Editing Max Linder (section)

===Film career 1905–1916===
[[File:Max Linder - Mar 1918 EH.jpg|left|thumb|297x297px|Linder in March 1918]]
From 1905 to 1907, Linder appeared in dozens of short comedy films for Pathé, usually in a supporting role. His first noticeably larger film role was in ''The Young Man's First Outing'' in 1905. He also appeared in [[Georges Méliès]]-like [[fantasy films]] such as ''Serpentine Dances'' and ''The Legend of Punching'', his first leading role. His rise to stardom commenced in 1907 when Pathé's slapstick star René Gréhan left the company to join [[Eclair (camera)|Éclair]]. Gréhan's screen character was Gontran, whose persona included high-society clothing and a [[dandy]]-ish demeanor. Linder was chosen to take over the characterization for Pathé, and the style of dress and personality of Gréhan's character became his trademark. Film critic David Robinson described Linder's screen persona as "no grotesque: he was young, handsome, debonair, immaculate...in silk hat, jock coat, cravat, spats, patent shoes, and swagger cane."<ref name=Wakeman2/> Linder made more than one hundred [[short film]]s portraying "Max", a wealthy and dapper man-about-town frequently in hot water because of his penchant for beautiful women and the good life. With this character, he had created one of the first identifiable motion-picture characters who appeared in successive situation comedies.

Linder's first appearance as "Max" was in ''The Skater's Debut'' in 1907. [[Lac Daumesnil|Lake Daumesnil]] in Paris had frozen over and director [[Louis Gasnier]] filmed Linder in his new attire, with Linder improvising the rest. In the film, "Max" falls about and does a rendition of "the windmill routine" by spinning his cane around, predating [[Charlie Chaplin]]'s version in ''[[The Rink (film)|The Rink]]'' by nine years. Pathé was unimpressed with the film and re-shot parts of it, and it was not popular with audiences when released. Soon afterwards, Gasnier left Pathé and moved to Italy, leaving Linder without a supporter at Pathé; he made few films in 1908.<ref name=Wakeman2/> His luck began to change when Pathé's top comedy star, [[André Deed]], left to work with the Italian film company [[Itala (company)|Itala]], leaving Linder as the company's leading comedic actor. Later in 1909, Gasnier returned from Italy and immediately began working with Linder again. The team made several shorts in 1909 with Linder in various roles, such as a blind elderly man and a coquettish young woman. But they soon discovered that the character of "Max" was the most popular with audiences and stuck with him from then on. Among the popular "Max" films made by Linder and Grasnier in 1909 are ''A Young Lady Killer'' and ''The Cure for Cowardice''.<ref name=Wakeman2/>

By 1910, Linder had proved himself to Pathé and was quickly becoming one of the most popular film actors in the world. When Gasnier was sent to the United States later that year to oversee Pathé's productions there, Lucien Nonguet took over as Linder's director. Together they made such films as ''Max Takes a Bath'' and the autobiographical ''Max Linder's Film Debut'', which fictitiously recreates the legend of Linder's early film career and includes [[Charles Pathé]] as himself.

By the end of the year, Linder had become the most popular film actor in the world. Although actress [[Florence Lawrence]] is often referred to as "''The First Movie Star''" in the United States, Linder appears to be the very first worldwide movie star with a major following. In Russia, he was voted the most popular film actor, ahead of [[Asta Nielsen]]. He also had a Russian impersonator, Zozlov, and a devoted fan in [[Czar Nicholas II]]. Another professed fan was British playwright [[George Bernard Shaw]]. The first feature film ever made in Bulgaria was a remake of one of Linder's earlier movies. He was offered $12,000 to spend a month in Berlin making public appearances with his film screenings, but had to decline for health reasons. In France, a Max Linder movie theater had opened in Paris.

At the height of his fame, Linder ended 1910 with a serious illness. He was forced to stop making films when [[appendicitis]] left him bedridden, and some newspapers reported that he had died. He eventually recovered the following spring and began making films again in May 1911.<ref name=Wakeman2/>

[[File:Linder M.jpg|thumb|upright|Linder in 1913]]
In 1911, Linder returned to filmmaking and began co-directing his own films (with René LePrince) as well as writing the scripts. By 1912, he was the solo director of his films. Gaining complete control over his own films brought positive results both critically and commercially; the films Linder made during this period are generally considered to be his best. ''Max, Victim of Quinine'' is considered by film critic Jean Mitry to be "his masterpiece."<ref name=Wakeman2/> In the film, an intoxicated "Max" gets into numerous fights with such dignitaries as the Minister of War, an ambassador and the police commissioner, all of whom challenge him to a duel and present him with their business cards. Eventually "Max" is apprehended by the police, who attempt to return him to his residence, but end up mistakenly taking him to the homes of the various men whom he had previously fought with.<ref name=Wakeman2/>

The universality of silent films brought Linder fame and fortune throughout Europe, making him the highest paid entertainer of the day, with a salary increase of 150,000 francs (the average monthly salary in France was 100 francs at the time). He began touring Europe with his films from 1911 to 1912, including Spain, where he entertained thousands of fans at the [[Barcelona]] railway station, Austria, and Russia, where he was accompanied on piano by a young [[Dimitri Tiomkin]]. In 1912 after the tour, Linder demanded and received a salary of one million francs a year, and [[Charles Pathé]] used the huge sum to generate publicity, with an ad reading "We understand that the shackles which bind Max Linder have attained the value of one million francs a year...the imagination boggles at such a figure!"<ref name=Wakeman2/> This set a precedent in the entertainment industry for actors' salaries that would become a staple of the Hollywood system, but privately Pathé nicknamed Linder "The Napoleon of the Cinema".<ref name=Wakeman2/>

The high point of Linder's career was from 1912 to 1914. His films were made with increased skill and "Max" was at his funniest. He made such films as ''Max Virtuoso'', ''Max Does Not Speak English'', ''Max and His Dog'', ''Max's Hat'' and ''Max and the Jealous Husband''. His ensemble of actors included [[Stacia Napierkowska]], Jane Renouardt, [[Gaby Morlay]], and occasional performances from the young actors [[Abel Gance]] and [[Maurice Chevalier]]. Linder had given Chevalier his start in movies, but the silent medium did not suit Chevalier, who stuck to the stage until the all-singing all-dancing features came in, many years later.

The outbreak of World War I brought a temporary end to Linder's film career in 1914, but not before he made the short patriotic film ''The Second of August'' that year.<ref name=Wakeman2/> Linder attempted to enlist in the French army, but was physically unfit for combat duty. Instead he worked as a dispatch driver between Paris and the front lines. Many conflicting stories about the reasons behind his dismissal from the army exist, including that he was shot through the lung, and seriously wounded. Initially, it was reported by one newspaper that he had been killed; Linder actually phoned the offending publishers, leading them to run the headline "Max Linder Not Killed".<ref>''Paul Merton's Weird and Wonderful World of Early Cinema''</ref> However, others have asserted that he became infected with [[pneumonia]] after hiding from a German patrol in icy water for several hours. After being dismissed from his duties, Linder spent the remainder of the war entertaining the troops and making films. It was also during this period that Linder had his first serious bout with [[chronic depression]].<ref name=Wakeman2/>