Lionel Royce (born Leon Moriz Reiss; March 30, 1891 – April 1, 1946) was an Austrian-American actor of stage and screen, also known during his European career as Leo Reuss. He began his career in theater in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Austria, in 1919, before moving to Berlin in 1925. Being Jewish, his work began to be restricted in the 1930s in Nazi Germany. Fleeing the Nazis he returned to Austria in 1936, where to hide his heritage, he created the persona of Kaspar Brandhofer, a Tyrolian peasant, and became a sensation as a natural actor on the stage in Vienna. When he admitted his ruse, he became blacklisted in Austria, after which he emigrated to the United States in 1937. He had an active film career in the United States, appearing in almost 40 films between 1938 and 1946. While on tour with the

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

, he died in Manila in 1946.

Early life

He was born in the city of Dolyna, in what is now Ukraine, to Jewish parents. In 1913 he entered the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. At the outbreak of World War I, he volunteered for the

Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army (, literally "Ground Forces of the Austro-Hungarians"; , literally "Imperial and Royal Army") was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint arm ...

and served in the ''Infanterie-Regiment Hoch- und Deutschmeister Nr. 4''. In 1916 he married his first wife, Stephanie Wagner, with whom he had two children, Margaret and John Henry Royce. He entered the war as a private in 1914, and rose to the rank of lieutenant by the war's end. Wounded several times, he received a medal for valor.

Career

Early stage career

He adopted the stage name of Leo Reuss. His first stage appearance was as the Duke of Albany in a production of

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...

at the Vienna Komödienhaus, on May 30, 1919. This was under the tutelage of the famous Austrian actor/director

Rudolph Schildkraut Rudolph Schildkraut (27 April 1862 – 15 July 1930) was an Austrian film and theatre actor. Life and career Schildkraut was born in Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire to a Jewish family. His parents ran a hotel. He grew up in Brăila, Rom ...

. Following this, he went to Munich in 1921, where he joined the Kammerspiele. This propelled him to travel to Berlin, where he joined the Berliner Staatstheater (Berlin State Theater), with

Leopold Jessner Leopold Jessner (3 March 1878 – 13 December 1945) was a noted producer and director of German Expressionist theater and cinema. His first film, '' Hintertreppe'' (1921), is considered a major turning point which paved the way for the later ...

as director. It was here that he gained fame as a stage actor. During his time in Berlin he also worked under

Erwin Piscator Erwin Friedrich Maximilian Piscator (17 December 1893 – 30 March 1966) was a German theatre director and producer. Along with Bertolt Brecht, he was the foremost exponent of epic theatre, a form that emphasizes the socio-political content of ...

and

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

. By 1925 he was divorced, and living with actress

Agnes Straub Agnes Josephine Straub (2 April 1890 – 8 July 1941) was a German film actress. Biography Agnes Josephine Straub was born on 2 April 1890 in Munich. She made her stage debut in Dachau at the age of 13. She began attending acting lessons and, in ...

. The two left the Berlin State Theater, and joined the Berliner Volksbühne. The two formed the Schauspielerin Agnes Straub (Agnes Straub Touring Company). However, as the Nazi regime gained more and more power in Germany, it became increasingly difficult for Reuss to work, due to his being Jewish. The implementation of the

Nuremberg Laws The Nuremberg Laws (german: link=no, Nürnberger Gesetze, ) were antisemitic and racist laws that were enacted in Nazi Germany on 15 September 1935, at a special meeting of the Reichstag convened during the annual Nuremberg Rally of th ...

in 1935 were the final straw, and Reuss returned to his native Austria. However, in Austria he also found it difficult to obtain work due to his Jewish heritage.

Subterfuge

In order to get work as an actor, Reuss began an elaborate subterfuge. He retreated to a cabin he owned up in the mountains. There he lived and studied the mannerisms of the local Tyrolian farmers, while letting his hair and beard grow. He practiced at adapting their ways of speech and movement. After a year, he showed up in the created persona of Kaspar Brandhofer, a Tyrolian peasant, having grown a full beard. To further hide his identity, he bleached all of his hair, head and body, by bathing every ten days in diluted

hydrogen peroxide Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula . In its pure form, it is a very pale blue liquid that is slightly more viscous than water. It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and antiseptic, usually as a dilute solution (3%� ...

