John Gottowt

John Gottowt
Born 15 June 1881(1881-06-15)
Lemberg, Austria-Hungary
Died 29 August 1942(1942-08-29) (aged 61)
Wieliczka, Poland
Occupation Actor
Years active 1913–1933

John Gottowt (15 June 1881 – 29 August 1942) was a German actor, stage director and film director for theatres and silent movies.

He was born as Isidor Gesang in Lemberg, Austria-Hungary. After his education in Vienna, he joined the Deutsches Theater in Berlin in 1905, working for Max Reinhardt as an actor and director. Gottowt was mainly active in different theatres in Berlin as a character actor and director.

His first silent film appearance was in Paul Wegener’s Der Student von Prag ("The Student of Prague") (1913). In 1920 he appeared in Robert Wiene's Genuine and took the main role in the early science fiction film Algol ("Algol: Tragedy of Power"). In 1921 he played Professor Bulwer (Abraham van Helsing) in the classic silent film Nosferatu directed by F.W. Murnau.

Gottowt made also several films with his brother-in-law Henrik Galeen but, as a Jew, was banned in 1933 from working as a professional actor. After a few years in Denmark he moved to Kraków in Poland. He was murdered in 1942 by the SS in Wieliczka.

List of films

(Title, Year, Character if known, Director)

  1. Der Student von Prag, 1913, Scapinelli, Stellan Rye
  2. Das Schwarze Los, Pierrots letzte Abendteuer, 1913, Brighella, John Gottowt
  3. Büßende Magdalena, 1915, Emil Albes
  4. Satan Opium, 1915, Siegfried Dessauer
  5. Prinzessin von Neutralien, 1917, Milliardär Joe Vandergolt, Rudolf Biebrach
  6. Peer Gynt. 1. Peer Gynts Jugend, 1918, der Dovre-Alte, Victor Barnowsky
  7. Peer Gynt 2. Wanderjahre und Tod, 1918, Victor Barnowsky
  8. Morphium, 1919, Bruno Ziener
  9. Der rote Henker, 1919, Narr, Rudolf Biebrach
  10. Der Verbotene Weg, 1920, Lupu Pick, Henrik Galeen
  11. Genuine, 1920, Friseur Guyard, Robert Wiene
  12. Die Nacht der Königin Isabeau, 1920, Buckliger Narr, Robert Wiene
  13. Der Bucklige und die Tänzerin, 1920, James Wilton, F.W. Murnau
  14. Niemand weiß es, 1920, Lupu Pick
  15. Algol, 1920, Algolmännchen, Hans Werckmeister
  16. Die tote Stunde, 1920, Friedrich Feher
  17. Die Lou vom Montmartre, 1921, Leo Lasko
  18. Pariserinnen, 1921, Leo Lasko
  19. Brennendes Land, 1921, Heinz Herald
  20. Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens, 1922, Professor Bulwer (van Helsing), F. W. Murnau
  21. Der schwarze Stern, 1922, James Bauer
  22. Elixiere des Teufels, 1922, Adolf Abter
  23. Der falsche Dimitry, 1922, Iwans Narr, Hans Steinhoff
  24. Der Geldteufel, 1923, Heinz Goldberg
  25. Wachsfigurenkabinett, 1923, Schaubudenbesitzer, Leo Birinski, Paul Leni
  26. Menschenopfer, 1923, Carl Wilhelm
  27. Dürfen wir schweigen?, 1926, Faktotum, Richard Oswald
  28. Die Flucht in die Nacht, 1926, Amleto Palermi
  29. Prinz Louis Ferdinand, 1927, Hans Behrendt
  30. Unheimliche Geschichten, 1932, Beamter des Mechanischen Museums, Richard Oswald

References