Benno Vigny (real name Benoit Philippe Weinfeld; 28 October 1889 – 31 October 1965) was a French-German

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...

and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

Life and works

Vigny was born in

Commercy Commercy () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. The 18th-century Lorraine historian Nicolas Luton Durival (1713–1795) was born in Commercy. History Commercy dates back to the 9th century, and at that time ...

and grew up in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. He moved to

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

in the 1920s. There he began working as a screenwriter in collaboration with other writers, particularly for German-British co-productions. In 1927, his novel ''Amy Jolly, die Frau aus Marrakesch'' (Amy Jolly, the Woman from Marrakesh) was published, which became the 1930 film ''

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

'' in the USA, in which

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

made her Hollywood debut. Another novel, ''Nell John. Der Roman einer Verjüngten'' (Nell John, The Tale of a Rejuvenated Woman), also appeared in 1927. At the beginning of the 1930s, Vigny went to

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, where he continued to collaborate as a screenwriter for international co-productions. The little-known film ''Bariole'', from this period, is his only work as a film director. After this period, Vigny worked only occasionally as a screenwriter. His last screenplay was the critically acclaimed ''

Der Verlorene ''The Lost One'' (german: Der Verlorene) is a 1951 West German drama film directed by Peter Lorre and starring Lorre, Karl John and Renate Mannhardt. It is an art film in the film noir style, based on a true story. Lorre wrote, directed, and sta ...

'' (The Lost One) (1951), co-written with

Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, first in Europe and later in the United States. He began his stage career in Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, before movin ...

, who also directed and acted in the film. He died in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

Filmography

*'' Ssanin'' (dir.

Friedrich Feher Friedrich Feher (born Friedrich Weiß, 16 March 1889 – 30 September 1950) was an Austrian actor and film director. He first entered the film business in 1913, starting out as an actor but quickly gravitated toward directing. He is perhaps bes ...

, 1924) *''

Ghost Train In ghostlore, a ghost train is a phantom vehicle in the form of a locomotive or train. The ghost train differs from other traditional forms of haunting in that rather than being a static location where ghosts are claimed to be present, "the appar ...

'' (dir.

Géza von Bolváry Géza von Bolváry (born Géza Gyula Mária Bolváry Zahn, german: Géza Maria von Bolváry-Zahn; 26 December 1897 – 10 August 1961) was a Hungarians, Hungarian actor, screenwriter, and film director, who worked principally in Germany and Aust ...

, 1927) *''

Knights of the Night ''Knights of the Night'' (german: Ritter der Nacht) is a 1928 German silent film directed by Max Reichmann and starring Ivan Koval-Samborsky, , and La Jana. The film's art direction was by Leopold Blonder Leopold Blonder (1893–1932) was an ...

'' (dir.

Max Reichmann Max Reichmann (1884-1958) was a German film director active during the silent and early sound eras. Before making his own films, Reichmann worked as an assistant director on several E.A. Dupont productions. After graduating to directing, he direc ...

, 1928) *'' Number 17'' (dir.

, 1928) *'' The Wrecker'' (dir.

, 1929) *''

Tonka of the Gallows ''Tonka of the Gallows'' (Czech: ''Tonka Šibenice'', French: ''Tonischka'', German: ''Die Galgentoni'') is a 1930 Czech drama film directed by Karl Anton and starring Ita Rina, Vera Baranovskaya and Josef Rovenský. It is an adaptation of the n ...

'' (dir.

Karl Anton Karl Anton or Karel Anton (25 October 1898 12 April 1979) was a Bohemian-born German film director, screenwriter and film producer. Biography He was born in Prague on 25 October 1898. His father Wilhelm Anton (1861–1918) was a physician. An ...

, 1930) *''

'' (dir.

Josef von Sternberg Josef von Sternberg (; born Jonas Sternberg; May 29, 1894 – December 22, 1969) was an Austrian-American filmmaker whose career successfully spanned the transition from the silent to the sound era, during which he worked with most of the major ...

