Harry Baur
Known for

Acting

Credits

48

Gender

Man

Birthday

Apr 12, 1880

Day of death

Apr 8, 1943 (62)

Place of birth

Montrouge, Seine [now Hauts-de-Seine], Île-de-France, France

Also known as
Henri-Marie Baur
Henri Marie Rodolphe Baur

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
Acting roles
YearMovie / TV show / OtherRole
1978Encyclopédie audiovisuelle du cinémaSelf (archive footage)
Le Roman de Carpentier
1957Stars Never DieSelf (archive footage)
1943Symphonie eines LebensStefan Melchior, Dorfkantor
1941Who Killed Santa Claus?Gaspard Cornusse
1941VolponeVolpone
1941Sins of YouthMonsieur Lacalade
1940African DiaryDocteur Bourdet
1940President HaudecoeurPresident Haudecoeur
1938Hatredle capitaine Mollenard
1938RasputinRasputin
1938The Rebel SonTaras Bulba
1938The Postmaster's DaughterVirine, le maitre de poste
1938Le PatrioteLe Tsar
1937Life Dances OnAlain Regnault
1937The Life and Loves of BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven
1937Sarati the TerribleCesar Sarati
1937The Secrets of the Red Sea
1937Paris
1936The GolemL'empereur Rodolphe II, roi de Bohème
1936The New MenBourron
1936SamsonJacques Brachart
1936Nitchevo
1936Taras BulbaTarass Boulba
1935Behold the ManHérode
1935Crime and PunishmentPorphyre
1935Moscow NightsPeter Brioukow
1935Dark EyesIvan Ivanovitch Petroff
1934Les MisérablesJean Valjean / Champmathieu
1934Moscow NightsPiotr Brioukow
1934RothchildRothchild
1934A Man and His Woman
1933A Man's NeckCommissaire Jules Maigret
1933The Old DevilGuillaume Vautier
1933CriminalWarden Brady
1932The Red HeadMr. Lepic
1932The Three MusketeersM. de Tréville
1931David GolderDavid Golder
1931Moon over MoroccoM. de Marouvelle
1931Polish JewMathias
1931The Lost CourseLe Capitaine Kell
1924The ClairvoyantMonsieur Detaille
1916Flower of Paris
1916The Gold Chignon
1914Monsieur Lecoq
1910L'Évasion de VidocqVidocq
1909La Jeunesse de Vidocq ou Comment on devient policierVidocq
1908L'Assommoir