Fritz Reuter Leiber Sr. (January 31, 1882 – October 14, 1949) was an American actor. A

Shakespearean William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

actor on stage, he also had a successful career in film. He was the father of science fiction and fantasy writer Fritz Leiber Jr., who was also an actor for a time.

Life

Leiber was born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

, the son of Meta (Klett) and Albrecht Leiber. His father was from Baden Baden and his mother was from Mecklenburg. Leiber was based in Chicago for most of his pre-

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

career. He married Virginia Bronson (1885–1970), who like him was a Shakespearean performer. Leiber died, in the

neighborhood of Los Angeles, from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

at the age of 67.

Career

Leiber and his wife spent much of their time touring in a Shakespearian acting company, known by the 1930s as Fritz Leiber & Co. Leiber made his film bow in 1916, playing

Mercutio Mercutio ( , ) is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's 1597 tragedy, ''Romeo and Juliet''. He is a close friend to Romeo and a blood relative to Prince Escalus and Count Paris. As such, Mercutio is one of the named characters in the ...

in the Francis X. Bushman version of ''Romeo and Juliet''. With his piercing eyes and shock of white hair, Leiber seemed every inch the priests, professors, musical professors, and religious fanatics that he was frequently called upon to play in films. His many silent-era portrayals included

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

Theda Bara Theda Bara ( ; born Theodosia Burr Goodman; July 29, 1885 – April 7, 1955) was an American silent film and stage actress. Bara was one of the more popular actresses of the silent era and one of cinema's early sex symbols. Her femme fatal ...

's 1917 ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

'' and

Solomon Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...

in the mammoth 1921

Betty Blythe Betty Blythe (born Elizabeth Blythe Slaughter; September 1, 1893 – April 7, 1972) was an American actress best known for her dramatic roles in exotic silent films such as '' The Queen of Sheba'' (1921). She appeared in 63 silent films and 56 ...

vehicle ''

The Queen of Sheba The Queen of Sheba ( he, מַלְכַּת שְׁבָא‎, Malkaṯ Šəḇāʾ; ar, ملكة سبأ, Malikat Sabaʾ; gez, ንግሥተ ሳባ, Nəgśətä Saba) is a figure first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. In the original story, she bring ...

''. He thrived as a character actor in sound films, usually in historical roles. In the film ''

Champagne Waltz ''Champagne Waltz'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by A. Edward Sutherland and starring Gladys Swarthout, Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie. It is one of five movies produced by Paramount in the 1930s featuring Swarthout, a very popular Me ...

'', he portrayed an orchestra maestro; the role required him to play classical music on a violin and jazz on a clarinet. One of Leiber's larger assignments of the 1940s, and his most notable musical role, was as

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...

in the

Claude Rains William Claude Rains (10 November 188930 May 1967) was a British actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. After his American film debut as Griffin (The Invisible Man), Dr. Jack Griffin in ''The Invisible Man (1933 film), The Invisible Ma ...

remake of '' Phantom of the Opera'' (1943). Leiber appears together with his son

Fritz Leiber Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Robert ...

, Jr. in the wedding-feast scene of

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic ch ...

's film '' Camille'' (1936) and in Warner Bros.' ''

The Great Garrick ''The Great Garrick'' is a 1937 American historical comedy film directed by James Whale and starring Brian Aherne, Olivia de Havilland, and Edward Everett Horton. The film also features Lionel Atwill, Luis Alberni, Melville Cooper, and fu ...

'' (1937). Leiber also appeared with his son

, Jr. in ''

The Hunchback of Notre Dame ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story ...

'' (1939) but Fritz Leiber, Jr. was not credited for his small speaking part. Fritz Leiber in The Story of Louis Pasteur trailer

Late in his career, Leiber performed briefly opposite

Charles Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consid ...

as the priest who visits ''

Monsieur Verdoux ''Monsieur Verdoux'' is a 1947 American black comedy film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, who plays a bigamist wife killer inspired by serial killer Henri Désiré Landru. The supporting cast includes Martha Raye, William Frawley, a ...

'' in his prison cell.

