Alfred Karen

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Alfred Karen , initially also known as Alfred Chivreau (born April 24, 1887 in the German Empire , † around 1943, presumably in Berlin) was a German singer and actor on the stage and film.

Live and act

Almost nothing is known about Karen's origin, education and life. He led the classic small actor life both on stage and in film. He rarely got a permanent engagement and obviously lived from hand to mouth. Before arriving in Berlin, Karen worked as a singer in Gablonz and as an actor at the Hessian State Theater in Darmstadt. Based in Berlin since 1931, Karen found regular employment in film, initially little more than extras. In 1933 he also received a rare permanent engagement on an insignificant stage (the Berlin Volkstheater Neue Welt).

In the years 1931 to 1943, Alfred Karen, who now concentrated entirely on working in front of the camera, made a wealth of cinema productions, sometimes (as in 1939) over a dozen films per year. His appearances there are often only a few seconds and sometimes even without text. He was often used as a dancer, even more often in the crowd as a guest of any kind: in a hotel, at a reception or in a pub. With the shooting of his last film in the summer of 1943, Alfred Karen disappeared from every cast list without a trace, possibly he was a victim of the Allied bombing war that was beginning massive against Berlin at that time.

Filmography (small selection)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Karen, Alfred
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Chivreau, Alfred
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German singer and actor on stage and film
DATE OF BIRTH April 24, 1887
PLACE OF BIRTH German Empire
DATE OF DEATH around 1943
Place of death unsure: Berlin