CINEFILER

Harry Baur

Born
April 12, 1880
Died
April 8, 1943
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
(1934)
Jean Valjean / Champmathieu
Full Filmography
Acting
L'Assommoir
(1908)
La Jeunesse de Vidocq ou Comment on devient policier
(1909)
Vidocq
L'Évasion de Vidocq
(1910)
Vidocq
Monsieur Lecoq
(1914)
Flower of Paris
(1916)
The Gold Chignon
(1916)
The Clairvoyant
(1924)
Monsieur Detaille
David Golder
(1931)
David Golder
Moon over Morocco
(1931)
M. de Marouvelle
Polish Jew
(1931)
Mathias
The Lost Course
(1931)
Le Capitaine Kell
The Red Head
(1932)
Mr. Lepic
The Three Musketeers
(1932)
M. de Tréville
A Man's Neck
(1933)
Commissaire Jules Maigret
The Old Devil
(1933)
Guillaume Vautier
Criminal
(1933)
Warden Brady
Les Misérables
(1934)
Jean Valjean / Champmathieu
Rothchild
(1934)
Rothchild
Moscow Nights
(1934)
Piotr Brioukow
A Man and His Woman
(1934)
Crime and Punishment
(1935)
Porphyre
Behold the Man
(1935)
Hérode
Moscow Nights
(1935)
Peter Brioukow
Dark Eyes
(1935)
Ivan Ivanovitch Petroff
Samson
(1936)
Jacques Brachart
The Golem
(1936)
L'empereur Rodolphe II, roi de Bohème
Taras Bulba
(1936)
Tarass Boulba
The New Men
(1936)
Bourron
Nitchevo
(1936)
Un carnet de bal
(1937)
Alain Regnault
The Life and Loves of Beethoven
(1937)
Ludwig van Beethoven
Sarati the Terrible
(1937)
Cesar Sarati
Paris
(1937)
The Secrets of the Red Sea
(1937)
Hatred
(1938)
le capitaine Mollenard
The Rebel Son
(1938)
Taras Bulba
The Postmaster's Daughter
(1938)
Virine, le maitre de poste
Rasputin
(1938)
Rasputin
Le Patriote
(1938)
Le Tsar
African Diary
(1940)
Docteur Bourdet
President Haudecoeur
(1940)
President Haudecoeur
Who Killed Santa Claus?
(1941)
Gaspard Cornusse
Volpone
(1941)
Volpone
Sins of Youth
(1941)
Monsieur Lacalade
Symphonie eines Lebens
(1943)
Stefan Melchior, Dorfkantor
Stars Never Die
(1957)
Self (archive footage)
Data provided by TMDB