Biography

Louis de Bree, born Louis Christiaan Davids (1884-1971), was a Dutch actor and stage director. Since actor/comedian Louis Davids was a big star at the time, he took on the stage name Louis de Bree to avoid confusion. De Bree made his stage debut at the age of 23 with Van Ollefen at the Amsterdam 'Paleis voor Volksvlijt'. In 1916 he was part of Nap de la Mar's operetta company and from 1921 to 1927 he was a theater director. From 1930 to 1933, De Bree became the artistic director of the 'Central Theatre' of the municipal theater company. From the mid-thirties, De Bree acted in a number of Dutch feature films, including 'Malle Gevallen', 'De Kribbebijter' and 'Het Mysterie van de Mondscheinsonate'. In 1938 he lent his voice to the role of Doc in the Dutch version of the Walt Disney animation 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' (1937; released in the Netherlands in 1938 as 'Sneeuwwitje en de Zeven Dwergen'). He was an Assistant Director on many of the films he acted in. After the war he joined the radio play unit of the Dutch Radio Union.