person

Fritz Leiber

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Gender

Male

Birthday

1882-01-29

Place of Birth

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Fritz Leiber

Biography

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.

Also Known For

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73

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Dec 29, 1939

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70

Devil's Doorway

Aug 18, 1950

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NA

Romeo and Juliet

Oct 19, 1916

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70

The Web

Jun 04, 1947

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68

The Prince and the Pauper

Apr 30, 1937

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62

Phantom of the Opera

Aug 12, 1943

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68

A Tale of Two Cities

Dec 25, 1935

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50

Inner Sanctum

Oct 15, 1948

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42

Cleopatra

Oct 14, 1917

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57

To the Ends of the Earth

Feb 07, 1948

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41

Bells of San Angelo

Apr 15, 1947

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NA

Dangerous Venture

May 23, 1947

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68

The Story of Louis Pasteur

Feb 22, 1936

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63

The Spanish Main

Oct 01, 1945

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66

First Comes Courage

Jul 29, 1943

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65

Lady with Red Hair

Nov 30, 1940

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56

They Made Her a Spy

Apr 14, 1939

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43

Hearts in Bondage

May 26, 1936

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NA

Under Southern Stars

Feb 20, 1937

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59

The Great Garrick

Oct 30, 1937

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63

A Scandal in Paris

Jul 19, 1946

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62

Aloma of the South Seas

Aug 27, 1941

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56

Bagdad

Nov 23, 1949

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45

Down to the Sea

May 30, 1936

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57

This Love of Ours

Nov 02, 1945

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62

Pack Up Your Troubles

Oct 24, 1939

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50

Adventures of Casanova

Feb 07, 1948

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NA

The Queen of Sheba

Apr 10, 1921

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65

Gateway

Aug 05, 1938

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47

Song of India

Feb 28, 1949

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63

Nurse Edith Cavell

Aug 31, 1939

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50

Bride of Vengeance

Apr 07, 1949

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75

Scarlet Street

Dec 25, 1945

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NA

Sins of Man

Jun 19, 1936

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71

All This, and Heaven Too

Jul 05, 1940

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76

Monsieur Verdoux

Sep 26, 1947

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70

The Cisco Kid Returns

Feb 16, 1945

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NA

Champagne Waltz

Feb 05, 1937

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40

Flight Into Nowhere

Apr 19, 1938

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71

The Sea Hawk

Aug 10, 1940

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40

The Way of All Flesh

Jul 05, 1940

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59

Crossroads

Jul 23, 1942

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71

Humoresque

Jan 25, 1947

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60

Strange Journey

Oct 03, 1946

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58

Anthony Adverse

Aug 26, 1936

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46

Cry of the Werewolf

Aug 17, 1944

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65

Samson and Delilah

Dec 21, 1949

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45

The Jury's Secret

Jan 16, 1938

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64

Angel on My Shoulder

Sep 20, 1946

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NA

High Conquest

Jun 21, 1947

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NA

The Song of the Soul

Oct 05, 1920

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76

Another Part of the Forest

May 18, 1948

poster

NA

If I Were King

Aug 09, 1920

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52

Cobra Woman

May 12, 1944

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42

Youth Runs Wild

Sep 01, 1944