Max Linder
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1883-12-16
Day of Death
1925-11-01 (41 years old)
Place of Birth
Cavernes, Saint-Loubès, Gironde, France
Max Linder
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.
Known For
Acting
(2024)
Life and Deaths of Max Linder
as Self (archive footage)
(2013)
Birth of the Tramp
as Self (archive footage)
(2013)
Tout sur mon père Max Linder
as Self (archive footage)
(1983)
The Man in the Silk Hat
as Self (archive footage)
(1963)
Laugh with Max Linder
as Self (archive footage)
(1955)
All in Good Fun
as Archive Footage
(1948)
Easter Parade
as Audience Member (uncredited)
(1946)
Those Were The Days
as (self)
(1931)
The Theft of the Mona Lisa
as (archive footage)
(1924)
Au secours !
as Max
(1924)
King of the Circus
as Max Graf von Pompadour
(1924)
(1922)
The Three Must-Get-Theres
as Dart-In-Again
(1921)
Seven Years Bad Luck
as Max
(1921)
Be My Wife
as Max, the Fiancé
(1919)
(1917)
Max in a Taxi
as Himself
(1917)
(1917)
(1917)
Max Wants a Divorce
as Max
(1917)
Max Comes Across
as Max
(1917)
(1917)
(1917)
Max, médecin malgré lui
as Max
(1915)
Chance and Love
as Max
(1915)
(1915)
(1914)
(1914)
(1914)
Max Sets the Style
as Max
(1914)
Max Speaks English
as Max
(1914)
Max as a Chiropodist
as Max
(1914)
Max's Vacation
as Max
(1914)
Max asthmatique
as Max
(1914)
(1914)
The False Max Linder
as Max
(1914)
(1914)
(1914)
Max and the Lady Doctor
as Max
(1914)
(1914)
(1913)
Max as a Musician
as Max
(1913)
(1913)
(1913)
Le billet doux
as Max
(1913)
(1913)
(1913)
Max's Hat
as Max
(1913)
Max: Jockey for Love
as Max
(1913)
(1913)
(1913)
Le duel de Max
as Max
(1912)
Max and the Donkey
as Max
(1912)
Max and the Statue
as Max
(1912)
(1912)
(1912)
Long-Lasting Love
as Max
(1912)
Max and His Dog Dick
as Max
(1912)
Max Sets the Fashion
as Max
(1912)
The Romance of Max
as Max
(1912)
(1912)
Max émule de Tartarin
as Max
(1912)
Max Fears the Dogs
as Max
(1912)
Max Takes Back His Freedom
as Max (uncredited)
(1912)
Un pari original
as Max
(1912)
Max Wants to Grow
as Max
(1912)
The Water-Funker
as Max
(1912)
The Wedding Trunk
as Max
(1912)
(1912)
(1912)
A Farmhouse Romance
as Max
(1912)
(1912)
(1911)
Max se marie
as Max
(1911)
(1911)
(1911)
Max Takes a Bath
as Max
(1911)
Max Is Convalescent
as Max
(1911)
Max a un duel
as Max
(1911)
Max Takes Tonics
as Max
(1911)
(1911)
(1911)
Champion de boxe
as Max
(1910)
Max Skiing
as Max
(1910)
Max's First Job
as Max
(1910)
Max Embarrassed
as Max
(1910)
Trop aimée
as Max
(1910)
(1910)
Le serment d'un prince
as Jacques de Lacerda
(1910)
The Adventures of Tartarin the Younger
as Tartarin
(1910)
(1910)
A Short-Sighted Duellist
as Max
(1910)
The Effects of Pills
as Max
(1910)
(1910)
Max Gets Stuck Up
as Max
(1910)
Max est distrait
as Max
(1909)
(1909)
(1909)
(1909)
(1909)
The Gentleman Thief
as Arsène Lupin
(1909)
(1909)
(1909)
(1908)
(1908)
(1908)
(1908)
In a Difficult Position
as Dieutegarde
(1908)
Beginning of the Serpentine Dance
as The ballet master
(1907)
Harlequin's Story
as Polichinelle / Ponchinella / Harlequin
(1907)
C'est Papa qui a pris la purge
as Man on park bench
(1907)
Max Learns to Skate
as Max
(1907)
(1907)
(1907)
(1907)
(1907)
Chaussure trop étroite
as Max
(1907)
(1906)
(1906)
Julot va dans le monde
as Julot
(1906)
(1906)
(1905)
(1905)
Crew
(1963)
Laugh with Max Linder
Writer
(1927)
Maxim's Porter
Writer
(1924)
King of the Circus
Writer
(1924)
Au secours !
