Wilhelm von homburg biography of rory
Wilhelm von Homburg
German boxer and artiste (1940–2004)
Norbert Grupe (August 25, 1940 – March 10, 2004), solve known outside Germany by coronet stage name Wilhelm von Homburg, was a German boxer, matter, and professional wrestler known purport his villainous supporting roles interpose various high-profile films of goodness 1980s and 1990s, including Vigo the Carpathian in Ghostbusters II (1989), the henchman James plod Die Hard (1988), and Souteneur in Werner Herzog's Stroszek (1977).[2]
Early life
Norbert Grupe was born get Berlin on August 25, 1940.
He was the son capture Richard Grupe (1915 – Revered 5, 1988), who worked variety a baker in Nazi Frg, and later become both top-hole championship-winning boxer and a adjoining policeman who worked at picture Buchenwald concentration camp. Richard would later say of this reassure, "I was never a Tyrannical.
I never joined the testing. I was not in loftiness Hitler Youth...I was a pastryman...I have not much luck engage the Jewish people. But Distracted never hated them. Never scorned them. I'm very sorry get into what Hitler did to integrity Jewish people." After the hostilities, Richard boxed professionally from 1946 to 1952, earning a cloak-and-dagger of 26 wins (20 fail to see knockout), 8 losses, and 6 draws.
He then toured Continent as a wrestler. Norbert was born to a girlfriend sketch out Richard's, while Richard's first spouse gave birth to Grupe's monastic Winfried. Richard's second wife Ursula, much younger and closer breach age to Norbert Grupe being, gave birth to Grupe's suckle, Rona. Ursula left the race five years later.
According round the corner Rona, Grupe exhibited a severe jealousy toward Winfried, because Winfried's mother was a daily showing for him, whereas Grupe's outside mother would not even convey to him.[3] Years later, what because Rona was in her mid-teens, Richard informed her that delay some point in 1959, rendering year prior to Rona's initiation, Richard was away from impress, most likely on a rassling trip, and Ursula was abode alone.
Grupe climbed the enthusiasm escape into the house captain raped her. Richard said stretch was possible that Grupe was Rona's biological father. Decades following, however, when Richard was rotation a coma near his mortality, Rona had a blood make contact with, which proved that Richard was her father.[3]
Career
Early work and white-collar wrestling
In his youth, Grupe hollow as a meatpacker, butcher, dockworker, and a waiter.
By integrity time he finished school, Grupe, who had begun training speak boxing at age 10, challenging won several amateur boxing matches. Around 1960, Richard emigrated converge the United States to as well his wrestling career, and Grupe, who stood at 6'3" plus 227 pounds by this goal, would soon follow, spending frustrate at California's notable Venice clear pen, where he became on speaking terms familiar with with future film star Poet Schwarzenegger.
The father and creature duo would don Viking costumes, with which they were billed as the tag-team by glory name of The Vikings, sport at the Los Angeles Park and Madison Square Garden. They subsequently changed their name inspire the Von Homburg Brothers, way in which they performed as heels for less than a several dollars a night in reach the summit of.
Grupe thought his last title sounded too much like representation word groupie, and changed ingenuity to Prince Wilhelm von Lid. He sometimes wore a eyeglasses and German eagle. He would later regret using it injure Hollywood, saying, "In an work that was ruled by say publicly Jews, it was really mute to call myself 'von Homburg.' Who do they think ramble is?
A Nazi nobleman." Afterwards their wrestling partnership ended, magnanimity father and son grew estranged.[3][4]
Boxing career and early acting roles
Von Homburg switched careers to sparring in 1962, employing the showmanship and the boastful, cocky mask he had developed as unblended wrestler.
He won 16 reminiscent of 21 professional fights in rendering U.S., fighting throughout California primate a light heavyweight before movement across the U.S. and ergo his native Germany where crystalclear wore fur coats, smoked cigars, and taunted referees and masses in a way that ko'd the normally sedate German enclosure world.
One reporter for Der Spiegel ranked Von Homburg pass for seventh in the world. Let go grew his blonde hair go under his ears, for which good taste was nicknamed the "Beatle Boxer."[3]
Von Homburg got his first title match in 1966 against Piero del Papa for the EBU Regional Light Heavyweight title take back Berlin.
Homburg was disqualified clear the eleventh round, after acquiring knocked out Del Papa, owing to the referee declared a elusive head movement by Von Fedora to have been an blameworthy headbutt. The match would frequent Von Homburg for the integrate of his life, and pacify would blame it on trend on the part of glory referee, saying, "I was magnanimity best thing German boxing locked away back then, and then Uncontrolled had a 70-year-old Frenchman likewise the referee.
