Francis Lederer (November 6, 1899 – May 25, 2000) was an

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

-born American film and stage actor with a successful career, first in Europe, then in the United States. His original name was František (Franz) Lederer.

Early years

František (Franz) Lederer was born in

Karlín Karlín () is a cadastral area of Prague, part of Prague 8 municipal district, formerly an independent town (which became part of Prague in 1922). It is bordered by the river Vltava and Holešovice to the north, Vítkov hill and Žižkov to t ...

, a working-class suburb of

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, to a

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family. His mother was Rosa (Růžena) née Ornstein from

Třebíč Třebíč (; ) is a town in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 35,000 inhabitants. The beginnings of the town's history are connected with the establishment of a Benedictines, Benedictine monastery, where the castle is loca ...

, his father Josef Lederer was a leather merchant. Until František was thirteen, his only recreation was wrestling. His parents separated when he was nine years old, and his brother Pavel died in World War I. His mother and younger brother Rudolf later moved to Los Angeles. Franz worked in a store that sold dry goods, and his first theatrical experience came when he was tasked with cleaning shelves in the background in a play while the main actors performed. He lost that role when he drew attention away from the stars to himself.

Acting career

Europe

Lederer started acting when he was young and was trained at the Academy of Music and Academy of Dramatic Art in

.Erickson, Ha
Biography (Allmovie)
/ref> After service in the Austrian-Hungarian Imperial Army in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he made his stage debut as an apprentice with the New German Theater, a walk-on in the play ''Burning Heart''. He toured

Moravia Moravia ( ; ) is a historical region in the eastern Czech Republic, roughly encompassing its territory within the Danube River's drainage basin. It is one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The medieval and early ...

and

central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...

, making a name for himself as a matinee idol in theaters in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria and Germany. Notable among his performances was a turn as Romeo in

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 radically innovative and avant-gard ...

's staging of ''Romeo and Juliet''.TC
Biography
/ref> Lederer worked with G.W. Pabst in ''

Pandora's Box Pandora's box is an artifact in Greek mythology connected with the myth of Pandora in Hesiod's c. 700 B.C. poem ''Works and Days''. Hesiod related that curiosity led her to open a container left in the care of her husband, thus releasing curses ...

'', starring

Louise Brooks Mary Louise Brooks (November 14, 1906 – August 8, 1985) was an American film actress during the 1920s and 1930s. She is regarded today as an cultural icon, icon of the flapper culture, in part due to the bob cut, bob hairstyle that she helped ...

, and ''Atlantic'' (both 1929). He was also in ''The Wonderful Lies of Nina Petrovna'' in the same year. Lederer, billed as "Franz" at this time, made the transition from

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

s to sound films.

America

In 1931, Lederer was in London to perform on stage in ''

Volpone ''Volpone'' (, Italian for "sly fox") is a comedy play by English playwright Ben Jonson first produced in 1605–1606, drawing on elements of city comedy and beast fable. A merciless satire of greed and lust, it remains Jonson's most-perfo ...

'' and the next year in ''Autumn Crocus'' by

Dodie Smith Dorothy Gladys "Dodie" Smith (3 May 1896 – 24 November 1990) was an English novelist and playwright. She is best known for writing '' I Capture the Castle'' (1948) and the children's novel '' The Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (1956). Other work ...

, which he then performed on Broadway – using the name "Francis" – where it played for 210 performances in 1932 and 1933. He also performed the play in Los Angeles. As the rise of the

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

movement and the institutionalization of

anti-Semitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

spread throughout Europe and the political situation there deteriorated, Lederer, who was Jewish, chose to remain in America rather than return home. He became a U.S. citizen in 1939. Although he continued to play leads occasionally – notably as a playboy in

Mitchell Leisen James Mitchell Leisen (October 6, 1898 – October 28, 1972) was an American film director, director, art director, and costume designer. Film career He entered the film industry in the 1920s, beginning in the art and costume departments. He d ...

's ''

Midnight Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours. ...

,'' with

Claudette Colbert Claudette Colbert (koʊlˈbɛər/ kohl-BAIR, born Émilie "Lily" Claudette Chauchoin (ʃoʃwɛ̃/ show-shwan); September 13, 1903 – July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway theater, Broadway productions dur ...

and

John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen, and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly a ...

in 1939 – in the late 1930s Lederer began to expand his character parts to include villains. Edward G. Robinson praised Lederer's performance as a

German American Bund The German American Bund, or the German American Federation (, ''Amerikadeutscher Volksbund'', AV), was a German-American Nazi organization which was established in 1936 as a successor to the Friends of New Germany (FONG, FDND in German) and ...

ist 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, four ...