. He also had obtained papers from one of the peasants he had been observing in the mountains. Armed with this new Christian identity, he began presenting himself as a naturally taught actor. Having worked with director

Max Reinhardt Max Reinhardt (; born Maximilian Goldmann; 9 September 1873 – 30 October 1943) was an Austrian-born Theatre director, theatre and film director, theater manager, intendant, and theatrical producer. With his innovative stage productions, he i ...

years before, Reuss was fearful that the director would recognize him, but Reinhardt did not. In fact, his ability so impressed the director, that Reinhardt recommended him to

Ernst Lothar Ernst Lothar (; 25 October 1890 – 30 October 1974) was a Moravian-Austrian writer, theatre director/manager and producer. He was born Ernst Lothar Müller, and as Müller is a very common German surname, he dropped it. His brother, Hans M ...

, in Vienna. Lothar gave him a featured role in the stage adaptation of

Arthur Schnitzler Arthur Schnitzler (15 May 1862 – 21 October 1931) was an Austrian author and dramatist. Biography Arthur Schnitzler was born at Praterstrasse 16, Leopoldstadt, Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire (as of 1867, part of the dual monarchy ...

's novella, ''Fräulein Else''. Many of the actors in the play had worked with Reuss over the years, so once again he knew that he could not drop the character of Brandhofer for a second. The play debuted on December 2, 1936, at the

Theater in der Josefstadt The Theater in der Josefstadt is a theater in Vienna in the eighth district of Josefstadt. It was founded in 1788 and is the oldest still performing theater in Vienna. It is often referred to colloquially as simply ''Die Josefstadt''. Following ...

. His performance was hailed as a great success, and Brandhofer was touted as a potential star, with one paper calling him "the sensation of the evening." Other accolades came in naming him "the humble peasant of the Austrian Alps, the finest natural actor of his generation," while the Nazis lauded him for his "Aryan" roles. Lothar gave him a three-year contract. However, after the reviews were in, he announced his true identity. Rather than being pleased with the reviews, he felt "emptiness and loneliness", and that he felt the necessity of his assuming the Brandhofer persona was an indication that the Nazi regime's power was growing to an untenable level. The resulting uproar of his fraud caused him once again to have to relocate, this time to the United States, where he had been given a contract by

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

, after

Louis B. Mayer Louis Burt Mayer (; born Lazar Meir; July 12, 1882 or 1884 or 1885 – October 29, 1957) was a Canadian-American film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM) in 1924. Under Mayer's management, MGM became the film industr ...

had seen his performance in Vienna.

The United States

Forced to flee Austria in 1937, Reuss changed his name again, this time to Lionel Royce, and immigrated to the United States. He began his American film career in 1938, with a small role in the epic, ''

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child a ...

'', starring

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include '' Jesse James'', ...

and

Norma Shearer Edith Norma Shearer (August 11, 1902June 12, 1983) was a Canadian-American actress who was active on film from 1919 through 1942. Shearer often played spunky, sexually liberated ingénues. She appeared in adaptations of Noël Coward, Eugene O'N ...

. He enjoyed a productive film career for the next 8 years. He began 1939 with a few small roles in films such as a German in ''

Let Freedom Ring ''Let Freedom Ring'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Jackie McLean, recorded in 1962 and released on the Blue Note label.

'', and then was cast in the important role of Mr. Bachspiegel in ''

Broadway Serenade ''Broadway Serenade'' (also known as ''Serenade'') is a 1939 musical drama film distributed by MGM, produced and directed by Robert Z. Leonard. The screenplay was written by Charles Lederer, based on a story by Lew Lipton, John Taintor Foote an ...

''. After this he was cast as Hintze, one of the Nazi spies, in ''

Confessions of a Nazi Spy ''Confessions of a Nazi Spy'' is a 1939 American spy political thriller film directed by Anatole Litvak for Warner Bros. It was the first explicitly anti-Nazi film to be produced by a major Hollywood studio, being released in May 1939, several m ...

''. In 1939, his work as General Von Ehrhardt in ''

Nurse Edith Cavell ''Nurse Edith Cavell'' is a 1939 American film directed by British director Herbert Wilcox about Edith Cavell. The film was nominated at the 1939 Oscars for Best Original Score. Plot The story follows the broadly true story of Edith Cavell w ...

