Georg John

Georg John was born on July 23, 1879 in Schmiegel, Poland as Georg Jacobsohn.

John began his career around 1900 in smaller stages and traveling theaters.

In 1904, he was engaged at the Theater of Wilhelmshaven, followed by appearances at Stolp in 1905, Altona, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Bochum and Göttingen.

In 1914, John worked as an actor and producer for Vaterländische Schauspiele in Vienna.

In 1917, John first appeared in silent movies, playing a Tibetan monk in Die Fremde (The Foreigner), and Death in Hilde Warren und der Tod (Hilde Warren and Death). These roles were typical of the kinds of parts he would become known for, even if, at first, he was more often seen as a father, husband or dignitary.

Beginning in the 1920s, John appeared in the films of notable German filmmakers, where he often played bizarre, gnome-like figures, such as the beggar in Fritz Lang's Der müde Tod (Tired Death, 1921, released in English as Destiny), and the blind balloon-seller who recognizes the murderer due to a whistled song in 1931's M.

Mabuse, der Spieler (1922) and Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge (1924).

For F. W. Murnau he played a night-watchman in Der Letzte Mann (The Last Man, 1924, released in English as The Last Laugh).

He was an actor, known for M (1931), Dr.

As a Jew he was not able to continue his film career in the National Socialist Germany. Therefore he concentrated again to the theater where he was able to perform on stage for the cultural association of German Jews. But in 1941 this association was eliminated by the German rulers.