Albert Bassermann facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Albert Bassermann
Bassermann in 1918
Born	(1867-09-07)7 September 1867 Mannheim, Grand Duchy of Baden
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

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

See also

• List of German-speaking Academy Award winners and nominees
• In Spanish: Albert Bassermann para niños