Klaus Havenstein

Klaus Havenstein was a German actor, cabaret artist, and voice artist who was born in Wittenberge, German Empire, in 1922. He achieved early professional recognition in 1953 with a film debut in Die goldene Gans and is famous for his tenure with the cabaret ensemble Münchner Lach- und Schießgesellschaft and for providing the German voice for the character King Louie in the Disney film The Jungle Book. After training as a retail salesman and taking private acting lessons, Havenstein served in the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler during World War II before being captured as a prisoner of war. His career included roles in the romantic comedy Königswalzer (1955) and television series such as Der Kommissar and Notarztwagen 7. As a voice artist, he dubbed the speaking and singing parts for actors including Jack Lemmon, Gene Wilder, and Peter Ustinov, and produced approximately 3,000 programs for Bayerischer Rundfunk. Between 1990 and 1992, he served as the director of the festival in Bad Vilbel. Havenstein died in Munich in 1998.