Fritz Nathan Kohn
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Fritz Kortner (born Fritz Nathan Kohn, 12 May 1892 – 22 July 1970) was an
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
n stage and film actor and
theatre director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...
.


Life and career

Kortner was born in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
as Fritz Nathan Kohn into a
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 ...
family. He studied at the Vienna Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. After graduating, he joined
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 ...
in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
in 1911 and then
Leopold Jessner Leopold Jessner (3 March 1878 – 13 December 1945) was a noted producer and director of German Expressionist theater and cinema. His first film, '' Hintertreppe'' (1921), is considered a major turning point which paved the way for the late ...
in 1916. After his breakthrough performance in
Ernst Toller Ernst Toller (1 December 1893 – 22 May 1939) was a German author, playwright, left-wing politician and revolutionary, known for his Expressionist plays. He served in 1919 for six days as President of the short-lived Bavarian Soviet Republic, ...
's ''Transfiguration'' in 1919, he became one of Germany's best-known character actors and the nation's foremost performer of
Expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...
works. He also appeared in over ninety films beginning in 1916. His specialty was in playing sinister and threatening roles, although he also appeared in the title role of '' Dreyfus'' (1930). He originally gained attention for his explosive energy on stage and his powerful voice; but as the 1920s progressed, his work began to incorporate greater realism, as he opted for a more controlled delivery and greater use of gestures. With the coming to power of 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 ...
, Kortner fled Germany in 1933 with his wife, actress
Johanna Hofer Johanna Hofer (born Johanna Therese Stern; 30 July 1896 – 30 June 1988) was a German film actress. She appeared in 34 films between 1926 and 1982. Biography Hofer was born in Berlin. She was the daughter of engineer and later director of ...
, returning first to his native Vienna and, from there, on to Great Britain, and finally, in 1937, to the United States, where he found work as a character actor and theater director. He returned to West Germany in 1949, where he became noted for his innovative staging and direction of classics by
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 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 nation ...
and
Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...
, such as a ''
Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...
'' (1964) in which the king crawls over piles of corpses at the finale.


Death

Kortner died at
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
in 1970, aged 78, 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 '' ...
.


