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Karl John

Karl John

Actor · Died December 22, 1977, aged 72 · Cologne, Germany

Karl John (24 March 1905 – 22 December 1977) was a German film actor who appeared in more than 50 films between 1933 and 1977.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 24, 1905
Died
December 22, 1977 (aged 72)
From
Cologne, Germany
Works as
Actor
Titles
8 on MovieCove · 72 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 19% in 30 days

What are Karl John's films like?

Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Ideas.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
55%
Ideas
16%
Self
10%
Survival
10%
Power
9%
Deception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 5 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 1 · Dark 2

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 1 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 3 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 3 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 2 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 2

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 2 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

1 analyzed role
  • Threshold guardianas 'Marquez' in Sorcerer (1977)

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
4
Dread
1
Contemplative
1
Thrilling
1
Cold
1
Other
3

How their films linger

Fun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Karl John's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 2 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Karl John's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

72 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Forbidden Films(2014)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Spannende Geschichten (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · as Obrist

  • Sorcerer(1977)

    as 'Marquez'

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Entführung (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as v. Weizsaecker

  • Derrick (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Euler

  • Dandelions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Ricks Vater

  • Sabine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Dr. Gerd Hesse

  • Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Albrecht Rotter

  • So zärtlich war Suleyken (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Drüben bei Lehmanns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 1 episode · as Herr Arend

  • Tatort(1970)

    Show 1 episode · as Bornimann

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Peenemünde (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    as General von Axthelm

  • So war Mama (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Onkel Chris

  • Der spanische Bürgerkrieg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Largo Caballero

  • The Commissioner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Crantz · as Herr Kerk

  • Babeck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 3 episodes · as Hohmann

  • Die Flucht nach Holland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Bill Drews

  • Wenn der junge Wein blüht (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Propst Hall

  • Verbotenes Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    as Dr. Joseph Breuer

  • Hinter diesen Mauern (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Rees Mathry

  • Oberst Wennerström (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Verteidiger

  • Die Heirat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • Again the Ringer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Dr. Mills

  • The Mysterious Magician(1964)

    as Shelby

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Detective Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Lieutenant Monoghan

  • Das Kriminalmuseum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Herbert Mansfeld

  • The Longest Day(1962)

    as Gen. Wolfgang Häger

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Diesmal muss es Kaviar sein(1961)

    as Debras

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Hermann und Dorothea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Apotheker

  • Hoffnung ist ein Ding mit Federn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    as Steve

  • Fabrik der Offiziere (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Major Frey

  • Sacred Waters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Seppi Blatter

  • Madame Sans-Gêne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Lefèbvre

  • Schatten der Helden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as László Rajk

  • Es geschah an der Grenze (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 1 episode · as Karl Haberschlag

  • 2 x Adam, 1 x Eva (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Wickström

  • Die gute Sieben (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Jonny Roland

  • Stalingrad: Dogs, Do You Want to Live Forever?(1959)

    as Generaloberst Hoth

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Sie schreiben mit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Möwen über Sorrent (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Cleland

  • Schiff ohne Hafen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    as Schiffarzt Richters

  • Furlough on Word of Honor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Köhler

  • Das heilige Experiment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Ladislaus Oros

  • The Devil's General (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Ingénieur Karl Oderbruch

  • Jeden die Seine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Lorenz, der Schauspieler

  • No Way Back (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    as Friedrich Schultz

  • The Man Between (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    as Inspector Kleiber

  • Inspektor Tondi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Actor

  • Smuggler's Ball (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    as Hans

  • The Lost One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Hösch, alias Nowak

  • Love '47 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Beckmann

  • The Last Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    as Harald Buchner, Oberleutnant

  • Unser Mittwochabend (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Actor

  • In Those Days (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Peter Keyser

  • Melody of a Great City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Klaus Nolte

  • Andreas Schlüter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Bildhauer Martin Böhme, ihr Bräutigam

  • Two in a Big City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Bernd Birckhoff

  • Stukas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Oberleutnant Lothar Loos

  • U-Boat, Course West! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Matrosenobergefreiter Drewitz

  • The Way to Freedom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Fritz

  • Über alles in der Welt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Oberleutnant Hassenkamp

  • Mein Leben für Irland(1941)

    as Raymond Davitt

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Kora Terry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Chef der Kraftmännertruppe

  • Die unvollkommene Liebe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Gustl

  • Bal paré (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Franz Stanglmayer

  • Fahrt ins Leben (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Seekadett Gerhard Bartels

  • The Laugh Doctor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Peter Karst

  • The Private's Job (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Leutnant Hassenkamp

  • White Slaves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    as Graf Kostja Wolfgoff

  • When the Cock Crows (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Piepers Gustav

  • Child, I'm Happy on Your Coming (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Actor

  • The White Demon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 86th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 71 titles from 1932 to 1978; peak year 1977.

Biggest box office

Sorcerer (1977)

$13K worldwide

Highest rated

Sorcerer (1977)

Midcredits 97th

Film career

19321978

Peak 1977 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1951Screen debut· The Lost One
  • 1977Career best· Sorcerer

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting70 of 71: 70 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score71stDirecting1 of 71: 1 only directing, 0 with another role

By decade

1930s6 · acting1940s16 · acting1950s15 · acting1960s23 · 22 acting · 1 crew1970s11 · acting

Billing

usually 9th · top billed in 0% of 7 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Karl John's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 7; across their 5 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 69th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Approval · how many liked their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Reach · how many have seen their films

32ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 5

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up3
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

3 of their 8 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · actor

Mein Leben für Irland (1941)

83rd percentile spread · 49% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Sorcerer (1977)

Midcredits 97th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Karl John work with?

People who share at least 2 of Karl John's MovieCove titles; René Deltgen shares the most, 2.