Harry Baur
Actor
Biography
Harry Baur (12 April 1880 – 8 April 1943) was a French actor.
Initially a stage actor, Baur appeared in about 80 films between 1909 and 1942. He gave an acclaimed performance as the composer Ludwig van Beethoven in the biopic Beethoven's Great Love (Un grand amour de Beethoven, 1936), directed by Abel Gance, and as Jean Valjean in Raymond Bernard's version of Les Misérables (1934). He also acted in Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset's silent film, Beethoven (1909), and in La voyante (1923), Sarah Bernhardt's last film.
In 1942, while in Berlin, to star in his last film Symphone eines Lebens, Baur's wife was arrested by the Gestapo and charged with espionage. His effort to secure her release led to his own arrest and torture. He was being falsely labelled as a Jew but confirmed freemason. He was released in April 1943, but died in Paris shortly after in mysterious circumstances.
Academy Award-winning American actor Rod Steiger cited Baur as one of his favorite actors who had exerted a major influence on his craft and career.
Filmography
Life Dances On
as Alain Regnault 1937
A Man's Neck
as Commissaire Jules Maigret 1933
Who Killed Santa Claus?
as Gaspard Cornusse 1941
The Red Head
as Mr. Lepic 1932
David Golder
as David Golder 1931
The Golem
as L'empereur Rodolphe II, roi de Bohème 1936
The Life and Loves of Beethoven
as Ludwig van Beethoven 1937
Volpone
as Volpone 1941
Hatred
as le capitaine Mollenard 1938
L'Assommoir
1908
Behold the Man
as Hérode 1935
Sins of Youth
as Monsieur Lacalade 1941
Rasputin
as Rasputin 1938
Crime and Punishment
as Porphyre 1935
African Diary
as Docteur Bourdet 1940
Sarati the Terrible
as Cesar Sarati 1937