the later years < see also >> the beginnings > the successful years

THE LATER YEARS

1915-1925

In 1914, World War I broke out. Max Linder declared himself into the army early the following year, but was gassed three times and was sent home a half year later. Before he went into the army, he had only made two short comedies during 1915 and was too bad mental and phsyically to do more that year. 1916 did not became a very active year for him either, when he only made three shorts. Max Linder's success was certainly beginning to fall. The few shorts he came up with were too few, they couldn't support his popularity. The fact is, that Max Linder had a little inactive period earlier, in early 1911, the public became worried. He had to come up with an explenation, as he did with the short film Max se Marie, where he told that he soon would be active again. And he did as he had promised. Soon thereafter, Max Linder delivered one film per week again. But this time it was different. People talked about that Max Linder's career was finished.

But it wasn't. In late 1916, J. W. Spoor, president of Essanay Film Corporation contacted Linder. He wanted a replacer for Charlie Chaplin, who had leaved Essanay early that year. He would give Linder two million dollars, a undescribeable high pay at that time, if Linder would give him six shorts for his company. Linder made some few more simple films in France before he went to Hollywood, where made three very funny short comedies, Max Comes Across (in UK known as Max Goes to America), Max Wants a Divorce and Max in a Taxi. Unfortuantly, these three did not became great successes, in spite of what Linder and Spoor had taught they would do, and Spoor terminated the contract - the three shorts had costed Essanay too much, and he would not give Linder any chance to make the three final shorts.

Linder went unhappy back to France, and didn't made any new movie the following year. In 1919, he returned to the silver screen with a - once again - very funny short, Le Petit cafè (in UK known as The Little Cafè). The film became a big hit in Europe, but it was ignored in USA, the reason is hard to find. Perhaps it simply was too typical Europeian.

The success with The Little Cafè gave him courage enough to return to Hollywood. Other short film comedains had now begun with features, and Linder did the same. His first feature, Seven Years Bad Luck, released in USA in February 1921, did it not so well, but includes some exellent gags that influented later comedains, such as The Marx Brothers with the mirror routine.

His second feature, Be My Wife, released in USA later the same year, did it not so well either, but includes also some exellent gags, like when Max shall show the mother of the girl he loves what he's made of. Unfortuantly, over the half of this movie is presumed lost, only thirteen minutes of it is still aviable. However, this little part is among to be the very best work Max Linder ever did. By some reason, this did it not so well either.

Linder's third and last feature was the film he considered as his best, The Three Must-Get-Theres, released in the late summer of 1922. Happily, this one became a huge hit in New York. It was a parody of Douglas Fairbanks' adventure film The Three Musketeers, made the previous year. Right after the opening night, Linder got a telegram from Fairbanks in which he wrote, "Your movie is a big success in New York. Enthusiastic critics. Congratulations. Sincerely, Douglas Fairbanks".

But in spite of the success, Linder left Hollywood in late 1922. In France he did two more shorts, Au Secours!, the last film he ever starred in, which was more a drama than a comedy, and finally Clown aus Liebe, where he only had a little part. In the night of October 31, 1925, he killed himself with his young wife Jane Peters. He had been nominated as president of Screenwriters' Association earlier the same year.

Clown aus Liebe (1924)
... aka Circusmania (1924) (UK)
... aka Der Zirkuskönig (1924)
... aka King of the Circus (1924) (USA)
Au secours! (1924) .... Max
... aka Haunted House, The (1924) (UK)
... aka Help! (1924) (USA: US version)

Three Must-Get-Theres, The (1922) .... Dart-In-Again

Be My Wife (1921)

Seven Years Bad Luck (1921)
Petit café, Le (1919)
... aka Little Cafe, The (1919) (USA)
Max in a Taxi (1917)
Max Wants a Divorce (1917)

Max Comes Across (1917) .... Max
... aka Max Linder Goes to America (1917) (UK)
... aka Max On a Liner (1917)
... aka Max in America (1917)

Max devrait porter des bretelles (1917) .... Max
Max médécin malgré lui (1917) .... Max 
Max et le sac (1917)
Max entre deux feux (1916)
Max et l'espion (1916) .... Max
Max et le Main-qui-étreint (1916) .... Max
... aka Max victime de la Main-qui-étreint (1916) (France)
Max Is Love Sick (1915)
Coiffeur par amour (1915) .... Max