Harry Baur
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.
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (46)
Stars Never Die
as Self (archive footage)
1957
Symphonie eines Lebens
as Stefan Melchior, Dorfkantor
1943
Sins of Youth
as Monsieur Lacalade
1941
Who Killed Santa Claus?
as Gaspard Cornusse
1941
Volpone
as Volpone
1941
African Diary
as Docteur Bourdet
1940
President Haudecoeur
as President Haudecoeur
1940
Le Patriote
as Tsar Paul 1st
1938
The Postmaster's Daughter
as Virine, le maitre de poste
1938
The Rebel Son
as Taras Bulba
1938
Rasputin
as Rasputin
1938
Hatred
as le capitaine Mollenard
1938
Life Dances On
as Alain Regnault
1937
The Secrets of the Red Sea
1937
Sarati the Terrible
as Cesar Sarati
1937
Paris
1937
The Life and Loves of Beethoven
as Ludwig van Beethoven
1937
Nitchevo
1936
Taras Bulba
as Tarass Boulba
1936
Samson
as Jacques Brachart
1936
The New Men
as Bourron
1936
The Golem
as L'empereur Rodolphe II, roi de Bohème
1936
Dark Eyes
as Ivan Ivanovitch Petroff
1935
Crime and Punishment
as Porphyre
1935
Behold the Man
as Hérode
1935
Moscow Nights
as Peter Brioukow
1934
Moscow Nights
as Piotr Brioukow
1934
A Man and His Woman
1934
Rothchild
as Rothchild
1934
Les Misérables
as Jean Valjean / Champmathieu
1934
A Man's Neck
as Commissaire Jules Maigret
1933
Criminal
as Warden Brady
1933
The Old Devil
as Guillaume Vautier
1933
The Three Musketeers
as M. de Tréville
1932
The Red Head
as Mr. Lepic
1932
Moon over Morocco
as M. de Marouvelle
1931
Polish Jew
as Mathias
1931
The Lost Course
as Le Capitaine Kell
1931
David Golder
as David Golder
1931
The Clairvoyant
as Monsieur Detaille
1924
The Gold Chignon
1916
Flower of Paris
as Harry Podge
1916
Monsieur Lecoq
1914
L'Évasion de Vidocq
as Vidocq
1910
La Jeunesse de Vidocq ou Comment on devient policier
as Vidocq
1909
L'Assommoir
1908