, 1930) *''

A Girl from the Reeperbahn ''A Girl from the Reeperbahn'' (german: Ein Mädel von der Reeperbahn) is a 1930 Czech-German musical film directed by Karl Anton and starring Olga Chekhova, Trude Berliner, and Hans Adalbert Schlettow. It was made in studios in the Czech capit ...

'' (dir.

, 1930) *'' The Indictment'' (dir.

Dimitri Buchowetzki Dimitri Buchowetzki (1885–1932) born Dmitry Savelyevych Bukhovecky was a Russian film director, screenwriter, and actor in Germany, Sweden, United States, United Kingdom, and France. Life and career Initially Buchowetzki studied law. Later h ...

, 1931) - French-language version of ''

Manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th cen ...

'' (1930) *''

Reckless Youth Thomas Carter (born September 18, 1974) is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Reckless Youth. He has competed in numerous North American independent promotions including the East Coast Wrestling Association, Comba ...

'' (dir.

Leo Mittler Leo Mittler (18 December 1893 – 16 May 1958) was an Austrian playwright, screenwriter and film director. Mittler was born in Vienna, then the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to a Jewish family. He attended the University of Music and Per ...

, 1931) - German-language version of ''

'' (1930) * ''

The Case of Colonel Redl ''The Case of Colonel Redl'' (German: ''Der Fall des Generalstabs-Oberst Redl'') is a 1931 German spy drama film directed by Karl Anton and starring Theodor Loos, Lil Dagover and Otto Hartmann. It was co-production between the Prague-based compa ...

'' (dir.

, 1931) *'' The Rebel (1931)'' (dir.

Adelqui Migliar Adelqui Migliar (5 August 1891 – 6 August 1956), also known as Adelqui Millar, was a Chilean film actor, director, writer and producer. He appeared in 31 silent films between 1916 and 1928. He also directed 24 films between 1922 and 1954. ...

, 1931) - French-language version of ''

The Virtuous Sin ''The Virtuous Sin'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy-drama film directed by George Cukor and Louis J. Gasnier and starring Walter Huston, Kay Francis, and Kenneth MacKenna. The screenplay by Martin Brown and Louise Long is based on the 1928 p ...

'' (1930) * '' The Night of Decision'' (dir.

, 1931) - German-language version of ''

'' (1930) *''Rive gauche'' (dir.

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)Laughter Laughter is a pleasant physical reaction and emotion consisting usually of rhythmical, often audible contractions of the diaphragm and other parts of the respiratory system. It is a response to certain external or internal stimuli. Laughter ...

'' (1930) *''Lo mejor es reir'' (dir.

Florián Rey Antonio Martínez del Castillo known professionally as Florián Rey was a Spanish director, actor, and screenwriter. He directed '' The Cursed Village'', widely recognized as a seminal work in silent Spanish cinema, and helped launch the career o ...

and

E. W. Emo E. W. Emo (Emerich Walter Emo, born Emerich Josef Wojtek, 11 July 1898; died 2 December 1975) was an Austrian film director. Emo specialized in comedies, 21 of them with the actor Hans Moser. He also worked outside Austria and wrote screenpla ...

, 1931) - Spanish-language version of ''

Laughter Laughter is a pleasant physical reaction and emotion consisting usually of rhythmical, often audible contractions of the diaphragm and other parts of the respiratory system. It is a response to certain external or internal stimuli. Laughter ...

'' (1930) *''

The Men Around Lucy ''The Men Around Lucy'' (German:''Die Männer um Lucie'') is a 1931 American drama film directed and produced by Alexander Korda and starring Liane Haid, Walter Rilla and Oskar Karlweis.Warsh & Malleck p.250 Made at the Joinville Studios in Pa ...

'' (dir.

'' (1930) *''Côte d'Azur'' (dir.

