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Felix Bressart


Foto: Walter Lichtenstein (1902-1984)
Mit freundlicher Genehmigung von André Limot © Limot

1897 - 1949

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The actor Felix Bressart was born as Sally Breslau. He had his first engagement at theater in 1915 and like all great actors in those days he finally went to Max Reinhardt. He became a popular and successful comedian very fast. 
Since 1928 he turned up regular in films especially in comedies and military oldies which had a boom at the beginning of the 30s and became very popular because of Bressart. 

In his life Bressart was exactly what he impersonated in film: a shy, reserved and something clumsy human being. His clumsiness in his life and perhaps in his films were surrounded of a special tragedy. But the public found him funny - it didn't laugh so much at what happened to Felix Bressart on the screen than that it laughed at him with the roughness of children who find it funny when human beings are stuttering. 

The first movie in which Felix Bressart acted as a clumsy soldier was "Drei Tage Mittelarrest" (30). It was a funny but also a bad movie. Later the movie was imposed with a prohibition, not in Germany but in the USA. 
To his well-known movies of the 30's belong "Der Sohn der weisen Berge" (30), "Die Drei von der Tankstelle" (30), "Nie wieder Liebe" (31) and "Ball im Savoy" (35).

As a Jew Felix Bressart had to emigrate from Germany in 1933. In 1938 he reached the USA where he soon became offered film roles. In contrast to other emigrated colleagues his roles contained artistic demanding. Many movies in which he took part rank among well-known pictures, e.g. "Ninotchka" (39) "To Be or Not to Be" (42) and "The Seventh Cross" (44). 
To bridge the lean time till he was able to gain a foothold in the US film industry he was busy as a nonmedical practitioner with his own practice in Beverly Hills. 

At the age of 57, five days after his birthday, Felix Bressart died of leukemia in Hollywood.
 

Other movies with Felix Bressart:
Liebe im Kuhstall (28) Alte Kleider (29) Der Kampf mit dem Drachen oder: Die Tragödie des Untermieters (30) Die zärtlichen Verwandten (30) Der keusche Joseph (30) Das alte Lied/Zu jedem kommt einmal die Liebe (30) Es gibt eine Frau, die dich niemals vergisst (30) Der wahre Jakob/Das Mädchen vom Variete (31) Trara um Liebe (31) Der Schrecken der Garnison (31) Der Herr Bürovorsteher (31) Eine Freundin so goldig wie Du (31) Die Privatsekretärin (31) Holzapfel weiss alles (32) Goldblondes Mädchen, ich schenk Dir mein Herz (32) Ausflug ins Leben/Hirsekorn greift ein (32) Wie d'Warret würkt (33) Bleeke Bet (34)  ...und wer küsst mich? (33) Ein Sonntag im Sommer in Wien/Salto in die Seligkeit (34) Peter (34) Viereinhalb Musketiere (35) Alles für die Firma (35) Heut' ist der schönste Tag in meinem Leben (36) Three Smart Girls Grow Up (39) Swanee River/The Life of Stephen Foster (39) Bridal Suite/Maiden Voyage (39) Third Finger, Left Hand (40) The Shop Around the Corner (40) It All Came True (40) Edison, the Man - Der grosse Edison (40) Escape/When the Door Opened (40) Bitter Sweet (40) Comrade X (40) Mr. and Mrs. North (41) Married Bachelor (41) Kathleen (41) Blossoms In the Dust - Blüten im Staub (41) Ziegfeld Girl (41) Iceland/Katina (42) Crossroads (42) Isle of Missing Men (42) Three Hearts for Julia (43) Song of Russia (43) Above Suspicion (43) Secrets in the Dark (44) Greenwich Village (44) Blonde Fever (44) Without Love- Ohne Liebe/Zu klug für die Liebe (45) Dangerous Partners (45) I've Always Loved You/Concerto (46) Ding Dong Williams (46) The Thrill of Brazil (46) Her Sister's Secret (46) A Song is Born - Die tollkühne Rettung der Gangsterbraut Honey Swanson (48) Portrait of Jennie/Tidal Wave - Jenny (48) Take One False Step (49) My Friend Irma (49) 


 
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