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Hector Abbas
Hector Abbas
Hector Abbas
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Hector Abbas (9 November 1884 – 11 November 1942) was a Dutch film actor who appeared mainly in British films after emigrating to the United Kingdom.[1][2]

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Partial filmography

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Hector Abbas

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''Hector Abbas'' was a Dutch actor known for his work in theater in the Netherlands and his subsequent career in British films after emigrating to the United Kingdom. Born on 9 November 1884, Abbas began his career performing in drama and comedy theater in Holland during the early 1900s before moving to London, where he continued his stage work. He appeared in numerous British films during the 1930s and early 1940s, including roles in productions such as Rembrandt (1936), The Wandering Jew (1933), and One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942). Abbas also had experience studying and working in Germany early in his career before settling in Britain. He died on 11 November 1942 at the age of 58.

Early life

Early years and training

Hector Abbas was born on 9 November 1884 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. As a Dutch national, he spent his early years growing up in Amsterdam. He received his initial acting training as a pupil of Louis Bouwmeester, a prominent Dutch actor and theatre director. Abbas moved abroad at a young age to pursue further studies and work in Germany, France, and particularly England. He lived, worked, and studied in these countries, gaining international experience in the performing arts before his eventual emigration and settlement in the United Kingdom.

Theatre career

Work in the Netherlands

Abbas began his professional acting career in Dutch theatre in the early 1900s. His stage career in the Netherlands proved brief, lasting only a few years before he pursued opportunities elsewhere.

British stage roles and management

Hector Abbas emigrated to the United Kingdom in the early 1910s and settled in London, where he developed a career as a character actor in West End productions and variety theatres throughout the 1920s and 1930s. His work focused on supporting roles in a range of plays, contributing to the London theatre scene during this period. In 1919, Abbas served as general manager of a British theatre company that toured the Netherlands, overseeing operations for the production tour. Among his notable London stage appearances were Franz Liszt in Madame Sand at the Duke of York's Theatre in 1920, Lazzaro Zapportas in The Wandering Jew at the New Theatre in 1920, Angelo in The Romance of a Great Composer at the Prince of Wales Theatre from 1922 to 1923, Levy in The Street Singer at the Lyceum Theatre in 1924, Dr. Croz in The Prisoners of War at the Playhouse Theatre (as a 1925 replacement), Francois in Romance at the Playhouse Theatre from 1926 to 1927, and a role in Magnolia Street at the Embassy Theatre from 1933 to 1934. These performances highlighted his versatility in dramatic and character parts across various West End venues. Abbas also began his parallel film career with a debut in 1919.

Film career

Silent films

Hector Abbas entered the film industry during the silent era, making his screen debut in the British Gaumont production The First Men in the Moon (1919), where he portrayed Sampson Cavor. This adaptation of H. G. Wells's novel marked his transition from stage to screen. He followed this with a role in the Dutch-British co-production Fate's Plaything (1920), released in the Netherlands as Wat eeuwig blijft, in which he played Quentin Sylvester. Abbas continued his silent film work primarily with British Gaumont in his debut year and with the Stoll Film Company throughout the 1920s. In 1923, he appeared as Zapportas in the silent film The Wandering Jew. Later in the decade, Abbas played the Artist in Bolibar, also known as The Betrayal (1928). His silent film activities overlapped with his ongoing British theatre career during the 1920s.

Sound films

Hector Abbas successfully adapted to the sound era, securing a series of supporting and character roles in British films throughout the 1930s and into the early 1940s. He often portrayed foreign or distinctive figures in these talkies, contributing to the diverse ensemble casts typical of the period's British cinema. His sound film debut came as Moses in The School for Scandal (1930). The following year, he appeared as Le Blanc in Madame Guillotine (1931) and in an uncredited role in A Gentleman of Paris (1931). In 1933, Abbas played Isaachar the Miser in The Wandering Jew and Otto Bemberg in The Roof. Later in the decade, his credits included the Biergarten Manager in Gypsy Melody (1936), an uncredited Burgher at Auction in Rembrandt (1936), and Nichols in The Man Who Made Diamonds (1937). He also took part in early television productions, appearing in C'est la guerre (1938 TV Short) and The Infinite Shoeblack (1939 TV Movie). In the early 1940s, amid wartime production, Abbas continued in character parts with roles as Wizista the hypnotist in Old Mother Riley's Circus (1941) and a Foreigner in The Common Touch (1941). He portrayed Karl Meyer in 'Pimpernel' Smith (also known as Mister V) (1941), playing a famous pianist rescued from a forced labour camp in this anti-Nazi propaganda thriller. Abbas's final screen appearance was as an uncredited Driver in One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942).

Personal life

Marriage and family

Hector Abbas married Bella Citroen on 26 June 1912 in Paddington, London. This union followed his emigration to the United Kingdom in the early 1910s. The couple had two children: a son, John Cosmo Abas, born in 1913, and a daughter, Alix Esther Abbas, born in 1921. The family settled in London, where they maintained their household in the years that followed.

Death

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