Curt Bois (born Kurt Boas; April 5, 1901 – December 25, 1991) was a German actor with a career spanning over 80 years. He is best remembered for his performances as the pickpocket in ''

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

'' (1942) and the poet Homer in ''

Wings of Desire ''Wings of Desire'' (, ; ) is a 1987 romantic fantasy film written by Wim Wenders, Peter Handke and Richard Reitinger, and directed by Wenders. The film is about invisible, immortal angels who populate Berlin and listen to the thoughts of its hu ...

'' (1987).

Life and career

Curt Bois-John Abbott in The Woman in White

Bois was born to a

German Jewish The history of the Jews in Germany goes back at least to the year 321 CE, and continued through the Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries CE) and High Middle Ages (c. 1000–1299 CE) when Jewish immigrants founded the Ashkenazi Jewish commu ...

family in Berlin and began acting in 1907, becoming one of the

film A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

world's first child actors, with a role in the 1907

short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...

''Bauernhaus und Grafenschloß''. In 1909, he played the title role in ''Der Kleine Detektiv'' ('The Little Detective'). Bois performed in theatre, cabaret, musicals, silent films, and "talkies" over his long acting career. He performed under

Max Reinhardt Max Reinhardt (; born Maximilian Goldmann; 9 September 1873 – 30 October 1943) was an Austrian-born Theatre director, theatre and film director, theater manager, intendant, and theatrical producer. With his radically innovative and avant-gard ...

and found success in 1928 in a Viennese stage production of " Charley's Aunt" at the Josefstadt Theater. He was a successful character comic, and for a while film studios tried to make him into a "German

Harold Lloyd Harold Clayton Lloyd Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many Silent film, silent comedy films.Obituary ''Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influent ...

". In 1934, institutionalized

Anti-Semitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

forced the Jewish Bois to leave his home in

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

for the United States. There he found work on stage on Broadway. By 1937, he had made his way to

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) * Hollywood ...

and began acting in films, the best-known being ''

'' (1942), in which he warns a befuddled English gentleman to be on guard against pickpockets ("vultures everywhere") while stealing the man's wallet. He had a notable supporting role in ''

Caught Caught is a method of dismissing a batsman in cricket. A batsman is out caught if the batsman hits the ball, from a legitimate delivery, with the bat, and the ball is caught by the bowler or a fielder before it hits the ground. If the catch ...

'' (1949), starring Robert Ryan,

Barbara Bel Geddes Barbara Bel Geddes (October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005) was an American stage and screen Actor, actress, artist, and children's author whose career spanned almost 5 decades. She was best known for her starring role as Miss Ellie Ewing in th ...

, and

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes (winning once) and two ...

; Ryan played a megalomaniacal industrialist openly based on

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American Aerospace engineering, aerospace engineer, business magnate, film producer, and investor. He was The World's Billionaires, one of the richest and most influential peo ...

and Bois was Ryan's conflicted fixer, Franzi Kartos. Most of his Hollywood roles were small, but nevertheless Bois was in demand. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Bois decided it was safe to return to Germany, which he did in 1950. Bois finished his life and career in Germany, first in the

East East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...

, and then in the

West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

. He appeared at the Schiller Theater and the Theater des Westens for many years. One of his final performances was in

Wim Wenders Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (; born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker and photographer, who is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among the honors he has received are prizes from the Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, Venice International Film ...

' ''Der Himmel über Berlin'' (''

'') in 1987, portraying the aged poet Homer "who endlessly wanders Berlin in the hope of properly capturing the city on paper".Curt Bois
at Allmovie He won the European Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for this role. He played his last role in the 1989 short film ''Das letzte Band'', ending a film career of 82 years. Bois died in Berlin at the age of 90.

