Francis Lederer

Frantisek Lederer was born on November 6th, 1899, in Czechoslovakia. His father was a leather merchant, and young Frantisek began his working life as a department store delivery boy in Prague. He fell in love with acting from a young age, and was soon on stage touring Moravia and then all over Central Europe with people like Peter Lorre. Lederer was easily lured into film by German actress Henny Porten and her producer husband.

In 1918 he tackled a study at the academy of music and performing arts and received a fixed contract at the "Neues Deutsches Theater" in Prague. In the following years he acted frequently in Germany and could start there his true theater career.

The late 1920s, Lederer was lured into films by the German actress Henny Porten and her producer husband.

Did not speak English when he first entered films in 1928, until the advent of sound forced him to do so.

And it wasn't long before he was starring in the legendary German silent movie Pandora's Box (1929). Whilst Lederer, who was using the German name of Franz, shifted from silents to talkies easily and was fast becoming one of Germany's top stars, he hadn't yet learned to speak any English.

In 1931, Lederer was in London to perform on stage in Volpone and the next year in Autumn Crocus by Dodie Smith, 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. His performances attracted attention and film offers from Hollywood. With the deteriorating political situation in Europe, Lederer decided to stay in the United States. He became a U.S. citizen in 1939.

By 1934, Lederer, (now using Francis), had begun working in America. And he was getting top billing too. Irving Thalberg had planned to make Lederer "the biggest star in Hollywood" but Thalberg's untimely death put a stop to that. But Lederer continued successfully in film and TV for many years. After two brief marriages his third lasted 59 years. He invested in property well and made a fortune in the Canoga Park, California area. He founded the National Academy of Performing Arts on which his close friend Joan Crawford was on the Advisory Board. He loved to teach.

Became a naturalized United States citizen in 1939.

In 1940 he had to ward off against reproaches to had been taken part in communistic meetings, with effect.

In the 50s Lederer appeared in movies only occasionally, his last cinema movie came into being in 1959.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6902 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.

Till 1971 he appeared time and again in guest roles of different TV serials like "Mission Impossible" and others.

In his later life, Lederer, who had become very wealthy, invested in real estate, especially in the Canoga Park community (renamed West Hills in 1987). He was active in local and Los Angeles civic affairs, philanthropy and politics. He served as Recreation and Parks Commissioner for the city of Los Angeles, received awards for his efforts to beautify the city and was the honorary mayor of Canoga Park for quite a 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, he was honored by the Austrian government with the Cross of Honor for Science and Arts, First Class.