Fritz Leiber
Biography
Fritz Reuter Leiber Sr. was an American actor. A Shakespearean actor on stage, he also had a successful career in film. He was the father of science fiction and fantasy writer Fritz Leiber Jr., who was also an actor for a time. Leiber and his wife spent much of their time touring in a Shakespearean acting company, known by the 1930s as Fritz Leiber & Co. Leiber made his film bow in 1916, playing Mercutio in the Francis X. Bushman version of “Romeo and Juliet.” With his piercing eyes and shock of white hair, Leiber seemed every inch the priests, professors, musical professors, and religious fanatics that he was frequently called upon to play in films. His many silent-era portrayals included Caesar in Theda Bara's 1917 “Cleopatra” and Solomon in the mammoth 1921 Betty Blythe vehicle “The Queen of Sheba.” He thrived as a character actor in sound films, usually in historical roles. In the film “Champagne Waltz” he portrayed an orchestra maestro; the role required him to play classical music on a violin and jazz on a clarinet. One of Leiber's larger assignments of the 1940s, and his most notable musical role, was as Franz Liszt in the Claude Rains' remake of “Phantom of the Opera” (1943). Leiber appears together with his son Fritz Leiber Jr. in the wedding-feast scene of Greta Garbo's film “Camille” (1936) and in Warner Bros.' “The Great Garrick” (1937). Leiber also appeared with his son Fritz Leiber Jr. in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1939), but Fritz Leiber Jr. was not credited for his small speaking part. Late in his career, Leiber performed briefly opposite Charles Chaplin as the priest who visits Monsieur Verdoux in his prison cell.
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (50)
Devil's Doorway
as Mr. Poole
1950
Samson and Delilah
as Lord Sharif
1949
Bagdad
as Emir
1949
Bride of Vengeance
as Filippo
1949
Song of India
as Nanaram
1949
Inner Sanctum
as Dr. Valonius
1948
Another Part of the Forest
as Col. Isham
1948
To the Ends of the Earth
as Binda Sha
1948
Adventures of Casanova
as D'Anneci
1948
Monsieur Verdoux
as Father Fareaux
1947
High Conquest
as Priest
1947
The Web
as Leopold Kroner
1947
Dangerous Venture
as Chief Xeoli
1947
Bells of San Angelo
as Padre
1947
Humoresque
as Hagerstrom
1947
Strange Journey
as Prof. Jenner
1946
Angel on My Shoulder
as Chemist Who Poisoned Wife (uncredited)
1946
A Scandal in Paris
as Painter
1946
Scarlet Street
as Evangelist (uncredited)
1945
This Love of Ours
as Dr. Bailey
1945
The Spanish Main
as Bishop
1945
The Cisco Kid Returns
as The Padre
1945
Youth Runs Wild
as Judge (uncredited)
1944
Cry of the Werewolf
as Dr. Charles Morris (uncredited)
1944
Cobra Woman
1944
Phantom of the Opera
as Franz Liszt
1943
First Comes Courage
as Dr. Aanrud
1943
Crossroads
as Foreign Minister Deval (uncredited)
1942
Aloma of the South Seas
as High Priest
1941
Lady with Red Hair
as Mr. Foster
1940
The Sea Hawk
as Inquisitor
1940
All This, and Heaven Too
as Abbe Gallard
1940
The Way of All Flesh
as Max
1940
Pack Up Your Troubles
as Pierre Ferrand
1939
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
as Old Nobleman
1939
Nurse Edith Cavell
as Sadi Kirschen
1939
They Made Her a Spy
as Dr. Krull
1939
Gateway
as Dr. Weilander
1938
Flight Into Nowhere
as Ti-Ana
1938
The Jury's Secret
as John Morrow
1938
The Great Garrick
as Horatio in 'Hamlet'
1937
The Prince and the Pauper
as Father Andrew
1937
Under Southern Stars
as Stonewall Jackson
1937
Champagne Waltz
as Franz Strauss
1937
Anthony Adverse
as Ouvrard
1936
Sins of Man
as Father Prior
1936
Down to the Sea
as Gregory Pappas
1936
Hearts in Bondage
as Capt. John Ericsson
1936
The Story of Louis Pasteur
as Dr. Charbonnet
1936
A Tale of Two Cities
as Gaspard
1935