Harry Baur

Born: 1880-04-12 in Montrouge, Seine [now Hauts-de-Seine], Île-de-France, France

Died: 1943-04-08

Known For: Acting

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

1978

Encyclopédie audiovisuelle du cinéma as Self (archive footage)

1957

Stars Never Die as Self (archive footage)

1943

Symphonie eines Lebens as Stefan Melchior, Dorfkantor

1941

Volpone as Volpone
Sins of Youth as Monsieur Lacalade
Who Killed Santa Claus? as Gaspard Cornusse

1940

President Haudecoeur as President Haudecoeur
African Diary as Docteur Bourdet

1938

Hatred as le capitaine Mollenard
The Postmaster's Daughter as Virine, le maitre de poste
Rasputin as Rasputin
The Rebel Son as Taras Bulba
The Patriot as Tsar Paul 1st

1937

Sarati the Terrible as Cesar Sarati
The Life and Loves of Beethoven as Ludwig van Beethoven
Life Dances On as Alain Regnault
Paris
The Secrets of the Red Sea

1936

Samson as Jacques Brachart
The New Men as Bourron
The Golem as L'empereur Rodolphe II, roi de Bohème
Taras Bulba as Tarass Boulba
Nitchevo

1935

Golgotha as Hérode
Crime and Punishment as Porphyre
Dark Eyes as Ivan Ivanovitch Petroff

1934

Rothchild as Rothchild
Les Misérables as Jean Valjean / Champmathieu
Moscow Nights as Peter Brioukow
A Man and His Woman as Papon
Moscow Nights as Piotr Brioukow

1933

A Man's Head as Commissaire Jules Maigret
The Old Devil as Guillaume Vautier
Criminal as Warden Brady

1932

The Red Head as Mr. Lepic
The Three Musketeers as M. de Tréville

1931

The Lost Course as Le Capitaine Kell
David Golder as David Golder
Moon over Morocco as M. de Marouvelle
Polish Jew as Mathias

1924

The Clairvoyant as Monsieur Detaille