'' was praised for his stand-out performance. At the close of the year, he appeared on-screen with the

Ritz Brothers The Ritz Brothers were an American family comedy act who performed extensively on stage, in nightclubs and in films from 1925 to the late 1960s. A fourth brother, George, acted as their manager. Early life The four brothers were born to Austria ...

in '' Pack Up Your Troubles''. In this film Royce would work with

Joseph Schildkraut Joseph Schildkraut (22 March 1896 – 21 January 1964) was an Austrian-American actor. He won an Oscar for his performance as Captain Alfred Dreyfus in the film ''The Life of Emile Zola'' (1937); later, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for h ...

, the son of his one-time mentor, Rudolph Schildkraut. Outside of film, in 1939 Royce joined the Continental Players, a theater group made up of refugees from the Nazi regime in Europe. The brainchild of

William Dieterle William Dieterle (July 15, 1893 – December 9, 1972) was a German-born actor and film director who emigrated to the United States in 1930 to leave a worsening political situation. He worked in Hollywood primarily as a director for much of his ...

, it was funded by him and

Harry Warner Harry Morris Warner (born Hirsz Mojżesz Wonsal; December 12, 1881 – July 25, 1958) was an American studio executive, one of the founders of Warner Bros., and a major contributor to the development of the film industry. Along with his three y ...

, with the famed German director

taking the directing helm. After attaining some notability in the United States, Royce was approached by the German embassy in Washington. They had been instructed by their leaders in Berlin to offer Royce "

honorary Aryan Honorary Aryan (german: Ehrenarier) was an expression used in Nazi Germany to describe the formal or unofficial status of persons, including some Mischlinge, who were not recognized as belonging to the Aryan race, according to Nazi standards, bu ...

" status, if he would return to Germany and take over control of

UFA Ufa ( ba, Өфө , Öfö; russian: Уфа́, r=Ufá, p=ʊˈfa) is the largest city and capital of Bashkortostan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Belaya and Ufa rivers, in the centre-north of Bashkortostan, on hills forming the ...

. Royce refused. Royce opened 1940 as Dr. Rudolph Grosser, one of the suspects in the detective picture, '' Charlie Chan in Panama''. His performance as Max Sturm in the 1940 drama, ''

Four Sons ''Four Sons'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed and produced by John Ford and written for the screen by Philip Klein from a story by I. A. R. Wylie first published in the '' Saturday Evening Post'' as "Grandmother Bernle Learns Her ...

'' was called "superb" by some media. His role as the German interrogator Herr Deckart in the wartime drama, ''

The Man I Married ''The Man I Married'' (alternative title ''I Married a Nazi'') is an American 1940 drama film starring Joan Bennett, Francis Lederer, Lloyd Nolan and Anna Sten. Plot A successful, and yet naive American woman, art critic Carol Cabbott (Joan Benn ...

'', starring

Joan Bennett Joan Geraldine Bennett (February 27, 1910 – December 7, 1990) was an American stage, film, and television actress. She came from a show-business family, one of three acting sisters. Beginning her career on the stage, Bennett appeared in more t ...

and

Francis Lederer Francis Lederer (November 6, 1899 Prague – May 25, 2000) was an Austro-Hungarian Empire-born American film and stage actor with a successful career, first in Europe, then in the United States. His original name was Franz (Czech František) Le ...

, received positive reviews. Also in 1940, Royce was one of three henchman who try to subvert the mission of

Fredric March Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated, versatile stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary ''Variety'', April 16, 1975, p ...

in ''

Victory The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal Duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitu ...

''. He closed out the year in the featured role of Colonel Zimmerman in the action film, ''

The Son of Monte Cristo ''The Son of Monte Cristo'' is a 1940 American black-and-white swashbuckling adventure film from United Artists, produced by Edward Small, directed by Rowland V. Lee, that stars Louis Hayward, Joan Bennett, and George Sanders. The Small producti ...

'', starring

Louis Hayward Louis Charles Hayward (19 March 1909 – 21 February 1985) was a Johannesburg-born, British-American actor. Biography Born in Johannesburg, Louis Hayward lived in South Africa and was educated in France and England, including Latymer Upper Scho ...

, and

George Sanders George Henry Sanders (3 July 1906 – 25 April 1972) was a British actor and singer whose career spanned over 40 years. His heavy, upper-class English accent and smooth, bass voice often led him to be cast as sophisticated but villainous chara ...

