Murnau's "The Last Laugh" had made a tremendous impact in America, not only
on film people in Hollywood but on the general public as well. American
producers consciously began shooting their picturs 'in the German manner'.
However, the film that completed the revolution, at least as far as
Hollywood was concerned, was Janning's "Variety" [1925], directed by E.A.
Dupont, photographed by Karl Freund, the cameraman of "The Last Laugh". By
the dawn of the twenties, Hollywood had entered into its own 'Golden era' of
giant studios [like the UFA in Germany] and virtually unlimited financing.
Whatever Hollywood could not produce itself, it boght. And as the German
pictures began to create a furor in America, negotiations were soon under
way to import talents that had made them - stars, directors, prodcuers,
cameramen, set designers, et al. The first star to arrive was Pola Negri,
whose immense popularity with American audiences paved thw ay for actors
like Emil Jannings, Lya de Putti and Conrad Veidt. Ernst Lubitsch was the
first important German director to come to Hollywood. His success inspired
the great import of others - Ludwig Berger, Michael Curtiz, William
Dieterle, EA Dupont, Paul Leni, FW MURNAU. Even Pabst had a brief,unhappy
fling in the Hollywood studios. Kurt Courant and Theodor Sparkuhl brought
German camera techniques to the American films. And then in 1927, Erich
Pommer, the UFA head and the man directly responsible for most of the great
success of the German 'Golden era' was lured to Hollywood by Paramount.
Whether Murnau was 'selling off' is to be cross checked - but going by the
trend it seems rather implausible.
Amrit
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bernd Herzogenrath" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 2:55 AM
Subject: AW: German Directors in Hollywood
> Hi Dan and the others,
>
> thanx for the references so far ... yet,
> does anybody know of-hand if e.g. Murnau
> was seen as 'selling off' when going to
> Hollywood - comparable, say, to a band changing
> to a major label???
>
> Bernd
>
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