Skip to content
MovieCove
Felix Bressart

Felix Bressart

Actor · Died March 17, 1949, aged 57 · Eydtkuhnen, East Prussia, Germany [now Chernyshevskoe, Russia]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Felix Bressart (March 2, 1892 – March 17, 1949) was a German-American actor of stage and screen. Felix Bressart (pronounced "BRESS-ert") was born in East Prussia, Germany (now part of Russia) and was already a very experienced stage actor when he had his film debut in 1928. He started off as a supporting actor, e.g. as the Bailiff in the box-office hit Die Drei von der Tankstelle (1930), but had soon established himself in leading roles of minor movies. After the Nazis seized power in 1933, Jewish-born Bressart had to leave Germany and continued his career in German-speaking movies in Austria, where Jewish artists were still relatively safe. After no fewer than 30 films in eight years, he emigrated to the United States. One of Bressart's former European colleagues was Joe Pasternak, now a successful Hollywood producer. Bressart's first American film was Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939), a vehicle for Universal Pictures' top attraction, Deanna Durbin. Pasternak also selected the reliable Bressart to perform in a screen test opposite Pasternak's newest discovery, Gloria Jean. The influential German community in Hollywood helped to establish Bressart in America, as his earliest American movies were directed by Ernst Lubitsch, Henry Koster, and Wilhelm Thiele (director of Die Drei von der Tankstelle). Bressart scored a great success in Lubitsch's Ninotchka, produced at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. MGM signed Bressart to a studio contract in 1939. Most of his MGM work consisted of featured roles in major films like Edison, the Man. He combined his mildly inflected East European accent with a soft-spoken delivery to create kindly, friendly characters, as in Lubitsch's To Be or Not to Be, in which he sensitively recites Shylock's famous "Hath not a Jew eyes?" speech from The Merchant of Venice. Lubitsch also directed Bressart to similar effect in The Shop Around the Corner. Bressart soon became a popular character actor in films like Blossoms in the Dust (1941), The Seventh Cross (1944), and Without Love (1945). Perhaps his largest role was in RKO Radio Pictures' "B" musical comedy Ding Dong Williams, filmed in 1945. Bressart, billed third, played the bemused supervisor of a movie studio's music department, and appeared in formal wear to conduct Chopin's "Fantasie Impromptu." After almost 40 Hollywood pictures, Felix Bressart suddenly died of leukemia at the age of 57. His last film was My Friend Irma (1949), the movie version of a popular radio show. Bressart died during production, forcing the producers to finish the film with Hans Conried. In the final film, Conried speaks throughout, but Bressart is still seen in the long shots. Description above from the Wikipedia article Felix Bressart, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.    

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 2, 1892
Died
March 17, 1949 (aged 57)
From
Eydtkuhnen, East Prussia, Germany [now Chernyshevskoe, Russia]
Works as
Actor
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 64 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 40% in 30 days

What are Felix Bressart's films like?

Across their 18 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
40%
Self
24%
Morality
12%
Survival
12%
Ideas
6%
Society
5%
Power
2%
Romantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 18 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 11 · Serious 4 · Dark 3

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 10 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 2

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 10 · Charged 7 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 13 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 8 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 6

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 8 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 11 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

7 analyzed roles

Usually the Mentor: 5 of 7 analyzed roles.

Mentor
5 of 7
Ally
2 of 7
Show the 7 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Romantic
8
Tense
7
Warm
7
Joyful
7
Melancholic
6
Other
13

How their films linger

Feel-good11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy14
  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Felix Bressart's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for Felix Bressart's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

64 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page.

