Trivia

German painter guitarist and character actor. On stage at the Berlin Lessingtheater from 1909, later with Max Reinhardt's company. In films from 1913, initially in supporting roles until mentored by leading actor Paul Wegener and cast as Friedrich II. (Frederick the Great) in Die Tänzerin Barberina (1920). Due to his uncanny resemblance to the famous monarch, Gebuehr went on to impersonate him in 16 films and numerous stage performances.

In the 50's followed often sentimental films with a regional background and a little bit kitschy productions.

His second marriage was with the actress Doris Krüger (1913 - 1950). They were married from 1942 till her death in 1950. Together they had a son Michael Gebühr (1942-2021) who became a famous archaeologist.

He was married from 1910 with Cornelia Bertha Julius. They had a daughter Hilde Gebühr (1910-1945). She became an actress as well.

As a World War I volunteer he achieved the rank of a Lieutenant in the German Army.

Born in Kettwig (today part of Essen) in the Rhine Province the son of a merchant, Gebühr attended the gymnasium secondary school in Cologne.

His final film, Die Blonde Frau des Maharadscha, was released eight years after his death.

The actor Otto Gebühr finished a commercial teaching. When he took over a job as a correspondent in 1896 he took acting lessons at the same time. He gathered first experiences at a touring company in the same year, one year later he already got his first engagement at the Stadttheater Görlitz.

Gebühr continued his performances in the Nazi period from 1933 onwards, last performing in The Great King (German: Der Große König), a 1942 German wartime propaganda film directed by Veit Harlan referring to the historic Miracle of the House of Brandenburg, which received the rare "Film of the Nation" distinction.

Otto Gebühr also acted successful in the sound film era, often in historical roles, but he also had parts in comedies.

In the new century Otto Gebühr became a very busy theater actor who had appearances in Dresden, Berlin and New York.

He was theatrical as well as optical so convincing that he became the absolutely actor for the figure of Friedrich II and the Prussian time.

After the first world war, he worked with director Max Reinhardt at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin.

He found the role of his lifetime in 1919, acting as King Frederick II in the historical drama The Dancer Barberina directed by Carl Boese, modeled on the life of ballerina Barbara Campanini (1721-1799).

Gebühr attended the gymnasium secondary school in Cologne and completed a commercial training. Alongside he took drama lessons.