{{Short description|German actor (1882–1945)}} {{Infobox person | image = Harry Liedtke-Ross 284-1-Binder.jpg | name = Harry Liedtke | birth_date = {{birth date|1882|10|12|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Königsberg]], [[East Prussia]], [[German Empire]] | death_date = {{death date and age|1945|4|28|1882|10|12|df=y}} | death_place = [[Bad Saarow-Pieskow]], [[Nazi Germany]] | other_names = | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1908–1944 | spouse = {{plainlist| *{{marriage|Ernestine Emaline Johanne Proft|1907|1916|end=div}}<ref>[https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10182-2204443/ernestine-emaline-johanne-proft-in-biographical-summaries-of-notable-people My Heritage] {{user-generated source|date=November 2023}}</ref> * {{marriage|[[Käthe Dorsch]]|1920|1928|end=div}} * {{marriage|[[Christa Tordy]]|1928}} }} | children = 1 }} '''Harry Liedtke''' (12 October 1882 – 28 April 1945) was a German film actor.

==Early life== Liedtke was born in [[Königsberg]], [[East Prussia]] as the seventh out of 12 children of a merchant. After his father's death in 1896, he grew up in an orphanage and began a qualification in retail business. By the chance acquaintance of Hans Oberländer, a stage director at [[Berlin]], he started to take stage classes and was first engaged at the municipal Theater of [[Freiberg, Saxony]]. In 1908 Liedtke worked at the [[New German Theatre (New York City)|New German Theatre]] in [[New York City]] and in 1909 at the [[Deutsches Theater Berlin]].

==Career== [[File:Harry Liedtke by Mac Walten, Berlin.png|thumb|left|Liedtke, {{circa}} 1910s]]

In 1912 Liedtke appeared for the first time in the [[silent movie]] ''Zu spät'' and from then onwards usually as a young "Charming Boy" and gentleman. With [[Ernst Lubitsch]] he made movies like ''Das fidele Gefängnis'' (1917), ''[[Die Augen der Mumie Ma]]'' (1918), ''[[Carmen (1918 film)|Carmen]]'' (1918), ''[[The Oyster Princess|Die Austernprinzessin]]'' (1919), ''[[Madame Dubarry (1919 film)|Madame Dubarry]]'' (1919), ''[[Sumurun]]'' (1920) and ''[[The Loves of Pharaoh|Das Weib des Pharao]]'' (1921). He also appeared in several crime stories as ''[[Stuart Webbs]]'' or ''[[Joe Deebs]]'' written by [[Joe May]]. Liedtke was a popular actor in the 1920s and partner of [[Marlene Dietrich]] in ''[[I Kiss Your Hand, Madame]]'' (1929). Liedtke met with less success in [[sound film]]s, probably due to his advancing age.

Liedtke's first marriage was to Ernestine Emaline Johanne Proft, also known as Hanne Schutt. The two had one child together before divorcing in 1916. From 1920 to 1928, Liedtke was married to the actress [[Käthe Dorsch]]. Shortly after their divorce, he married actress [[Christa Tordy]] on 27 March 1928.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j45uCFE13EgC&q=christa+tordy|title = The Illustrated London News|date = April 1928}}</ref>

==Death== [[File:Grab Dorsch Liedke Pieskow.JPG|thumb|Grave of Harry Liedtke and his spouses Käthe Dorsch and Christa Tordy in Pieskow, Bad Saarow]]

On 28 April 1945 Liedtke was murdered by [[Red Army]] soldiers in his house at [[Bad Saarow-Pieskow]] east of Berlin together with his wife Christa Tordy.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_Z4kDAAAQBAJ&q=christa+tordy&pg=PA285|title=The Concise Cinegraph: Encyclopaedia of German Cinema|isbn=9780857455659|last1=Bock|first1=Hans-Michael|last2=Bergfelder|first2=Tim|date=September 2009}}</ref> While attempting to save Tordy from being raped and murdered, he died after either being smashed on the head with a beer bottle,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.steffi-line.de/archiv_text/nost_film20b40/154_tordy_christa.htm#name_info|title=Christa Tordy|website=www.steffi-line.de|accessdate=11 November 2023}}</ref> or after being clubbed to death.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ka2RAAAAIAAJ&q=christa+tordy|title=Film Culture|year=1971}}</ref> Prior to their murder, the couple had attempted suicide.

Tordy and Liedtke's bodies were exhumed in October 1948 and buried at Waldfriedhof Saarow-Pieskow Cemetery.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://billiongraves.com/cemetery/Waldfriedhof-Saarow-Pieskow/223996|title=Waldfriedhof Saarow-Pieskow, Bad Saarow, Brandenburg, Germany &#124; BillionGraves Cemetery and Images|website=BillionGraves|accessdate=11 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.knerger.de/html/liedtkeschauspieler_50.html|title=Schauspieler 50}}</ref> Upon Liedtke's ex-wife Käthe Dorsch's death in 1957, she was buried alongside the two.