  • Take One False Step(1949)

    as Professor Morris Avrum

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Portrait of Jennie(1948)

    as Pete

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • A Song Is Born(1948)

    as Professor Gerkikoff

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • I've Always Loved You(1946)

    as Frederick Hassman

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Her Sister's Secret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Pepe

  • The Thrill of Brazil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Ludwig Kriegspiel

  • Ding Dong Williams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as Hugo Meyerheld

  • Dangerous Partners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    as Professor Budlow

  • Without Love(1945)

    as Professor Grinza

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Blonde Fever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Johnny

  • Greenwich Village(1944)

    as Hofer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Seventh Cross(1944)

    as Poldi Schlamm

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Song of Russia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as Petrov

  • Don't Be a Sucker! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Anti-Nazi Teacher

  • Above Suspicion(1943)

    as Mr. A. Werner

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Three Hearts for Julia(1943)

    as Anton Ottoway

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Iceland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Papa Jonsdottir

  • Crossroads(1942)

    as Dr. Andre Tessier

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • To Be or Not to Be(1942)

    as Greenberg

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Mr. and Mrs. North (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Arthur Talbot

  • Kathleen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Mr. Schoner

  • Married Bachelor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Professor Milic

  • Blossoms in the Dust(1941)

    as Dr. Max Breslar

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Ziegfeld Girl(1941)

    as Mischa

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Comrade X (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Igor Yahupitz / Vanya

  • Bitter Sweet(1940)

    as Max

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Escape (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Fritz Keller

  • Third Finger, Left Hand(1940)

    as August "Gussie" Winkel

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Edison, the Man(1940)

    as Michael Simon

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • It All Came True(1940)

    as The Great Boldini

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Shop Around the Corner(1940)

    as Pirovitch

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Swanee River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Henry Kleber

  • Ninotchka(1939)

    as Comrade Buljanoff

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Bridal Suite (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Maxl

  • Three Smart Girls Grow Up(1939)

    as Music Teacher

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Heut' ist der schönste Tag in meinem Leben (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    as Max Kaspar

  • Four and a Half Musketeers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Professor Volksmann

  • Everything for the Company (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Philipp Sonndorfer

  • Ball at the Savoy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Birowitsch

  • Peter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Grandfather

  • Salto in die Seligkeit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Kriegel, Geheimdetektiv

  • C'était un musicien (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Baron Vandernyff

  • Wie d'Warret würkt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Mr. Schramek

  • ...und wer küßt mich? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    as Direktor Ritter

  • The Lucky Top Hat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Gottfried Jonathan Bankbeamter

  • Holzapfel Knows Everything (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as Johannes Georg Holzapfel

  • Visul lui Tanase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    as star

  • The Office Manager (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Joachim Reißnagel

  • Comradeship(1931)

    as Café Doorman (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Excursion into Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Hirsekorn - Schauspieler und Chauffeur

  • Fanfare about love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Major Fröschen

  • No More Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Jean

  • Terror of the Garrison (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Musketier Kulicke

  • True Jacob (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Böcklein

  • The Private Secretary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    as Bankdiener Hasel

  • Eine Freundin so goldig wie Du (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Richard

  • Three Days in the Guardhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Franz Nowotni

  • Old Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Jacques

  • The Three from the Filling Station (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Gerichtsvollzieher

  • The Tender Relatives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Onkel Emil

  • The fight with the dragon or: The tragedy of the lodger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Actor

  • The Son of the White Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    as Jailer

  • There is a woman who will never forget you (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Actor

  • Liebe im Kuhstall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    as Der Gerichtsvollzieher

Career shape

Star power in the 93rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 64 titles from 1928 to 1949.

Biggest box office

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

$44K worldwide

Highest rated

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

To Be or Not to Be (1942)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting64 of 64: 64 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score74th

By decade

1920s1 · acting1930s32 · acting1940s31 · acting

Billing

usually 7th · top billed in 0% of 13 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Felix Bressart's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 21; across their 18 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 73rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Approval · how many liked their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Reach · how many have seen their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 18

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

None of their 21 titles divides audiences: 13 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser13
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed2

Most loved · actor

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

Midcredits 99th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the acting 75/100 in their films, across 18 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 54. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Felix Bressart's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 10 · minimalMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 7 · minimalMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 0 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 31 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 10 · minimalMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Felix Bressart work with?

People who share at least 2 of Felix Bressart's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Herbert Stothart shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers