Felix Bressart (March 2, 1895 – March 17, 1949) was a German-born actor of stage and screen whose career spanned both Europe and Hollywood.

Early days

Bressart (pronounced "BRESS-ert") was born in Eydtkuhnen,

East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...

, Germany (now in Nesterovsky District,

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Career

Bressart’s acting debut came in 1914 as Malvolio in ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

'' and he went on to act in Austria, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Hungary, and Yugoslavia. He was an experienced stage actor when he had his film debut in 1927. He began as a supporting actor, for example as the bailiff in the boxoffice hit '' Die Drei von der Tankstelle'' ('' The Three from the Filling Station''), but soon established himself in leading roles of minor movies. After the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

seized power in 1933, the

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

Bressart left Germany and continued his career in German-speaking movies in Austria, where Jewish artists were still relatively safe. After acting in 40 German films, he immigrated to the United States in 1936. One of Bressart's former European colleagues was

Joe Pasternak Joseph Herman Pasternak (born József Paszternák; September 19, 1901 – September 13, 1991) was a Hungarian-American film producer in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. Pasternak spent the Hollywood Musical film, "Golden Age" of musicals ...

, who had become a successful producer at

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

. Bressart's first American film was '' Three Smart Girls Grow Up'' (1939), a vehicle for the

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

' star,

Deanna Durbin Edna May Durbin (December 4, 1921 – April 17, 2013), known professionally as Deanna Durbin, was a Canadian-born American soprano and actress, who moved to the U.S. from Canada with her family in infancy. She appeared in musical films in the 1 ...

. Pasternak chose Bressart to perform in a screen test opposite Pasternak's newest discovery,

Gloria Jean Gloria Jean (born Gloria Jean Schoonover; April 14, 1926 – August 31, 2018) was an American actress and singer who starred or co-starred in 26 feature films from 1939 to 1959, and made numerous radio, television, stage, and nightclub app ...

. The German community in

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 ...

helped to establish Bressart in America, as his earliest American movies were directed by

Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch (; ; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; a ...

Henry Koster Henry Koster (born Hermann Kosterlitz, May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988) was a German-born film director. He was the husband of actress Peggy Moran. Early life Koster was born to Jewish parents in Berlin, Germany. He was introduced to cin ...

, and

Wilhelm Thiele Wilhelm Thiele, also William Thiele (1890–1975) was an Austrian screenwriter and film director. He directed over 40 films between 1921 and 1960. Life and career Thiele started his show career as a stage actor. He got his start in Austrian and ...

(who had directed Bressart in ''The Three from the Filling Station''). At Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Bressart appeared in Lubitsch's ''

Ninotchka ''Ninotchka'' is a 1939 American romantic comedy film made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by producer and director Ernst Lubitsch and starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas. It was written by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Walter Reisch, b ...

'' (1939), as one of the Soviet emissaries followed by

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras. Regarded as one of the g ...

to Paris. MGM signed Bressart to a contract, where most of work consisted of featured supporting roles in major films including ''

Edison, the Man ''Edison, the Man'' is a 1940 biographical film depicting the life of inventor Thomas Edison, who was portrayed by Spencer Tracy. Hugo Butler and Dore Schary were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Story, Academy Award for Best Writing, Ori ...

'', '' Comrade X'', and Lubitsch's '' The Shop Around the Corner'', all released in 1940. Edison the Man lobby card

In Lubitsch's '' To Be or Not to Be'' (1942), he recites

Shylock Shylock () is a fictional character in William Shakespeare's play '' The Merchant of Venice'' ( 1600). A Venetian Jewish moneylender, Shylock is the play's principal villain. His defeat and forced conversion to Christianity form the climax ...

's famous "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech from ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...

''. Other films Bressart appeared in for MGM include '' Blossoms in the Dust'' (1941), '' Three Hearts for Julia'' (1943), '' The Seventh Cross'' (1944), and '' Without Love'' (1945). Bressart left MGM in 1945 to work for other studios. His first freelance job featured his largest role; he co-starred in the RKO "B" musical comedy '' Ding Dong Williams'', filmed in April 1945. Bressart, billed third, played the bemused supervisor of a movie studio's music department, and appeared in formal wear to conduct an orchestral version of Chopin's ''

Fantaisie-Impromptu Frédéric Chopin's ''Fantaisie-Impromptu'' () in C minor, Op. posth. 66, WN 46 is a solo piano composition. It was composed in 1834 and published posthumously in 1855 despite Chopin's instruction that none of his unpublished manuscr ...

''. Bressart received special mention for his performance in this low-budget feature. In all, Bressart appeared in almost 40 Hollywood pictures.

Personal life

Bressart suddenly died of

leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...

at the age of 57. His last film was to be '' My Friend Irma'' (1949), the movie version of a popular radio show. Bressart died during production, forcing the studio to reshoot his completed scenes with

Hans Conried Hans Georg Conried Jr. (April 15, 1917 – January 5, 1982) was an American actor and comedian. He was known for providing the voices of George Darling and Captain Hook in Walt Disney's '' Peter Pan'' (1953), Snidely Whiplash in Jay Ward's ...

, who was playing the same role, "Professor Kropotkin," on radio.Hans Conried interview with

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, '' Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'', published from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film criti ...

, published in ''The Real Stars'', Curtis, 1973, p. 79. In the finished film, Felix Bressart is still seen in the long shots.

Complete filmography

German language films

*''Liebe im Kuhstall'' ('' Love in the Cowshed'') (1928) - Der Gerichtsvollzieher *'' Es gibt eine Frau, die dich niemals vergißt'' (1930) *''Der Sohn der weißen Berge'' ('' The Son of the White Mountain'') (1930) - Jailer *' (1930, Short) - Der Untermieter *''Die zärtlichen Verwandten'' ('' The Tender Relatives'') (1930) - Onkel Emil *'' Die Drei von der Tankstelle'' (1930) - Gerichtsvollzieher / Bailiff *''Der keusche Josef'' ('' Josef the Chaste'') (1930) - Eizes, ihr Faktotum *''Das alte Lied'' ('' The Old Song'') (1930) - Jacques *''Drei Tage Mittelarrest'' ('' Three Days Confined to Barracks'') (1930) - Franz Nowotni, Fuesilier *''Eine Freundin so goldig wie Du'' (1930) - Richard *''Die Privatsekretärin'' (''

The Private Secretary ''The Private Secretary'' is an 1883 farce in three acts, by Charles Hawtrey (actor born 1858), Charles Hawtrey. The play, adapted from a German original, depicts the vicissitudes of a mild young clergyman, innocently caught up in the machinatio ...

'') (1931) - Bankdiener Hasel *''Der wahre Jakob'' ('' The True Jacob'') (1931) - Böcklein *''Der Schrecken der Garnison'' ('' Terror of the Garrison'') (1931) - Musketier Kulicke *''Nie wieder Liebe!'' ('' No More Love'') (1931) - Jean *' (1931) - Major Fröschen *''Ausflug ins Leben'' (1931) - Hirsekorn - Schauspieler und Chauffeur *'' Kameradschaft'' (''Comradeship'') (1931) - Café Doorman (uncredited) *''Der Herr Bürovorsteher'' ('' The Office Manager'') (1931) - Joachim Reißnagel *''Holzapfel weiß alles'' ('' Holzapfel Knows Everything'') (1932) - Johannes Georg Holzapfel *''Der Glückszylinder'' (''

The Magic Top Hat ''The Magic Top Hat'' () is a 1932 German comedy film directed by Rudolf Bernauer and starring Charlotte Ander, Felix Bressart and Oskar Sima.Hake p. 142 It was shot at the Grunewald Studios in Berlin. The film's sets were designed by the ar ...

'') (1932) - Gottfried Jonathan Bankbeamter *''...und wer küßt mich?'' ('' And Who Is Kissing Me?'') (1933) - Direktor Ritter *''Wie d'Warret würkt'' (1933) - Herr Schramek *''C'était un musicien'' (1933) - Le baron Vandernyff *''Salto in die Seligkeit'' ('' Leap into Bliss'') (1933) - Kriegel, Geheimdetektiv *''

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

'' (1934) - Her grandfather * '' Ball at the Savoy'' (1935) - Birowitsch, der Sekretär *''Alles für die Firma'' ('' Everything for the Company'') (1935) - Philipp Sonndorfer *''Viereinhalb Musketiere'' (1935) - Professor Volksmann *''Heut' ist der schönste Tag in meinem Leben'' (1935) - Max Kaspar

English language films

*'' Three Smart Girls Grow Up'' (1939) - Music Teacher *'' Bridal Suite'' (1939) - Maxl *''

'' (1939) - Comrade Buljanoff *'' Swanee River'' (1939) - Henry Kleber *'' The Shop Around the Corner'' (1940) - Pirovitch *'' It All Came True'' (1940) - The Great Boldini *''

'' (1940) - Michael Simon *'' Third Finger, Left Hand'' (1940) - August Winkel *'' Escape'' (1940) - Fritz Keller *'' Bitter Sweet'' (1940) - Max *'' Comrade X'' (1940) - Vanya *'' Ziegfeld Girl'' (1941) - Mischa *'' Blossoms in the Dust'' (1941) - Dr. Max Breslar *'' Married Bachelor'' (1941) - Professor Ladislaus Milic *'' Kathleen'' (1941) - Mr. Schoner *'' Mr. and Mrs. North'' (1942) - Arthur Talbot *'' To Be or Not to Be'' (1942) - Greenberg *'' Crossroads'' (1942) - Dr. Andre Tessier *''

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

'' (1942) - Papa Jonsdottir *'' Three Hearts for Julia'' (1943) - Anton Ottoway *'' Above Suspicion'' (1943) - Mr. A. Werner *'' Don't Be a Sucker'' (1943, Short) - Anti-Nazi Teacher (uncredited) *'' Song of Russia'' (1944) - Petrov *'' The Seventh Cross'' (1944) - Poldi Schlamm *''

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...

'' (1944) - Hofer *'' Blonde Fever'' (1944) - Johnny *''Secrets in the Dark'' (1944, Short) *'' Without Love'' (1945) - Prof. Ginza *'' Dangerous Partners'' (1945) - Prof. Roland Budlow *'' Ding Dong Williams'' (1946) - Hugo Meyerhold *'' The Thrill of Brazil'' (1946) - Ludwig Kriegspiel *'' Her Sister's Secret'' (1946) - Pepe - New Orleans Cafe Owner *'' I've Always Loved You'' (1946) - Frederick Hassman *'' A Song Is Born'' (1948) - Professor Gerkikoff *''

Portrait of Jennie ''Portrait of Jennie'' (also released under the title ''Tidal Wave'') is a 1948 American supernatural film directed by William Dieterle, produced by David O. Selznick, and starring Jennifer Jones, Joseph Cotten, Ethel Barrymore, and Lillian ...

'' (1948) - Pete *'' Take One False Step'' (1949) - Professor Morris Avrum (final film role)

References

External links

*
Photographs and literature
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bressart, Felix 1895 births 1949 deaths People from Nesterovsky District Actors from East Prussia German male stage actors German male film actors 20th-century German male actors Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States Deaths from leukemia in California Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery