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