. His final film appearance was in the classic film noir, ''

Gilda ''Gilda'' is a 1946 American film noir directed by Charles Vidor and starring Rita Hayworth in her signature role and Glenn Ford. The film is known for cinematographer Rudolph Maté's lush photography, costume designer Jean Louis's wardrobe fo ...

'' (1946), starring

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

and

Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age as ...

Death and legacy

In 1946, he joined a USO tour, going to entertain the troops in the Pacific Theater. While the tour was in Manila, Royce died suddenly of a heart attack, on April 1, after being taken to Subic Bay Naval Hospital. The irony of Royce's film career is that he ended up portraying the very people he had fled from in Germany and Austria. In the 1990s, a play about Royce's life was written by Felix Mitterer, titled ''In der Löwengrube'' (English: ''In the Lion's Den''). It premiered at the Volkstheater in Vienna on January 24, 1998. In 2005 a biography about Lionel Royce appeared in Germany; Title: "The rats enter the sinking ship - the absurd life of Leo Reuss" written by Gwendolyn von Ambesser, edited by Edition VA.

Filmography

* '' I.N.R.I.'' (1923) as Bartholomäus * ''

Chasing Fortune ''Chasing Fortune'' (german: Die Jagd nach dem Glück) is a 1930 German drama film directed by Rochus Gliese and starring Catherine Hessling, Alexander Murski and Amy Wells. The film's art direction was by Gliese himself along with . It was init ...

'' (1930, Short) * ''

Flachsmann the Educator ''Flachsmann the Educator'' (german: Flachsmann als Erzieher) is a 1930 German comedy film directed by Carl Heinz Wolff and starring Paul Henckels, Charlotte Ander and Alfred Braun.Bock & Bergfelder p. 193 It was shot at the Babelsberg Studios in ...

'' (1930) as Karsten Diercks * ''

1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...

'' (1931) as Maklakow * ''

'' (1938) as Guillaume (uncredited) * ''

Let Freedom Ring ''Let Freedom Ring'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Jackie McLean, recorded in 1962 and released on the Blue Note label.

'' (1939) as German (uncredited) * ''

'' (1939) as Mr. Bachspiegel (uncredited) * ''

'' (1939) as Hintze * '' 6,000 Enemies'' (1939) as 'Dutch' Myers * ''

Conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agree ...

'' (1939) as Second Lieutenant * ''

'' (1939) as General Von Ehrhardt * ''

Espionage Agent ''Espionage Agent'' is a pre–World War II spy melodrama produced by Hal B. Wallis in 1939. Directed by Lloyd Bacon, ''Espionage Agent'', like many Warner Bros. movies, clearly identifies the Germans as the enemy. This was unlike many other mov ...

'' (1939) as Hoffmeyer (uncredited) * '' Pack Up Your Troubles'' (1939) as Gen. von Boech * '' Charlie Chan in Panama'' (1940) * ''

'' (1940) * ''

Road to Zanzibar ''Road to Zanzibar'' is a 1941 Paramount Pictures semi-musical comedy film starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, and marked the second of seven pictures in the popular "''Road to …''" series made by the trio. It takes place in the ...

'' (1941) * '' South of Panama'' (1941) * ''

So Ends Our Night ''So Ends Our Night'' is a 1941 drama directed by John Cromwell (director), John Cromwell and starring Fredric March, Margaret Sullavan and Glenn Ford. The screenplay was adapted by Talbot Jennings from the novel ''Flotsam (novel), Flotsam'' by G ...

'' (1941) * ''

Underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground (S ...

'' (1941) * ''

Halfway to Shanghai ''Halfway to Shanghai'' is a 1942 American adventure film directed by John Rawlins and written by Stuart Palmer. The film stars Kent Taylor, Irene Hervey, Henry Stephenson, J. Edward Bromberg, George Zucco and Charles Wagenheim. The film was ...

'' (1942) * ''

Once Upon a Honeymoon ''Once Upon a Honeymoon'' is a 1942 romantic comedy/drama starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers, and Walter Slezak, directed by Leo McCarey, and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Sound Recording (Stephen Dunn). ...