==Filmography== {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * ''[[Zu spät (film)|Zu spät]]'' (1912) *''[[Der wankende Glaube]]'' (1913) *''[[Eva (1913 film)|Eva]]'' (1913) *''[[Schuldig]]'' (1913) *''[[Die Tat von damals]]'' (1915) *''[[Der Krieg brachte Frieden]]'' (1915) *''[[Das rätselhafte Inserat]]'' (1916) *''[[Leutnant auf Befehl]]'' (1916) *''[[Wie ich Detektiv wurde]]'' (1916) *''[[Der Amateur]]'' (1916) *''[[Arme Eva Maria]]'' (1916) *''[[Das Bild der Ahnfrau]]'' (1916) *''[[Die bleiche Renate]]'' (1916) *''{{ill|Das fidele Gefängnis|de}}'' (1917) *''[[Das Geheimnis der leeren Wasserflasche]]'' (1917) * ''[[The Ring of Giuditta Foscari]]'' (1917) * ''[[Wedding in the Eccentric Club]]'' (1917) *''[[Lulu (1917 film)|Lulu]]'' (1917) *''[[Sleeping Beauty (1917 film)|Sleeping Beauty]]'' (1917) *''[[Die Kameliendame]]'' (''[[Prima Vera (1917 film)|Prima Vera]]'') (1917) * ''[[The Flyer from Goerz]]'' (1918) *''[[The Sacrifice (1918 film)|The Sacrifice]]'' (1918) *''[[The Toboggan Cavalier]]'' (1918) *''[[Die blaue Mauritius]]'' (1918) *''[[The Mystery of Bangalore]]'' (1918) *''[[Carmen (1918 film)|Carmen]]'' (1918) * ''[[The Ballet Girl (1918 film)|The Ballet Girl]]'' (1918) *''[[Der gelbe Schein]]'' (1918) *''[[Die Augen der Mumie Ma|The Eyes of the Mummy Ma]]'' (1918) *''[[Countess Doddy]]'' (1919) *''[[Madame Dubarry (1919 film)|Madame Dubarry]]'' (1919) *''[[Vendetta (1919 film)|Vendetta]]'' (1919) *''[[Die Tochter des Mehemed]]'' (1919) * ''[[The Woman at the Crossroads (1919 film)|The Woman at the Crossroads]]'' (1919) *''[[The Oyster Princess]]'' (1919) *''[[Moral und Sinnlichkeit]]'' (1919) *''[[Irrungen]]'' (1919) *''[[Rebellenliebe]]'' (1919) *''[[Retter der Menschheit]]'' (1919) *''[[Der Tempelräuber]]'' (1919) * ''[[The Carousel of Life]]'' (1919) *''[[Sumurun]]'' (1920) * ''[[The Prisoner (1920 film)|The Prisoner]]'' (1920) *''[[Das einsame Wrack]]'' (1920) *''[[Indian Revenge]]'' (1920) *''[[The Dancer Barberina]]'' (1920) *''[[What a Girl]]'' (1920) * ''[[The Sins of the Mother]]'' (1921) * ''[[Peter Voss, Thief of Millions (1921 film)|Peter Voss, Thief of Millions]]'' (1921, 6 parts) *''[[Mein Mann - Der Nachtredakteur]]'' (1921) *''[[The Loves of Pharaoh]]'' (1922) *''[[The Last Payment]]'' (1922) *''[[The Merchant of Venice (1923 film)|The Merchant of Venice]]'' (1923) *''[[Die Fledermaus (1923 film)|Die Fledermaus]]'' (1923) * ''[[The Love of a Queen (1923 film)|The Love of a Queen]]'' (1923) *''[[The Little Napoleon]]'' (1923) *''[[Der Seeteufel]]'' (1923, 2 parts) * ''[[Orient (1924 film)|Orient]]'' (1924) *''[[Ein Traum vom Glück]]'' (1924) * ''[[Nanon (1924 film)|Nanon]]'' (1924) *''[[The Grand Duke's Finances]]'' (1924) * ''[[A Woman for 24 Hours]]'' (1925) * ''[[Countess Maritza (1925 film)|Countess Maritza]]'' (1925) * ''[[Love and Trumpets (1925 film)|Love and Trumpets]]'' (1925) *''[[Um Recht und Ehre]]'' (1925) * ''[[The Island of Dreams]]'' (1925) *''[[The Doll Queen]]'' (1925) *''[[Madame Wants No Children (1926 film)|Madame Wants No Children]]'' (1926) * ''[[Fadette]]'' (1926) * ''[[The World Wants To Be Deceived]]'' (1926) * ''[[Grandstand for General Staff (1926 film)|Grandstand for General Staff]]'' (1926) * ''[[The Girl on a Swing (1926 film)|The Girl on a Swing]]'' (1926) * ''[[The Woman's Crusade]]'' (1926) * ''[[The Violet Eater]]'' (1926) *''[[The Blue Danube (1926 film)|The Blue Danube]]'' (1926) *''[[The Wiskottens]]'' (1926) *''[[The Bohemian Dancer (1926 film)|The Bohemian