Curtis Bernhardt (15 April 1899 – 22 February 1981) was a Jewish

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

born in

Worms, Germany Worms () is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, situated on the Upper Rhine about south-southwest of Frankfurt am Main. It had about 82,000 inhabitants . A pre-Roman foundation, Worms is one of the oldest cities in northern Europe. It wa ...

, under the name Kurt Bernhardt. He trained as an actor in Germany, and performed on the stage, before starting as a film director in 1924, with '' Nameless Heroes''. Other films include '' A Stolen Life'' (1946) and ''

Sirocco Sirocco ( ), scirocco, or, rarely, siroc (see below) is a Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and can reach hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe, especially during the summer season. Names ''Sirocco'' derives from ...

'' (1951). Bernhardt made films in Germany from 1925 until 1933, when he was forced to flee the

Third Reich Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

— who briefly had him arrested — because he was

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

. Bernhardt directed films in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

and

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

before moving on to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

to work for

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

in 1940. He produced and directed his last Hollywood picture, ''

Kisses for My President ''Kisses for My President'' is a 1964 comedy film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Fred MacMurray and Polly Bergen. Leslie McCloud (Bergen) makes history when she is elected the first female president of the United States. However, her h ...

'' (1964), about the nation's first female Chief Executive starring

Polly Bergen Polly Bergen (born Nellie Paulina Burgin; July 14, 1930 – September 20, 2014) was an American actress, singer, television host, writer and entrepreneur. She won an Emmy Award in 1958 for her performance as Helen Morgan in ''The Helen Mo ...

and

Fred MacMurray Frederick Martin MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an American actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films and a successful television series, in a career that spanned nearly a half-century. His career as a major film le ...

. He is interred at Glendale's

Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries is an American corporation that owns and operates a chain of cemeteries and mortuaries in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties in Southern California. History The company was founded by a group of ...

, near his wife,

Pearl Argyle Pearl Argyle (born Pearl Wellman; 7 November 1910 – 29 January 1947) was a South African ballet dancer and actress. Remembered today primarily for her extraordinary beauty, she appeared in leading roles with English ballet companies in the 1930s ...

Wellman Bernhardt.

Filmography

*'' Nameless Heroes'' (short) (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1924)Ashkenazi, Ofer (2012).
Weimar Film and Modern Jewish Identity
'. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 135, 223. *''

Torments of the Night ''Torments of the Night'' (German: ''Qualen der Nacht'') is a 1926 German silent drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Claire Rommer, Ernö Verebes and William Dieterle.Bock & Bergfelder p.41 It was distributed by the German subs ...

'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1926) *''

Orphan of Lowood ''Orphan of Lowood'' (German: ''Die Waise von Lowood'') is a 1926 German silent drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Evelyn Holt, Olaf Fønss and Dina Diercks. It is based on the 1847 British novel ''Jane Eyre'' by Charlotte B ...

'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1926) *''

Children's Souls Accuse You ''Children's Souls Accuse You'' (German: ''Kinderseelen klagen euch an'') is a 1927 German silent drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Albert Steinrück, Nathalie Lissenko and Walter Rilla. It was made with an anti-abortion the ...

'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1927) *''

The Girl with the Five Zeros ''The Girl with the Five Zeros'' (German: ''Das Mädchen mit den fünf Nullen'') is a 1927 German silent comedy film directed by Curtis Bernhardt.Bock & Bergfelder p.41 It was shot at the Grunewald Studios in Berlin. The film's sets were design ...

'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1927) *''

The Prince of Rogues ''The Prince of Rogues'' (german: Schinderhannes) is a 1928 German silent drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Hans Stüwe, Lissy Arna and Albert Steinrück. It was shot at the Johannisthal Studios in Berlin. The film's art dire ...

'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1928) *''

The Last Fort ''The Last Fort'' (german: Das letzte Fort) is a 1928 German silent war filmKoepnick p. 68 directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Rolla Norman, Maria Paudler and Albert Steinrück. Cast * Rolla Norman as Major Leblanc * Maria Paudler as Yvo ...

