Henry Krauss

French actor and director Henry Krauss (1866-1935) was a veteran of European cinema. From 1908 on he starred in several powerful character roles in early silent films.


French postcard by ELD. Photo: Films Pathé-Frères. Henry Krauss in Les Misérables (Albert Capellani, 1913). Sent by mail in 1916.


Belgian / French postcard by Vanderauwera & Coe., Bruxelles / Paris. Photo: Dupont. Henry Krauss in 'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare.


Belgian / French postcard by Vanderauwera & Coe., Bruxelles / Paris. Photo: Dupont. Henry Krauss in the lead role of the stage play 'Paillasse' by Adolphe d'Ennery.


French postcard by Edition Pathé Frères. Photo: Benque.


French postcard in the Les Vedettes de l'Ecran Series by Editions Filma, no. 51. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma.

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

Henry Krauss, sometimes credited as Henri Krauss, was born as Henry Kraus in Paris in 1866. For two decades he appeared on the stages of Paris in plays like 'Valet de cœur' (1893), 'La peur des coups' (1894) and 'Théroigne de Méricourt' (1902).

In 1908 he discovered the early cinema and played parts in short silent films as L'Arlésienne (Albert Capellani, 1908), based on the play by Alphonse Daudet, and Marie Stuart/Mary Stuart (Albert Capellani, 1908). In the next five years, he played a wealth of powerful leading roles for SCAGL (Société Cinématographique des Auteurs et Gens de Lettres) and Krauss became one of the film studio’s first character stars.

Krauss played Buridau in the film adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' La tour de Nesle/The Tower of Nesle (Albert Capellani, 1909), the title character in the drama Le lépreux de la cité d'Aosta/The leper of the city of Aosta (André Calmettes, 1910), the bohemian in L’oiseau s’envole/The bird flies (Albert Capellani, 1911), Dr. Cezambre in the crime melodrama La glu/The Siren (Albert Capellani, 1913) featuring Mistinguett, and Prince Grégoire III in Le réveil/The alarm (1914).

Before the First World War, he became a star with his interpretations of two characters from novels by Victor Hugo. In 1911 he starred as Quasimodo in Notre Dame de Paris/The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (Albert Capellani, 1911) opposite Stacia Napierkowska as Esmeralda, and in Les Misérables (Albert Capellani, 1913), he was Jean Valjean, relentlessly pursued by the Justice.

His last starring role before the war was Étienne Lantier in Émile Zola's Germinal (Albert Capellani, 1913) with Sylvie.


Belgian postcard. Photo by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera, Brussels).


Belgian postcard. Photo by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera, Brussels).


Belgian postcard by VanderAuwera & Cie., Bruxelles. Photo: Dupont. Caption: Henry Krauss in 'Don César de Bazan'. 'Don César de Bazan' is an opéra comique by Jules Massenet, based on the drama 'Ruy Blas' by Victor Hugo.


Belgian postcard by VanderAuwera & Cie., Bruxelles. Photo: Dupont. Caption: Henry Krauss in 'Don César de Bazan'. 'Don César de Bazan' is an opéra comique by Jules Massenet, based on the drama 'Ruy Blas' by Victor Hugo.


Belgian postcard by VanderAuwera & Cie., Bruxelles. Photo: Dupont. Caption: Henry Krauss in 'Don César de Bazan'. 'Don César de Bazan' is an opéra comique by Jules Massenet, based on the drama 'Ruy Blas' by Victor Hugo.


Vintage postcard. Photo: Dupont. Caption: Henry Krauss in 'Don César de Bazan'. 'Don César de Bazan' is an opéra comique by Jules Massenet, based on the drama 'Ruy Blas' by Victor Hugo.

Napoleon

Although Henry Krauss remained active in front of the camera after the war, his star rapidly declined. He was the uncle of Gina Relly in L'empereur des pauvres/The Emperor of the Poor (René LePrince, 1922), and played the lead in Le bossu/The Hunchback (?, 1923) with Claude Mérelle.

In 1925, the nearly 60-year-old artist played another signature role again as the father of the title character in Poil de carotte/Carrot Hair (Julien Duvivier, 1925). In the late 1920s and 1930s, his acting style was considered too pompous and exaggerated.

Krauss occasionally worked as a director. In 1925/1926 he was an assistant director to Abel Gance in the classic epic Napoleon. He had a supporting part in the sound film Le procureur Hallers/The Prosecutor Hallers (Robert Wiene, 1930) starring Jean-Max and Colette Darfeuil.

