Henry Victor (2 October 1892 – 15 March 1945) was an English-born character actor who had his highest profile in the film silent era, he appeared in numerous film roles in Britain, before emigrating to the US in 1939 where he continued his career.

Biography

Henry Victor in King of the Zombies (1941)

Victor was born in London, England, but was raised in Germany, he made his film debut as Prince Andreas in '' The King's Romance'' (1914). He appeared in literary interpreted pieces such as ''

The Picture of Dorian Gray ''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical '' Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''The Picture of Dorian G ...

'' (1916) and the

Graham Cutts John Henry Graham Cutts (1884 – 7 February 1958), known as Graham Cutts, was a British film director, one of the leading British directors in the 1920s. His fellow director A. V. Bramble believed that Gainsborough Pictures had been built ...

-directed '' The White Shadow'' (1923). Victor is probably best remembered for his portrayal of the circus strongman

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...

Tod Browning Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of vari ...

's film '' Freaks'' (1932). The role was originally considered for

Victor McLaglen Victor Andrew de Bier Everleigh McLaglen (10 December 1886 – 7 November 1959) was a British boxer-turned-Hollywood actor.Obituary ''Variety'', 11 November 1959, page 79. He was known as a character actor, particularly in Westerns, and made sev ...

, with whom Browning had worked previously. Victor emigrated to America in 1939. Never a leading man in sound films mainly due to his difficult to interpret accent, he established later in his career, and with the advent of talkies, many character roles, in which he mostly portrayed villains or Nazis in both American and British films with his trademark German accent such as the

Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch (; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as ...

film, ''

To Be or Not to Be To Be or Not to Be may refer to: * ''To be, or not to be'', the soliloquy from ''Hamlet''. Films and TV, theatre and books * ''To Be or Not to Be'' (1942 film), directed by Ernst Lubitsch * ''To Be or Not to Be'' (1983 film), a remake produced ...

'' (1942).

Death

Victor died in 1945, aged 52, from a

brain tumor A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and seconda ...

. He is buried in

Chatsworth, California Chatsworth is a suburban neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles, California, in the San Fernando Valley. The area was home to Native Americans, some of whom left caves containing rock art. Chatsworth was explored and colonized by the Spanish b ...

, at the Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery.

Filmography

* '' The King's Romance'' (1914) - Prince Andreas * '' She'' (1916) - Leo Vincey * ''

'' (1916) - Dorian Gray * '' Ora Pro Nobis'' (1917) - Lord Osborne * '' The Secret Woman'' (1918) - Jesse Redvers * ''

The Heart of a Rose ''The Heart of a Rose'' is a 1919 British silent drama film directed by Jack Denton and starring Stella Muir, Henry Victor and Douglas Payne. The film has a northern setting and was filmed in Sheffield. Described as ‘a simple story of the nov ...

'' (1919) - Dick Darrell * ''

The Call of the Sea ''The Call of the Sea'' or ''The Oceans Are Calling'' (german: Die Meere rufen) is a 1951 East German drama film directed by Eduard Kubat and starring Hans Klering, Käte Alving and Evamaria Bath. A defector to West Germany returns to the East h ...

'' (1919) * ''

A Lass o' the Looms ''A Lass o' the Looms'' is a 1919 British silent drama film directed by Jack Denton and starring Stella Muir, Henry Victor and Douglas Payne.Palmer p.895 Cast * Stella Muir as Nellie Hesketh * Henry Victor as Jack Brown * Douglas Payne D ...

'' (1919) - Jack Brown * ''¡Cuidado con los ladrones!'' (1919) * '' Calvary'' (1920) - David Penryn * '' As God Made Her'' (1920) - Seward Pendyne * '' John Heriot's Wife'' (1920) - John Heriot * ''

Beyond the Dreams of Avarice ''Beyond the Dreams of Avarice'' is a 1920 British silent drama film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Henry Victor, Joyce Dearsley and Alban Atwood. It was based on the 1895 novel by Walter Besant. Cast * Henry Victor as Dr. Lucien Ca ...

'' (1920) - Dr. Lucien Calvert * '' Sheer Bluff'' (1921) - Maurice Hardacre * ''

The Old Wives' Tale ''The Old Wives' Tale'' is a novel by Arnold Bennett, first published in 1908. It deals with the lives of two very different sisters, Constance and Sophia Baines, following their stories from their youth, working in their mother's draper's sho ...