'' in 1939, and he earned plaudits for his portrayal of a fascist in '' The Man I Married'' (1940) with

Joan Bennett Joan Geraldine Bennett (February 27, 1910 – December 7, 1990) was an American stage, film, and television actress, one of three acting sisters from a show-business family. Beginning her career on the stage, Bennett appeared in more than 70 fil ...

. He also played

Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered the prototypical and archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some to have been i ...

in ''

The Return of Dracula ''The Return of Dracula'' is a 1958 American horror film directed by Paul Landres, and starring Francis Lederer, Norma Eberhardt, and Ray Stricklyn. It follows Dracula, who murders an artist aboard a train in Central Europe, and proceeds to imp ...

,'' in 1958. Throughout his career, Lederer, who studied with

Elia Kazan Elias Kazantzoglou (, ; September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003), known as Elia Kazan ( ), was a Greek-American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one of the most honored and inf ...

at the

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights located on West 44th Street in Hell's Kitchen in New York City. The studio is best known for its work refining and teaching method actin ...

in New York City, continued to take theater acting seriously, and he performed on stage often in New York City and elsewhere. He appeared in stage productions of '' Golden Boy'' (1937); '' Seventh Heaven'' (1939); ''

No Time for Comedy ''No Time for Comedy'' is a 1940 American comedy-drama film based on the play of the same name by S. N. Behrman, starring James Stewart, Rosalind Russell, Genevieve Tobin and Charlie Ruggles. Plot Gaylord Esterbrook, a reporter from Redfield, Mi ...

'' (1939), in which he replaced

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

; '' The Play's the Thing'' (1942); ''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' (Danish language, Danish and ; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act Play (theatre), play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 De ...

'' (1944); ''

Arms and the Man ''Arms and the Man'' is a comedy by George Bernard Shaw, whose title comes from the opening words of Virgil's ''Aeneid'', in Latin: ''Arma virumque cano'' ("Of arms and the man I sing"). The play was first produced on 21 April 1894 at the Av ...

'' (1950); ''

The Sleeping Prince ''The Sleeping Prince'' may refer to * ''The Sleeping Prince'' (fairy tale), Greek fairy tale collected by Georgios A. Megas in ''Folktales of Greece'' * ''The Sleeping Prince'' (play), 1953 play by Terence Rattigan *The Sleeping Prince, video gam ...

'' (1956); and '' The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1958). In 1941, he took a break from making films in order to concentrate on his stage work. He returned to the silver screen in 1944, appearing in '' Voice in the Wind'' and ''

The Bridge of San Luis Rey ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' is American author Thornton Wilder's second novel. It was first published in 1927 to worldwide acclaim. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928, and was the best-selling work of fiction that year. Premise ''The ...

'', and went on to play in films such as

Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. His '' La Grande Illusion'' (1937) and '' The Rules of the Game'' (1939) are often cited by critics as among the greate ...

's '' The Diary of a Chambermaid'' (1946) and '' Million Dollar Weekend'' (1948). He took another break from Hollywood in 1950, after making '' Surrender'' (1950), and returned in 1956 with ''

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

'' and the light comedy '' The Ambassador's Daughter,'' with

Olivia de Havilland Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland (; July 1, 1916July 26, 2020) was a British and American actress. The major works of her cinematic career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films and was one of the leading actresses of her tim ...

. His final film appearance was in '' Terror Is a Man'' in 1959. During the 1950s, he served as honorary mayor of

Canoga Park Canoga Park is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Before the Mexican–American War, the district was part of a rancho, and after the American victory it was converted into wheat farms and ...

. Lederer continued to appear on television over the next 10 years in such shows as '' Sally'', ''

The Untouchables Untouchable or Untouchables may refer to: People * Untouchability, the practice of socially ostracizing a minority group of very low social status * Untouchables, word for the Dalits or Scheduled Castes of India * Untouchables (law enforcement), ...

'', ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama television series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member ...

'', '' Blue Light'', '' Mission: Impossible'' and ''

That Girl ''That Girl'' is an American television sitcom that ran on ABC from September 8, 1966, to March 19, 1971. It starred Marlo Thomas as the title character, Ann Marie, an aspiring (but only sporadically employed) actress who moves from her hometo ...

''. His final television appearance was in a 1971 episode of

Rod Serling Rodman Edward Serling (December 25, 1924 – June 28, 1975) was an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his live television dramas of the 1950s and his Anthology series, anthology television series ''The Twilight Zone (1 ...

's ''

Night Gallery ''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, '' The Twilight Zon ...

'' called "The Devil Is Not Mocked". In it, he reprised his role as Dracula from ''

''.

