Kurt Gerson, a student of Max Reinhardt, acted in and directed motion pictures in Germany. He was best known by his artist name, Kurt Gerron. Before escaping to the Netherlands in 1935, he acted in many motion pictures and directed several as well, including 'Der liebe Lust und Leid' (1926), 'Der Blaue Engel' (1930), 'Meine Frau die Hochstaplerin' (1931), 'Es wird schon wieder besser' (1932), 'Der weisse Dämont' (1932), 'Ein toller Einfall' (1932), 'Kind, ich freu' mich an dien Kommen' (1933) and 'Heut' kommt's drauf an' (1933).
He continued to direct motion pictures after arriving in the Netherlands, including 'Het mysterie van de Mondscheinsonate' (1935), 'Merijntje Gijzen‘s Jeugd' (1936), the documentary 'AVRO's Glorie' (1936) and 'Drie wensen' (1937).
He also provided dubbing, acted in plays, revues and operettas and occasionally directed plays as well. He acted with the Operetta society De Hoofdstad, the Vrije Produktie/Ad hoc Produktie, the Gezelschap Max Ehrlich, the Nelson Show and the Joodsch Kleinkunst Ensemble.
In September 1943, Kurt Gerron was deported to Theresienstadt concentration camp from Westerbork. At Theresienstadt he worked on the motion picture 'Der Führer schenkt den Juden eine Stadt'. He was deported from Theresienstadt to Auschwitz, where he was killed.
P.H. Honig (ed.), Acteurs- en Kleinkunstenaarslexicon. 3200 namen uit 100 jaar Nederlands toneel (Heino/Diepenveen 1984) 320-321
Many books and films have been published about Gerron and his work, in particular about the propagandafilm from Theresienstadt, for ecample:
M. Schmidt, Der Profi. Kurt Gerrons Weg von der Traumfabrik bis Theresienstadt (1989)
I. Ziok, Kurt Gerrons Karussell (1999)
S. van Beek, Theresienstadt: de 'alsof-stad' (Amsterdam, 1995)
Prisoner of paradise, a documentairy by Malcolm Clarke and Stuart Sender (2002).