'' (1921) - Gerald * ''

Bentley's Conscience ''Bentley's Conscience'' is a 1922 British silent drama film directed by Denison Clift and starring Robert Loraine, Betty Faire and Henry Victor. Cast * Robert Loraine - Clive Bentley * Betty Faire - Diane carson * Henry Victor - Fletcer * ...

'' (1922) - Fletcer * '' A Romance of Old Baghdad'' (1922) - Horne Jerningham * ''

Diana of the Crossways ''Diana of the Crossways'' is a novel by George Meredith which was published in 1885, based on the life of socialite and writer Caroline Norton. Background ''Diana of the Crossways'' was first serialized in the ''Fortnightly'' in 1884, then p ...

'' (1922) - Hon. Percy Dacier * '' A Bill of Divorcement'' (1922) - Grey Meredith * '' The Crimson Circle'' (1922) * '' The Prodigal Son'' (1923) - Oscar Stephenson * '' The Scandal'' (1923) - Artenezzo * ''

The Royal Oak The Royal Oak is the English oak tree within which the future King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The tree was in Boscobel Wood, which was part of the park of Boscobel House. C ...

'' (1923) - Charles I / Charles II * '' The Colleen Bawn'' (1924) - Hardress Cregan * '' Henry, King of Navarre'' (1924) - Duc de Guise * '' Slaves of Destiny'' (1924) - Ralph Warriner * '' The White Shadow'' (1924)Rare Alfred Hitchcock film footage uncovered
bbc.co.uk, 3 August 2011; retrieved 4 August 2011. - Louis Chadwick * '' His Grace Gives Notice'' (1924) - George Berwick * '' The Love Story of Aliette Brunton'' (1924) - Ronald Cavendish * ''

The Sins Ye Do ''The Sins Ye Do'' is a 1924 British silent romance film directed by Fred LeRoy Granville and starring Joan Lockton, Henry Victor and Eileen Dennes. It was made at Cricklewood Studios by Stoll Pictures. Plot summary '' Pictures and the Pict ...

'' (1924) - Ronald Hillier * ''

A Romance of Mayfair ''A Romance of Mayfair'' is a 1925 British romance film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Betty Faire, Henry Victor and Molly Johnson. It was based on the novel ''The Crime of Constable Kelly'' by J.C. Snaith and made by Stoll Pictures a ...

'' (1925) - Jack Dinneford * '' The White Monkey'' (1925) - Wilfrid Desert * '' Braveheart'' (1925) - Sam Harris * ''

Mulhall's Greatest Catch ''Mulhall's Greatest Catch'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Harry Garson and starring Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn, Kathleen Myers and Henry Victor.Journeys of Desire p.461 It is also known by the alternative title of ''When Heroes L ...

'' (1926) - Otto Nelson * '' Crossed Signals'' (1926) - Jack McDermott * ''

The Beloved Rogue ''The Beloved Rogue'' is a 1927 American silent romantic adventure film, loosely based on the life of the 15th century French poet, François Villon. The film was directed by Alan Crosland for United Artists. François Villon is played by J ...

'' (1927) - Thibault d'Aussigny * '' The Fourth Commandment'' (1927) - Gordon Graham * ''

Topsy and Eva ''Topsy and Eva'' is a 1927 American drama silent film directed by Del Lord and written by Catherine Chisholm Cushing, Scott Darling, Dudley Early and Lois Weber. D. W. Griffith also directed additional scenes. It is based on the two key female ...

'' (1927) - St. Claire * '' The Luck of the Navy'' (1927) - Lt. Clive Stanton * ''

The Guns of Loos ''The Guns of Loos'' is a 1928 British silent war film directed by Sinclair Hill and starring Henry Victor, Madeleine Carroll, and Bobby Howes. Plot A blind veteran of the First World War returns home to run his family's industrial empire. ...

'' (1928) - John Grimlaw * ''

Tommy Atkins Tommy Atkins (often just Tommy) is slang for a common soldier in the British Army. It was certainly well established during the nineteenth century, but is particularly associated with the First World War. It can be used as a term of reference ...

'' (1928) - Victor * '' L'Argent'' (1928) - Jacques Hamelin * '' After the Verdict'' (1929) - Mr. Sabine - der fremde Mann * '' Down Channel'' (1929) - Smiler * '' Diane'' (1929) - Oberst Guy de Lasalle * '' The Hate Ship'' (1929) - Count Boris Ivanoff * ''

Song of Soho ''Song of Soho'' is a 1930 British musical film directed by Harry Lachman and starring Carl Brisson, Edna Davies and Donald Calthrop. The screenplay concerns an ex-French Foreign Legion soldier who comes to Soho and ends up as a singer in a ca ...