'' (1942) * ''

Berlin Correspondent ''Berlin Correspondent'' is a 1942 American film. Plot Dana Andrews portrays an American radio correspondent reporting from within Nazi Germany, whose principal source of information is an elderly philatelist. His reports prove so embarrassing ...

'' (1942) * ''

The Lady Has Plans ''The Lady Has Plans'' is a 1942 American comedy film spy thriller film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Ray Milland, Paulette Goddard and Roland Young. It was produced ad distributed by Paramount Pictures as a World War II espionage film ...

'' (1942) * ''

My Favorite Blonde ''My Favorite Blonde'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Bob Hope and Madeleine Carroll. Based on a story by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, the film is about a vaudeville performer who gets mixed up with Bri ...

'' (1942) * '' My Favorite Spy'' (1942) * '' Unseen Enemy'' (1942) (as Lyonel Royce) * ''

Crash Dive A crash dive is a maneuver by a submarine in which the vessel submerges as quickly as possible to avoid attack. Crash diving from the surface to avoid attack has been largely rendered obsolete with the advent of nuclear-powered submarines, as they ...

'' (1943) * ''

Hitler's Madman ''Hitler's Madman'' is a 1943 World War II drama directed by Douglas Sirk. It is a highly fictionalized account of the 1942 Operation Anthropoid, assassination of Nazi official Reinhard Heydrich and the resulting Lidice massacre, which the Nazi G ...

'' (1943) * ''

Let's Face It '' Let's Face It'' is the fifth studio album by American ska punk band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It was released on March 11, 1997 by Mercury Records and Big Rig Records. The album sold very well due to the success of its single "The Impres ...

'' (1943) * ''

Mission to Moscow ''Mission to Moscow'' is a 1943 film directed by Michael Curtiz, based on the 1941 book by the former U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, Joseph E. Davies. The movie chronicles the experiences of the second American ambassador to the Soviet ...

'' (1943) * ''

Bomber's Moon ''Bomber's Moon'' is a 1943 American wartime propaganda film, produced by 20th Century Fox, based on an unpublished magazine serial "Bomber's Moon" by Leonard Lee. Plot Captain Jeff Dakin ( George Montgomery) is shot down over Germany on a bomb ...

'' (1943) * ''

Assignment in Brittany ''Assignment in Brittany'' is a 1943 war film directed by Jack Conway and starring French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont and Swedish actress Signe Hasso, both in their American film debuts. Also starring was American actress Susan Peters. The film w ...

'' (1943) * '' Above Suspicion'' (1943) * ''

The Cross of Lorraine ''The Cross of Lorraine'' is a 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer war film about French prisoners of war escaping a German prison camp and joining the French Resistance. Directed by Tay Garnett, starring Jean-Pierre Aumont and Gene Kelly, was partly base ...

'' (1944) * ''

The Hitler Gang ''The Hitler Gang'' is a 1944 American pseudo-documentary film directed by John Farrow, which traces the political rise of Adolf Hitler. Described as a "documentary-propaganda" film by its studio, Paramount Pictures, the historical drama is based ...

'' (1944) * ''

Passport to Destiny ''Passport to Destiny'' is a 1944 RKO Radio Pictures war film, starring Elsa Lanchester as an English charwoman who, believing herself invulnerable by being protected by a magic eye amulet, travels to Nazi Germany to personally assassinate Adol ...

'' (1944) * ''

The Seventh Cross ''The Seventh Cross'' (german: Das siebte Kreuz) is a novel by Anna Seghers, one of the better-known examples of German literature circa World War II. It was first published in Mexico by ''El Libro Libre'' In 1942. The English translation came o ...

'' (1944) * ''

White Pongo ''White Pongo'', also known as ''Adventure Unlimited'' in the United Kingdom, is a 1945 American film directed by Sam Newfield released by Producers Releasing Corporation. Plot summary In the jungles of the Belgian Congo, a group of natives a ...

'' (1945) * ''

'' (1946) as German (uncredited)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Royce, Lionel 1891 births 1946 deaths Austrian male stage actors Austrian male film actors People from the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria Austro-Hungarian Jews Jews from Galicia (Eastern Europe) University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna alumni Austro-Hungarian Army officers Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I Jewish military personnel Austrian expatriates in Germany Jewish emigrants from Austria to the United States after the Anschluss 20th-century Austrian male actors 20th-century American male actors