Roger Capellani Roger Capellani (31 January 1905 – 30 May 1940) was a French film director, the son of film director and screenwriter Albert Capellani and the nephew of the actor Paul Capellani. He shot French versions of foreign films for the studios of the ...

, 1932) *'' Transit Camp'' (dir.

, 1932) *''

Baroud ''Baroud'' is a 1932 British-French adventure film directed by Rex Ingram and Alice Terry and starring Felipe Montes, Rosita Garcia, and Pierre Batcheff. Actor Paul Henreid debuted in a small role. The film was released in separate French and ...

'' (dir. Rex Ingram and

Alice Terry Alice Frances Taaffe (July 24, 1899 – December 22, 1987), known professionally as Alice Terry, was an American film actress and director. She began her career during the silent film era, appearing in thirty-nine films between 1916 and 1 ...

, 1932) *''Bariole'' (dir. Benno Vigny, 1934) *'' Odette'' (dir.

Jacques Houssin Jacques Houssin (19 Septembre 1902 – 8 May 1979) was a French film director and screenwriter. Filmography Director * 1933 in film, 1933 : ''Plein aux as'' * 1935 in film, 1935 : ''Odette'' * 1937 in film, 1937 : ''Rendez-vous Champs-É ...

and Giorgio Zambon, 1934) *'' Parisian Life'' (dir.

Robert Siodmak Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German film director who also worked in the United States. He is best remembered as a thriller specialist and for a series of films noirs he made in the 1940s, such as ''The Killers'' (19 ...

, 1936) *''

Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 19 ...

'' (dir.

Richard Pottier Richard Pottier (6 June 1906, Graz – 2 November 1994, Le Plessis-Bouchard) was an Austrian-born French film director. He was born in the Austro-Hungarian Empire as Ernst Deutsch. Selected filmography * ''A Rare Bird'' (1935) * ''Fanfare of Love' ...

, 1949) *''

The Trip to Marrakesh ''The Trip to Marrakesh'' (german: Die Reise nach Marrakesch) is a 1949 West German drama film directed by Richard Eichberg and starring Luise Ullrich, Maria Holst and Karl Ludwig Diehl. It was Eichberg's last film and his first in a decade, havi ...

'' (dir.

Richard Eichberg Richard Eichberg (27 October 1888 – 8 May 1952) was a German film director and producer. He directed 87 films between 1915 and 1949. He also produced 77 films between 1915 and 1950. He was born in Berlin, Germany and died in Munich, Germ ...

, 1949) *''

Vienna Waltzes ''Vienna Waltzes'' is a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine to music by Johann Strauss II, Franz Lehár and Richard Strauss, made as a tribute to Austria. It premiered on June 23, 1977 at the New York State Theater, performed by the N ...

'' (dir.

Emil-Edwin Reinert Emil-Edwin Reinert, or Emile-Edwin Reinert, (16 March 1903 – 17 October 1953) was a French film director, screenwriter, audio engineer and producer. Born in Rava-Ruska, Austria-Hungary in 1903, Reinert directed films in France, Great Britain, ...

, 1951) *''

The Lost One ''The Lost One'' (german: Der Verlorene) is a 1951 West German drama film directed by Peter Lorre and starring Lorre, Karl John and Renate Mannhardt. It is an art film in the film noir style, based on a true story. Lorre wrote, directed, and sta ...

'' (dir.

, 1951)

References

Bibliography

*Kay Weniger, ''Das große Personenlexikon des Films'', Volume 8, Berlin: Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, 2001, *Jean-Pascal Constantin
Benno VIGNY
Les Gens du Cinéma, 14 September 2004

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vigny, Benno 1889 births 1965 deaths People from Commercy 19th-century French Jews German male screenwriters German male novelists 20th-century German novelists French military personnel of World War I 20th-century German male writers Film people from Vienna 20th-century German screenwriters French emigrants to Germany