Max Linder

Acting·Dec 16, 1883·Cavernes, Saint-Loubès, Gironde, France

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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.

Film	Credit
Charlie Chaplin, The Genius of Liberty2020 · archive footage	archive footage
Max Linder Collection 1917-19222014 · Actor	Actor
All in Good Fun1955 · Archive Footage	Archive Footage
Easter Parade1948 · Audience Member (uncredited)	Audience Member (uncredited)
The Way of the World1947 · (Archive Footage)	(Archive Footage)
TThose Were The Days1946 · (self)	(self)
Charlie the Innkeeper1939 · Actor	Actor
The Theft of the Mona Lisa1931 · (archive footage)	(archive footage)
Au secours !1924 · Max, Writer	Max, Writer
King of the Circus1924 · Max Graf von Pompadour, Writer	Max Graf von Pompadour, Writer
The Three Must-Get-Theres1922 · Dart-In-Again, Director, Writer	Dart-In-Again, Director, Writer
Be My Wife1921 · Max, the Fiancé, Director, Writer, Producer	Max, the Fiancé, Director, Writer, Producer
Seven Years Bad Luck1921 · Max, Director, Producer, Writer	Max, Director, Producer, Writer
Le Petit Café1919 · Actor, Writer	Actor, Writer
MMax, médecin malgré lui1917 · Max, Director, Writer	Max, Director, Writer
Max the Heartbreaker1917 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Max Wants a Divorce1917 · Max, Director, Writer	Max, Director, Writer
Max Comes Across1917 · Max, Writer, Director	Max, Writer, Director
Max and the Purse1917 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Max devrait porter des bretelles1917 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Chance and Love1915 · Max, Director, Writer	Max, Director, Writer
Hairdresser of Love1915 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Max in Monaco1915 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
The False Max Linder1914 · Max	Max
MMax asthmatique1914 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Max in the Convent1914 · Actor	Actor
The Forced Marriage1914 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Max Plays at Drama1914 · Actor	Actor
Max and the Lady Doctor1914 · Max, Director, Writer	Max, Director, Writer
Max Plays the Part1914 · Actor	Actor
Max as a Chiropodist1914 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Max Wishes He Hadn't1914 · Actor, Writer, Director	Actor, Writer, Director
Max and the Jealous Husband1914 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Max Speaks English1914 · Max, Director	Max, Director
MMax Sets the Style1914 · Max, Director	Max, Director
MMax's Latest Hobby1914 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Max's Vacation1914 · Max, Director, Writer	Max, Director, Writer
Max as a Musician1913 · Max, Writer, Director	Max, Writer, Director
An Unexpected Marriage1913 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Max's Hat1913 · Max, Director, Writer	Max, Director, Writer
Le billet doux1913 · Max, Director	Max, Director
MMax Hates Cats1913 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Max Toreador1913 · Actor, Director, Writer	Actor, Director, Writer
LLe duel de Max1913 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Max Linder Does All the Sports1913 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Max: Jockey for Love1913 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Max Linder's Appointment1913 · Actor, Director, Writer	Actor, Director, Writer
Max Takes a Picture1913 · Actor	Actor
Max and the Statue1912 · Max, Director, Writer	Max, Director, Writer
Max Wants to Grow1912 · Max, Director	Max, Director
The Water-Funker1912 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Jalousie1912 · Actor, Writer, Director	Actor, Writer, Director
MMax: Boxer By Love1912 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
TThe Romance of Max1912 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Long-Lasting Love1912 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Cordial Agreement1912 · Actor, Director, Writer	Actor, Director, Writer
MMax émule de Tartarin1912 · Max, Director	Max, Director
MMax, Tango Teacher1912 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
A Farmhouse Romance1912 · Max, Director	Max, Director
The Wedding Trunk1912 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Max and the Donkey1912 · Max, Director	Max, Director
UUn pari original1912 · Max, Director	Max, Director
An Agitated Night1912 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
MMax Fears the Dogs1912 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Max Juggles for Love1912 · Max, Director	Max, Director
MMax amoureux de la teinturière1912 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Max and His Dog Dick1912 · Max, Director, Writer	Max, Director, Writer
Max Takes Back His Freedom1912 · Max (uncredited), Director, Writer	Max (uncredited), Director, Writer
Max Sets the Fashion1912 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Max Takes Tonics1911 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Max and Jane Want to Do Theater1911 · Max, Director, Writer	Max, Director, Writer
MMax a un duel1911 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Max Is Convalescent1911 · Max, Director, Writer	Max, Director, Writer
Max and His Mother-in-Law1911 · Max, Director, Writer	Max, Director, Writer
MMax se marie1911 · Max, Director	Max, Director
Max Takes a Bath1911 · Max	Max
UUne ruse de mari1911 · Actor, Writer	Actor, Writer
Champion de boxe1911 · Max, Director, Writer	Max, Director, Writer
CComment Max fait le tour du monde1911 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Max Gets Stuck Up1910 · Max, Director, Writer	Max, Director, Writer
MMax manque un riche mariage1910 · Max, Writer	Max, Writer
Max Embarrassed1910 · Max, Director	Max, Director
TTrop aimée1910 · Max	Max
Max's First Job1910 · Max, Director	Max, Director
TThe Puzzle1910 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
Max Skiing1910 · Max	Max
TThe Effects of Pills1910 · Max, Writer	Max, Writer
MMax est distrait1910 · Max, Director	Max, Director
AA Short-Sighted Duellist1910 · Max	Max
MMax Makes a Touch1910 · Actor	Actor
I Want a Baby1910 · Actor, Director, Writer	Actor, Director, Writer
The Adventures of Tartarin the Younger1910 · Tartarin	Tartarin
LLe serment d'un prince1910 · Jacques de Lacerda, Writer, Director	Jacques de Lacerda, Writer, Director
The Barometer of Fidelity1909 · Actor	Actor
The Little Vixen1909 · Actor	Actor
A Conquest1909 · Actor	Actor
Love's Surprises1909 · Actor, Director	Actor, Director
In Love with the Bearded Woman1909 · Actor	Actor
RRomeo Turns Bandit1909 · Actor	Actor
TThe Gentleman Thief1909 · Arsène Lupin, Director	Arsène Lupin, Director
Beginning of the Serpentine Dance1908 · The ballet master	The ballet master
NNoisy Neighbors1908 · Actor	Actor
His First Cigar1908 · Actor	Actor
IIn a Difficult Position1908 · Dieutegarde	Dieutegarde
Troubles of a Grass Widower1908 · Actor	Actor
AA Drama in Seaville1907 · The Rival	The Rival
PPitou, bonne d'enfants1907 · Actor	Actor
Harlequin's Story1907 · Polichinelle / Ponchinella / Harlequin	Polichinelle / Ponchinella / Harlequin
Max Learns to Skate1907 · Max	Max
FFor a Necklace1907 · Actor	Actor
At the Show1907 · Actor	Actor
Phial of Poison1907 · Actor	Actor
Attempted Suicide1906 · Actor	Actor
JJoined Lips1906 · Actor	Actor
C'est Papa qui a pris la purge1906 · Man on park bench	Man on park bench
UUnforeseen Meeting1905 · Actor	Actor
FFirst Night Out1905 · Actor	Actor
AA Nervous Twitch Is Catching (Un Tic Nerveux Contagieux)Actor	Actor