Background
Diessl was born Gustav Karl Balthasar in Vienna.
Diessl was born Gustav Karl Balthasar in Vienna.
In 1916, he was an extra on different stages in Vienna but was soon recruited into the army for World War I. During his military service, he was held prisoner for a year. After the war, Diessl started training as a stage designer but left to pursue a professional career in acting. Meanwhile, he played for a touring company and in 1921 had his first fixed engagement at the Neue Wiener Bühne.
That same year he appeared in his film debut, G. West. Pabst"s In Banne der Kralle.
He logged a large number of films, usually romantic comedies, among them several in war-time Italy. One of his most famous roles was in the German 1944-1945 propaganda epic Kolberg designed to strengthen peoples" morale at the time of great military reverses.
Diessl died in 1948 following two strokes.