Complete filmography

* ''Bauernhaus und Grafenschloß'' (1907 short) * ''Der fidele Bauer – 1. Terzett: Ein Infant'rist, ein Artill'rist'' (1908 short) * ''Der fidele Bauer – 2. Terzett: Bauernmarsch'' (1908 short) * ''Der fidele Bauer – 3. Duettino zwischen Liesl und Heinerle'' (1908 short) * ''Der kleine Detektiv'' (1909 short) * ''Mutterliebe'' (1909 short) * ''Klebolin klebt alles'' (1909 short) * ''Ein neuer Erwerbszweig'' (1912 short) * ''Des Pfarrers Töchterlein'' (''The Minister's Daughter'') (1913 short) * ''Das Geschenk des Inders'' (1914) as Child * ''Streichhölzer, kauft Streichhölzer!'' (1916) * ''BZ-Maxe & Co.'' (1916) * ' (1916) * ''Tante Röschen will heiraten'' (1916) * ''Die Spinne'' (1917) * ''Abenteuer im Warenhaus'' (1917 short) * ' (1917) * ''Das Unruhige Hotel'' (1917) * ''Der Dieb'' (1918) as Hellmuth * ' (1918) * ''Der Gast aus der vierten Dimension'' (1918) * ''So'n kleiner Schwerenöter'' (1918 short) * '' The Oyster Princess'' (1919) as Conductor * '' She and the Three'' (1922) as Der Hilfsregisseur * '' When She Starts, Look Out'' (1926) as Ali ben Mokka * ''Der goldene Schmetterling'' (''The Golden Butterfly'') (1926) as André Dubois, Ballettmeister * '' The Young Man from the Ragtrade'' (1926) as Moritz Spiegel * '' Countess Ironing-Maid'' (1926) * ''

The Prince of Pappenheim ''The Prince of Pappenheim'' (German: ''Der Fürst von Pappenheim'') is a 1927 German silent comedy film directed by Richard Eichberg and starring Mona Maris, Curt Bois and Dina Gralla. Bois' character of an ambitious young man was closely m ...

'' (1927) as Egon Fürst * '' The Transformation of Dr. Bessel'' (1927) as Simche Regierer * ''Majestät schneidet Bubiköpfe'' (1928) * ''Anschluß um Mitternacht'' (''Call at Midnight'') (1929) as Emil * ''Der Schlemihl'' (1931) as Hartwig * ''Ein steinreicher Mann'' ('' A Tremendously Rich Man'') (1932) as Curt * '' Hollywood Hotel'' (1937) as Dress Designer * '' Tovarich'' (1937) as Alfonso * '' Romance in the Dark'' (1938) as Von Hemisch * '' Gold Diggers in Paris'' (1938) as Padrinsky * '' The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse'' (1938) as Rabbit * '' Boy Meets Girl'' (1938) as Dance Director (uncredited) * '' Garden of the Moon'' (1938) as Maharajah of Sund * '' The Great Waltz'' (1938) as Kienzl * '' Hotel Imperial'' (1939) as Anton * '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1939) as Student * '' The Lady in Question'' (1940) as Henri Lurette * '' Boom Town'' (1940) as Ferdie * '' He Stayed for Breakfast'' (1940) as Comrade Tronavich * '' Hullabaloo'' (1940) as Armand Francois * '' Bitter Sweet'' (1940) as Ernst * '' That Night in Rio'' (1941) as Salles * ''

Hold Back the Dawn Hold may refer to: Physical spaces * Hold (compartment), interior cargo space * Baggage hold, cargo space on an airplane * Stronghold, a castle or other fortified place Arts, entertainment, and media * Hold (musical term), a pause, also calle ...

'' (1941) as Bonbois * '' Blue, White and Perfect'' (1942) as Friedrich Gerber, alias Nappy Dubois * '' The Tuttles of Tahiti'' (1942) as Jensen * '' My Gal Sal'' (1942) as De Rochemont * '' Pacific Rendezvous'' (1942) as Kestrin * ''

'' (1942) as Pickpocket * ''

Destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

'' (1943) as Yasha (uncredited) * '' Paris After Dark'' (1943) as Max (uncredited) * '' Princess O'Rourke'' (1943) as Count Peter de Candome * '' Swing Fever'' (1943) as Nick Sirocco * '' The Desert Song'' (1943) as François * ''

Cover Girl A cover girl is a woman whose photograph is used for the front cover of magazines. She may be a model, celebrity or entertainer. The term would generally not be used to describe a person making a single, casual appearance on the cover of a magaz ...