Writer
(1923)
Par habitude
Story
(1922)
The Three Must-Get-Theres
Director, Writer
(1921)
Seven Years Bad Luck
Director, Producer, Writer
(1921)
Be My Wife
Director, Writer, Producer
(1919)
Le Petit Café
Writer
(1917)
Max the Heartbreaker
Director
(1917)
Max Wants a Divorce
Director, Writer
(1917)
Max in a Taxi
Director
(1917)
Max and the Purse
Director
(1917)
Max, médecin malgré lui
Director, Writer
(1917)
Max devrait porter des bretelles
Director
(1917)
Max Comes Across
Writer, Director
(1915)
Max in Monaco
Director
(1915)
Chance and Love
Director, Writer
(1915)
Hairdresser of Love
Director
(1914)
Max Speaks English
Director
(1914)
Max and the Lady Doctor
Director, Writer
(1914)
Max Sets the Style
Director
(1914)
Max as a Chiropodist
Director
(1914)
Max's Vacation
Director, Writer
(1914)
Max Wishes He Hadn't
Writer, Director
(1914)
The Forced Marriage
Director
(1914)
Max and the Jealous Husband
Director
(1914)
Max asthmatique
Director
(1914)
Max's Latest Hobby
Director
(1913)
Max's Hat
Director, Writer
(1913)
Max Linder's Appointment
Director, Writer
(1913)
Max Linder Does All the Sports
Director
(1913)
Max as a Musician
Writer, Director
(1913)
Max Hates Cats
Director
(1913)
Max Toreador
Director, Writer
(1913)
An Unexpected Marriage
Director
(1913)
Max: Jockey for Love
Director
(1913)
Le duel de Max
Director
(1913)
Le billet doux
Scenario Writer, Director
(1912)
Max Juggles for Love
Director
(1912)
Max and His Dog Dick
Director, Writer
(1912)
A Farmhouse Romance
Director
(1912)
Max Wants to Grow
Director
(1912)
Max: Boxer By Love
Director
(1912)
Max and the Statue
Director, Writer
(1912)
Max and the Donkey
Director
(1912)
An Agitated Night
Director
(1912)
The Romance of Max
Director
(1912)
Max Sets the Fashion
Director
(1912)
Long-Lasting Love
Director
(1912)
The Water-Funker
Director
(1912)
Cordial Agreement
Director, Writer
(1912)
The Wedding Trunk
Director
(1912)
Jalousie
Writer, Director
(1912)
Max, Tango Teacher
Director
(1912)
Max Takes Back His Freedom
Director, Writer
(1912)
Max Fears the Dogs
Director
(1912)
Max émule de Tartarin
Director
(1912)
Max amoureux de la teinturière
Director
(1912)
Un pari original
Director
(1911)
Champion de boxe
Director, Writer
(1911)
Max Takes Tonics
Director
(1911)
Max and His Mother-in-Law
Director, Writer
(1911)
Max Takes a Bath
Scenario Writer
(1911)
Max and Jane Want to Do Theater
Director, Writer
(1911)
Max Is Convalescent
Director, Writer
(1911)
Une ruse de mari
Writer
(1911)
Max se marie
Director
(1911)
Max a un duel
Director
(1911)
(1910)
Max's First Job
Director
(1910)
Max Gets Stuck Up
Director, Writer
(1910)
Max Embarrassed
Director
(1910)
The Adventures of Tartarin the Younger
Writer, Director
(1910)
I Want a Baby
Director, Writer
(1910)
The Effects of Pills
Writer
(1910)
Le serment d'un prince
Writer, Director
(1910)
Max est distrait
Director
(1910)
(1909)
The Gentleman Thief
Director
(1909)
Love's Surprises
Director
(1908)
Troubles of a Grass Widower
Director
(1906)
Attempted Suicide
Director, Screenplay