Max Linder
Date of birth: 1883-12-16
Place of birth: Cavernes, Saint-Loubès, Gironde, France
Known for: Acting
Also known as: Gabriel-Maximilien Leuvielle, Gentleman Max
Biography
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.
Movie Credits
Une ruse de mari
1911-01-16
A short movie.
At the Show
1907-01-20
A series of comic mishaps in house boxes at a music hall.
Jalousie
1912-12-01
Max Wishes He Hadn't
1914-04-14
In consequence of a first kiss, poor Max finds himself claimed as a property of a persistent damsel.
Seven Years Bad Luck
1921-02-06
After breaking a mirror in his home, superstitious Max tries to avoid situations which could bring b
Le serment d'un prince
1910-01-01
A young prince secretly married to a gypsy girl is forced to disclose the fact when his father desir
Champion de boxe
1911-01-10
Max Wants a Divorce
1917-03-26
Max is forced to choose between losing his newly wedded wife and a fortune. He hits upon a brilliant
Max in a Taxi
1917-04-23
A wealthy alcoholic is disowned by his father for his drunken behavior. Now penniless, he takes a jo
Max Speaks English
1914-03-06
"Scene, a first-class railway carriage. Max and delightful girl alone. "May I smoke?" breaks the ice
Max and His Mother-in-Law
1911-04-28
Max and his young bride attempt to enjoy an Alpine honeymoon, despite the presence of her mother.
Max and His Dog Dick
1912-02-09
When Max, a newly married man, suspects that his wife may be cheating on him, he gives his faithful
Max Takes Tonics
1911-12-15
Max visits a doctor who prescribes a tonic (Bordeaux of Cinchona) for him to drink every morning. Up
The Little Vixen
1909-10-22
Max Linder is an ardent suitor for the hand of a somewhat rampageous young lady. The gentle Max suff
Max the Heartbreaker
1917-05-04
The story is about Max who in holiday in Switzerland meets two young American girls. They're friends
The Three Must-Get-Theres
1922-08-22
In this movie, Max Linder parodies the famous novel "The Three Musketeers".
First Night Out
1905-07-20
A young student goes to his father and asks for money. When this isn't enough he goes to his mother
The False Max Linder
1914-09-29
Auguste is cured! The doctor at the asylum said so. Delighted, his mother gives him a few coins so h
A Farmhouse Romance
1912-08-15
Max is informed by his rich uncle that he's tired of supporting him. Instead, he has a farmer friend
Max's Hat
1913-10-24
Max has been invited to meet with his in-laws and must dress formally, but each hat he attempts to w
Max Takes a Picture
1913-01-12
Max attempts to take a photo of a woman in a bathing suit, waiting while she swims around. He's wait
Max Fears the Dogs
1912-05-08
Max, who fears dogs, is chased by them through the city, over walls, and even up a chimney and onto
Max Wants to Grow
1912-12-06
Commonly confused with Max ne se mariera pas
Max Juggles for Love
1912-05-08
Max wants to marry a lady. Inexplicably she insists she won't marry him until he learns to juggle! P
Max: Boxer By Love
1912-10-24
Max officiates between two brawny boxers, then steps in against the cocky larger man, the acclaimed
Max's First Job
1910-10-01
Recommended by a friend of the Ambigu Theatre, Max is summoned to Joinville studios. His first role
Max Gets Stuck Up
1910-12-31
The film begins with Max being invited to dinner with his fiancée and future in-laws. To be polite,
The Dentures
1909-11-16
Mother in law gets a new set of dentures. Despite being initially happy, the family soon discovers t
Romeo Turns Bandit
1909-05-16
Based on characters from Shakespeare's play: When Juliet's father refuses to let Romeo see her, Rome
Max and the Lady Doctor
1914-07-10
Max visits a lady doctor for a chest cold and is alternately anxious and nervous and excited, in a r
Love's Surprises
1909-10-16
A man, his wife and their two sons are having a meal. One of the sons leaves the room pretending to
Max Plays the Part
1914-07-01
Max sees himself as a great dramatic actor but his friends all think he's talentless. So, he invites
Max and the Donkey
1912-07-04
Max Linder strays further from his usual haunts of situational comedy, far into straight slapstick a
An Agitated Night
1912-05-24
It is Max's wedding night, married to the beautiful Stacia Napierkowska. He and his bride are sleepi
The Romance of Max
1912-10-17
The story is simple: Max and a pretty young lady, whom he has never met before, arrive at the same t
Max and the Statue
1912-12-20
Max starts out at a costume store to get a costume for a party. He sees a suit of armor and purchase
Max Sets the Fashion
1912-01-05
Max, awakening on his wedding morning, discovers that it is close on the hour when he should be at t
His First Cigar
1908-03-06
The film is quite sophisticated for it's time with a relatively large number of scene changes as we
In a Difficult Position
1908-02-23
Max, a young man about town, splits his trousers while getting ready to go out one night. After appl
Harlequin's Story
1907-06-26
Polichinelle the servant (called Harlequin in the English language version) rescues his girlfriend f
Joined Lips
1906-12-10
The setting is a postoffice. A well-to-do lady has brought her maid to lick the stamps. A man, the m
Max Sets the Style
1914-03-05
Max is late for his own wedding, and, worse yet, has no shoes.
