Overview
- On Monday, 8 September, national publications ran dpa-curated selections highlighting Adorf’s most notable and unexpected performances to mark his 95th birthday.
- His breakthrough came in Robert Siodmak’s 1957 film about Bruno Lüdke, a portrayal he later regretted after learning Lüdke had been wrongfully cast as a killer.
- Adorf’s turn as Santer in the 1963 Karl May hit Winnetou 1. Teil fueled lasting audience reactions, and he has noted the key shooting scene was filmed without him present.
- The retrospectives underscore range from Roland Klick’s cult neo‑western Deadlock (1970) to Italian crime cinema, including La mala ordina (1972) with a much‑discussed stunt performed without a double.
- They also note international and TV milestones such as Billy Wilder’s Fedora (1978), his admission of declining earlier roles, and standout Helmut Dietl projects Kir Royal (1986) and Rossini (1997).