Linder, Max

(Gabriel Leuvielle / December 16, 1883, Saint-Loubes, Gironde, France - November 1, 1925, Paris, France)

   The son of wine growers, he dropped out of high school to attend acting courses at the Bordeaux Conservatory and start a theatrical career. After re­ceiving a first prize for comedy in 1902, he settled in Paris, where he frequented the "Boulevard du Crime" and the "Théâtre des Variétés", playing small parts in melodramas. He was hired by Pathé in 1905 and made some brief film appearances before starring in Louis J. Gasnier's Première Sortie / La Première Sortie d'un Col­légien. A film director since 1908, he created the com­edy character of Max, who brought him international fame. Mobilized in 1914 as a driver in World War I, he spent a whole night in icy water and contracted pneu­monia. Discharged and convalescent in Switzerland in 1916, he received a visit from George K. Spoor, who was looking for a new comic star to replace Charlie Chaplin (the British director and actor had left the Es-sanay Company to join Mutual). He signed a one-year contract—$5, 000 per day against twelve movies—and moved to Chicago, where he shot his first American picture (Max Comes Across) during the winter of 1917. One film later, his poor health and some difficulties he had adapting himself to American methods of production interrupted his Hollywood career. He had to return to Europe and spent a year in a Swiss clinic recovering from double pneumonia. In 1919, he returned to the screen in his first feature-length film, Raymond Bernard's Le Petit Café. The three pictures he produced and shot in Hollywood in the early 1920s (1921 Be My Wife; Seven Years Bad Luck; 1922 The Three Must-Get-Theres) are regarded as his masterpieces and influenced the Marx Brothers and Douglas Fairbanks. In 1923, his friend Abel Gance directed him in Au Se­cours! (he was also the author of the original idea). The same year, he married a seventeen-year-old woman, Ninette Peters. He directed his last film in Austria in 1924. The following year, depressive despite his suc­cess, he shot himself and his wife.

 Filmography

1908 ◘ Vive la Vie de Garçon (short; also actor)

        ◘ Max Jongleur / L'Obsession de l'Equilibre / UK: Ma niac Juggler / Max the Juggler / Would-Be-Juggler / USA: Amateur Acrobat (short; also actor)

1909 ◘ Une Campagne électorale (short; co-director with Louis J. Gasnier; also actor)

        ◘ Un Mariage américain / Un Mariage à l'Américaine (short; also actor)

        ◘ Mon Chien rapporte / UK: A Clever Dog (short; also actor)

        ◘ Le Voleur mondain (short; also actor)

1910 ◘ Comment Max Linder fait le Tour du Monde / Comment Max fait le Tour du Monde / UK: How Max Linder Travelled Round the World / Max on Tour / USA: How Max Went Around the World (short; also actor)

        ◘ Les Débuts de Max au Cinématographe / Max fait du Cinéma / Les Débuts de Max au Cinéma / UK: Max Linder's Debut as a Cinematograph Artist / USA: Max First's Job (short; co-director with Louis J. Gasnier; also actor)

        ◘ Les Exploits d'un jeune Tartarin / Les Exploits du jeune Tartarin / Max Emule de Tartarin / UK: Wanted: A Bearskin (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ La Flûte merveilleuse / UK: The Magic Flute / USA: Max Makes Music (short; also actor)

        ◘ Je voudrais un Enfant (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max est distrait / UK: Absent-Minded Max / USA: Max Is Absent Minded (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Quel est l'Assassin? / Qui a tué Max? / Max as­sassiné / UK: Who Did the Deed? / USA: Who Killed Max? (short; also actor)

        ◘ Un Mariage au Puzzle / Mariage au Puzzle / UK: The Puzzle (short; also actor)

1911 ◘ Max amoureux de la Teinturière / Amoureux de la Teinturière / UK: Of the Deepest Dye (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max a un Duel (short; co-director with René Leprince; also actor)

        ◘ Max en Convalescence / Max dans sa Famille / UK and USA: Max Is Convalescent (short; also actor)

        ◘ Par Habitude (short; also actor)

        ◘ Voisin, Voisine / Max et sa Voisine / UK: Neigh­bours (short; also actor)

1912 ◘ Amour tenace / UK and USA: Love Unconquer­able (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ L'Âne jaloux / Max et son Âne / UK: Joe Teaches Max a Lesson / Max and the Donkey (short; co-director with René Leprince)

        ◘ Bandit par Amour / Max Bandit par Amour / UK: For Love of a Maid (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Boxeur par Amour / Max Boxeur par Amour / Max Boxeur / UK: Love and Boxing (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ L'Enlèvement en Hydroaéroplane / Un Enlève­ment en Hydroaéroplane (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Entente cordiale / Max et l'Entente cordiale (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ La Fuite de Gaz / Max et la Fuite de Gaz / UK and USA: An Escape of Gas (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Idylle à la Ferme / Une Idylle à la Ferme / UK: A Farm-House Romance (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Jalousie (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Le Mal de Mer / USA: A Motor Boat Trip (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ La Malle au Mariage (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Mariage au Téléphone / Un Mariage au Téléphone / UK: Over the 'Phone (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Match de Boxe entre Patineurs à Roulettes (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max Cocher de Fiacre / UK: Max as a Cab Driver (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max contre Nick Winter / Max Linder contre