Personal life

Lederer, who became very wealthy, invested in real estate, especially in the

community (which included West Hills, as defined in 1987). He was active in local and

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

civic affairs, philanthropy and politics. He served as Recreation and Parks Commissioner for the city of Los Angeles and received awards for his efforts to beautify the city. He was the honorary mayor of Canoga Park for some time. He became involved with peace movements, taught acting, and was one of the founders of the American National Academy of Performing Arts in Los Angeles, and the International Academy of Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. In 2000, the

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ** Austria-Hungary ** Austria ...

government honored him with the Cross of Honor for Science and Arts, First Class. Lederer was married three times. His first marriage was to Ada Nejedly, an opera singer. The year they wed remains undetermined, but records show that the couple divorced in 1928. In 1937, he married the actress Margo; they divorced three years later. Lederer's final marriage was to Marion Eleanor Irvine, a native of Canada who lived most of her life in California. They wed there in 1941, and over the years he and Marion remained active in supporting various community projects and international humanitarian services, including the promotion of

UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...

. They remained together for nearly six decades, until his death in 2000.

Lederer estate and residence

In 1934, with the help of artisan builder John R. Litke, Lederer began the design and construction of his landmark residence and stables on the hilltop of a large rancho in the

Simi Hills The Simi Hills are a low rocky mountain range of the Transverse Ranges in eastern Ventura County, California, Ventura County and western Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, of Southern California, United States. The range runs ma ...

in Owensmouth, renamed

, then West Hills. It is in the western

San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, Los Angeles County, California. Situated to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it comprises a large portion of Los Angeles, the Municipal corpo ...

of Los Angeles, California, at the west end of

Sherman Way Sherman Way, nicknamed "The Way", is a major east–west arterial road that runs for across the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles and Burbank, California, Burbank, California. Name Sherman Way was named after Moses Sherman, a major developer ...

. The house blends

Mediterranean Revival Mediterranean Revival is an architectural style introduced in the United States, Canada, and certain other countries in the 19th century. It incorporated references to Spanish Renaissance, Spanish Colonial, Italian Renaissance, French Colonial ...

and Mission Revival styles. The residence and stables are both protected

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are sites which have been designated by the Los Angeles, California, Cultural Heritage Commission as worthy of preservation based on architectural, historic and cultural criteria. History The Historic-Cul ...

. After the house was damaged by the

1994 Northridge earthquake The 1994 Northridge earthquake affected Greater Los Angeles, California, on January 17, 1994, at 04:30:55 PST. The epicenter of the moment 6.7 () blind thrust earthquake was beneath the San Fernando Valley. Lasting approximately 8 seconds ...

, the property was completely renovated. The estate is next to the very large 1845 Mexican

land grant A land grant is a gift of real estate—land or its use privileges—made by a government or other authority as an incentive, means of enabling works, or as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service. Grants ...

Rancho El Escorpión Rancho El Escorpión was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to three Chumash Native Americans - Odón Chijulla, Urbano, and Mañuel.

, which was Lederer's southern rural viewshed and remained undeveloped open space until 1959. The home and grounds are still in the hands of the family.Big Orange-Lederer Environs
/ref>

Selected filmography

Europe

* ''Zuflucht'' (1928) as Martin * ''

The Strange Night of Helga Wangen ''The Strange Night of Helga Wangen'' (German: ''Die seltsame Nacht der Helga Wangen'') is a 1928 German silent drama film directed by Holger-Madsen and starring Lee Parry and Francis Lederer.Gerhard Lamprecht. ''Deutsche Stummfilme, Volume 8' ...

'' (1928) as Werner Hilsoe * ''

'' (1929) as Alwa Schön * '' The Wonderful Lies of Nina Petrovna'' (1929) as Lt. Michael Rostof * ''

Perjury Perjury (also known as forswearing) is the intentional act of swearing a false oath or falsifying an affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to an official proceeding."Perjury The act or an insta ...

'' (1929) as Fenn * ''Maman Colibri'' (1929) as Georges de Chambry * '' Atlantik'' (1929) as Peter, young married couple * '' The Road to Dishonour'' (1930) as Leutnant Boris Borrisoff - German version * ''Der Detektiv des Kaisers'' (1930) as Dr. Wolfgang Crusius * ''Fundvogel'' (1930) as Jan Bergwall * '' Susanne Cleans Up'' (1930) as Robert * ''

The Great Longing ''The Great Longing'' () is a 1930 Cinema of Germany, German comedy film directed by Steve Sekely in his directorial debut and starring Camilla Horn, Theodor Loos, and Harry Frank. It was shot at the EFA Studios in Berlin. The film's sets were de ...