Selected filmography

* ''Manya, die Türkin'' (1915) * ''Im Banne der Vergangenheit'' (1915) * ''Das Geheimnis von D.14'' (1915) * ''Police Nr. 1111'' (1915) – Mac Waldy * ''Das zweite Leben'' (1916) * '' Martyr of His Heart'' (1918) – Ludwig van Beethoven * ''
The Other I ''The Other I'' is a studio album by English duo 2:54. It was released in November 2014 under Bella Union Bella Union is a British independent record label founded in 1997 by Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. It is now r ...
'' (1918) – Professor * ''Frauenehre'' (1918, Short) – Mathias Enger * ''Der Sonnwendhof'' (1918) * '' Else of Erlenhof'' (1919) * '' The Eye of the Buddha'' (1919) – indischer Diener * '' Without Witnesses'' (1919) * ''
Satan Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or ' ...
'' (1920) – Pharao Amenhotep * ''Gerechtigkeit'' (1920) * ''
Va banque ''Va banque'' or ''Vabanque'' is a gambling term from the card game of Pharo or Faro, which was popular in the 18th and 19th century. It is similar to the decision to "go bank" (or "''banco''") in '' chemin de fer'', a form of baccarat. It ...
'' (1920) – S. M. Wulff * ''
The Brothers Karamazov ''The Brothers Karamazov'' ( rus, Братья Карамазовы, Brat'ya Karamazovy, ˈbratʲjə kərɐˈmazəvɨ), also translated as ''The Karamazov Brothers'', is the last novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky spent nearly ...
'' (1921) – Der alte Karamasoff * ''
Catherine the Great Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter I ...
'' (1920) – Potemkin * '' The Skull of Pharaoh's Daughter'' (1920) * ''Weltbrand'' (1920) – Iwan Becker * '' The Night of Queen Isabeau'' (1920) – Connetable * ''Die Verschleierte'' (1920) * ''
Christian Wahnschaffe ''Christian Wahnschaffe'' is a 1920 German silent drama film directed by Urban Gad and starring Conrad Veidt, Lillebil Ibsen, Hermann Vallentin and Fritz Kortner. It was released in two parts ''World Ablaze'' (''Weltbrand'') in November 1920 and ...
'' (1920) * ''
The Maharaja's Favourite Wife ''The Maharaja's Favourite Wife'' () is a silent adventure film directed by Max Mack and starring Gunnar Tolnæs, Fritz Kortner, and Erna Morena. Originally produced in Denmark by Nordisk Film, whose German branch was taken over during the Fi ...
'' (1921) – Bruder von Maharadscha Bhima * '' The Strongest Instinct'' (1921) * '' The Railway King'' (1921) * ''
The House on the Moon ''The House on the Moon'' (German: ''Das Haus zum Mond'') is a 1921 German silent science fiction film directed by Karlheinz Martin and starring Leontine Kühnberg, Erich Pabst and Fritz Kortner.Aitken p.53 Shot at the Johannisthal Studios in a ...
'' (1921) – Jan van Haag – Wachsfigurenhändler * ''
The House of Torment ''The House of Torment'' (German: ''Das Haus der Qualen'') is a 1920 German silent drama film directed by Carl Wilhelm and starring Ressel Orla, Fritz Kortner and Rudolf Klein-Rhoden.Grange p.85 The film's sets were designed by the art direct ...
'' (1921) – Arzt * ''
Hashish, the Paradise of Hell ''Hashish, the Paradise of Hell'' (German: ''Haschisch, das Paradies der Hölle'') is a 1921 German silent drama film directed by Reinhard Bruck and starring Tilla Durieux, Fritz Kortner and Paul Hartmann.Grange p.85 The film's sets were des ...
'' (1921) – Sultan * ''
The Conspiracy in Genoa ''The Conspiracy in Genoa'' () is a 1921 Cinema of Germany, German silent film, silent historical film, historical drama film directed by Paul Leni and starring Wilhelm Diegelmann, Maria Fein and Fritz Kortner. It is an adaptation of the 1783 pla ...
'' (1921) – Gianettino * '' Country Roads and the Big City'' (1921) – Mendel Hammerstein * ''
Danton Georges Jacques Danton (; ; 26 October 1759 – 5 April 1794) was a leading figure of the French Revolution. A modest and unknown lawyer on the eve of the Revolution, Danton became a famous orator of the Cordeliers Club and was raised to gover ...
'' (1921) * ''Aus dem Schwarzbuch eines Polizeikommissars'' (1921) – Der Krüppel * '' The Hunt for the Truth'' (1921) * '' Backstairs'' (1921) – Der Postbote * '' The Railway King'' (1921) * ''
