Eigenlijk: Fritz Nathan Kohn

*  12-5-1892, Vienna, Austria - †  1970

A graduate of Vienna's Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, he rose to prominence on the Berlin stage after WWI as an actor and director and became widely known in Europe for his unconventional interpretations of the classics. At the same time, he pursued a successful career in German films as an actor and occasional director. Fleeing Germany after the advent of the Nazis in 1933, he toured various European cities and in 1938 found refuge in the US. He wrote two Broadway plays, directing one, before going out to Hollywood as a screenwriter and character actor in the early 40s. Returning to Germany in 1947, he soon regained his prewar prestige as an actor and director of the stage and films.

Filmografie:

1916   POLICE 1111 

1918   GREGOR MAROLD      director, performer

1919   ELSE VON ERLENHOF director, performer

1919   SATANAS     

1920   THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV / DIE BRÜDER KARAMASOFF

1920   CATHERINE THE GREAT / KATHERINA DIE GROSSE         

1920   WELTBRAND  

1921   ALL FOR A WOMAN/DANTON performer

1921   BACKSTAIRS/DIE HINTERTREPPE   

1922   PETER THE GREAT/PETER DER GROSSE    

1923   WARNING SHADOWS/SCHATTEN    

1925   THE HANDS OF ORLAC/ORLACS HÄNDE     

1927   THE LIFE OF BEETHOVEN / BEETHOVEN     performer— title role

1927   MARIA STUART        performer— as Bothwell

1927   MATA HARI   

1927   PRIMANERLIEBE       

1927   THE RED DANCER     

1928   THE LAST NIGHT / REVOLUTIONSHOCHZEIT       

1928   PANDORA'S BOX / DIE BÜCHSE DER PANDORA     

1928   A SCANDAL IN PARIS / DIE FRAU AUF DER FOLTER        

1928   THE SPY OF MADAME DE POMPADOUR /

          MARQUIS D'EON DER SPION DER POMPADOUR     

1929   ATLANTIK / ATLANTIC       

1929   THREE LOVES / DIE FRAU NACH DER MANN SICH SEHNT 

1930   DER ANDERE   — in dual role

1930   DIE GROSSE SEHNSUCHT    

1930   LOVE STORM/MENSCHEN IM KÄFIG

1931   THE DREYFUS CASE / DREYFUS      performer— title role

1931   THE MURDERER DIMITRI KARAMAZOV /

          DER MÖRDER DIMITRI KARAMASOFF         performer— title role

1931   THE UPRIGHT SINNER /

          DER BRAVE SÜNDER     director, co-screenwriter

1932   DANTON        performer— title role

1932   SO EIN MÄDEL VERGISST MAN NICHT       director, co-screenwriter

1934   CHU CHIN CHOW     

1934   EVENSONG    

1935   ABDUL THE DAMNED 

1935   THE CROUCHING BEAST     

1943   THE STRANGE DEATH OF ADOLF HITLER    performer—screenwriter—from own co-story

1944   THE HITLER GANG    

1946   THE RAZOR'S EDGE  

1946   SOMEWHERE IN THE NIGHT 

1946   THE WIFE OF MONTE CRISTO       

1947   THE BRASHER DOUBLOON   

1948   BERLIN EXPRESS     

1948   THE VICIOUS CIRCLE

1949   THE LAST ILLUSION / DER RUF       screenwriter, performer

1950   EPILOG        

1955   CITY OF SECRETS/DIE STADT IST VOLLER GEHEIMNISSE /

         SECRETS OF THE CITY        director, co-screenwriter

1955   SARAJEVO     director

1961   DIE SENDUNG DER LYSISTRATA      director