It was the French-language version of the German film Der Andere/The Other (Robert Wiene, 1930) based on the play Der Andere by Paul Lindau. The two films were made at the same studio in Berlin, with Wiene beginning work on the French version immediately after finishing the German film.

Over two decades after his Jean Valjean interpretation in Les Miserables (1913), Henry Krauss also appeared in the first sound film version of the Victor Hugo adaptation, Les Misérables (Raymond Bernard, 1934). This time Harry Baur interpreted Jean Valjean and Krauss had to be content with the much smaller role of Mgr. Myriel. At the age of 69, Henry Krauss died in 1935 in his hometown Paris. His son was the art director Jacques Krauss.


French postcard by E.L.D. Photo: Films Pathé Frères. Publicity still for Les Miserables (Albert Capellani, 1913), with Henry Krauss (left) as Jean Valjean, Léon Lérand as Gillesnormand, Marialise as Cosette, and Gabriel de Gravone as Marius. Caption: Les fiançailles de Marius et de Cosette (The betrothal of Marius and Cosette).


French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Henry Krauss in L'empereur des pauvres/The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921).


French postcard by M. Le Deley, Paris. Photo: Pathé Consortium Cinéma. Publicity still for L'empereur des pauvres/The Emperor of the Poor (René Leprince, 1921). In the middle, Gina Relly as Sylvette, and right, Henry Krauss, as her uncle Jean Sarrias, revolting against society. Left could be Andrée Pascal as Clémence Sarrias.


French postcard. Photo: Pathé. Platinogravure.


Spanish postcard by La Novela Semanal Cinematográfica, no. 142.

Sources: Wikipedia (French, German, and English) and IMDb.

This post was last updated on 24 January 2025.

G. Dupont-Emera (G.D.E.)

Amazing is the right word for this series of early 20th-century postcards by G.D.E. French actors are portrayed in unusual, sometimes lively poses which seem like improvisations for the camera. The photos and the postcards were made in Belgium by G. Dupont-Emera in Brussels and the French actors probably visited his studio at the Rue Royale 124 and 142 between 1898 and 1909 when they performed on a stage in the Belgian capital. Dupont started his first studio in Brussels in 1896 at 43 Montagne de la Cour (1896-1900). His final studio was located at 44 Rue de la Ligne. Little else is known about photographer and publisher G. Dupont-Emera (1865-?) or Dupont, but EFSP salutes his work!


Belgian postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera), Rue Royale 142, Bruxelles. André Brulé in the play 'Vieil Heidelberg' (Alt Heidelberg) (1906). The card was sent by mail in 1909. 'Alt Heidelberg' was a popular German stage play by Wilhelm Meyer-Förster. It was staged in France for the first time in 1906, at the Theatre Antoine, in a translation by Maurice Remon & W. Bauer. It knew many adaptations for the cinema. Ernst Lubitsch adapted it as The Student Prince of Old Heidelberg (1927), starring Ramon Novarro and Norma Shearer.

French actor André Brulé (1879-1953) created Arsène Lupin on the stage (1908, Athenee, Paris). Brulé also played in such films as Werther (1910), Le club des élégants (1912), and Les frères corses (1917). in the late 1930s, he also played several protagonists such as the lead in Vidocq (1938), Fernand in Les gens du voyage (1938), and Monsieur de Nogrelles in Retour de flamme (1943).


Belgian postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera), Rue Royale 142, Bruxelles.

French actor and director Jules Berry (1883-1951) is best remembered for his superb character work in the films by Jean Renoir and Marcel Carné.


Belgian postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera), Rue Royale 142, Bruxelles.

Maurice de Féraudy (1859-1932) was a French director and an actor of the Comédie-Française. He was also a notable actor and director in French silent cinema.


Belgian postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera), Rue Royale 142, Bruxelles.

French actor and director Henry Krauss (1866-1935) was a veteran of European cinema. From 1908 on he starred in several powerful character roles in early silent films.

Jules Berry

French postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera). At the start of his stage career, actor Jules Berry played for twelve years at the Galeries Saint-Hubert theatre in Brussels. The Brussels public gave him a very warm welcome. He played in particular in the comedy Le Mariage de Mademoiselle Beulemans, which had its premiere in 1910 at the Théâtre de l'Olympia in Brussels, and became a big success in Belgium and abroad, and was also turned into an operetta (1912) and film adaptations (1927, 1932, 1950). Berry's outfit in this card may well refer to this popular play. He played Albert, a Parisian employee of the brewer Beulemans, and not only in Brussels but also in the Paris and London performances of the play.