On the Red Cliff ''On the Red Cliff'' () is a 1922 German silent drama film directed by Hanna Henning and starring Fritz Kortner, Agnes Straub, and Hans Adalbert Schlettow. It premiered at the Marmorhaus in Berlin. The film's sets were designed by the art ...
'' (1922) – Henning Rinkens * '' Luise Millerin'' (1922) – Miller * '' The Earl of Essex'' (1922) – Lord Nottingham * ''
Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...
'' (1922) – Patriarch Adrian * ''
A Dying Nation ''A Dying Nation'' or ''Dying Peoples'' () is a 1922 German silent historical drama film directed by Robert Reinert and starring Paul Wegener, Otto Gebühr, and Fritz Kortner. It was released in two parts ''Heimat in Not'' and ''Brennendes Meer ...
'' (1922) * '' The Call of Destiny'' (1922) * '' What Belongs to Darkness'' (1922) – Gangster * '' At the Edge of the Great City'' (1922) * ''
Nora Nora, NORA, or Norah may refer to: * Nora (name), a feminine given name People with the surname * Arlind Nora (born 1980), Albanian footballer * Pierre Nora (1931–2025), French historian * Simon Nora (1921–2006), French politician Place ...
'' (1923) – Krogstadt, Lawyer * ''
Schatten – Eine nächtliche Halluzination ''Schatten – Eine nächtliche Halluzination'' ("Shadows - a Nocturnal Hallucination", known in English as ''Warning Shadows'') is a 1923 German silent film directed and co-written by Arthur Robison, and starring Fritz Kortner and Ruth Weyher. I ...
'' (1923) – The count * ''
A Woman, an Animal, a Diamond ''A Woman, an Animal, a Diamond'' () is a 1923 German silent film directed by Hanns Kobe and starring Charlotte Ander, Fritz Kortner and Paul Bildt.Bock & Bergfelder p. 385 The film's sets were designed by the art director Fritz Lück and Wa ...
'' (1923) – Urmensch * ''Le revenant au baiser mortel'' (1923) * ''
Poor Sinner ''Poor Sinner'' () is a 1923 German silent drama film directed by Pier Antonio Gariazzo and starring Alfred Abel, Diana Karenne and Fritz Kortner.Bock & Bergfelder p. 256 Cast * Alfred Abel * Diana Karenne as Nell * Fritz Kortner Fritz K ...
'' (1923) – Canary * '' The Hands of Orlac'' (1924) – Nera * ''
Modern Marriages ''Modern Marriages'' (German: ''Moderne Ehen'') is a 1924 Czech-German silent comedy film directed by Hans Otto and starring Fritz Kortner and Helena Makowska.Grange p.184 Cast * S. Polonsky as Prof. Holstein * Helena Makowska as Thea Ho ...
'' (1924) – Diener * ''Kiedy kobieta zdradza meza'' (1924) – Lokaj * '' Doctor Wislizenus'' (1924) – Dr. Wislizenus * '' Should We Be Silent?'' (1926) – Der annoncierender Arzt * '' The Life of Beethoven'' (1927) – Ludwig van Beethoven * ''
Mata Hari Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (, ; 7 August 187615 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari ( , ; , ), was a Dutch Stripper, exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for German Empire, Germany during World War ...
'' (1927) – Graf Bobrykin * '' Students' Love'' (1927) – Karsten * ''
Alpine Tragedy ''Alpine Tragedy'' () is a 1927 German silent drama film directed by Robert Land and starring Lucy Doraine, Arnold Korff and Vladimir Gajdarov.Grange p. 265 The film was based on the 1909 novel of the same title by Richard Voß. It was shot at ...
'' (1927) – Mairas Vater * ''
Caught in Berlin's Underworld ''Caught in Berlin's Underworld'' (German: ''Die Ausgestoßenen'') is a 1927 German silent drama film directed by Martin Berger and starring Fritz Kortner, Maly Delschaft and Hans Stüwe.Grange p.268 Cast * Fritz Kortner as Lord * Maly Delsc ...
'' (1927) – Lord * '' The Mistress of the Governor'' (1927) – Zarewitsch Alexander / Gouverneurs Sohn * '' Mary Stuart'' (1927) – Marschall Bothwell * ''Draga Maschin'' (1927) * '' Dame Care'' (1928) – Der alte Meyhöfer * '' Odette'' (1928) – Frontenac * ''
Spy of Madame Pompadour ''Spy of Madame Pompadour'' (German: ''Marquis d'Eon, der Spion der Pompadour'') is a 1928 German silent film directed by Karl Grune and starring Liane Haid, Fritz Kortner and Alfred Gerasch.Klossner p.360 It portrays the life of the eighteenth ...
'' (1928) – Zar Paul von Rußland * '' The Last Night'' (1928) – Montaloup * ''