Max in Monaco
1915-01-07
The extremely ludicrous adventures of an intoxicated man aboard a yacht.
Max Takes a Bath
1911-02-01
On doctor's orders Max buys a new bathtub, but Max struggles to fill it, and when he does, he can't
Max Learns to Skate
1907-04-15
Max causes havoc when he joins other skaters on a frozen lake.
Be My Wife
1921-04-01
Max is determined to woo Mary, despite her Aunt Agatha's disapproval. Then, Max and Mary become embr
Au secours !
1924-06-17
Max accepts a wager that he cannot remain in a haunted castle for one hour (11 PM to midnight) witho
Max and Jane Want to Do Theater
1911-12-11
Max is a stage struck youth, and because of a deep-seated desire to go on the stage, refuses to cons
Max: Jockey for Love
1913-03-21
Max meets the Countess Duvienne in a very distressing moment, for she has just learned that her jock
The Barometer of Fidelity
1909-11-04
This Max Linder short opens with him and his girl blissfully rowing in a canoe before skipping ahead
Max Embarrassed
1910-11-12
In this one, [Max] is on vacation and wooing a young lady, but she and her cousin decide to play a t
The Water-Funker
1912-12-06
Max is in love with Lili, capricious bride who won't do his will until he has recovered the ring she
Long-Lasting Love
1912-10-03
As a struggling artist, Max is not allowed to pay attentions to a girl by her father. Max decides to
Cordial Agreement
1912-09-19
Max and his friend, who came to visit him in Paris both fall in love with his new maid. The girl is
Max Is Convalescent
1911-08-25
To reassure his fans, Max Linder has been filming with his family at his place of convalescence...
Max as a Chiropodist
1914-04-23
Coming to visit a girl, Max presents himself as a pedicurist.
Max's Vacation
1914-01-09
Max is invited to join his uncle for a holiday, but he hasn't invited his wife, so he sneaks her in
The Wedding Trunk
1912-07-18
Max wants to marry his girl but one man stands in the way. Her guardian. And Max got to find a way t
C'est Papa qui a pris la purge
1907-01-01
Boy tricks his father into drinking castor oil. The latter is obliged to defecate in a series of unl
Max and the Purse
1917-02-02
Max being a gentleman and helping a lady in distress. Max willingly helps the lady recover her forgo
Max Linder Does All the Sports
1913-07-03
Max reads in a newspaper, that Gladys Maxence, a rich American woman, seeks a young sportsman for ma
A Nervous Twitch Is Catching (Un Tic Nerveux Contagieux)
A young fellow, who is afflicted with a nervous disorder, gets fits of twitching, which is contagiou
Troubles of a Grass Widower
1908-04-05
A housewife tires of her husband's annoying behavior and returns to her mother. At first, the husban
Chance and Love
1915-12-31
A love sick Max fly to find his love and recover.
The World of Yesteryear – Max Linder
1924-03-09
Some promotional footage shot for "Max, der Zirkuskönig".
Le Petit Café
1919-01-02
Max is a millionaire who is forced to lead a double-life as a waiter, the result of having lost a wa
For a Necklace
1907-02-10
French film starring Max Linder, released in 1907.
The Husband's Trick
1907-03-07
Silent starring Max Linder.
King of the Circus
1924-05-23
Max suffers from drunkenness, but gets serious after he falls for the daughter of a circus director
The Adventures of Tartarin the Younger
1910-01-07
Max Makes a Touch
1910-05-20
Max and Mick, two brothers, have prepared for a merry spree and are actually stepping into their cab
Max Toreador
1913-09-11
Max Linder finds himself obsessed with bull fighting. This seems to echo the nature of the actual ma
Max Hates Cats
1913-09-26
In this one, Max is engaged to a girl -- called, as in all his shorts, 'Jane' -- and she loves her p
Max, Tango Teacher
1912-08-16
Max is doing the Tango with Miss Leonora in a Berlin night club. Being impressed by the performance
A Short-Sighted Duellist
1910-07-01
Astigmatic, Max apologizes to lampposts, kisses the wrong lady, and is challenged to a duel.
Max, médecin malgré lui
1917-09-21
Attempted Suicide
1906-01-09
Suffering from unrequited love, Max hangs himself from a tree, and ends up hanging for hours while l
In Love with the Bearded Woman
1909-07-31
The Theft of the Mona Lisa
1931-08-24
This German crime drama was based on a true story. Willy Forst stars as a poverty-stricken Italian g
The Forced Marriage
1914-08-10
Again Max is forced into marriage. If he doesn't marry soon he won't get any more money from his unc
Max in the Convent
1914-08-13
In this three-reeler, the young lady with whom he is in love is sent to a convent to get her away fr
Max Skiing
1910-07-14
In a snowy Alpine district Max takes his first lessons in the art of skiing. He leaves the hotel wit
An Unexpected Marriage
1913-11-11
Blind courtship over a hedge.
