Harry Baur


Harry Baur was a French actor, famous for his titular role in Beethoven's Great Love and as Jean Valjean in the 1934 version of Les Misérables.

Life

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, directed by Abel Gance, and as Jean Valjean in Raymond Bernard's version of Les Misérables. He also acted in Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset's silent film, Beethoven, and in La voyante, Sarah Bernhardt's last film.
In 1942, while in Berlin, to star in his last film Symphone eines Lebens, Baur's wife, Rika Radifé, 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.

Legacy

American actor Rod Steiger cited Baur as one of his favorite actors who had exerted a major influence on his craft and career.

Filmography

  • Monsieur Lecoq
  • Strass et Compagnie
  • The Gold Chignon as Comte Hector de Nages, aka Bébert
  • Flower of Paris as Harry Podge
  • 48, avenue de l'Opéra as Tom Baxler
  • Sous la griffe
  • L'âme du bonze
  • The Clairvoyant as Monsieur Detaille
  • David Golder as David Golder
  • Le cap perdu as Le Capitaine Kell
  • Moon Over Morocco as M. de Marouvelle
  • The Polish Jew as Mathias
  • The Red Head as Monsieur Lepic
  • The Three Musketeers as Tréville
  • Criminal as Warden Brady
  • The Old Devil as Guillaume Vautier
  • A Man's Neck as Commissaire Jules Maigret
  • Rothchild as Rothchild
  • Les Misérables as Jean Valjean / Champmathieu
  • Le greluchon délicat as Michel
  • A Man of Gold as Capon
  • Moscow Nights as Piotr Brioukow
  • Golgotha as Hérode
  • Crime and Punishment as Le juge Porphyre
  • Dark Eyes as Ivan Ivanovitch Petroff
  • Moscow Nights as Peter Brioukow
  • Le Golem – L'empereur Rodolphe II as roi de Bohème
  • Samson as Jacques Brachart
  • Taras Bulba as Tarass Boulba
  • Beethoven's Great Love as Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Nitchevo as Le commandant Robert Cartier
  • The New Men as Bourron
  • Paris as Alexandre Lafortune
  • Sarati the Terrible as César Sarati
  • The Secrets of the Red Sea as Saïd Ali
  • Life Dances On as Alain Regnault
  • Mollenard as Captain Mollenard
  • Rasputin as Raspoutine
  • The Postmaster's Daughter as Virine, le maitre de poste
  • The Patriot as Le tsar Paul 1er
  • The Rebel Son as Taras Bulba
  • The Man from Niger as Le docteur Bourdet
  • President Haudecoeur as Le président Haudecoeur
  • Volpone as Volpone
  • Who Killed Santa Claus? as Gaspard Cornusse
  • Sins of Youth as Monsieur Lacalade
  • Symphonie eines Lebens as Stephan Melchior