Pandora's Box Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology connected with the myth of Pandora in Hesiod's c. 700 B.C. poem ''Works and Days''. Hesiod related that curiosity led her to open a container left in the care of her husband, thus releasing curses ...
'' (1929) – Dr. Ludwig Schön * ''
Somnambul ''Somnambul'' is a 1929 German silent horror film directed by Adolf Trotz and starring Fritz Kortner, Erna Morena and Veit Harlan. The film is set against the backdrop of spiritualism. The Berlin clairvoyant Elsbeth Guenther-Geffers appeared ...
'' (1929) – Fabrikant Bingen * ''
The Woman One Longs For ''The Woman One Longs For'' (German: ''Die Frau, nach der man sich sehnt'') is a 1929 German silent drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Marlene Dietrich, Fritz Kortner and Frida Richard. It was based on the novel of the same ti ...
'' (1929) – Dr. Karoff * ''
The Woman in the Advocate's Gown ''The Woman in the Advocate's Gown'' (; ) is a 1929 Norwegian-German silent drama film directed by Adolf Trotz and starring Aud Egede-Nissen, Paul Richter, and Fritz Kortner. The screenplay was based on 's novel ''Frk. Statsadvokat'', published ...
'' (1929) – Konsul Backhaug * ''
The Ship of Lost Souls ''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 ...
'' (1929) – Kapitän Vela – Captain Fernando Vela * ''
The Night of Terror ''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 ...
'' (1929) – Prince Wagarin * '' Atlantik'' (1929) – Heinrich Thomas, author * '' Giftgas'' (1929) – Konzernpräsident Straaten * '' The Other'' (1930) – Prosecutor Hallers * '' Dreyfus'' (1930) – Alfred Dreyfus * '' Menschen im Käfig'' (1930) – Captain Kell * ''
The Great Longing ''The Great Longing'' () is a 1930 Cinema of Germany, German comedy film directed by Steve Sekely in his directorial debut and starring Camilla Horn, Theodor Loos, and Harry Frank. It was shot at the EFA Studios in Berlin. The film's sets were de ...
'' (1930) – Himself, Fritz Kortner * '' The Virtuous Sinner'' (1931, director) * ''
Danton Georges Jacques Danton (; ; 26 October 1759 – 5 April 1794) was a leading figure of the French Revolution. A modest and unknown lawyer on the eve of the Revolution, Danton became a famous orator of the Cordeliers Club and was raised to gover ...
'' (1931) – Danton * ''
The Murderer Dimitri Karamazov ''The Murderer Dimitri Karamazov'' () is a 1931 German drama film directed by Erich Engels and Fedor Ozep, starring Fritz Kortner and Anna Sten. It tells the story of a lieutenant who is suspected of having murdered his father. The film is based ...
'' (1931) – Dimitri Karamasoff * ''
You Don't Forget Such a Girl ''You Don't Forget Such a Girl'' (German: ''So ein Mädel vergißt man nicht'') is a 1932 Austrian-German romantic comedy film directed by Fritz Kortner and starring Willi Forst, Dolly Haas, and Oskar Sima. The film was shot at the Halensee Stud ...
'' (1932, director) * ''
Chu Chin Chow ''Chu Chin Chow'' is a musical comedy written, produced and directed by Oscar Asche, with music by Frederic Norton, based (with minor embellishments) on the story of '' Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves''. Gänzl, Kurt"''Chu Chin Chow'' Musical Tale ...
'' (1934) – Abu Hasan * '' Little Friend'' (1934) – Giant * ''
Evensong Evensong is a church service traditionally held near sunset focused on singing psalms and other biblical canticles. It is loosely based on the canonical hours of vespers and compline. Old English speakers translated the Latin word as , which ...
'' (1934) – Arthur Kober * ''
Abdul the Damned ''Abdul the Damned'' (also known as ''Abdul Hamid'') is a 1935 British drama film directed by Karl Grune and starring Fritz Kortner, Nils Asther and John Stuart. It was made at the British International Pictures studios by Alliance-Capitol Pr ...
'' (1935) – Sultan Abdul Hamid II / Kelar – his double * ''
The Crouching Beast ''The Crouching Beast'' is a 1935 British war thriller film directed by Victor Hanbury and starring Fritz Kortner, Wynne Gibson and Richard Bird. It was written by L. du Garde Peach based on the 1928 novel '' The Crouching Beast'' by Valenti ...
'' (1935) – Ahmed Bey * ''
