Before 1938 he was the leader of an anti-Nazi youth movement in Vienna. When the Germans took over, he was put in a concentration camp for 3 months, after which his parents quickly sent him to live with an American friend. They later died in a concentration camp.
His father was the head of the Austrian railway system.
His interview on Mutual Broadcasting Network was interrupted when Nazi Germany surrendered.
Making fun of the actor's name in the 1940s, a popular joke was to say that "Helmut Dantine" was a German phrase meaning "You have chewing gum on your hat.".
Son with Wrightsman: Dana Wrightsman Dantine (b. July 17, 1948).