Alfred Abel

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alfred Abel, around 1922, photograph by Alexander Binder

Alfred Peter Abel (born March 12, 1879 in Leipzig , † December 12, 1937 in Berlin ) was a German actor who appeared in over 100 silent films and 38 sound films. Abel is considered to be one of the most striking stars of the German silent film, who knew how to create the “inner tension of his character” through “psychologization”.

Live and act

Abel was the son of traveling salesman Louis Abel and his wife Anna Maria Selma. After a forestry apprenticeship and a broken off apprenticeship as a gardener, he completed a commercial training and worked, among other things, as a casual actor in Mittweida . After studying art drawing at the Leipzig Art Academy, he took private acting lessons. He found his first job at a theater in Lucerne , followed by further positions at smaller stages until in 1904, on the recommendation of Rudolf Christians, he came to the German Theater Berlin , where he played under Max Reinhardt . He made his film debut in his film A Venetian Night (1913).

He played in over a hundred films directed by Max Mack , Richard Oswald , Ernst Lubitsch and Fern Andra , which were also successful with audiences . Unlike many of his fellow film actors, Abel's portrayal was characterized by an emphatically reserved gesture. Examples of this are his leading roles in Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau's Phantom (1922) and in Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927), where he played the haughty ruler Joh Fredersen, his most famous film role. Abel also shot several times in France , and in 1930 with Alfred Hitchcock the film Mary (German version of Murder! ).

In talkies, Abel was long considered an actor for elegant roles. With a few exceptions, it was filled accordingly. Abel directed five films himself. Once he tried his hand at producing, but his film The Thieves' Strike (1921) was a failure.

Abel was married to Elisabeth Seidel and had a daughter - Ursula (1915–1951), who also became an actress and was banned from appearing in 1935 because she could not provide proof of Aryan for her father.

Alfred Abel died in Berlin in 1937 at the age of 58. He was buried in the Heerstraße cemetery in today's Berlin-Westend district . The grave has not been preserved.

He was the holder of the Order for Art and Science of Mecklenburg-Strelitz .

Filmography (selection)

literature

Web links

Commons : Alfred Abel  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c cf. Adolf Heinzlmeier, Berndt Schulz: The Lexicon of German Film Stars. 2003, p. 8.
  2. ↑ [1]
  3. ↑ [2]
  4. ^ Hans-Jürgen Mende : Lexicon of Berlin burial places . Pharus-Plan, Berlin 2018, ISBN 978-3-86514-206-1 . P. 483.
personal data
SURNAME Abel, Alfred
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Abel, Alfred Peter (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German actor
DATE OF BIRTH March 12, 1879
PLACE OF BIRTH Leipzig
DATE OF DEATH December 12, 1937
Place of death Berlin