Paul Otto

Paul Otto (8 February 1878 – 25/30 November 1943) was a German film actor and director.

Otto was born as Paul Otto Schlesinger in Berlin. He began a qualification as a retail merchant and made his actor's debut in the age of 17. Otto worked at Theaters in Halle, Wiesbaden and Hanover before he returned to Berlin about 1906.

He first appeared in the silent film Ringkampf Konkurrenz in 1910 and in Arsène Lupin contra Sherlock Holmes (1910-11, five episode film serial) next to Viggo Larsen. In 1912 Otto directed his first own movie Selbstgerichtet. In the beginning of the 1930s he also appeared in successful Sound movies like Der Hauptmann von Köpenick. After 1933, Otto returned to theaterstages and worked at the Deutsches Theater Berlin and the Kammerspiele Berlin. In 1937 he was awarded a Staatsschauspieler - title and in 1942 Joseph Goebbels promoted him to the head of the stagecouncil at the Reichskulturkammer.

In September 1943 his Jewish descent was discovered. To avoid his deportation Otto committed suicide on 30 November 1943 (by other sources 25 November) together with his wife Charlotte Klinder-Otto at his home in Berlin.

Otto appeared in 144 films between 1910 and 1940 next to stars like Asta Nielsen or Urban Gad.