Max and the Jealous Husband
1914-04-10
A Max Linder comedy short.
Max Plays at Drama
1914-07-23
When Max's friends doubt his acting ability, he invites them to a dramatic theatrical performance.
I Want a Baby
1910-04-08
Max and his wife of three years are happy in most regards but one: they still don't have a child. Wh
Hairdresser of Love
1915-04-22
A Max Linder comedy short.
Life and Deaths of Max Linder
2026-01-16
Searching for documentation about Max Linder, we found in an abandoned house a trunk sealed for 100
Max Takes Back His Freedom
1912-01-26
"Max quarrels so with his wife that the lady leaves him. Our hero then attempts to do his own cookin
Max devrait porter des bretelles
1917-01-01
Comedy short starring Max Linder
A Conquest
1909-10-22
George, passing a pretty woman in the street, has recourse to that old-time trick of dropping his ow
Beginning of the Serpentine Dance
1908-09-03
In a living room, four contemporary couples from the time the film was shot dance a waltz under the
Laugh with Max Linder
1963-11-22
Pioneering comedy legend Max Linder wrote, produced, directed and starred in Seven Years Bad Luck. H
Phial of Poison
1907-01-12
A dramatic short.
The Effects of Pills
1910-07-09
Max Linder is out of sorts and bad-tempered. He is rude to his wife, who tells him she will leave hi
Max se marie
1911-03-17
Max has just been married, but is about to be divorced, because at his marriage party he disgraced h
Trop aimée
1910-10-15
The versatile Max Linder heads a novel chase in this film, the pursuers being three dogs, the pets o
Chaussure trop étroite
1907-04-20
Max has some shoes but they're a bit tight.
Max émule de Tartarin
1912-08-30
Max relates to Mona, staying for the winter sports in Switzerland, that he killed a magnificent bear
Max a un duel
1911-09-11
Max, the celebrated fun maker, is shown in another of his amusing playlets. His fiancée, ere she mar
Max est distrait
1910-07-03
Max acknowledges his father-in-law's dinner invitation with a business memorandum to his horse deale
Un pari original
1912-06-21
Max and his wife each blame the other for a nagging tongue. Max offers to bet his wife fifty pounds,
Max amoureux de la teinturière
1912-02-23
Max is in love with a pretty girl, and one evening pays a stolen visit to his sweetheart's, whose fa
Le duel de Max
1913-08-29
Max is in love with a charming girl, who also is already affianced to another. Does Max despair? Nev
Max as a Musician
1913-12-12
Max loves a charming girl to distraction, but her father declares that his daughter shall never marr
The Man in the Silk Hat
1983-11-05
A documentary with many excerpts from the films of French movie pioneer Max Linder, narrated by his
Birth of the Tramp
2013-12-29
A look back at Charlie Chaplin's early life and career, from his rough childhood and music hall succ
Max Comes Across
1917-02-18
The adventures of Max Linder, some based on real events, some fictional, as he travels by ocean line
Max Linder Visits Charlie Chaplin
1917-01-01
Renowned French comedian and filmmaker Max Linder visits Charlie Chaplin in 1917.
Le billet doux
1913-10-24
Tout sur mon père Max Linder
2013-12-31
Max asthmatique
1914-09-17
Noisy Neighbors
1908-07-18
A young man is seen entering his room and from the many expressions on his worn face one could not d
Max's Latest Hobby
1914-02-14
At the beach, amorous Max exchanges his shoes for those of a fair bather. The scheme goes awry, Lind
Max manque un riche mariage
1910-12-03
Max is about to make his first call upon a young lady, the daughter of distinguished parents, and he
The Gentleman Thief
1909-01-01
Max at an evening party takes a necklace from one of the guests and makes good his escape. The guest
Max Linder's Appointment
1913-03-07
Unforeseen Meeting
1905-08-25
Both father and son want to meet their respective romantic appointments, without the other one knowi
Les Étudiants de Paris
1906-06-13
A young man is sent away to law school in Paris. He enjoys himself until his parents come to visit a
Julot va dans le monde
1906-06-17
Julot goes out into society for the first time. He is in his sunday best, but looks ridiculous. Afte
Comment Max fait le tour du monde
1911-01-04
Pitou, bonne d'enfants
1907-07-25
Lost comedy film starred by Max Linder.
Those Were The Days
1946-11-29
Reminiscences of the early days of cinema and films show in music halls, including extracts. (BFI)
Easter Parade
1948-07-08
On the day before Easter in 1911, Don Hewes is crushed when his dancing partner (and object of affec
All in Good Fun
1955-01-01
Bob Monkhouse introduces the golden age of slapstick comedy.
Max Linder Collection 1917-1922
2014-01-01
Kino Classics and Lobster Films celebrate the legacy of Max Linder, a pioneer of comedy whom Charlie
The Way of the World
1947-01-01
A long-retired director of early silent films recalls his exciting career as a filmmaker.