'' (1930) - Henry * '' Are You There?'' (1930) - International crook * ''

One Heavenly Night ''One Heavenly Night'' is a 1931 American pre-Code film, produced by Samuel Goldwyn, released through United Artists, and directed by George Fitzmaurice. The plot revolves around a poor-but-honest flower girl who agrees to impersonate an opera ...

'' (1931) - Almady, the Officer * '' Seas Beneath'' (1931) - Baron Ernst von Steuben (U-boat commander) * '' Suicide Fleet'' (1931) - Captain Von Schlettow * '' Freaks'' (1932) - Hercules * '' World and the Flesh'' (1932) - Revolutionary (uncredited) * '' The Mummy'' (1932) - The Saxon Warrior (scenes deleted) * '' Luxury Liner'' (1933) - Baron von Luden * ''

The Scotland Yard Mystery ''The Scotland Yard Mystery'' is a 1934 British crime film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Sir Gerald du Maurier, George Curzon, Grete Natzler, Belle Chrystall and Wally Patch. The screenplay concerns a criminal doctor who operates a ...

'' (1934) - Floyd * '' Tiger Bay'' (1934) - Olaf * ''

I Spy I spy is a guessing game where one player (the ''spy'' or ''it'') chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players a ...

'' (1934) - KPO * '' The Way of Youth'' (1934) - M. Sylvestre * ''

Murder at Monte Carlo ''Murder at Monte Carlo'' is a British 1934 mystery crime thriller film directed by Ralph Ince and starring Errol Flynn, Eve Gray, Paul Graetz and Molly Lamont, the production was Flynn's debut film in a lead role in England. The film is curre ...

'' (1935) - Major * '' Handle with Care'' (1935) - Count Paul * '' Can You Hear Me, Mother?'' (1935) - Father * '' The Secret Voice'' (1936) - Brandt * '' Fame'' (1936) - Actor * ''

Conquest of the Air ''Conquest of the Air'' is a 1936 documentary film or docudrama on the history of aviation up to that time. The film features historical footage, and dramatic re-creations, of the developments of commercial and military aviation; including the e ...

'' (1936) - Otto Lilienthal * '' The Great Barrier'' (1937) - Bulldog Kelly * ''

Our Fighting Navy ''Our Fighting Navy'' (also known as ''Torpedoed'') is a 1937 British action film directed by Norman Walker and starring Robert Douglas, Richard Cromwell and Hazel Terry. The screenplay concerns a British warship that intervenes to protect Bri ...

'' (1937) - Lt. d'Enriquo * '' Holiday's End'' (1937) - Major Zwanenberg * '' Fine Feathers'' (1937) - Gibbons * ''

Hotel Imperial The Hotel Imperial, also known as The Imperial, is a five-star luxury hotel in Vienna, Austria. It is located on the Vienna Ring Road (''Ringstraße'') at Kärntner Ring 16, in the Innere Stadt district. Description The Hotel Imperial's faça ...

'' (1939) - Sultanov (uncredited) * ''

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 ...

'' (1939) - Wildebrandt * ''

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 12th Academy Awards, 1939 Oscars for Academy Award for Best Original Score, Best Original Score. Plot ...

'' (1939) - Jaubec (uncredited) * '' Thunder Afloat'' (1939) - German U-boat Officer * '' Espionage Agent'' (1939) - Foreign Official (uncredited) * '' We're in the Army Now'' (1939) - Col. Schlager * '' Nick Carter, Master Detective'' (1939) - J. Lester Hammil * ''

Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islan ...

'' (1940) - Mate Simpson * '' Enemy Agent'' (1940) - Karl (uncredited) * '' The Mortal Storm'' (1940) - Gestapo Official Confiscating Book on Train (uncredited) * ''

Mystery Sea Raider ''Mystery Sea Raider'' is a 1940 American drama war film directed by Edward Dmytryk and starring Carole Landis, Henry Wilcoxon and Onslow Stevens. Plot A woman (Carole Landis) and a U.S. captain (Henry Wilcoxon) foil a German spy's (Onslow Stev ...

