Austrian actor
Step-father of Georg Richter.
Tall, blue-eyed leading stage and screen actor of the 1920s and 30s. Trained at the Vienna Conservatory, he became a star of silent films, epitomising the Germanic image as Siegfried, in Fritz Langs classic "Die Niebelungen". During the sound era, he gradually segued into character roles and eventually retired in 1959 due to eye problems.
A difficult eye operation ended the film career of Paul Richter at the end of the 50s.
With Joe Mays "Das indische Grabmal" (1921) Richter became famous to a wide public for the first time, but only with "Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler" (22) and especially with "Die Nibelungen" - both directed by Fritz Lang - he became a sex symbol in the 20s. At last Germany was able to present a pendant to the American stars Ramon Novarro and Rudolph Valentino.
At the beginnings of the 30s he was more and more brought into play for films with a regional background like "Die Frsterchristel" (31) and "Schloss Hubertus" (34). From now on he usually played huntsmen, foresters or landowners in Ludwig-Ganghofer adaptions.
The success of his Siegfried performance led to offers of other heroic parts for Richter in Peter the Pirate (1925) and Dagfin (1926).
With the outbreak of World War I was his film activity concluded temporarily and he became a "emperor hunter" in the Carpathians, later he was detached to a mountain guide course. The nature and the mountains with which he became familiar on the occasion, found a fixed place in his life and later also in his movies.
During the shooting to "Die Nibelungen" there were often arguments behind the scenes between director and actor. This found its peak when Richter should had to present himself nude in front of the camera for the bath scene in the blood of the dragon. Because he refused to play this part without swimming trunks, Fritz Lang brought Rudolf Klein-Rogge into play as his stand-in for this key scene. But even this solution didnt please him by no means because now the audience would suppose that the back of Rudolf Klein-Rogge would be the that of him. But Fritz Lang succeeded in getting to finish the part with Klein-Rogge.
Because of his private preference to the nature and mountains he was able to bring his performances into life in contrast to Rudolf Prack in the 50s.
The Austrian actor Paul Richter owed his great popularity during the silent movie era above all to the directors Joe May and Fritz Lang.