Portrait collection

For most or all of his long acting career, Leiber had a hobby: each time he performed a new role, he had his likeness or portrait made in costume and make-up for that role. Since Leiber was not an especially protean actor, he tended to look the same in every part: therefore, to bring some variety to his portrait collection, he varied the format and media of each likeness: one was a full-length oil painting, another a charcoal sketch of his upper body; one a sculpted bust, one a clay

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

, and so forth. After the actor's death, all of his surviving portraits passed to his son, Fritz Leiber Jr., who found himself in the awkward situation of sharing a cramped residence with more than two hundred copies of his father's face; Leiber Jr. later used this experience as the basis of his 1963 story "237 Talking Statues, Etc." The two Fritz Leibers also physically resembled each other enough to give casual visitors the impression that the portraits were of Leiber Jr. himself.

Filmography

*''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

'' (1916) .... Mercutio * ''

The Primitive Call ''The Primitive Call'' is a 1917 American silent drama film directed by Bertram Bracken and starring Gladys Coburn, Fritz Leiber Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, ho ...

'' (1917) .... Brain Elkhorn *''

'' (1917) .... Caesar *''

If I Were King ''If I Were King'' is a 1938 American biographical and historical film starring Ronald Colman as medieval poet François Villon, and featuring Basil Rathbone and Frances Dee. It is based on the 1901 play and novel, both of the same name, by Just ...

'' (1920) .... Louis XI *'' The Song of the Soul'' (1920) .... Jerry Wendover *''

'' (1921) .... King Solomon *''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in ...

'' (1935) .... Gaspard *''

The Story of Louis Pasteur ''The Story of Louis Pasteur'' is a 1936 American black-and-white biographical film from Warner Bros., produced by Henry Blanke, directed by William Dieterle, that stars Josephine Hutchinson, Anita Louise and Donald Woods, and Paul Muni as t ...

'' (1936) .... Dr. Charbonnet *'' Under Two Flags'' (1936) .... French Governor *'' Hearts in Bondage'' (1936) .... Capt. John Ericsson *''

Down to the Sea ''Down to the Sea'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by Lewis D. Collins and written by Robert Lee Johnson and Wellyn Totman. The film stars Russell Hardie, Ben Lyon, Ann Rutherford, Irving Pichel, Fritz Leiber and Vince Barnett. The film ...

'' (1936) .... Gregory Pappas *'' Sins of Man'' (1936) .... Father Prior *''

Anthony Adverse ''Anthony Adverse'' is a 1936 American epic historical drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Fredric March and Olivia de Havilland. The screenplay by Sheridan Gibney draws elements of its plot from eight of the nine books in Herve ...

'' (1936) .... Ouvrard *''

'' (1937) .... Franz Strauss *''Under Southern Stars'' (1937, Short) .... Stonewall Jackson *''

The Prince and the Pauper ''The Prince and the Pauper'' is a novel by American author Mark Twain. It was first published in 1881 in Canada, before its 1882 publication in the United States. The novel represents Twain's first attempt at historical fiction. Set in 1547 ...

'' (1937) .... Father Andrew *''

'' (1937) .... Horatio *''

The Jury's Secret ''The Jury's Secret'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Edward Sloman and starring Kent Taylor, Fay Wray, and Jane Darwell. Cast *Kent Taylor as Walter Rusell *Fay Wray as Linda Ware *Jane Darwell as Mrs. Sheldon *Nan Grey as Mary Norris ...

'' (1938) .... John Morrow *''

Flight into Nowhere ''Flight Into Nowhere'' is a 1938 American adventure film directed by Lewis D. Collins, and produced by Larry Darmour for Columbia Pictures. The film stars Jack Holt, Jacqueline Wells and Dick Purcell. In the low-budget action film, the locale ...

'' (1938) .... Ti-Ana *'' Gateway'' (1938) .... Dr. Weilander *''

They Made Her a Spy ''They Made Her a Spy'' is a 1939 American spy drama film produced and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures. It was the first film directed by Jack Hively, who after toiling as an editor for RKO for the prior five years, was given the opportunity ...