Belgian postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera).


Belgian postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera).

André Brulé

Belgian postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera).


Belgian postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera, Bruxelles). André Brulé must have done a large photo shoot for Dupont, as many cards by GDE exist of him, either in his princely uniform from the play 'Vieil Heidelberg', or in his "ordinary" clothes.


Belgian postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera, Bruxelles). André Brulé an unknown actor in the play 'Vieil Heidelberg' (Old Heidelberg). Sent by mail in Belgium in 1908.


Belgian postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera, Bruxelles).


Belgian postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera, Bruxelles).


Belgian postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera, Bruxelles).


Belgian postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera, Bruxelles).


Belgian postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera, Bruxelles).

Henry Krauss

Belgian postcard by G.D.E. (G. Dupont-Emera, Bruxelles).


Belgian postcard by Ed. Vanderauwera & Cie., Bruxelles. Photo: Dupont. Caption: Henry Krauss in 'Don César de Bazan'. 'Don César de Bazan' is an opéra comique by Jules Massenet, based on the drama 'Ruy Blas' by Victor Hugo.


Belgian postcard by Ed. Vanderauwera & Cie., Bruxelles. Photo: Dupont. Caption: Henry Krauss in 'Don César de Bazan'. 'Don César de Bazan' is an opéra comique by Jules Massenet, based on the drama 'Ruy Blas' by Victor Hugo.


Belgian postcard by Ed. Vanderauwera & Cie., Bruxelles. Photo: Dupont. Caption: Henry Krauss in 'Don César de Bazan'. 'Don César de Bazan' is an opéra comique by Jules Massenet, based on the drama 'Ruy Blas' by Victor Hugo.


Belgian-French postcard by Vanderauwera & Co., Bruxelles / Paris. Photo: Dupont. Henry Krauss in the lead role of the stage play 'Paillasse' by Adolphe d'Ennery.


Franco-Belgian postcard by Vanderauwera & Co., Brussels / Paris. Photo: Dupont. Henry Krauss in 'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare.


Franco-Belgian postcard by Vanderauwera & Co., Brussels / Paris. Photo: Dupont. Caption: Henry Krauss as Hamlet.

Four extra cards

Belgian postcard. Photo: G. Dupont-Emèra (G.D.E.), Bruxelles. Alfred Jacque as Beulemans and Suzanne Gay as his daughter Suzanne in the operetta 'Beulemans marie sa fille' (1912), an adaptation of the stage comedy 'Le marriage de Mlle Beulemans' (1910) by Frantz Fonson et Fernand Wicheler, with music by Arthur Van Oost, and staged at the Brussels Théàtre Royal des Galeries St. Hubert.


Belgian postcard. Photo: Photo G. Dupont-Emera (G.D.E.), Bruxelles. Publicity still for the operetta 'Beulemans marie sa fille' (1912), an adaptation of the stage comedy 'Le marriage de Mlle Beulemans' (1910) by Frantz Fonson et Fernand Wicheler, with music by Arthur Van Oost, and staged at the Brussels Théàtre Royal des Galeries St. Hubert.


Belgian postcard. Photo: Photo G. Dupont-Emera (G.D.E.), Bruxelles. Publicity still for the operetta 'Beulemans marie sa fille' (1912), an adaptation of the stage comedy 'Le marriage de Mlle Beulemans' (1910) by Frantz Fonson et Fernand Wicheler, with music by Arthur Van Oost, and staged at the Brussels Théàtre Royal des Galeries St. Hubert.


Belgian postcard. Photo: G. Dupont-Emèra (G.D.E.). Jules Berry as André and Jane Delmar as Claire in the play 'La Demoiselle du magasin' (The Shop Girl), a 1913 theatrical play in three acts written by Belgians Frantz Fonson and Fernand Wicheler, who had already had a big success with their play 'Le marriage de Mlle Beulemans' (1910). 'La Demoiselle du magasin' was first performed in Paris at the Théâtre du Gymnase, on 13 February 1913. From 12 October of the same year, it was shown at the Théâtre des Galeries Saint-Hubert in Brussels - to which this card refers. For Delmar, the play meant her claim of fame. After months of performances in Paris, the success was repeated in Brussels. In 1915 the play was staged again in Paris, but this time without Berry. In 1921 there were plans to stage it once more, now again with Berry.

Sources: Cartophilie.be and BnF.

This post was last updated on 24 January 2025.