Image of Fritz Leiber

Fritz Leiber

Fritz Reuter Leiber Sr. was an American actor. A Shakespearean actor on stage, he also had a successful career in film. He was the father of science fiction and fantasy writer Fritz Leiber Jr., who was also an actor for a time. Leiber and his wife spent much of their time touring in a Shakespearean acting company, known by the 1930s as Fritz Leiber & Co. Leiber made his film bow in 1916, playing Mercutio in the Francis X. Bushman version of “Romeo and Juliet.” With his piercing eyes and shock of white hair, Leiber seemed every inch the priests, professors, musical professors, and religious fanatics that he was frequently called upon to play in films. His many silent-era portrayals included Caesar in Theda Bara's 1917 “Cleopatra” and Solomon in the mammoth 1921 Betty Blythe vehicle “The Queen of Sheba.” He thrived as a character actor in sound films, usually in historical roles. In the film “Champagne Waltz” he portrayed an orchestra maestro; the role required him to play classical music on a violin and jazz on a clarinet. One of Leiber's larger assignments of the 1940s, and his most notable musical role, was as Franz Liszt in the Claude Rains' remake of “Phantom of the Opera” (1943). Leiber appears together with his son Fritz Leiber Jr. in the wedding-feast scene of Greta Garbo's film “Camille” (1936) and in Warner Bros.' “The Great Garrick” (1937). Leiber also appeared with his son Fritz Leiber Jr. in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1939), but Fritz Leiber Jr. was not credited for his small speaking part. Late in his career, Leiber performed briefly opposite Charles Chaplin as the priest who visits Monsieur Verdoux in his prison cell.


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Born:
Jan 29, 1882 In Chicago, Illinois, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
55
First Appeared:
In the movie Romeo and Juliet 1916-10-19
Latest Project:
Movie Devil's Doorway 1950-09-15
Known For
Poster of The Cisco Kid Returns
Poster of First Comes Courage
Poster of The Jury's Secret
Poster of The Queen of Sheba
Filmography
Movie Devil's Doorway Mr. Poole 1950-09-15
Movie Song of India Nanaram 1949-02-28
Movie Bride of Vengeance Filippo 1949-04-07
Movie Samson and Delilah Lord Sharif 1949-12-21
Movie Bagdad Emir 1949-11-23
Movie Adventures of Casanova D'Anneci 1948-02-07
Movie To the Ends of the Earth Binda Sha 1948-02-07
Movie Inner Sanctum Dr. Valonius 1948-10-15
Movie Another Part of the Forest Col. Isham 1948-05-18
Movie Dangerous Venture Chief Xeoli 1947-05-23
Movie Humoresque Hagerstrom 1947-01-25
Movie Bells of San Angelo Padre 1947-04-15
Movie The Web Leopold Kroner 1947-06-04
Movie Monsieur Verdoux Father Fareaux 1947-09-26
Movie High Conquest Priest 1947-06-21
Movie A Scandal in Paris Painter 1946-07-19
Movie Strange Journey Prof. Jenner 1946-10-03
Movie Angel on My Shoulder Chemist Who Poisoned Wife (uncredited) 1946-09-20
Movie The Spanish Main Bishop 1945-10-01
Movie The Cisco Kid Returns The Padre 1945-02-16
Movie This Love of Ours Dr. Bailey 1945-11-02
Movie Scarlet Street Evangelist (uncredited) 1945-12-25
Movie Cobra Woman 1944-05-12
Movie Cry of the Werewolf Dr. Charles Morris (uncredited) 1944-08-17
Movie Youth Runs Wild Judge (uncredited) 1944-09-01
Movie First Comes Courage Dr. Aanrud 1943-07-29
Movie Phantom of the Opera Franz Liszt 1943-08-12
Movie Crossroads Foreign Minister Deval (uncredited) 1942-07-23
Movie Aloma of the South Seas High Priest 1941-08-27
Movie The Way of All Flesh Max 1940-07-05
Movie All This, and Heaven Too Abbe Gallard 1940-07-05
Movie Lady with Red Hair Mr. Foster 1940-11-30
Movie The Sea Hawk Inquisitor 1940-08-10
Movie They Made Her a Spy Dr. Krull 1939-04-14
Movie Nurse Edith Cavell Sadi Kirschen 1939-08-31
Movie Pack Up Your Troubles Pierre Ferrand 1939-10-24
Movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame Old Nobleman 1939-12-29
Movie The Jury's Secret John Morrow 1938-01-16
Movie Flight Into Nowhere Ti-Ana 1938-04-19
Movie Gateway Dr. Weilander 1938-08-05
Movie Champagne Waltz Franz Strauss 1937-02-05
Movie Under Southern Stars Stonewall Jackson 1937-02-20
Movie The Prince and the Pauper Father Andrew 1937-04-30
Movie The Great Garrick Horatio in 'Hamlet' 1937-10-30
Movie Hearts in Bondage Capt. John Ericsson 1936-05-26
Movie Down to the Sea Gregory Pappas 1936-05-30
Movie The Story of Louis Pasteur Dr. Charbonnet 1936-02-22
Movie Sins of Man Father Prior 1936-06-19
Movie Anthony Adverse Ouvrard 1936-08-26
Movie A Tale of Two Cities Gaspard 1935-12-25
Movie The Queen of Sheba King Solomon 1921-04-10
Movie The Song of the Soul Jerry Wendover 1920-10-05
Movie If I Were King Louis XI 1920-08-09
Movie Cleopatra Caesar 1917-10-14
Movie Romeo and Juliet Mercutio 1916-10-19