**Kurt Gerron (1897-1944)** was a prolific German actor and director, an emblematic figure of Weimar-era cinema. His imposing stature and versatility made him a recognizable face in over a hundred films.

He is best known for his role as the club manager Kiepert in Josef von Sternberg's *The Blue Angel* (Der Blaue Engel, 1930), where he vied with Emil Jannings' Professor Rath for the affection of Lola Lola (Marlene Dietrich). He also played the memorable Macheath (Mackie Messer) in G.W. Pabst's first film adaptation of *The Threepenny Opera* (Die Dreigroschenoper, 1931).

Gerron excelled as a character actor, often good-natured but capable of sinister nuances or subtle comedy, embodying the complexity of the era's society. With the rise of Nazism, Gerron, who was Jewish, was forced into exile. Captured during World War II, he died in Auschwitz in 1944.