'' (1940) - Cmdr. Bulow * '' Spring Parade'' (1940) - Dutch Officer (uncredited) * '' Seven Sinners'' (1940) - Dutch Police Officer (uncredited) * '' Escape'' (1940) - Gestapo Officer with Hooked Nose (uncredited) * ''

Charter Pilot ''Charter Pilot'' is a 1940 drama film, directed by Eugene Forde and produced by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. The film stars Lynn Bari, Lloyd Nolan, Arleen Whelan and George Montgomery. ''Charter Pilot'' depicts pilots flying carg ...

'' (1940) - Faber * '' The Mad Doctor'' (1941) - Furber (uncredited) * ''

King of the Zombies ''King of the Zombies'' is a 1941 American zombie comedy film directed by Jean Yarbrough and starring Dick Purcell, Joan Woodbury, and Mantan Moreland. The film was produced by Monogram Pictures, and was typical of its B films produced by the ...

'' (1941) - Dr. Miklos Sangre * '' Underground'' (1941) - Gestapo Agent (uncredited) * ''

Dangerously They Live ''Dangerously They Live'' is a 1941 American World War II spy film directed by Robert Florey and starring John Garfield, Nancy Coleman and Raymond Massey. The plot concerns Nazi spies who try to pry information out of a British agent. Plot I ...

'' (1941) - U-boat Captain Horst (uncredited) * ''

Blue, White and Perfect ''Blue, White and Perfect'' is a 1942 American mystery film directed by Herbert I. Leeds and starring Lloyd Nolan, Mary Beth Hughes, and Helene Reynolds. It is part of Twentieth Century Fox's Michael Shayne film series. The basis of the plot cam ...

'' (1942) - Rudolf Hagerman * '' All Through the Night'' (1942) - Meeting Receptionist (uncredited) * ''

'' (1942) - Captain Schultz * ''

The Wife Takes a Flyer ''The Wife Takes a Flyer'' (aka ''Highly Irregular'', UK title: ''A Yank in Dutch'') is a 1942 romantic comedy film made by Columbia Pictures, directed by Richard Wallace. The film stars Joan Bennett and Franchot Tone. The screenplay of ''The Wif ...

'' (1942) - Col. Bosch (uncredited) * ''

Desperate Journey ''Desperate Journey'' is a 1942 American World War II action and aviation film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Raymond Massey, Alan Hale Sr., and Arthur Kennedy. The melodramatic f ...

'' (1942) - Heinrich Schwarzmueller * ''

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) - German Storm Trooper (uncredited) * '' Underground Agent'' (1942) - Johann Schrode * ''

Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon ''Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon'' (1942) is the fourth in the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce series of 14 Sherlock Holmes films which updated the characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to the then present day. The film is credited as ...

'' (1942) - Professor Frederic Hoffner (uncredited) * ''

They Got Me Covered ''They Got Me Covered'', also known as ''Washington Story'' and ''The Washington Angle'', is a 1943 comedy film directed by David Butler and starring Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour. Otto Preminger appears in a supporting role. Plot In mid 1941, a ...

'' (1943) - Staeger (uncredited) * ''

Don Winslow of the Coast Guard ''Don Winslow of the Coast Guard'' is a 1943 Universal Pictures Serial film based on the comic strip '' Don Winslow of the Navy'' by Frank V. Martinbek. Plot After service at Pearl Harbor, Naval Commander Don Winslow, and his friend and junior ...

'' (1943) - Heilrich * ''

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) - Herr Schufeldt - Hamburg Official (uncredited) * ''

Nazty Nuisance ''That Nazty Nuisance'' is a 1943 American featurette that was one of Hal Roach's Streamliners and directed by Glenn Tryon. The film is also known as ''Double Crossed Fool'' (international TV title) and ''The Last Three''. It is a sequel to ''The ...

'' (1943) - Kapitan von Popoff * '' Above Suspicion'' (1943) - German Officer (uncredited) * '' The Cross of Lorraine'' (1943) - Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

Betrayal from the East ''Betrayal from the East'' is a 1945 American spy drama film starring Lee Tracy and Nancy Kelly. The film was directed by William A. Berke and based on the book ''Betrayal from the East: The Inside Story of Japanese Spies in America'' by Alan ...

'' (1945) - Brunzman (uncredited) * '' A Royal Scandal'' (1945) - Russian General (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Victor, Henry 1892 births 1945 deaths English people of German descent English male film actors English male silent film actors Burials at Oakwood Memorial Park Cemetery Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from brain cancer in the United States Male actors from London 20th-century English male actors British expatriate male actors in the United States