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Albert Bassermann
Albert Bassermann 1918 (cropped).jpg
Bassermann in 1918
Born (1867-09-07)7 September 1867
Died 15 March 1952(1952-03-15) (aged 84)
en route to Zurich, Switzerland
Occupation Screen, stage actor
Years active 1887–1948
Spouse(s)
Elsa Schiff
(m. 1908)

Albert Bassermann (born September 7, 1867 – died May 15, 1952) was a very talented actor from Germany. He performed both on stage and in movies. Many people thought he was one of the best German-speaking actors of his time. He even received a special award called the Iffland-Ring, which is given to the most important German-speaking male actor. Albert Bassermann was married to Elsa Schiff, who was also an actress. They often acted together.

Life and Career

Bassermann-grab
His grave in Mannheim

Albert Bassermann started acting in 1887 in his hometown, Mannheim. Before that, he briefly studied chemistry. Later, he moved to Berlin to continue his acting career.

Early Stage Work

From 1899, Bassermann worked with a famous director named Otto Brahm. In 1904, he joined the Deutsches Theater Berlin. This was the same year his future wife, Elsa Schiff, also started working there.

They got married in 1908. The next year, he began working at the Lessing Theatre. He also kept performing at the Deutsches Theater with director Max Reinhardt until 1915.

Bassermann played many important roles on stage. He was Othello in 1910 and played Faust in Faust Part II in 1911. He also acted as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice.

Moving to Film

Bassermann was one of the first German stage actors to also work in movies. In 1913, he starred in the film Der Andere. He also worked with well-known silent film directors like Ernst Lubitsch.

In 1928, he appeared in the first stage show of Katharina Knie.

Leaving Germany

In 1933, Bassermann left Germany. He first lived in Switzerland and then moved to the United States in 1938. He left Germany because of the political situation at the time. His wife, Elsa, was Jewish, and the government in Germany was against Jewish people.

A fellow actress, Annija Simsone, wrote about this. She said that Albert Bassermann was told he would have to divorce his wife if he wanted to keep acting in Germany. He refused to divorce Elsa, and they moved away together.

Acting in Hollywood

Even though Bassermann did not speak much English, he learned his lines by listening carefully. His wife helped him. He became a popular character actor in Hollywood films.

In 1940, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. This was for his role as Van Meer in Alfred Hitchcock's movie Foreign Correspondent.

He returned to Europe in 1946. His last movie was The Red Shoes.

A Lesson from a Master

The famous actress Uta Hagen shared a story about working with Albert Bassermann. She said he taught her a great lesson. Even though he was over 80, he was very modern in his acting.

Uta Hagen noticed that Bassermann was always "in character." He never stopped acting, even when it was her turn to speak. He taught her that an actor should always be thinking and reacting, not just waiting for their turn. He told her, "I'm never through! And neither should you be!"

Death

Albert Bassermann passed away on May 15, 1952. He died near the Zurich Airport in Switzerland, right after arriving from the United States. He is buried in his hometown of Mannheim, Germany.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1913 Der Andere Dr. Hallers The Other
Der König Provinzschauspieler
Der letzte Tag Professor Osterode
1914 Urteil des Arztes Dr. Erwin Hofmüller
1917 Du sollst keine anderen Götter haben
Der eiserne Wille Hausierer David
Herr und Diener
1918 Father and Son
The Zaarden Brothers
Doctor Schotte
Lorenzo Burghardt
1919 Eine schwache Stunde
Das Werk seines Lebens Peter
1920 Die Duplizität der Ereignisse
The Voice
The Sons of Count Dossy The Count/The Thief's Son
Masks
Dolls of Death
1921 Der Frauenarzt Dr. Wolfgang Holländer
The Nights of Cornelis Brouwer Cornelis Brouwer
Burning Country
The Last Witness Olaf Baggerson
Die kleine Dagmar
1922 Frauenopfer Graf Women's Sacrifice
The Loves of Pharaoh Sothis
Lucrezia Borgia Pope Alexander VI
1923 The Man in the Iron Mask Cardinal Mazarin The Man with the Iron Mask
Earth Spirit Dr. Schoen
Christopher Columbus Columbus
Old Heidelberg The Student Prince
Abenteuer einer Nacht
1924 Helena Aisakos Helen of Troy
1925 Letters Which Never Reached Him Konsul Werner Gerling
The Director General Generaldirektor Herbert Heidenberg
1926 Professor Imhof
1929 Fräulein Else Dr. Alfred Thalhof
Napoleon at Saint Helena Governor Hudson Lowe
1930 Alraune Privy Councillor ten Brinken Daughter of Evil
Dreyfus Col. Picquart The Dreyfus Case
1931 1914 Count Bethmann Hollweg
A Woman Branded Dr. Ringius
Inquest Dr. Konrad Bienert
Kadetten General von Seddin Cadets
1932 The Golden Anchor Piquoiseau
1933 Ein gewisser Herr Gran Tschernikoff, Kunsthändler
1935 Last Love Thomas Bruck
1939 Le Héros de la Marne [fr] Col. von Gelow
1940 Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet Dr. Robert Koch
Foreign Correspondent Van Meer Nominated: Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Knute Rockne, All American Father Julius Nieuwland
A Dispatch from Reuters Franz Geller
Escape Dr. Arthur Henning
Moon Over Burma Basil Renner
1941 A Woman's Face Consul Magnus Barring
The Great Awakening Ludwig van Beethoven
The Shanghai Gesture Van Elst, The Commissioner
1942 Fly-by-Night Dr. Storm
Invisible Agent Arnold Schmidt
Desperate Journey Dr. Ludwig Mather
The Moon and Sixpence Dr. Coutras
Once Upon a Honeymoon Gen. Borelski
Reunion in France General Hugo Schroeder
1943 Good Luck, Mr. Yates Dr. Carl Hesser
Madame Curie Prof. Jean Perot
1944 Since You Went Away Dr. Sigmund Gottlieb Golden
1945 The Captain from Köpenick Wilhelm Voigt, a shoemaker I Was a Criminal
Strange Holiday School Principal The Day After Tomorrow; uncredited
Rhapsody in Blue Prof. Franck
1946 The Searching Wind Count von Stammer
1947 The Private Affairs of Bel Ami Jacques Rival
Escape Me Never Prof. Heinrich
1948 The Red Shoes Sergei Ratov Final film role

See also

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