Background
He was born as Isidor Gesang in Lemberg, Austria-Hungary.
He was born as Isidor Gesang in Lemberg, Austria-Hungary.
After his education in Vienna, he joined the Deutsches Theater in Berlin in 1905, working for Max Reinhardt as an actor and director Gottowt was mainly active in different theatres in Berlin as a character actor and director His first silent film appearance was in Paul Wegener’s Der Student von Prag ("The Student of Prague") (1913).
In 1920 he appeared in Robert Wiene"s Genuine and took the main role in the early science fiction film Algol.
In 1921 he played Professor Bulwer (Abraham van Helsing) in the classic silent film Nosferatu directed by F.W. Murnau. After a few years in Denmark he moved to Krakow in Poland.
He was murdered in 1942 by the Steamship in Wieliczka. Der Student von Prag (1913, directed by Stellan Rye), as Scapinelli
Das schwarze Los / Pierrots letztes Abenteuer (1913, directed by John Gottowt & Emil Albes), as Brighella
Die büßende Magdalena (1915, directed by Emil Albes)
Satan Opium (1915, directed by Siegfried Dessauer)
The Princess of Neutralia (1917, directed by Rudolf Biebrach), as Joe Vandergolt, billionaire
Peer Gynt.
1. Peer Gynts Jugend (1918, directed by Victor Barnowsky), as Dovregubben
Peer Gynt 2.
Wanderjahre und Tod (1918, directed by Victor Barnowsky), as Dovregubben
Morphium (1919, directed by Bruno Ziener)
Der rote Henker (1919, directed by Rudolf Biebrach), as L"Angely, court jester
Der verbotene Weg (1920, directed by Henrik Galeen), as Lucas
Genuine (1920, directed by Robert Wiene), as Guyard, barber
The Night of Queen Isabeau (1920, directed by Robert Wiene), as humpbacked court jester
Der Bucklige und die Tänzerin (1920, directed by FW Murnau), as James Wilton
Niemand weiß es (1920, directed by Lupu Pick) - Screenwriter
Algol (1920, directed by Hans Werckmeister), as alien from the planet Algol
Die tote Stunde (1920, directed by Friedrich Feher)
Pariserinnen / Die Lou vom Montmartre (1921, directed by Leo Lasko), as Aristide
Burning Country (1921, directed by Heinz Herald), as Wladislaus
Susanne Stranzky (1921, directed by Otto Rippert)
Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922, directed by FW Murnau), as Professor Bulwer (van Helsing)
Der schwarze Stern (1922, directed by James Bauer)
Elixiere des Teufels (1922, directed by Adolf Abter)
The False Dimitri (1922, directed by Hans Steinhoff), as Ivan"s court jester
Der Geldteufel (1923, directed by Heinz Goldberg), as Black
Waxworks (1923, directed by Paul Leni), as the wax museum"s owner
Menschenopfer (1923, directed by Carl Wilhelm)
Should We Be Silent? (1926, directed by Richard Oswald), as the doctor"s assistant
The Flight in the Night (1926, directed by Amleto Palermi), as a servant
Prinz Louis Ferdinand (1927, directed by Hans Behrendt), as newspaper editor
Unheimliche Geschichten (1932, directed by Richard Oswald), as Beamter des Mechanischen Museums.