'' (1944) as Chef at Danny McGuire's * '' Gypsy Wildcat'' (1944) as Valdi * '' Blonde Fever'' (1944) as Brillon * '' The Spanish Main'' (1945) as Paree * '' Saratoga Trunk'' (1945) as Augustin Haussy * '' Jungle Flight'' (1947) as Pepe * ''

The Woman from Tangier ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' (1948) as Parquit * '' Arch of Triumph'' (1948) as Tattooed Waiter * '' French Leave'' (1948) as Marcel * '' The Woman in White'' (1948) as Louis * ''

Up in Central Park ''Up in Central Park'' is a Broadway musical with a book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and music by Sigmund Romberg. The musical, originally called "Central Park" before Broadway (see image of sheet music), was ...

'' (1948) as Maitre d' (uncredited) * '' Let's Live a Little'' (1948) as Chemist (uncredited) * ''

'' (1949) as Franzi Kartos * '' Kiss in the Dark'' (1949) as Hugo Schloss * '' The Lovable Cheat'' (1949) as Count de la Brive * '' The Great Sinner'' (1949) as Jeweler / Money Lender * '' Oh, You Beautiful Doll'' (1949) as Zaltz (uncredited) * '' Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey'' (1950) as Pierre * '' Fortunes of Captain Blood'' (1950) as King Charles II * ''Androklus und der Löwe'' (''Androcles and the Lion'') (1958 TV film) as Androklus * '' Herr Puntila and His Servant Matti'' (1955–1960) as Johannes Puntila * '' The Haunted Castle'' (1960) as Hugo * ''Flüchtlingsgespräche'' (1964 TV film) as Ziffel * ''Der eingebildete Kranke'' (1964 TV film) as Argan * ' (''A Scoundrel's Honor'') (1966) as Emil * ''Die hundertste Nacht'' (1966 TV film) as Iwakichi * ''Bert Brecht vor dem McCarthy-Ausschuß'' (1966 TV film) * ''Der Zauberberg'' (1968 TV film) as Naphta * ''Amerika oder der Verschollene'' (1968 TV film) as Karl Roßmann's father * ''Der Pott'' (1971 TV film) as Simon Norton * ''Der trojanische Sessel'' (1971 TV film) as Franz Seider * ''Strychnin und saure Drops'' (1974 TV film) * ''Das Rentenspiel'' (1977 TV film) as Grandfather * ''Das Idol von Mordassow'' (1979 TV film) * ''Liebe, Tod und Heringshäppchen'' (1979 TV film) as Friedrich Schlick * ''Die Alten kommen'' (1980 TV film) * ''Wochenendgeschichten'' (1980 TV film) * ''Bühne frei für Kolowitz'' (1980 TV film) as Benjamin Weiß * ''Der Mond scheint auf Kylenamoe'' (1980 TV film) * ''Gesucht wird... Drei Geschichten um nicht ganz ehrenwerte Herren'' (1980 TV film) * '' Das Boot ist voll'' (1981) as Lazar Ostrowskij * '' Flächenbrand'' (1981 TV film) as Bühler * ''Der Schützling'' (1981 TV film) as Leiser * ''Die feine englische Art: Täglich eine gute Tat'' (1982 TV film) as Lord Emsworth * ''Die feine englische Art: Hundeglück'' (1982 TV film) as Lord Emsworth * ''Die feine englische Art: Die Lady frißt'' (1982 TV film) as Lord Emsworth * ''Die feine englische Art: Blut wird fließen'' (1982 TV film) as Lord Emsworth * '' The Roaring Fifties'' (1983) (uncredited) * ''

'' (1987) as Homer

References

Bibliography

*John Holmstrom, ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, pp. 18–19.

External links

* *
Curt Bois
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

*
Curt Bois biography
fro

* ttp://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=1166 Photographs of Curt Bois {{DEFAULTSORT:Bois, Curt 1901 births 1991 deaths 20th-century German male actors Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany European Film Awards winners (people) German expatriate male actors in the United States German male film actors German male silent film actors Jewish German male actors Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States Male actors from Berlin