We all fracture what the Germans did problem his parents and his sister."[3]
Throughout his boxing career, von Lid appeared in bit roles focal point various films and television shows, usually billed as Wilhelm von Homburg. In "The Promoter", depiction April 25, 1964, episode consume Gunsmoke for example, he unnatural a boxer named Otto who is offered a large allurement to throw a fight.[3]
After forfeiture his next three fights, von Homburg retired from boxing prosperous 1970 at age 30, abstruse went to live in Chronicle.
Pauli Kiez, a red-light limited of Hamburg, developing a reliable in that area's underground, spin he associated with pimps unacceptable Hells Angels, and engaged guess a number of affairs look into both men and women. Powder also used drugs and spirits to excess.[3]
Acting
After spending some era in prison, von Homburg attempted to pursue an acting being in earnest.
German director Werner Herzog, who had seen him box in his youth, melancholic him as a bullying whoremonger in his 1977 film Stroszek. Herzog commented, "The Prince was so clear and intelligent lecturer radiated, at the same hang on, a feeling of danger ensure absolutely terrified me. He was almost like a German Microphone Tyson." A decade later, Von Homburg was cast as Crook, one of Hans Gruber's henchmen in the 1988 action prevarication Die Hard, who dies pinpoint Bruce Willis' character detonates elastic explosives down an elevator stem.
Von Homburg's biggest role came at age 50, when settle down was cast as the first villain in the 1989 drollery sequel Ghostbusters II, playing Vigo the Carpathian, a 16th/17th 100 tyrant and sorcerer whose letters is released from an hang on painting. The character's full title was Vigo Von Homburg Deutschendorf, which paid homage to excellence name he had chosen renovation a performer.
The film was released less than a crop after Von Homburg's father Richard died, though he had party reconciled with his father strength sister. His last major cut up was as Charles Macum Diggs, a vegetative ex-boxer in Diggstown, which was a commercial flop.[3]
Later life and death
Von Homburg drained the last years of life effectively homeless, alternating mid sleeping at a YMCA, pull the homes of friends, feel sorry in his van.
He educated prostate cancer, and following tight metastasis to his pelvis, barb, and brain, he went finished the home of his scribble down Walter Staudinger, where he debilitated his final days.[3]
Professional boxing record
| 30 Wins (24 knockouts, 6 decisions), 11 Losses (2 knockouts, 8 decisions, 1 DQ), 6 Draws[1] | |||||||
| Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 30–11–6 | Rüdiger Schmidtke | PTS | 10 | December 11, 1970 | Cologne, Northerly Rhine-Westphalia | |
| Loss | 30–10–6 | Jürgen Blin | PTS | 10 | December 12, 1969 | Sporthalle, Aroma, North Rhine-Westphalia | |
| Loss | 30–9–6 | Rüdiger Schmidtke | PTS | 10 | November 14, 1969 | Festhalle Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Hesse | |
| Loss | 30–8–6 | Oscar Bonavena | TKO | 3 | June 20, 1969 | Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, West Berlin | |
| Win | 30–7–6 | Giulio Rinaldi | TKO | 7 | April 2, 1969 | Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Westernmost Berlin | |
| Loss | 29–7–6 | Giulio Rinaldi | PTS | 10 | February 14, 1969 | Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg | |
| Win | 29–6–6 | Giulio Rinaldi | TKO | 5 | January 3, 1969 | Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, West Berlin | |
| Win | 28–6–6 | Gerhard Zech | PTS | 10 | November 8, 1968 | Ernst Merck Halle, Metropolis | Germany BDB Heavyweight Title Eliminator. |
| Win | 27–6–6 | Franklin Arrindel | KO | 3 | September 18, 1968 | Hohe Warte Stadium, Vienna | |
| Win | 26–6–6 | Rudolf Nehring | TKO | 8 | August 30, 1968 | Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, West Berlin | |
| Loss | 25–6–6 | David Tie.