'' (1939) .... Dr. Krull *''

Nurse Edith Cavell ''Nurse Edith Cavell'' is a 1939 American film directed by British director Herbert Wilcox about Edith Cavell. The film was nominated at the 1939 Oscars for Best Original Score. Plot The story follows the broadly true story of Edith Cavell w ...

'' (1939) .... Sadi Kirschen *'' Pack Up Your Troubles'' (1939) .... Pierre Ferrand *''

'' (1939) .... Old Nobleman *'' The Way of All Flesh'' (1940) .... Max *''

The Sea Hawk ''The Sea Hawk'' is a 1915 novel by Rafael Sabatini. The story is set over the years 1588–1593 and concerns a retired Cornish seafaring gentleman, Sir Oliver Tressilian, who is villainously betrayed by a jealous half-brother. After being ...

'' (1940) .... Inquisitor *''

All This, and Heaven Too ''All This, and Heaven Too'' is a 1940 American drama film made by Warner Bros.-First National Pictures, produced and directed by Anatole Litvak with Hal B. Wallis as executive producer. The screenplay was adapted by Casey Robinson from the 1938 ...

'' (1940) .... Abbe Gallard *''

Lady with Red Hair ''Lady with Red Hair'' (1940) is an American historical drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Miriam Hopkins, Claude Rains and Richard Ainley. Released by Warner Brothers it stars Hopkins as the nineteenth century actress Mrs. Le ...

'' (1940) .... Mr. Foster *'' Aloma of the South Seas'' (1941) .... High Priest *''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

'' (1942) .... Foreign Minister Deval (uncredited) *''

First Comes Courage ''First Comes Courage'' is a 1943 American war film, the final film directed by Dorothy Arzner, one of the few female directors in Hollywood at the time. The film was based on the 1943 novel ''Commandos'' by Elliott Arnold, adapted by George Skl ...

'' (1943) .... Dr. Aanrud *''

Salute to the Marines ''Salute to the Marines'' is a 1943 World War II propaganda war film drama in Technicolor from MGM, produced by John W. Considine Jr., directed by S. Sylvan Simon, and starring Wallace Beery. The film co-stars Fay Bainter, Reginald Owen, Ray C ...

'' (1943) .... Mr. Agno (uncredited) *'' Phantom of the Opera'' (1943) .... Franz Liszt *''

The Desert Song ''The Desert Song'' is an operetta with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach and Frank Mandel. It was inspired by the 1925 uprising of the Riffs, a group of Moroccan fighters, against French colo ...

'' (1943) .... Ben Sidi (uncredited) *'' The Impostor'' (1944) .... Priest *''

Cobra Woman ''Cobra Woman'' is a 1944 American South Seas adventure film from Universal Pictures, directed by Robert Siodmak that stars Maria Montez, Jon Hall, and Sabu. Shot in Technicolor, this film is typical of Montez's career at Universal, and, altho ...

'' (1944) .... Venreau (uncredited) *''

Cry of the Werewolf ''Cry of the Werewolf'' is a 1944 American horror film directed by Henry Levin and starring Nina Foch, Stephen Crane, Osa Massen, Blanche Yurka and Barton MacLane. Plot A Romani princess descended from Marie LaTour has the ability to change in ...

'' (1944) .... Dr. Charles Morris *''

Youth Runs Wild ''Youth Runs Wild'' is a 1944 B movie directed by Mark Robson and starring Bonita Granville, Kent Smith, Jean Brooks, Glen Vernon and Vanessa Brown. The plot concerns inattentive parents and juvenile delinquency. The film was produced by Val Lewt ...

'' (1944) .... Judge (uncredited) *''

The Cisco Kid Returns ''The Cisco Kid Returns'' is a 1945 American Western film. Released on April 3, 1945, it was the first of three Cisco Kid films made that year with Duncan Renaldo as Cisco and Martin Garralaga as Pancho. In this release, Cisco's real name is Jua ...

'' (''The Daring Adventurer'') (1945) .... The Padre *''

Son of Lassie ''Son of Lassie'' (also known as ''Laddie, Son of Lassie'') is a 1945 American Technicolor feature film produced by MGM based on characters created by Eric Knight, and starring Peter Lawford, Donald Crisp, June Lockhart and Pal (credited as L ...

