Ivan Triesault, born Johann Constantin Treisalt in 1898 in Reval, Estonia, made his mark in American cinema after moving to the U.S. at 18. He appeared in Cry of the Werewolf (1944), where he embodied the eerie atmosphere of classic horror, and D.O.A. (1950), a film noir that cemented his versatility as an actor. With a background in stage performance from the German Theatre in Tallinn, Triesault transitioned smoothly into film, contributing to the rich tapestry of mid-20th-century cult cinema.
D.O.A.
Frank Bigelow goes off to San Francisco for a week's holiday. He's a self-employed accountant and is engaged to his assistant Paula Gibson. He checks into the St. Francis Hotel and is soon partying with a group of salesman who are having a party. He ends up at a jive bar where a mysterious stranger switches drinks with him. He awakens the next morning feeling unwell and after having some medical tests is told that he's been poisoned and there is no cure. He has one week to live. When Paula tells him that a man in Los Angeles had been trying to reach him, he sets off to learn if there might be any connection to his current situation. Unfortunately - and too conveniently - the man committed suicide by jumping off his high rise apartment balcony not long after trying to contact him. He soon learns that some very shady characters are involved but why they might be interested in him is what he really wants to know.
