| Stephen Bekassy | |
| Birth Name: | Békássy István |
| Birth Date: | 10 February 1907 |
| Birth Place: | Nyíregyháza, Hungary |
| Death Place: | Budapest, Hungary |
| Resting Place: | National Graveyard, Budapest, Hungary |
| Other Names: | Istvan Bekassy |
| Years Active: | 1930–1964 |
| Spouse: |
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| Children: | Stefan (Steffi) Dilworth |
Stephen Bekassy (born István Békássy; February 10, 1907 – October 30, 1995) was a Hungarian-born American film actor.
Bekassy's American stage debut came in Errand for Berenice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1944. His American film debut was in A Song to Remember (1945).[1]
He appeared in films such as Hell and High Water and Prisoner of War in 1954.[2] On television he made two guest appearances on Perry Mason. In 1958 he played art expert Laslo Kovac in "The Case of the Purple Woman," and in 1959 he played murder victim Rick Stassi in "The Case of the Bartered Bikini." In 1958, he guest-starred as Count Razil in the episode "Command Performance" of the CBS situation comedy Mr. Adams and Eve.[3] He played Monsieur Brissard, an attendant to the title character of "The Princess" Jennifer (played by Annie Farge, later spelled with an accent over the "e", or as "Fargue") in S4 E15 of "The Rifleman" which aired 7/13/1961.
Bekassy was born in Nyíregyháza, Hungary. He married Teri Fejes in 1931, but divorced in 1933. In 1936 he married Lívia Neufeld, but as well divorced soon in 1938. He emigrated to the United States and eventually married Beverly Violet Bidwell (1905 - 1971) on October 8, 1941, in Carson City, Nevada. Beverly Violet Bidwell wrote under the name, Hagar Wilde. They later divorced. In 1969 he married Erika Beregi. He subsequently married Hanna Hertelendy (1919–2008), the widow of actor Robert Walker.
During World War II, Bekassy rescued Jewish escapees. He later worked with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
During the Red Scare, Ronald Reagan accused Stephen of being a Communist because he was Hungarian.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Kacagó asszony | |||
| 1934 | Purple Lilacs | Charlie | ||
| 1935 | The Homely Girl | Miklós, Éva bátyja | ||
| 1936 | Barátságos arcot kérek | Tibor | ||
| 1937 | Tales of Budapest | Feri, Annie öccse | ||
| 1945 | A Song to Remember | Franz Liszt | ||
| 1948 | Arch of Triumph | Alex | ||
| 1949 | Black Magic | Viscount de Montagne | ||
| 1951 | Secrets of Monte Carlo | Otto Von Herzen | ||
| 1951 | Ten Tall Men | Lieutenant Kruger | ||
| 1952 | Woman of the North Country | Andre Duclos | ||
| 1952 | The Pathfinder | Colonel Brasseau | ||
| 1953 | Fair Wind to Java | Lieutenant | ||
| 1954 | Hell and High Water | Neuman | ||
| 1954 | Prisoner of War | Lieutenant Georgi M. Robovnik | ||
| 1955 | The Racers | Race Official | Uncredited | |
| 1955 | Interrupted Melody | Comte Claude des Vignaux | ||
| 1955 | The Purple Mask | Baron De Morleve | ||
| 1956 | Sneak Preview | Season 1 Episode 1: "Just Plain Folks" | ||
| 1956 | Serenade | Russell Hanson | Uncredited | |
| 1957 | Calypso Joe | Rico Vargas | ||
| 1958 | The Young Lions | German Major | Uncredited | |
| 1958 | The Light in the Forest | Colonel Henry Bouquet | ||
| 1959 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Dr. Anton Rudell | Season 4 Episode 20: "The Diamond Necklace" | |
| 1960 | Beyond the Time Barrier | General Karl Kruse | ||
| 1960 | Pepe | Jewelry Salesman | Uncredited | |
| 1961 | Bachelor Flat | Paul Probest, Artist | Uncredited | |
| 1962 | Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse | Colonel Kleinsdorf |