Max Linder

The first true comic genius of the screen, Max Linder was a star before Chaplin, Keaton or Lloyd had ever heard of the motion picture. The wealthy, French-born Linder had little luck in the legitimate theater because of his height (5'2") and his inability to buckle under to directors' instructions. He entered films in 1905, signed by Charles Pathe to make a series of comedies. Within two years, he developed the screen character that made him famous worldwide: Max, the dapper boulevardier, unflappably romantic. Linder starred in and directed some 360 one-reel comedies over the next eight years, with such self-explanatory titles as "Max Takes a Bath," "Max's Duel," "Max on Skis" and "Max and His Dog."