'' (1945) .... Village Padre (uncredited) *''

The Spanish Main ''The Spanish Main'' is a 1945 American adventure film starring Paul Henreid, Maureen O'Hara, Walter Slezak and Binnie Barnes, and directed by Frank Borzage. It was RKO's first all-Technicolor film since ''Becky Sharp'' ten years before. Cin ...

'' (1945) .... Bishop *'' This Love of Ours'' (1945) .... Dr. Bailey *'' Scarlet Street'' (1945) .... Evangelist (uncredited) *''

A Scandal in Paris ''A Scandal in Paris'' is a 1946 American biographical film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring George Sanders, Signe Hasso and Carole Landis. It loosely depicts the life of Eugène François Vidocq, a French criminal who reformed and became a ...

'' (1946) .... Painter *'' Angel on My Shoulder'' (1946) .... Chemist Who Poisoned Wife (uncredited) *''Strange Journey'' (1946) .... Prof. Jenner *'' Humoresque'' (1946) .... Hagerstrom *''

'' (1947) .... Father Fareaux *''

Bells of San Angelo '' Bells of San Angelo '' is a 1947 American Trucolor Western film directed by William Witney and starring Roy Rogers. The first Roy Rogers film shot in Trucolor, this modern day Western mixes half a dozen songs with mystery, international smu ...

'' (1947) .... Padre *''

Dangerous Venture ''Dangerous Venture'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by George Archainbaud and written by Doris Schroeder. The film stars William Boyd, Andy Clyde, Rand Brooks, Fritz Leiber, Douglas Evans and Harry Cording. The film was released on ...

'' (1947) .... Xeoli *''

The Web The World Wide Web (WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information system enabling documents and other web resources to be accessed over the Internet. Documents and downloadable media are made available to the network through we ...

'' (1947) .... Leopold Kroner *'' High Conquest'' (1947) .... Priest *''

Adventures of Casanova ''Adventures of Casanova'' is a 1948 American-Mexican historical adventure film directed by Roberto Gavaldón and starring Arturo de Córdova Lucille Bremer and Turhan Bey. It portrays a fictional version of the story of Casanova, and was intended ...

'' (1948) .... D'Anneci *''

To the Ends of the Earth ''To the Ends of the Earth'' is the title given to a trilogy of nautical, relational novels—''Rites of Passage'' (1980), ''Close Quarters'' (1987), and ''Fire Down Below'' (1989)—by British author William Golding. Set on a former British ...

'' (1948) .... Binda Sha *''

Another Part of the Forest ''Another Part of the Forest'' is a 1946 play by Lillian Hellman, a prequel to her 1939 drama '' The Little Foxes''. Plot synopsis Set in the fictional town of Bowden, Alabama, in June 1880, the plot focuses on the wealthy, ruthless, and innate ...

'' (1948) .... Colonel Isham *'' Inner Sanctum'' (1948) .... Dr. Valonius *'' Song of India'' (1949) .... Nanaram *''

Bride of Vengeance ''Bride of Vengeance'' is a 1949 adventure film set in the Italian Renaissance era, directed by Mitchell Leisen. Plot Lucrezia Borgia's brother Cesare Borgia has her second husband Prince Bisceglie killed in order to marry her to Alfonso I d' ...

'' (1949) .... Filippo *'' Bagdad'' (1949) .... Emir *''

Samson and Delilah Samson and Delilah are Biblical figures. Samson and Delilah may also refer to: In music * ''Samson and Delilah'' (opera), an opera by Camille Saint-Saëns * ''Samson & Delilah'' (album), released in 2013 by V V Brown * "Samson and Delilah" (t ...

'' (1949) .... Lord Sharif *''

Devil's Doorway ''Devil's Doorway'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring Robert Taylor as an Indian who returns home from the American Civil War a hero awarded the Medal of Honor. However, his hopes for a peaceful life are sha ...

'' (1950) .... Mr. Poole (final film role)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Leiber, Fritz, Sr. 1882 births 1949 deaths American male stage actors Male actors from Chicago 20th-century American male actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) American male film actors American people of German descent