Biography

His hobbies were painting and sculpting.

German star character actor, trained at the Max Reinhardt Academy in Berlin, 1927-28. On stage from 1929, after 1931 coming into his own in leading roles at the Deutsches Theater until 1944. Subsequently became an ensemble member of the Munich Kammerspiele (1946-49). He also acted in films from 1934, often as dependable professional men, senior officers, naive, cuckolded husbands (excellent in Romanze in Moll (1943)), academics or bankers. He was popularly cast in humorous or crusty roles on German television during the 1970's, as well as being the dubbing voice for English-speaking stars Vincent Price, Lee J. Cobb and Charles Laughton.

Throughout the 1930s he worked with popular actors like Emil Jannings, Zarah Leander, Lil Dagover or Lída Baarová.

In the 60's and especially in the 70's Dahlke turned to the television, in feature movies he only appeared from time to time.

When he went to lectures of Germanistik and theater science for six semesters it was only a small step to become an actor. He became a student at the Max-Reinhardt school and got his first small roles two years later at the Lessing theater.