Harry Baur

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Harry Baur
Harry Baur as Jules Maigret
Born
Henri-Marie Baur

(1880-04-12)12 April 1880
Died8 April 1943(1943-04-08) (aged 62)
Paris, France
OccupationActor
Spouses
Radifé Baher
(m. 1936⁠–⁠1943)
Rose Cremer
(m. 1910⁠–⁠1930)
Children3

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, 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.[1] He was released in April 1943, but died in Paris shortly after in mysterious circumstances.[2]

American actor Rod Steiger cited Baur as one of his favorite actors who had exerted a major influence on his craft and career.[3]

Filmography[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Dictionnaire universelle de la Franc-Maçonnerie, page 121 (Marc de Jode, Monique Cara and Jean-Marc Cara, ed. Larousse , 2011)
  2. ^ Patricia Roc, p. 31, at Google Books
  3. ^ Dennis, Charles. "Remembering Rod Steiger". Paid to Dream. Archived from the original on 20 July 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2011.

External links[edit]