Remembering Hans Albers

Hans Philipp August Albers was born in Hamburg, Germany on September 22, 1891. He was the single biggest male movie star in Germany between 1930 and 1945 and one of the most popular German actors of the twentieth century. He studied acting before being called to service in World War I. After the war he moved to Berlin where he found work as a comedic actor in several theaters. Hans then appeared in silent films of which he made over 100. Albers appeared in the first talking German film "Die Nacht gehört uns" (1929). He became famous the following year in 1930 with his appearance "Der Greifer". When the Nazis came to power Albers and his Jewish girlfriend Hansi Burg moved to Bavaria. She then fled the Switzerland and eventually England in 1939 before being reunited after the war. In 1943 Albers appeared in one of his biggest German hits "Münchhausen" followed by another hit "Große Freiheit Nr. 7". After the war it became more difficult to find and he began to take father-figure roles. By the 1950s his age began to show and he began to drink heavily. During his heyday he also embarked on a singing career with many of his songs about drunken, womanizing sailors on shore-leave with his most famous song being "Auf der Reeperbahn nachts um halb eins". Albers appeared in two Euro-westerns, "Water for Canitoga" (1939) and "Jonny Saves Nebrador" (1953). Albers died in Stamburg, Germany on July 24, 1960. Today we remember one of the great German actors Hans Albers on what would have been his 120^th birthday.