur spent the next two decades travelling the world, working all manner of odd jobs from gold mining to deep sea diving, to riding and winning prize money at rodeos. Ledebur settled in the United States in 1939 and anglicised his name to 'Frederick'.

A close friendship with fellow adventurer and director John Huston, gave Ledebur his entrée to character acting.

In 1945, von Ledebur made his film debut. He later appeared in Alexander the Great (1955), and played chief harpooneer Queequeg, a South Sea chieftain, in the film Moby Dick (1956). "Better a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian", Herman Melville's Ishmael famously says of Queequeg in the book and the film. He appeared as Brother Christophorus in The Twilight Zone episode "The Howling Man".

Source: Article "Friedrich von Ledebur" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

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Movies (39)

Ginger and Fred

Ginger and Fred

1986 · Admiral Aulenti

Wie der Mond über Feuer und Blut

Wie der Mond über Feuer und Blut

1981 · General Schwerin

Bloodline

Bloodline

1979 · Innkeeper

The Standard

The Standard

1977 · General

Sorcerer

Sorcerer

1977 · 'Carlos'

Montana Trap

Montana Trap

1976 · Martin Ross

A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot

A Genius, Two Friends, and an Idiot

1975 · Don Felipe

Comenius

Comenius

1975 · Kanzler Oxenstjerna

An Invitation to the Hunt

An Invitation to the Hunt

1974 · Prince Von Ehrenberg

Ludwig

Ludwig

1973 · Hofmarschall (uncredited)

Slaughterhouse-Five

Slaughterhouse-Five

1972 · German Leader

Fellini: The Director as Creator

Fellini: The Director as Creator

1970

Ride This Way Grey Horse

Ride This Way Grey Horse

1970 · Horse Master

The Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree

1969 · Vernet

The Fight for Rome II - The Betrayal

The Fight for Rome II - The Betrayal

1969 · Hildebrand

The Fight for Rome

The Fight for Rome

1968 · Hildebrand

Oedipus the King

Oedipus the King

1968 · King Laius

Assignment K

Assignment K

1968

Reflections in a Golden Eye

Reflections in a Golden Eye

1967 · Lieutenant at Garden Party (uncredited)

The Blue Max

The Blue Max

1966 · Feldmarschall von Lenndorf

Juliet of the Spirits

Juliet of the Spirits

1965 · Medium

Mercenaries of the Rio Grande

Mercenaries of the Rio Grande

1965 · Count Don Fernando di Rodriganda y Sevilla

Yellow Devil

Yellow Devil

1964 · Mübarek

The Fall of the Roman Empire

The Fall of the Roman Empire

1964 · Barbarian (uncredited)

Barabbas

Barabbas

1961 · Officer (as Frederich Ledebur), Stunts

A Breath of Scandal

A Breath of Scandal

1960 · Count Sandor

Enchanted Island

Enchanted Island

1958 · Mehevi

The Roots of Heaven

The Roots of Heaven

1958 · Peer Qvist

The Man Who Turned to Stone

The Man Who Turned to Stone

1957 · Eric

Voodoo Island

Voodoo Island

1957 · Native Chief

The 27th Day

The 27th Day

1957 · Dr. Karl Neuhaus

Moby Dick

Moby Dick

1956 · Queequeg

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great

1956 · Antipater (as Friedrich Ledebur)

The Great Sinner

The Great Sinner

1949 · Casino Secretary

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

1948 · Workman (uncredited)

My Girl Tisa

My Girl Tisa

1948 · Igor (uncredited)

Forever Amber

Forever Amber

1947

Notorious

Notorious

1946 · Knerr (uncredited)

A Royal Scandal

A Royal Scandal

1945 · Russian General (uncredited)

TV shows (3)