        ◘ Nick Winter / UK: Max Linder V. Nick Winter / USA: Max Gets the Reward (short; co-director with Paul Garbagni)

        ◘ Max Emule de Tartarin (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max et son Chien Dick / UK: Max and Dog Dick (short; co-director with René Leprince; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max lance la Mode / UK: Max Starts the Fashion / UK and USA: Max Sets the Fashion (short; also actor)

        ◘ Max reprend sa Liberté / UK: Max and the Fowl / UK and USA: Troubles of a Grasswidower (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max veut faire du Théâtre / Max et Jane veulent faire du Théâtre / UK: Their Common Destiny / USA: Max Plays at Drama / Max's Tragedy (short; co-director with René Leprince; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max veut grandir / UK: Max's Efforts to Grow / USA: Max Gets Stuck Up / Max Joins the Giants (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Oh! Les Femmes / Max et les Femmes / UK: Eternal Woman (short; co-director with René Leprince; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Peintre par Amour / Max Peintre par Amour / UK: Artist Max (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Petit Roman / Le Roman de Max (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ La Peur de l'Eau / Max a peur de l'Eau (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Que peut-il arriver? (short; also actor)

        ◘ Que peut-il avoir? (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Le Succès de la Prestidigitation / Max Escamoteur / UK: The Conjurer's Triumph / USA: Max, the Magician (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Une Nuit agitée (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Un Pari original / UK: The Bet (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ La Vengeance du Domestique (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Victime du Quinquina / Max Victime du Quinquina / UK: Max and His Prescription / USA: Max Takes Tonic (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Voyage de Noces / Voyages de Noces (en Es­pagne) / Max et Jane en Voyages de Noces (short; also screenwriter, actor)

1913 ◘ Le Duel de Max / UK: Max and His Duel / USA: Max Fights a Duel (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Le Billet doux / Max et le Billet doux (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Le Chapeau de Max / USA: Max's Hat (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Les Débuts d'un Yachtman (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Les Escarpins de Max (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Jockey par Amour / Max Jockey par Amour (short; co-screenwriter with René Leprince; also actor)

        ◘ Mariages imprévus / Un Mariage imprévu (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max est charitable (short; also actor)

        ◘ Max et l'Inauguration de la Statue / Max et la Statue (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max et les Crêpes / Max et Jane font des Crêpes / Max Cuisinier par Amour (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max fait de la Photographie / Max fait de la Photo (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max fait des Conquêtes (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max n'aime pas les Chats (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max pratique tous les Sports / Max pratique les sports (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max Toréador (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max Virtuose (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ La Médaille de Sauvetage (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Le Rendez-vous / Le Rendez-vous de Max / Max et le Rendez-vous (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Rivalité / La Rivalité de Max (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ La Ruse de Max (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Les Vacances de Max / Max part en Vacances / USA: Max's Vacation (short; also screenwriter, actor)

1914 ◘ L'Anglais tel que Max le parle (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Coiffeur par Amour (short; also actor)

        ◘ Cuisinier par Amour (short; also actor)

        ◘ Dick est un Chien savant (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Mariage forcé / Un Mariage forcé (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max jaloux / Max et le Mari jaloux / Jalousie (short; co-director with René Leprince; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max à Monaco (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max asthmatique (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max au Couvent (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max collectionne les Chaussures / Max Col­lectionneur de Chaussures (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max décoré / USA: Max Sets the Style (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max et la Doctoresse / USA: Max and the Lady Doctor / Max and the Fair M.D. (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max et le Bâton de Rouge (short; also actor)

        ◘ Max et le Commissaire (short; also actor)

        ◘ Max et sa Belle-Mère / UK: Max and His Ma-in-Law / UK and USA: Max and His Mother-in-Law (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max Illusionniste (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max, Maître d'Hôtel (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max Pédicure (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max Professeur de Tango (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max Sauveteur (short; also actor)

        ◘ N'embrassez pas votre Bonne (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Le Pendu (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Le Baromètre de la Fidélité (short; also actor)

        ◘ Le Hasard et l'Amour / USA: Love's Surprises (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Deux Août 1914 / Max Soldat (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max dans les Airs / Max Aviateur (short; co-director with René Leprince; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max et l'Espion (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max Victime de la Main qui étreint / Max et la La Main qui étreint (short; also screenwriter, actor)

1917 ◘ Max devrait porter des Bretelles / Max porte des Bretelles (short; co-director with René Leprince; also screenwriter actor)

        ◘ Max entre Deux Feux / Max entre Deux Femmes (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max et le Sac (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max, Médecin malgré lui (short; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Max in a Taxi (short; also actor; USA)

        ◘ Max Comes Across / Max Goes to America / Max on a Liner / Max in America / UK: Max Linder Goes to America (short; also actor; USA)

        ◘ Max Wants a Divorce (short; also actor; USA)

1921 ◘ Seven Years Bad Luck (also screenwriter, producer, actor; USA)

        ◘ Be My Wife / Who Pays My Wife's Bill? (also screenwriter, actor; USA)

1922 ◘ The Three Must-Get-Theres (also screenwriter, actor; USA)

1925 ◘ Clown aus Liebe / Der Zirkuskônig / UK: Circus-mania / USA: King of the Circus (co-director with Edouard-Emile Violet; also screenwriter, actor)

        ◘ Chevalier Barkas / Barkas le Fol (unfinished)