Carl Jaffe was a German actor born on March 21, 1902. He began his training on the stage in his hometown of Hamburg, as well as in Kassel and Wiesbaden. After moving to Berlin, his career took off, and he became a prominent figure in the German theatre scene.
However, in 1933, Jaffe made the decision to change his stage name to Frank Alwar, likely due to the growing anti-Semitic sentiment in Germany at the time. Two years later, in 1936, the situation for Jews in Germany became increasingly dire, prompting Jaffe to make the difficult decision to migrate to the United Kingdom.
In the UK, Jaffe went on to enjoy a highly successful and prolific career, appearing in over 50 films and numerous television productions. Despite being a German-born actor, Jaffe was often cast in roles that required him to play German or Central European characters, frequently in supporting roles with a war, crime, or espionage setting.
Some of Jaffe's most notable film credits include The Lion Has Wings, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, Two Thousand Women, Operation Amsterdam, and The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone. His television work was equally impressive, with appearances in popular shows such as Danger Man, Dad's Army, and Oh, Brother!.
