Paul Hörbiger (29 April 1894 – 5 March 1981) was an Austrian theatre and film actor.
Life and work Paul Hörbiger was born in the Hungarian capital Budapest, then part of Austria-Hungary, the son of engineer Hanns Hörbiger, founder of the Welteislehre cosmological concept, and elder brother of actor Attila Hörbiger. In 1902, the family returned to Vienna, while Paul attended the gymnasium (high school) at St. Paul's Abbey in Carinthia. Having obtained his Matura degree, he served in a mountain artillery regiment of the Austro-Hungarian Army in World War I, discharged in 1918 with the rank of an Oberleutnant.
After the war, Hörbiger took drama lessons and began his acting career in 1919 at the city theatre of Reichenberg (Liberec). From 1920, he performed at the New German Theatre in Prague. His fame grew when in 1926 he was employed by director Max Reinhardt at the ensemble of the Deutsches Theater in Berlin, reaching a high point with his appointment at the Vienna Burgtheater in 1940. He also appeared at the 1943 Salzburg Festival, performing in the role as Papageno in Mozart's opera The Magic Flute.
From 1928 he appeared in more than 250 films, mostly lightweight comedies of the Wiener Film genre popular among German and Austrian audiences during the 1930s and 40s. In 1936, he established his own filming company Algefa jointly with director E. W. Emo. In 1938, like many other celebrities, he openly acclaimed the Austrian Anschluss to Nazi Germany and continued his career, appearing also in propaganda films like Wunschkonzert ("Request concert") or Die grosse Liebe ("The great love"), which earned him an entry on Goebbels' Gottbegnadeten list ("God-blessed list"). On the other hand, Hörbiger inconspicuously met with opposition circles around Theo Lingen and Oskar Sima. In the latter days of World War II, he was arrested for treason by the Nazi authorities.
After the war, he resumed his career playing the porter who "talks too much" in Carol Reed's British film classic The Third Man (1949). Hörbiger, not speaking English at the time, learned his lines phonetically.
In the period 1947–49, he was chairman of the First Vienna FC football club.
Hörbiger remained one of the most popular German-speaking film actors of the 1950s and 1960s, starring in numerous Heimatfilm and Wiener Film productions. He again performed as the warm-hearted Viennese type and Heurigen singer, often together with Hans Moser and director Franz Antel. In his later years he again concentrated on theatre acting at the Burgtheater, where he last premiered in 1979 with Elias Canetti's Komödie der Eitelkeit ("Comedy of vanity").
Personal life In 1921 he married the actress Josepha Gettke with whom he had four children. Hörbiger died in Vienna aged 86 and is buried in an Ehrengrab at the Vienna Zentralfriedhof. The actress Christiane Hörbiger, daughter from his brother Attila's marriage with Paula Wessely, is his niece. The actors Christian Tramitz and Mavie Hörbiger are grandchildren of Paul Hörbiger.
Selected filmography
Sechs Mädchen suchen Nachtquartier (1928) Spione (1928, directed by Fritz Lang), as Chauffeur Franz The Great Adventuress (1928), as Detective Song (1928), as Sam The Gallant Hussar (1928), as Baron von Korporetzky Strauss Is Playing Today (1928), as Lamperlhirsch The Lady with the Mask (1928), as Michael - ein russischer Bauernknecht Dyckerpotts' Heirs (1928) Tales from the Vienna Woods (1928), as Alois Guschlbauer Hungarian Rhapsody (1928), as Kellner Das Letzte Souper (1928), as Balletmeister Die Räuberbande (1928) The Weekend Bride (1928), as Sekretær The Crazy Countess (1928), as Friseur Kose Asphalt (1929), as Ein Dieb The Woman Everyone Loves Is You (1929), as Dörsterlein Möblierte Zimmer (1929), as Kalinowski Ein kleiner Vorschuß auf die Seligkeit (1929), as Theobald Nuddlich, Fabrikant Why Cry at Parting? (1929), as Tortoni, ein Illusionist The Convict from Istanbul (1929), as Vlastos The Green Monocle (1929), as Snyder Women on the Edge (1929), as Siegfried Nürnberger, sein Impresario Three Around Edith (1929), as Nick Never Trust a Woman (1930), as Joachim The Immortal Vagabond (1930) Delicatessen (1930), as Josef, Diener bei Wallis Zwei Herzen im Dreivierteltakt (1930), as Ferdinand - ein Kutscher Nur Du (1930), as Graf Belmont, his stepfather Wie werde ich reich und glücklich? (1930), as Geheimrat Regen Das alte Lied (1930), as Xandel Two Hearts in Waltz Time (1930) Three Days Confined to Barracks (1930), as Zippert, secretary A Gentleman for Hire (1930), as Prof. Amanuel Wielander The Forester's Daughter (1931), as Der alte Baron Grock (1931), as Ein ungeschickter Geldsucher Her Grace Commands (1931), as Hofdetektiv Pipac The Merry Wives of Vienna (1931), as Anselm Leitner - Hofrat Walzerparadies (1931), as Dr. Pospischill Der Stumme von Portici (1931) The Squeaker (1931), as Josuah Harras, Reporter Errant Husbands (1931), as Otto Rux, Weinhändler My Heart Longs for Love (1931), as Gehring The Unfaithful Eckehart (1931), as Karl Moor Der Kongreß tanzt (1931), as Heurigen Singer Sein Scheidungsgrund (1931), as Rasmussen, Hellseher Der verjüngte Adolar (1931), as Prof. Haselhuhn, Privatgelehrter Peace of Mind (1931), as Dr. Egon Breitner Poor as a Church Mouse (1931), as Count Friedrich Thalheim Distorting at the Resort (1932), as Fritz Garreis You Don't Forget Such a Girl (1932), as Direktor Leopold Schrader A Tremendously Rich Man (1932), as Linkerton Peter Voss, Thief of Millions (1932), as Bobby Dodd Once There Was a Waltz (1932), as Franz Pirzinger A Mad Idea (1932), as Emil Quick (1932), as Lademann, Quick's manager Viennese Waltz (1932), as Verleger Haslinger Two Lucky Days (1932), as Pepi Freisinger Drei von der Kavallerie (1932), as Peter, ein Ulan A Blonde Dream (1932), as Vogelscheuche Scampolo (1932), as Gabriel Annemarie, die Braut der Kompanie (1932), as Musketier Karl Lehmann Trenck (1932), as Löwenwalde, Präsident des österr. Gerichtshofes Frederica (1932), as Pfarrer Brion Paprika (1932), as Dr. Paul Schröder The Secret of Johann Orth (1932), as Lanik The Invisible Front (1932), as Kommisssar Borgmann The Emperor's Waltz (1933), as Graf Eggersdorf The Big Bluff (1933), as Arthur Richman Two Good Comrades (1933), as Fritz Lehmann No Day Without You (1933), as Bonifazius, der Maler Liebelei (1933, directed by Max Ophüls), as Der alte Weyring - Kammermusiker A Song for You (1933), as Schindler Greetings and Kisses, Veronika (1933), as Paul Rainer Homecoming to Happiness (1933), as Karl Gruber Waltz War (1933), as Joseph Lanner Romance in Budapest (1933), as Murray Pál zongoramûvész Scandal in Budapest (1933), as Paul Murray Young Dessau's Great Love (1933), as Der Kaiser Miss Madame (1934), as Peter Valentin, Prokurist My Heart Calls You (1934), as Director Arvelle ...heute abend bei mir (1934), as Baron Denhoff The Csardas Princess (1934), as Feri von Kerekes Roses from the South (1934), as Johann Strauß Playing with Fire (1934), as Dr. Alfred Kramer Spring Parade (1934), as Kaiser Franz Joseph (1934), as Hubertus Behmer An Evening Visit (1934), as Karl Maria Fernebeck, Prokurist The Gentleman Without a Residence (1934), as Professor Mangold Hearts are Trumps (1934), as Paulsen (1935), as Johann Strauß Fresh Wind from Canada (1935), as Meinkel, Angestellter Modehaus Granitz Last Stop (1935), as Karl Vierthaler, Straßenbahnschaffner Lessons in Love (1935), as Alois Weinberl The Royal Waltz (1935), as König Max II. von Bayern If It Were Not for Music (1935), as Florian Mayr, genannt 'Kraft-Mayr' Liebeslied (1935), as Pierre E lucean le stelle (1935) The Fairy Doll (1936), as Anton Freiherr von Kautzenbichl Three Girls for Schubert (1936), as Franz Schubert A Hoax (1936), as Peter Burgstaller, Oberkellner His Daughter is Called Peter (1936), as Dr. Felix Sandhofer The Cabbie's Song (1936), as Ferdinand Strödl, Fiakerkutscher Lumpaci the Vagabond (1936), as Lumpazivagabundus, Knieriem Doctor Engel (1936), as Dr. Engel Duvod k rozvodu (1937) Peter im Schnee (1937), as Dr.Sonthofer Cause for Divorce (1937), as Toni Bernhof The Vagabonds (1937), as Haselhof Florentine (1937), as Peter Russel - Kapitän der 'Florentine' Immer wenn ich glücklich bin..! (1938), as Josef 'Pepi' Reinhold, Theaterdirektor Einmal werd' ich Dir gefallen (1938), as Der Baron Heiraten – aber wen? (1938), as Dr. Kramer - Chirurg Heimat (1938), as Franz Heffterdingk Liebelei und Liebe (1938), as Alexander Settegast - Koch The Blue Fox (1938), as Stephan Paulus The Stars Shine (1938), as Himself Drunter und drüber (1939) Men Are That Way (1939), as Dody, Musik-Clown Salonwagen E 417 (1939), as Friedrich Christian Lautenschläger I Am Sebastian Ott (1939), as Kriminalrat Baumann Immortal Waltz (1939), as Johann Strauß Vater Kitty and the World Conference (1939), as Huber Hochzeitsreise zu dritt (1939) Maria Ilona (1939), as Ferdinand V., Kaiser von Österreich A Mother's Love (1939), as Notar Dr. Koblmüller Opera Ball (1939), as Georg Dannhauser Vienna Tales (1940), as Ferdinand Falstaff in Vienna (1940), as Hofschneider Josef Sturm Beloved Augustin (1940), as Der liebe Augustin - ein Bänkelsänger Operetta (1940), as Alexander Girardi Herzensfreud - Herzensleid (1940), as Josef Radl - Weinbauer Wunschkonzert (1940), as Himself Oh, diese Männer (1940), as Eberhard Reitinger Wir bitten zum Tanz (1941), as Roublée Brüderlein fein (1942), as Franz Grillparzer The Great Love (1942), as Alexander Rudnitzky, Komponist So ein Früchtchen (1942), as Kurt Ruppert Die heimliche Gräfin (1942), as Erzherzog Johann Sylvester Whom the Gods Love (1942), as Von Strack Laugh, Pagliacci (1943), as Canio Laugh Bajazzo (1943), as Canio Black on White (1943), as Prof. Klaus Romantische Brautfahrt (1944), as Baron Dagobert Schatzberghe Schrammeln (1944), as Hans Schrammel Die Zaubergeige (1944), as Violinist Georg Helmesberger Der Hofrat Geiger (1947), as Hofrat Franz Geiger The Angel with the Trumpet (1948), as Otto Eberhard Alt Kleine Melodie aus Wien (1948), as Professor Griebichler The Mozart Story (1948), as Strack (the court chamberlain) The Prisoner (1949), as Dr. Bianchon - Armenarzt von Paris The Third Man (1949), as Karl - Harry's Porter (1949), as der Tod One Night Apart (1950), as Ferdinand Graf Lilienstein (1950), as Dechant von Köstendorf The Black Forest Girl (1950), as Domkapellmeister The Orplid Mystery (1950), as Musik-Clown 'The Great Teatch' (1950), as Carl Millöcker Der Teufel führt Regie (1951), as Pierre Darcy Der alte Sünder (1951), as Ferdinand Bauer Die Frauen des Herrn S. (1951), as Sokrates (1951), as Franz Jungwirt Veronika the Maid (1951), as Jansen sen. Der fidele Bauer (1951), as Matthias Scheichelroither When the Evening Bells Ring (1951), as Lehrer Storm Hello Porter (1952), as Professor Ferdinand Godai Voices of Spring (1952), as Lukas, Hausmeister My Name is Niki (1952), as Hieronymus Spitz Mein Herz darfst du nicht fragen (1952), as Geheimrat Hollbach The Land of Smiles (1952), as Professor Ferdinand Licht Mikosch Comes In (1952), as Dr. Paliwec I Lost My Heart in Heidelberg (1952), as Josef Degener You Only Live Once (1952), as Karl Heinemann 1. April 2000 (1952), as Augustin Hannerl (1952), as Hermann Gerstinger Die Fiakermilli (1953), as Honigberger, Pianist We'll Talk About Love Later (1953), as Geschäftsführer der 'Fledermaus' The Rose of Stamboul (1953), as Mehemed Pascha (1953), as Präsident Young Heart Full of Love (1953), as Landesstallmeister Grandstand for General Staff (1953), as Oberst v. Leuckfeld The Dancing Heart (1953), as Fürst (Prince) Life Begins at Seventeen (1953), as Jacques Peronne The Private Secretary (1953), as Portier Julius Die Perle von Tokay (1954), as Ferencz Körös von Köröshazy, General a.D. The Abduction of the Sabine Women (1954), as Professor Martin Gollwitz