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 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. He was released in April 1943, but died in Paris shortly after in mysterious circumstances. Academy Award-winning American actor Rod Steiger cited Baur as one of his favorite actors who had exerted a major influence on his craft and career.

Filmography

• 1943Symphonie eines Lebens — Stefan Melchior, Dorfkantor
• 1941Sins of Youth — Monsieur Lacalade
• 1941Volpone — Volpone
• 1941Who Killed Santa Claus? — Gaspard Cornusse
• 1940African Diary — Docteur Bourdet
• 1940President Haudecoeur — President Haudecoeur
• 1938Hatred — le capitaine Mollenard
• 1938Rasputin — Rasputin
• 1938The Patriot — Tsar Paul 1st
• 1938The Postmaster's Daughter — Virine, le maitre de poste
• 1938The Rebel Son — Taras Bulba
• 1937Life Dances On — Alain Regnault
• 1937Paris
• 1937Sarati the Terrible — Cesar Sarati
• 1937The Life and Loves of Beethoven — Ludwig van Beethoven
• 1937The Secrets of the Red Sea
• 1936Nitchevo
• 1936Samson — Jacques Brachart
• 1936Taras Bulba — Tarass Boulba
• 1936The Golem — L'empereur Rodolphe II, roi de Bohème
• 1936The New Men — Bourron
• 1935Crime and Punishment — Porphyre
• 1935Dark Eyes — Ivan Ivanovitch Petroff
• 1935Golgotha — Hérode
• 1934A Man and His Woman — Papon
• 1934Les Misérables — Jean Valjean / Champmathieu
• 1934Moscow Nights — Peter Brioukow
• 1934Moscow Nights — Piotr Brioukow
• 1934Rothchild — Rothchild
• 1933A Man's Head — Commissaire Jules Maigret
• 1933Criminal — Warden Brady
• 1933The Old Devil — Guillaume Vautier
• 1932The Red Head — Mr. Lepic
• 1932The Three Musketeers — M. de Tréville
• 1931David Golder — David Golder
• 1931Moon over Morocco — M. de Marouvelle
• 1931Polish Jew — Mathias
• 1931The Lost Course — Le Capitaine Kell
• 1924The Clairvoyant — Monsieur Detaille
• 1916Flower of Paris — Harry Podge
• 1916The Gold Chignon
• 1914Monsieur Lecoq
• 1910L'Évasion de Vidocq — Vidocq
• 1909La Jeunesse de Vidocq ou Comment on devient policier — Vidocq
• 1908L'Assommoir
• Le Roman de Carpentier

Appearances as themselves (2)

• Encyclopédie audiovisuelle du cinéma — Self (archive footage)
• 1957Stars Never Die — Self (archive footage)