Max Linder
- Acting
- December 16, 1883 · Cavernes, Saint-Loubès, Gironde, France
- November 1, 1925
Biography
Although all too frequently neglected by fans of silent comedy, Max Linder is in many ways as important a figure as Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton, or Harold Lloyd, not least because he predated (and influenced) them all by several years, and was largely responsible for the creation of the classic style of silent slapstick comedy. He started out as an actor in the French theatre, but after making his screen debut in 1905 he quickly became an enormously famous and successful film comedian on both sides of the Atlantic, thanks to his character "Max", a top-hatted dandy. By 1912, he was the highest-paid film star in the world, with an unprecedented salary of one million francs. He began to direct films in 1911 and showed equal facility behind the camera, but his career suffered an almost terminal blow when he was called up to fight in World War I. He was gassed, and the illness that resulted would blight his career. Although offered a contract in America, recurring ill-health meant that his US films had little of the sparkle of his early French work, and a brief attempt to revive his career by making films for the recently-formed United Artists (one of whose founders, of course, was Chaplin) in the early 1920s came to little, although these later films are now regarded as classics. He returned to France and killed himself in a suicide pact with his wife in 1925.
Known for
Filmography
- Life and Deaths of Max Linder · Self
- Charlie Chaplin, The Genius of Liberty · archive footage
- Max Linder Collection 1917-1922
- Tout sur mon père Max Linder · Self
- Birth of the Tramp · Self
- The Man in the Silk Hat · Self
- Hollywood · Self
- Encyclopédie audiovisuelle du cinéma · Self
- Laugh with Max Linder · Self, Writer
- All in Good Fun · Archive Footage
- The Way of the World · (Archive Footage)
- Those Were The Days · (self)
- Charlie the Innkeeper
- The Theft of the Mona Lisa · (archive footage)
- Maxim's Porter · Writer
- Au secours ! · Max, Writer
- King of the Circus · Max Graf von Pompadour, Writer
- The World of Yesteryear – Max Linder · Self
- Par habitude · Story
- The Three Must-Get-Theres · Dart-In-Again, Director
- Be My Wife · Max, the Fiancé, Director
- Seven Years Bad Luck · Max, Director
- Le Petit Café · Writer
- Max, médecin malgré lui · Max, Director
- Max the Heartbreaker · Director
- Max in a Taxi · Self, Director
- Max Wants a Divorce · Max, Director
- Max Comes Across · Max, Director
- Max and the Purse · Director
- Max devrait porter des bretelles · Max, Director
- Max Linder Visits Charlie Chaplin · Self
- Chance and Love · Max, Director
- Hairdresser of Love · Director
- Max in Monaco · Director
- The False Max Linder · Max
- Max asthmatique · Max, Director
- Max in the Convent
- The Forced Marriage · Director
- Max Plays at Drama
- Max and the Lady Doctor · Max, Director
- Max Plays the Part
- Max as a Chiropodist · Max, Director
- Max Wishes He Hadn't · Writer, Director
- Max and the Jealous Husband · Max, Director
- Max Speaks English · Max, Director
- Max Sets the Style · Max, Director
- Max's Latest Hobby · Director
- Max's Vacation · Max, Director
- Max as a Musician · Max, Writer
- An Unexpected Marriage · Director
- Max's Hat · Max, Director
- Le billet doux · Max, Director
- Max Hates Cats · Director
- Max Toreador · Director, Writer
- Le duel de Max · Max, Director
- Max Linder Does All the Sports · Max, Director
- Max: Jockey for Love · Max, Director
- Max Linder's Appointment · Director, Writer
- Max Takes a Picture
- Max and the Statue · Max, Director
- Max Wants to Grow · Max, Director
- The Water-Funker · Max, Director
- Jalousie · Writer, Director
- Max: Boxer By Love · Director
- The Romance of Max · Max, Director
- Long-Lasting Love · Max, Director
- Cordial Agreement · Director, Writer
- Max émule de Tartarin · Max, Director
- Max, Tango Teacher · Director
- A Farmhouse Romance · Max, Director
- The Wedding Trunk · Max, Director
- Max and the Donkey · Max, Director
- Un pari original · Max, Director
- An Agitated Night · Director
- Max Fears the Dogs · Max, Director
- Max Juggles for Love · Max, Director
- Max amoureux de la teinturière · Max, Director
- Max and His Dog Dick · Max, Director
- Max Takes Back His Freedom · Max (uncredited), Director
- Max Sets the Fashion · Max, Director