Dancer]]'' (1926) *''[[The Adventurers (1926 film)|The Adventurers]]'' (1926) *''[[The Man Without Sleep]]'' (1926) *''[[Nixchen (1926 film)|Nixchen]]'' (1926) * ''[[A Girl of the People]]'' (1927) *''[[Weekend Magic]]'' (1927) *''[[The Fate of a Night]]'' (1927) *''[[Ein Mädel aus dem Volke]]'' (1927) *''[[The Spinning Ball (1927 film)|The Spinning Ball]]'' (1927) *''[[The Marriage Nest]]'' (1927) * ''[[The Prince's Child]]'' (1927) * ''[[Regine (1927 film)|Regine]]'' (1927) *''[[The Queen Was in the Parlour (film)|The Queen Was in the Parlour]]'' (1927) *''[[Durchlaucht Radies]]chen'' (1927) * ''[[Marie's Soldier]]'' (1927) *''[[The Mistress (1927 film)|The Mistress]]'' (1927) *''[[Carnival Magic (1927 film)|Carnival Magic]]'' (1927) * ''[[A Crazy Night]]'' (1927) *''[[Chance the Idol]]'' (1927) *''[[The Beggar Student (1927 film)|The Beggar Student]]'' (1927) *''[[Der Herzensphotograph]]'' (1928) *''[[The Carnival Prince]]'' (1928) *''[[A Modern Casanova]]'' (1928) *''[[The Game of Love (1928 film)|The Game of Love]]'' (1928) *''[[Robert and Bertram (1928 film)|Robert and Bertram]]'' (1928) * ''[[Love on Skis (1928 film)|Love on Skis]]'' (1928) * ''[[Darling of the Dragoons]]'' (1928) * ''[[Mein Freund Harry]]'' (1928) *''[[Queen of Fashion]]'' (1929) *''[[Father and Son (1929 German film)|Father and Son]]'' (1929) * ''[[The Black Domino (film)|The Black Domino]]'' (1929) *''[[Youth of the Big City]]'' (1929) * ''[[The Merry Widower]]'' (1929) *''[[The Hero of Every Girl's Dream]]'' (1929) * ''[[The Circus Princess (1929 film)|The Circus Princess]]'' (1929) *''[[I Kiss Your Hand, Madame]]'' (1929) *''[[My Daughter's Tutor]]'' (1929) * ''[[Josef the Chaste (1930 film)|Josef the Chaste]]'' (1930) * ''[[The Corvette Captain]]'' (1930) *''[[O Mädchen, mein Mädchen, wie lieb' ich Dich!]]'' (1930) *''[[Delicatessen (1930 film)|Delicatessen]]'' (1930) *''[[Danube Waltz (film)|Danube Waltz]]'' (1930) *''[[The Great Longing]]'' (1930) * ''[[No More Love (film)|No More Love]]'' (1931) *''[[Der Liebesarzt]]'' (1931) * ''[[That's All That Matters (film)|That's All That Matters]]'' (1931) * ''[[Liebe in Uniform]]'' (1932) *''[[The Page from the Dalmasse Hotel (1933 film)|The Page from the Dalmasse Hotel]]'' (1933) * ''[[When the Village Music Plays on Sunday Nights (1933 film)|When the Village Music Plays on Sunday Nights]]'' (1933) * ''[[Between Two Hearts]]'' (1934) * ''[[Liebesleute]]'' (1935) * ''[[City of Anatol]]'' (1936) *''[[Dangerous Game (1937 film)|Dangerous Game]]'' (1937) *''[[Preußische Liebesgeschichte]]'' (1938) *''[[Es Leuchten die Sterne]]'' (1938) * ''[[Quax the Crash Pilot]]'' (1941) *''[[The Master of the Estate]]'' (1943) *''[[Sophienlund]]'' (1943) * ''[[Das Konzert]]'' (1944) {{div col end}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{IMDb name|0509573}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20110508050108/http://www.filmportal.de/df/6e/Uebersicht,,,,,,,,513F17D6753F4DB1BD0E62A2337A6288,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.html Harry Liedtke at www.filmportal.de] * [https://film.virtual-history.com/person.php?personid=724 pictures]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Liedtke, Harry}} [[Category:1882 births]] [[Category:1945 deaths]] [[Category:German male film actors]] [[Category:German male silent film actors]] [[Category:German male stage actors]] [[Category:Actors from Königsberg]] [[Category:German civilians killed in World War II]] [[Category:20th-century German male actors]]