Biography

The earliest ascertainable movie was "Der Volkstyrann" (1913) with Fritz Kampers, it followed "Das Mädchen aus der Ackerstrasse" (1919). During the next ten years he appeared in countless roles, normally he impersonated hard-boiled fellows who had sometimes something devilish on them. His appearance elicited time and again commentaries from film magazines and critics like: "A mammoth, bones like iron girders; a neck like an animal from the ice age; above it a clumsy lump of a human being's head". (Filmkurier 1920).

The critic Herbert Ihering wrote about Albert Steinrück in the play "Franziska" in 1919, a Wedekind play as well: "He is dramatically and touched. A heavy, bull-necked fellow is speaking with closed eyes. And it is tremendous, when his eyes open goggling".

Albert Steinrück had his greatest successes with his parts in Franz Wedekind's plays.

Albert Steinrück was an appreciated theater authority long ago and he was regarded as a master of his subject when he entered the film business in 1913.

When Albert Steinrück had a hemorrhage during the shooting of "Die Frau, die Juwelen hat" and died, the theater and film world was shocked likewise about the sudden death of the genius actor. What followed after that was unique in the history of film. In his honour there was a special performance of Frank Wedekind's "Der Marquis von Keith" at the Gendarmenmarkt. In this play took part all the notables actors of the theater and film world of this time, even in the smallest role (see the Bulletin of the theater performance).