Eugen Rex

Eugen Rex is a German actor, director, and writer known for his prolific career in German cinema, spanning the silent film era through the early sound period and into the 1940s, where he frequently appeared in supporting roles portraying philistines, pedantic civil servants, and similar character types. Born on July 8, 1884, in Berlin, he began his performing career on stage in 1905 and became active in theater during the 1910s before transitioning primarily to film work starting in 1919. ^[1] Rex contributed to numerous German productions, often in character parts, while also taking on directing and writing duties for select projects such as Der blasse Albert (1919) and O alte Burschenherrlichkeit (1925). His screen credits include roles in Around the World in 80 Days (1919), Warning Shadows (1923), Der Hochtourist (1931), Incognito (1936), and Maske in Blau (1943), among many others. He was a member of the Nazi Party from 1933 onward. ^[1] He continued acting until his death on February 21, 1943, in Spandau, Berlin, at the age of 58. Rex's work reflects the transitional nature of German film from the Weimar Republic into the National Socialist period. ^[1]

Early life

Early years and training

Eugen Rex was born on July 8, 1884, in Berlin, German Empire. ^[2] Before pursuing an artistic career, he completed an apprenticeship as a building draughtsman (Bauzeichner) and practiced this profession for some time in Wiesbaden. ^[3] In Wiesbaden, his interest in the theater was awakened. ^[3] Rex wrote his own one-act plays and took acting lessons with the court actor Max Adriano. ^[3] He made his professional stage debut in 1905. ^[3]

Theatre career

Stage engagements and contributions

Eugen Rex made his stage debut in 1905 at the Sommertheater in Schlangenbad-Soden. ^[3] He continued his early career with engagements at the Apollo-Theater in Nürnberg during the 1905/06 season and at the Stadttheater in St. Gallen. ^[3] From 1907 to 1911, he was a permanent ensemble member at the Stadttheater in Mainz, where he performed while also fulfilling military service in 1907. ^[3] Between 1911 and 1914, he worked at the Hoftheater in Karlsruhe. ^[3] In 1914, Rex relocated to Berlin and joined the Theater in der Königgrätzer Straße. ^[3] He appeared at the Deutsches Theater in 1916, the Metropol-Theater in 1918, and the Theater am Nollendorfplatz during the 1919/20 season. ^[3] From 1920 onward, he worked as a freelance actor in Berlin, performing his own plays and sketches at various venues and establishing himself particularly in comedies, farces, folk plays, and operetta roles. ^[3] Later in his theater career, Rex returned to fixed engagements, appearing at the Lessingtheater in Berlin during the 1938/39 season in the role of Bauer Krischan Lampken in Krach um Jolanthe by August Hinrichs. ^[3] From 1940 until his death in 1943, he was engaged at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm. ^[3] In addition to acting, Rex made contributions as a playwright and librettist, authoring several stage plays, sketches, and operetta librettos, including Stern von Araschi and Güldüna. ^[3] His film career began in 1918 while he continued his stage work. ^[3]

Film career

Silent era (1918–1929)

Eugen Rex began his film career in the Weimar Republic's silent era, debuting in 1918 with appearances including Ferdinand Lassalle – Des Volkstribunen Glück und Ende (1918). ^[1] He quickly followed with other productions, including the role of Passepartout in Die Reise um die Erde in 80 Tagen (1919). ^[1] In 1919, Rex expanded into directing with two short films, Der blasse Albert and Der Harlekin, demonstrating an early interest in filmmaking beyond acting. ^[1] He later directed and contributed as a writer on the 1925 production O alte Burschenherrlichkeit. ^[1] Rex established himself primarily as a supporting character actor during this period, frequently cast in roles portraying quirky petit-bourgeois figures, pedantic officials, or civil servants. ^[1] His credits from the silent era include Der brennende Acker (1922), Schatten (also known as Warning Shadows, 1923) as a servant, Alt-Heidelberg (also known as Old Heidelberg, 1923), and Sündenbabel (1925). ^[1] Across his entire career, Rex accumulated over 100 film credits, with the majority featuring him in similar character-oriented parts that capitalized on his distinctive screen presence. ^[1] His early film work proceeded alongside ongoing theatre engagements. ^[1]

Sound era (1930–1943)

With the introduction of sound films in Germany, Eugen Rex successfully transitioned from silent cinema and continued to appear in supporting roles throughout the early 1930s and into the 1940s. His credits include appearances in the popular operetta Der Kongreß tanzt (1931) and the satirical comedy Der Hauptmann von Köpenick (1931). ^[1] He maintained a steady presence in light entertainment and comedies during the subsequent years, including Ich bei Tag und Du bei Nacht (1932), Die Blume von Hawaii (1933), and Hans im Glück (1936). ^[1] In 1939, he portrayed the court auditor Hobelglas (also spelled Owelglas) in Verdacht auf Ursula, and in 1940 he appeared in Die Rothschilds. ^[1] Rex's final screen roles came in 1943 with the part of a hotel porter in Maske in Blau and as Schuldirektor in Fritze Bollmann wollte angeln, the latter marking one of his last performances before his death. ^[1] Throughout the sound era, he was consistently typecast in supporting roles as officials, bureaucrats, or petit-bourgeois figures, aligning with the character types he had often portrayed earlier in his career.

Political involvement

NSDAP membership and administrative roles

Eugen Rex joined the NSDAP in 1933 with membership number 1.331.939. ^[4] In 1933, he was appointed to the Führerrat (leadership council) of the Reichsfachschaft Film. ^[3] The following year, in 1934, he became a member of the supervisory board of the pension institutions for the Genossenschaft Deutscher Bühnen-Angehöriger. ^[3] In 1935, Rex directed the Heidelberger Reichsfestspiele (Heidelberg Reich Festival Plays). ^[3] He performed various administrative functions serving the regime in addition to these specific positions. ^[4] These roles placed him within the Nazi administrative structure overseeing aspects of the film and theater professions. ^[5]

Death

Death and burial

Eugen Rex died on February 21, 1943, in Berlin at the age of 58. ^{[1] [3]} He was buried at the Städtischer Friedhof "In den Kisseln" in the Spandau district of Berlin, in section L. ^{[3] [6]}