- The individual who nearly secured the role of 007, James Bond.
On September 11, 2014, renowned actor and TV entertainer Joachim "Blacky" Fuchsberger (1927-2014), cherished by fans and acquaintances alike, concluded his illustrious career that stretched from the aftermath of World War II to the present day.
From the late '70s until the turn of the millennium, this well-mannered crowd-pleaser primarily made a splash on the small screen as a host for game and talk shows, such as "Der heiße Draht", "Auf Los geht's los", or "Heut' Abend". However, it was his roles in the Edgar Wallace films that skyrocketed him to stardom in West Germany. Produced by German cult producer Horst Wendlandt (1922-2002) and based on the works of prolific British writer Edgar Wallace (1875-1932), these films were a favorite among cinema-goers in the '60s.
Fuchsberger portrayed a clever Scotland Yard inspector who sought out dangerous criminals and often rescued a beautiful damsel in distress. The first film, "Der Frosch mit der Maske" in 1959, was a huge hit and remained popular through the early '70s. For Blacky Fuchsberger, who had previously found success as the lead actor in the war film "08/15" (1954), this was a significant breakthrough. Other notable actors, such as comedian Eddi Arent (1925-2013), the daring Karin Baal (83), and Klaus Kinski (1926-1991), known for psychopathic roles, also saw their careers flourish due to the success of these Edgar Wallace adaptations.
The daring, elegant, and good-looking Scotland Yard detectors embodied by Fuchsberger, such as Larry Holt, Mike Dorn, or Johnny Gray, were a novelty for German audiences. Previously, the only German crime series that graced the small screen was "Stahlnetz", which focused on real-life criminal cases with German police involvement. The fearless bravery and chic coolness of a Blacky Fuchsberger was worlds apart from the detectives in this show.
Disappointed with the declining quality of these productions, Fuchsberger left his Scotland Yard detective role after "Das Geheimnis der grünen Stecknadel" (1971) and continued acting in comedies like "Ein Käfer gibt Vollgas" (1972) and teacher films like "Das fliegende Klassenzimmer" (1973) for a few more years before largely retiring from acting and shifting towards television hosting.
In an interview with "Der Stern", he explained his career shift, saying, "I realized in the early '70s that my time as a young lover and eternal detective was coming to an end. It was a great time, no doubt, but I didn't want people to say one day, 'Oh, that's just Fuchsberger, he used to look good.'"
In the same interview, Fuchsberger revealed that shortly after the start of the Edgar Wallace series, he came close to claiming the iconic secret agent role of James Bond. One day, Horst Wendlandt, the producer of the Wallace films, presented him with a James Bond novel by British author Ian Fleming (1908-1964) and said, "We have to do this."
Fuchsberger responded, "Man, Horst, that's a big one. You can't make that for 750,000 marks in black and white. You need to shoot it in color. And then all the exotic locations. That's going to be expensive." After that, Wendlandt didn't dare approach the glamorous material and instead secured the film rights to Karl May adventures. In the end, a certain Sean Connery (1930-2020) became the first James Bond.
Return to Crime in "Neues vom Wixxer"
Fuchsberger's Edgar Wallace past resurfaced in 2003 when he was offered a role in the comedy "Der Wixxer", a parody of Edgar Wallace film classics, like "The Hexer" (1964). Initially, he declined the offer due to the title. However, screenwriters Oliver Kalkofe (58) and Bastian Pastewka (52) sent him the finished film on DVD and asked him to rejoin the cast for the film's sequel, which became a box office success. This time, Fuchsberger agreed and appeared in the 2007 film "Neues vom Wixxer."
His final role in the Edgar Wallace universe also promoted him to a higher police rank. In this wacky comedy, he played a former Scotland Yard chief named Lord David Dickham.
In the world of German cinema, the influential producer Horst Wendlandt also worked on the Edgar Wallace films, contributing to their success along with British writer Edgar Wallace. (Horst Wendlandt)
During his career, Joachim "Blacky" Fuchsberger was offered the role of James Bond, but the cost and requirements of such a production proved too high, leading Horst Wendlandt to secure film rights for Karl May adventures instead. (Joachim "Blacky" Fuchsberger, James Bond role)
