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.

Known For

Les Misérables

The Life and Loves of Beethoven

The Golem

A Man's Head

L'Assommoir

Life Dances On

The Three Musketeers

Volpone

All Movies (47)

• Stars Never Die1957 · as Self (archive footage)
• Symphonie eines Lebens1943 · as Stefan Melchior, Dorfkantor
• Sins of Youth1941 · as Monsieur Lacalade
• Who Killed Santa Claus?1941 · as Gaspard Cornusse
• Volpone1941 · as Volpone
• African Diary1940 · as Docteur Bourdet
• President Haudecoeur1940 · as President Haudecoeur
• The Patriot1938 · as Tsar Paul 1st
• The Postmaster's Daughter1938 · as Virine, le maitre de poste
• The Rebel Son1938 · as Taras Bulba
• Rasputin1938 · as Rasputin
• Hatred1938 · as le capitaine Mollenard
• Life Dances On1937 · as Alain Regnault
• The Secrets of the Red Sea1937
• Sarati the Terrible1937 · as Cesar Sarati
• Paris1937
• The Life and Loves of Beethoven1937 · as Ludwig van Beethoven
• Nitchevo1936
• Taras Bulba1936 · as Tarass Boulba
• Samson1936 · as Jacques Brachart
• The New Men1936 · as Bourron
• The Golem1936 · as L'empereur Rodolphe II, roi de Bohème
• Dark Eyes1935 · as Ivan Ivanovitch Petroff
• Crime and Punishment1935 · as Porphyre
• Golgotha1935 · as Hérode
• Moscow Nights1934 · as Peter Brioukow
• Moscow Nights1934 · as Piotr Brioukow
• A Man and His Woman1934 · as Papon
• Rothchild1934 · as Rothchild
• Les Misérables1934 · as Jean Valjean / Champmathieu
• A Man's Head1933 · as Commissaire Jules Maigret
• Criminal1933 · as Warden Brady
• The Old Devil1933 · as Guillaume Vautier
• The Three Musketeers1932 · as M. de Tréville
• The Red Head1932 · as Mr. Lepic
• Moon over Morocco1931 · as M. de Marouvelle
• Polish Jew1931 · as Mathias
• The Lost Course1931 · as Le Capitaine Kell
• David Golder1931 · as David Golder
• The Clairvoyant1924 · as Monsieur Detaille
• The Gold Chignon1916
• Flower of Paris1916 · as Harry Podge
• Monsieur Lecoq1914
• L'Évasion de Vidocq1910 · as Vidocq
• La Jeunesse de Vidocq ou Comment on devient policier1909 · as Vidocq
• L'Assommoir1908
• Le Roman de Carpentier—

All TV Shows (1)

• Encyclopédie audiovisuelle du cinéma1978 · as Self (archive footage)