Pagliacci ''Pagliacci'' (; literal translation, 'Clowns') is an Italian opera in a prologue and two acts, with music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo. The opera tells the tale of Canio, actor and leader of a commedia dell'arte theatrical company, who mu ...
'' (1936, writer) * '' Midnight Menace'' (1937) – Minister Peters of Grovnia * ''
The Purple V ''The Purple V'' is a 1943 American war film directed by George Sherman and starring John Archer (actor), John Archer, Mary McLeod and Fritz Kortner. The ''Purple V'' marked German stage star Fritz Kortner's American film debut. Actors John Archer ...
'' (1943) – Thomas Forster * '' The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler'' (1943) – Bauer * ''
The Hitler Gang ''The Hitler Gang'' is a 1944 American pseudo-documentary film directed by John Farrow, which traces the political rise of Adolf Hitler. Described as a "documentary-propaganda" film by its studio, Paramount Pictures, the historical drama is base ...
'' (1944) – Gregor Strasser * '' The Wife of Monte Cristo'' (1946) – Maillard * '' Somewhere in the Night'' (1946) – Anzelmo aka Dr. Oracle * ''
The Razor's Edge ''The Razor's Edge'' is a 1944 novel by W. Somerset Maugham. It tells the story of Larry Darrell, an American pilot traumatized by his experiences in World War I, who sets off in search of some transcendent meaning in his life. Maugham is th ...
'' (1946) – Kosti * ''
The Brasher Doubloon ''The Brasher Doubloon'' (known in the UK as ''The High Window'') is a 1947 American crime film noir directed by John Brahm and starring George Montgomery and Nancy Guild. It is based on the 1942 novel '' The High Window'' by Raymond Chandler. ...
'' (1947) – Rudolph Vannier * ''
Berlin Express ''Berlin Express'' is a 1948 American drama film starring Robert Ryan, Merle Oberon and Paul Lukas and directed by Jacques Tourneur. Thrown together by chance, a group of people search a city for a kidnapped peace activist. Set in Allied-occu ...
'' (1948) – Franzen * '' The Vicious Circle'' (1948) – Joseph Schwartz * ''
The Last Illusion ''The Last Illusion'' () is a 1949 German drama film directed by Josef von Báky and starring Fritz Kortner, Johanna Hofer and Lina Carstens.Hake p. 103 It was entered into the 1949 Cannes Film Festival. It was shot at the Bavaria Studios in Mun ...
'' (1949) – Professor Mauthner * ''
The Orplid Mystery ''The Orplid Mystery'' or ''Epilogue'' () is a 1950 West German thriller film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring Horst Caspar, Bettina Moissi, and O.E. Hasse. The film did not perform well at the box office on its release.Davidson & Hake ...
'' (1950) – Mr. P. L. Hoopman * ''
Bluebeard "Bluebeard" ( ) is a French Folklore, folktale, the most famous surviving version of which was written by Charles Perrault and first published by Barbin in Paris in 1697 in . The tale is about a wealthy man in the habit of murdering his wives an ...
'' (1951) – Haushofsmeister * '' Secrets of the City'' (1955, director) * ''
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
'' (1955, director) * ' (1961, TV film, director) * '' Clavigo'' (1970, TV film, director)


Autobiographical works

*1971: ''Letzten Endes. Fragmente.'' (posthumous autobiography, edited by Johanna Kortner) *1996: ''Aller Tage Abend. Autobiographie.'' Droemer-Knaur, München, 1996, . ** ''Aller Tage Abend. Autobiographie.'' Alexander Verlag, Berlin 2005, . *2005: ''Aller Tage Abend. Auszüge, gelesen von Fritz Kortner.'' Alexander Verlag, Berlin .


References

Notes Bibliography * Critchfield, Richard D. ''From Shakespeare to Frisch: The Provocative Fritz Kortner''. Heidelberg: Synchron Publishers, 2008. ;


External links

*
Virtual History – Photographs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kortner, Fritz 1892 births 1970 deaths Jewish German male actors German-language film directors German male silent film actors German theatre directors Austrian Jews Austrian theatre directors Male actors from Vienna Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class) Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States 20th-century German male actors Deaths from leukemia in Germany Burials at Munich Waldfriedhof