Francis Lederer

Francis Lederer (November 6, 1899 – May 25, 2000) was an Austro-Hungarian Empire-born American film and stage actor with a successful career, first in Europe, then in the United States. His original name was František (Franz) Lederer. Early years František (Franz) Lederer was born to a Jewish family. His mother was Rosa (Růžena) Ornstein (1872-1942) from Třebíč. His father Josef Lederer (1865-1920) was a leather merchant. František grew up in a poor section of Prague, where his only recreation was wrestling. His parents separated when he was nine years old, and his brother Pavel (1896-1920) died in the WWI. His mother and younger brother Rudolf (1901-1973) later moved to Los Angeles. Franz worked in a store that sold dry goods, and his first theatrical experience came when he was tasked with cleaning shelves in the background in a play while the main actors performed their roles. He lost that role when he drew attention away from the stars and to himself. Acting career Europe Lederer started acting when he was young and was trained at the Academy of Music and Academy of Dramatic Art in Prague. After service in the Austrian-Hungarian Imperial Army in World War I, he made his stage debut as an apprentice with the New German Theater, a walk-on in the play Burning Heart. He toured Moravia and central Europe, making a name for himself as a matinee idol in theaters in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Austria and Germany. Notable among his performances was a turn as Romeo in Max Reinhardt's staging of Romeo and Juliet.