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Wikipedia / Paul Hubschmid

Paul Hubschmid (; 20 July 1917 – 1 January 2002) was a Swiss actor. He was most notable for his role as Henry Higgins in the German stage production of My Fair Lady. In his Hollywood appearances, he was billed as Paul Christian. He appeared in dozens of films and television series between 1938 and 1992, many of which were German and International productions.

Life

Childhood, Youth, Education

Hubschmid's parents were Paul Hubschmid Snr., a canteen manager at the Bally shoe factory in Schönenwerd, and Alice Noël, daughter of a chef and a journalist. She wrote for the Aargauer Tagblatt and later managed an advice column for the Swiss magazine femina. Hubschmid studied acting for two years at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna. To finance his studies, his mother requested a scholarship from Iwan Bally, the Swiss co-owner of the Bally shoe company.

First Roles

After completing his training, Hubschmid made his stage debut at the German Volkstheater in Vienna. He then performed at the Theater in Josefstadt and went on to appear in Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Frankfurt. In 1938, Hubschmid landed his first film role, in the Swiss feature Fusilier Wipf. His portrayal of the title character, recruit “Füsilier Wipf”, made the 21-year-old Hubschmid famous in Switzerland.

Working in Germany During World War II

As a Swiss citizen in Germany during the Nazi regime, where all movie production was controlled by the government, Hubschmid acted in State Films (Staatsauftragsfilme). As a result, after the war, he was unable to secure roles in Switzerland. He later wrote in his memoir that he was ashamed not to have drawn clearer conclusions in view of the "atrocities of the Nazi regime" and that it was "explainable at most by my youth and my Swiss passport".

Private Life

In 1941, Hubschmid married actress Ursula von Teubern in Vienna. In January 1945, their son (Peter Christian Hubschmid) was born in Bad Ischl, far from the war, where Hubschmid was making a romantic comedy. After the death of his wife in 1963, Hubschmid remarried. He wed actress Eva Renzi in 1967, and adopted her daughter Anouschka. The couple divorced in 1980. Hubschmid married a third time, in 1985 to actress Irène Schiesser (1950–2018), with whom he lived until his death.

Hollywood career

In 1948, Hubschmid signed a five-year contract with Universal Pictures. He was billed as Paul Christian, owing to concerns that his real name was not marketable in the U.S.

With his stature and striking looks, Christian played heroes and romantic leads. His first Hollywood starring role was alongside Maureen O'Hara and Vincent Price in Bagdad. He also starred in The Thief of Venice, filmed on location, and worked with director Don Siegel on the comedy No Time for Flowers, filmed in Vienna.

Upon returning to Hollywood, Christian starred in the science-fiction film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, based on the story by Ray Bradbury. The film became a cult classic and was one of the first movies to feature stop-motion animation by Ray Harryhausen.

Return to Europe

In 1953, his Universal contract at an end, Hubschmid returned to Germany, resumed his real name, and took on leading roles opposite Marika Rökk in Mask in Blue and Lilo Pulver in The Zürich Engagement. He was considered the “handsomest man in post-war German cinema.”

Hubschmid starred in Fritz Lang's heavily revised remake of two classic silent films he originally conceived and co-wrote with Thea von Harbou. With The Tiger of Eschnapur and The Indian Tomb, Hubschmid achieved international fame.

In 1961, he was cast as Professor Higgins in the German premiere of My Fair Lady at the Theater des Westens in Berlin. The role became his most iconic performance, and he played it over 2000 times. He called it the “greatest stroke of luck” in his stage career.

Later Career and Legacy

Into the early 1990s, Hubschmid worked in film and television, appearing in numerous European productions and also in British and American films including Funeral in Berlin and Skullduggery. His performances remained highly regarded, and his deep, resonant voice made him a sought-after narrator for documentaries and roles in plays produced for radio.

In recognition of his contributions to cinema and theatre, Hubschmid was awarded the Filmband in Gold in 1980.

Hubschmid retired from acting in 1993 at the age of 76. In his final years, he battled numerous health issues, most notably Parkinson’s Disease. He died on January 1, 2002, aged 84, from a pulmonary embolism. His ashes were scattered in Provence.

Selected filmography

Awards

References

  • Halliwell, Leslie (1981). Halliwell's Who's Who in the Movies. Harper-Collins. ISBN 0-06-093507-3.

  • Katz, Ephraim. The Film Encyclopedia (5th ed.). Revised by Fred Klein & Ronald Dean Nolen. New York: Collins. ISBN 0-06-074214-3.

  • Paul Hubschmid: Handsome Man, What Now? Memories. Albrecht Knaus, Munich 1998, ISBN 978-3-8135-2593-9.

Further reading

  • Hermann J. Huber: Langen Müller’s Actor Lexicon of the Present. Germany. Austria. Switzerland. Albert Langen • Georg Müller Verlag GmbH, Munich • Vienna 1986, ISBN 3-7844-2058-3, p.442.

  • Irène Hubschmid: Paul Hubschmid – Beloved Man, What Now? Memories. Militzke Verlag, Leipzig 2006, ISBN 3-86189-745-8.

  • Kay Weniger: The Great Encyclopedia of Film Personalities. The actors, directors, cinematographers, producers, composers, screenwriters, film architects, designers, costume designers, editors, sound engineers, makeup artists, and special effects designers of the 20th century. Volume 4: H – L. Botho Höfer – Richard Lester. Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2001, ISBN 3-89602-340-3, p.96 f.

  • Michael Wenk: . [On the 100th birthday of Paul Hubschmid]. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung, July 19, 2017.