Peter Capell

Peter Capell (September 3, 1912 – March 3, 1986) was a German actor whose career spanned four decades across stage, film, television, and radio. Born in 1912, he remained professionally active from 1945 until approximately a year before his death.

Capell's screen career began in the years immediately following the Second World War, with his first role appearing in the television production Winterset. His final screen appearance came in another television production, Mamas Geburtstag, in 1985. Between those bookends, he accumulated credits across a wide range of film and television projects. Among his most notable film appearances was a role in Stanley Kubrick's 1957 war film Paths of Glory, which starred Kirk Douglas; Capell additionally provided the narration for the film's opening sequence. He also appeared in the 1971 family film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

On television, Capell took on roles in numerous series and miniseries over the course of his career. These included the 1966 series Blue Light, in which he played Professor Felix Eckhardt, and the 1972 production Alexander Zwo, where he portrayed a solicitor. He appeared in multiple episodes of the long-running German crime series Derrick between 1975 and 1984, taking on several distinct roles. His television work extended further to the 1982 miniseries La Certosa di Parma, in which he played the Abbé Blanes.

Beyond his screen work, Capell appeared in numerous old-time radio programs, among them the science fiction series Dimension X. His stage career included a Broadway appearance in 1949 in How Long Till Summer.

Capell died in Munich, West Germany on March 3, 1986, at the age of 73. No cause of death was announced.