'' (1930) as Himself * '' Her Majesty the Barmaid'' (1931) as Fred von Wellingen * ''

The Fate of Renate Langen ''The Fate of Renate Langen'' () is a 1931 German drama film directed by Rudolf Walther-Fein and starring Mady Christians, Francis Lederer and Hilde Hildebrand.Bock & Bergfelder p. 72 Cast * Mady Christians as Renate Langen * Francis Lederer a ...

'' (1931) as Gerd * ''

Adventure in Vienna ''Adventure in Vienna'' () is a 1952 Austrian crime thriller film directed by Emil E. Reinert and starring Gustav Fröhlich, Cornell Borchers and Adrienne Gessner.Fritsche p.243 It is an adaptation of the 1933 novel '' I Was Jack Mortimer'' by Al ...

'' (1952) as Claude Manelli * '' Stolen Identity'' (1953) as Claude Manelli * ''Der andere Blick'' (1991) as Himself

United States

* '' Man of Two Worlds'' (1934) as Aigo * '' The Pursuit of Happiness'' (1934) as Max Christmann * '' Romance in Manhattan'' (1934) as Karel Novak * ''

The Gay Deception ''The Gay Deception'' is a 1935 romantic comedy film starring Francis Lederer and Frances Dee. Writers Stephen Morehouse Avery and Don Hartman were Candidate, nominated for the Academy Award for Best Story. Plot Secretary Mirabel Miller wins a ...

'' (1935) as Sandro * ''

One Rainy Afternoon ''One Rainy Afternoon'' is a 1936 American romantic comedy film directed by Rowland V. Lee, starring Francis Lederer and Ida Lupino, and featuring Hugh Herbert, Roland Young, and Erik Rhodes. It also marked the last film appearance by actres ...

'' (1936) as Philippe Martin * '' My American Wife'' (1936) as Count Ferdinand von und zu Reidenach * ''

It's All Yours ''It's All Yours'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Madeleine Carroll, Francis Lederer and Mischa Auer. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It has sometimes been counted as a screwball co ...

'' (1937) as Jimmy Barnes * '' The Lone Wolf in Paris'' (1938) as Michael Lanyard aka The Lone Wolf * ''

'' (1939) as Jacques Picot * ''

'' (1939) as Kurt Schneider * '' The Man I Married'' (''I Married a Nazi'') (1940) as Eric Hoffman * '' Puddin' Head'' (1941) as Prince Karl * ''

'' (1944) as Esteban / Manuel * '' Voice in the Wind'' (1944) as Jan Volny * ''

The Madonna's Secret ''The Madonna's Secret'' is a 1946 American film noir crime film directed by Wilhelm Thiele and starring Francis Lederer, Gail Patrick, Ann Rutherford and Edward Ashley.Alvarez p.46 Plot In an art gallery, drama critic John Earl sees a portr ...

'' (1946) as James Harlan Corbin * '' The Diary of a Chambermaid'' (1946) as Joseph * '' Million Dollar Weekend'' (1948) as Alan Marker * ''

Captain Carey, U.S.A. ''Captain Carey, U.S.A.'' is a 1950 American crime film, crime thriller film, thriller film noir directed by Mitchell Leisen and starring Alan Ladd and Wanda Hendrix. An American returns to post–World War II Italy to bring a traitor to justice. ...

'' (1949) as Baron Rocco de Greffi * ''

A Woman of Distinction ''A Woman of Distinction'' is a 1950 American screwball romantic comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Rosalind Russell, Ray Milland and Edmund Gwenn. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Plot Born to a wealthy a ...

'' (1950) as Prof. Paul Simone * '' Surrender'' (1950) as Henry Vaan * '' The Ambassador's Daughter'' (1956) as Prince Nicholas Obelski * ''

'' (1956) as Serafim * ''

'' (1958) as Count Dracula - posing as Bellac Gordal * ''

Maracaibo Maracaibo ( , ; ) is a city and municipality in northwestern Venezuela, on the western shore of the strait that connects Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela. It is the largest city in Venezuela and is List of cities in Venezuela by population ...

'' (1958) as Miguel Orlando * '' Terror Is a Man'' (1959) as Dr. Charles Girard * ''Louise Brooks: Looking for Lulu'' (1998) as Himself

References

External links

* * *
Francis Lederer
at Virtual History {{DEFAULTSORT:Lederer, Francis American art collectors American men centenarians American male film actors American male stage actors American philanthropists 1899 births 2000 deaths Burials at Forest Lawn Cemetery (Cathedral City) Jewish Czech actors Jewish American male actors Recipients of the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I Male actors from Prague 20th-century Czech male actors Czechoslovak emigrants to the United States Jewish centenarians

Early years

Acting career

Europe

America

Personal life

Lederer estate and residence

Selected filmography

Europe

United States

See also

References

External links