Biography

Austrian star of the Georg Wilhelm Pabst's film The Threepenny Opera (1931) [The Threepenny Opera] who fled Nazi Germany and lived with his wife Eleonora von Mendelssohn in Manhattan for a time. He became homesick and returned to Germany in 1940 to resume his career, starring in many Third Reich movies. She remained in Manhattan until her death in 1951.

Forster studied acting at the Vienna Conservatory. He made his stage debut in Graz and briefly served as a soldier in World War I (1915). He subsequently acted with the Deutsches Theater in Bucharest (1917-18) and then established a significant theatrical career in Berlin. On screen from 1919, initially in heroic or elegant romantic roles. Emigrated to the U.S. in 1937, performed on Broadway and returned to Germany after three years. In post-war German films, he specialised in gentlemanly or aristocratic character roles.

From 1919 he appeared for the first time in movies where he often impersonated negative characters.

In the 20's he was often assigned by director Friedrich Zelnik, who knew how to integrate the shape of Rudolf Forster into his movies. Other well-known directors esteemed also the tall and slim actor.

His film appearances during the turmoils of the German Reich were rare, in 1937 he emigrated to the USA where he played in the movie "Island of Lost Men" (1939).