Trivia

He died in Berlin on 12 March 1940, before the premiere of his last film, Wie konntest Du, Veronika!, from oyster poisoning.

German character actor, composer, writer and theatrical director. On stage from 1903, member of the Thalia Theatre ensemble from 1907. Served as an officer during World War I, subsequently returned to the stage. Ran his own theatrical company in Berlin from 1928. On screen, specialised in comical, pompous, or at least eccentric, bank managers, chief executives, barristers, and the like. Rarely seen without his ever-present monocle.

His monocle became soon a permanent element of his gentleman characters of high rand in the sound film era.

In 1921 he became head of the Komödienhaus in Berlin, and in 1928 he opened his own theatre in Behrenstraße, where he premiered several comic works of his own.

Roberts also wrote lyrics for songs, which were used for the 1954 film On the Reeperbahn at Half Past Midnight featuring Hans Albers and Heinz Rühmann. In particular, he wrote both the lyrics and the music for the title waltz, originally for a 1912 revue of his at the Thalia, Bunt ist die Welt, and also prominently featured in the film Große Freiheit Nr. 7 from 1944.

He is remembered especially for his tendency to portray characters as more or less eccentric, which rose to ironic self-commentary in rôles such as the public prosecutor in Der Maulkorb (in which according to his relative and biographer Hansjoachim Schönherr he proved himself "one of the best character actors of his generation").

He soon distinguished as a character comedian and he also wrote several plays.

With movies like "Der Maulkorb" (1937) and "Tanz auf dem Vulkan" (1938) he became rewarding roles which he constantly performed sensitive.

He grew up in Dresden, where he was already performing as an extra at the Albert-Theater while still in gymnasium and then studied acting with Adolf Winds and composition at the conservatoire.

Initially he played tragicomic roles, frequently in operettas; in 1922, he co-starred with Fritzi Massary in the premiere of Leo Fall's Madame Pompadour. However, after that he concentrated on light comedy on the stage.

He made his professional debut in 1903 at the Residenztheater in Wiesbaden, and had temporary engagements at the Trianon Theatre in Berlin and the Schauspielhaus in Breslau. In 1907 or earlier, he moved to Hamburg, where in 1909 he became a member of the company at the Thalia Theatre.

At the beginning of the 20th century he played on countless German stages and continued his theater career successfully after World War I.

After service as an officer in World War I, Roberts returned to the Thalia, where he directed plays in addition to acting.

Besides his acting works he bequeathed also a hit to the world. For the play "Bunt ist die Welt" he composed at the beginning of the 20's the hit "Auf der Reeperbahn nachts um halb eins".

He became early on interested in the acting and he joined an acting school.

He played all possible parts but his most successful were those in the funny field like in "Moral" (1928) or "Der Raub der Sabinerinnen" (1928).