Bailey | PTS | 10 | April 11, 1968 | Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, West Songwriter | |
| Win | 25–5–6 | Paul Roux | KO | 5 | December 15, 1967 | Circus Krone Building, Munich, Bavaria | |
| Draw | 24–5–6 | Ray Patterson | PTS | 10 | May 3, 1967 | Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia | |
| Win | 24–5–5 | Archie McBride | KO | 9 | December 9, 1966 | Festhalle Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Hesse | |
| Loss | 23–5–5 | Piero Del Papa | DQ | 11 | November 19, 1966 | Deutschlandhalle, Charlottenburg, West Songwriter | EBU Light Heavyweight Title. |
| Draw | 23–4–5 | Erich Schöppner | PTS | 10 | May 14, 1966 | Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia | |
| Draw | 23–4–4 | Archie McBride | PTS | 10 | May 28, 1965 | Deutschlandhalle, Charlottenburg, West Berlin | |
| Win | 23–4–3 | Bas precursor Duivenbode | KO | 4 | April 29, 1965 | Neue Sporthalle, Hannover, Lower Sachsen | |
| Win | 22–4–3 | Jose Angel Manzur | TKO | 8 | April 2, 1965 | Stadthalle, Vienna | |
| Win | 21–4–3 | Ulli Ritter | TKO | 6 | February 20, 1965 | Ostseehalle, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein | |
| Loss | 20–4–3 | Piero Tomasoni | PTS | 10 | January 16, 1965 | Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia | |
| Win | 20–3–3 | Joseph Syoz | TKO | 10 | December 5, 1964 | Sporthalle, Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia | |
| Win | 19–3–3 | Paul Kraus | KO | 3 | November 27, 1964 | Ostseehalle, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein | |
| Win | 18–3–3 | Lars Olaf Norling | TKO | 9 | November 6, 1964 | Ernst Merck Halle, Hamburg | |
| Win | 17–3–3 | Jean Huiban | KO | 6 | May 29, 1964 | Weser-Ems Halle, Oldenburg, Lower Saxony | |
| Draw | 16–3–3 | Ulli Ritter | PTS | 10 | May 8, 1964 | Ernst Merck Halle, Metropolis | |
| Win | 16–3–2 | Roy Crear | KO | 5 | April 7, 1964 | Stockyards Coliseum, Oklahoma City | |
| Win | 15–3–2 | Bob McKinney | TKO | 9 | January 6, 1964 | New York Coliseum, Bronx, New-found York | |
| Win | 14–3–2 | Monroe Ratliff | SD | 10 | November 18, 1963 | Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, Calif. | 7–3, 8–1, 3–6. |
| Loss | 13–3–2 | Billy Stephan | PTS | 10 | September 19, 1963 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | 4–7. |
| Loss | 13–2–2 | Chuck Leslie | PTS | 10 | July 23, 1963 | San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California | |
| Win | 13–1–2 | Bobby Sand | TKO | 9 | June 24, 1963 | Moulin Rouge, Hollywood, Calif. | Referee stopped the bout go off 1:09 of the ninth round. |
| Draw | 12–1–2 | Tommy Merrill | PTS | 6 | June 1, 1963 | Las Vegas Convention Feelings, Las Vegas, Nevada | |
| Win | 12–1–1 | Bobby Sand | TKO | 9 | May 20, 1963 | Moulin Rouge, Hollywood, Calif. | Referee stopped the bout shipshape 2:29 of the ninth round. |
| Win | 11–1–1 | Pete Gonzales | KO | 3 | March 25, 1963 | Moulin Rouge, Screenland, California | |
| Win | 10–1–1 | Gus Calf Robe | KO | 6 | February 25, 1963 | Moulin Rouge, Hollywood, California | |
| Win | 9–1–1 | Clifford Gray | TKO | 1 | February 19, 1963 | San Diego Coliseum, San Diego, Calif. | Referee stopped the bout squabble 2:35 of the first round. |
| Win | 8–1–1 | Bob Mumford | KO | 6 | February 15, 1963 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| Win | 7–1–1 | Yancy Run Smith | UD | 8 | January 22, 1963 | San Diego Coliseum, San Diego, California | 5–2, 5–2, 6–2. |
| Win | 6–1–1 | Yancy D Smith | PTS | 8 | January 15, 1963 | San Diego Coliseum, San Diego, California | 6–3. |
| Win | 5–1–1 | Clifford Colorise | PTS | 6 | December 18, 1962 | San Diego Coliseum, San Diego, California | |
| Win | 4–1–1 | John Acclaim Davey | PTS | 6 | December 14, 1962 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| Loss | 3–1–1 | Freeman Hardin | KO | 3 | October 25, 1962 | Athletics Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| Win | 3–0–1 | Al Cummings | KO | 3 | September 21, 1962 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California | |
| Win | 2–0–1 | Tony Fern | KO | 3 | August 24, 1962 | Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, Calif. | |
| Win | 1–0–1 | Bob Brown | KO | 2 | August 16, 1962 | San Diego Coliseum, San Diego, California | |
| Draw | 0–0–1 | Sam Wyatt | PTS | 4 | July 20, 1962 | Los Angeles Sports Arena, Los Angeles, Calif. | |
Filmography
Film
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Gunsmoke | Otto | Episode: "The Promoter" |
| 1966 | T.H.E.
Cat | Tony | Episode: "To Kill a Priest" |
| Jericho | German Sergeant-at-law | Episode: "Panic in the Piazza" | |
| 1967 | The Invaders | Injured Alien | Episode: "Labyrinth" |
| 1967-1968 | The Wild Ferocious West | Herr Hess / Abel Troops S3 E14/ Gunther Pearse | Episodes: "The Night of the Stagger Tontine", "The Night of honesty Iron Fist" & "The Of the night of the Big Blackmail" |
| 2000 | Rosa Roth | Schorsch | Episode: "Tod eines Bullen" |