'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1929) *''

The Woman One Longs For ''The Woman One Longs For'' (German: ''Die Frau, nach der man sich sehnt'') is a 1929 German silent drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Marlene Dietrich, Fritz Kortner and Frida Richard. It was based on the novel of the same tit ...

'' aka The Woman Men Yearn For (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1929) * ''

The Last Company ''The Last Company'' (german: Die letzte Kompagnie) is a 1930 German war film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Conrad Veidt, Karin Evans and Erwin Kalser.Bock & Bergfelder p. 315 It was part of the popular cycle of Prussian films which p ...

'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1930) *' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1930) * ''

The Man Who Murdered ''The Man Who Murdered'' (german: Der Mann, der den Mord beging) is a 1931 German crime drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Conrad Veidt, Trude von Molo and Heinrich George.Grange p. 357 It is adapted from the play by Pierre Fro ...

'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1931) * '' The Rebel'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1932) * '' The Tunnel'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1933) *''

Le tunnel ''The Tunnel'' (french: Le Tunnel) is a 1933 French-German science fiction film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Jean Gabin, Madeleine Renaud and Robert Le Vigan. It was the French language version of the German film '' The Tunnel'', with ...

'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1933) * ''

Gold in the Street ''Gold in the Street'' (French: ''L'Or dans la rue'' ) is a 1934 French comedy film directed by Curtis Bernhardt, written by Henry Koster and Henri Decoin, and starring Danielle Darrieux.The A to Z of French Cinema p.119 The film's sets were desi ...

'' (1934) *'' The Beloved Vagabond'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1936) * '' Chaste Susanne'' (1937) * ''

The Girl in the Taxi ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1937) *'' Le vagabond bien-aimé'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1937) * ''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1938) *''

My Love Came Back ''My Love Came Back'' is a 1940 American comedy-drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Olivia de Havilland, Jeffrey Lynn, Eddie Albert, and Jane Wyman. Based on the 1935 Austrian film ''Episode'' written and directed by Walter Reisc ...

'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1940) *''

Lady with Red Hair ''Lady with Red Hair'' (1940) is an American historical drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Miriam Hopkins, Claude Rains and Richard Ainley. Released by Warner Brothers it stars Hopkins as the nineteenth century actress Mrs. Le ...

'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1940) *''

Night in December ''Night in December'' (French: ''Nuit de décembre'') is a 1940 drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Pierre Blanchar, Renée Saint-Cyr and Gilbert Gil.Crisp p.250 The film's art direction was by Henri Ménessier. Cast * Pierre B ...

'' (as Kurt Bernhardt) (1941) *''

Million Dollar Baby ''Million Dollar Baby'' is a 2004 American sports drama film directed, co-produced, scored by and starring Clint Eastwood from a screenplay written by Paul Haggis, based on stories from the 2000 collection ''Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner' ...

'' (1941) *''

Juke Girl ''Juke Girl'' is a 1942 American drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt, written by A. I. Bezzerides, and starring Ann Sheridan and Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Richard Whorf, George Tobias, Gene Lockhart, Alan Hale Sr., Howard ...

'' (1942) *'' Happy Go Lucky'' (1943) *''

Conflict Conflict may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Conflict'' (1921 film), an American silent film directed by Stuart Paton * ''Conflict'' (1936 film), an American boxing film starring John Wayne * ''Conflict'' (1937 film) ...

'' (

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. Januar ...

) *''

My Reputation ''My Reputation'' is a 1946 American romantic drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt. Barbara Stanwyck portrays an upper-class widow whose romance with an army officer causes trouble for her gossiping friends, domineering mother and young sons. ...

'' (

1946 Events January * January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held. * January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...

) *''

Devotion Devotion or Devotions may refer to: Religion * Faith, confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept * Anglican devotions, private prayers and practices used by Anglican Christians * Buddhist devotion, commitment to religious observance * Cat ...

'' (

) *'' A Stolen Life'' (1946) *''

High Wall ''High Wall'' is a 1947 American film noir starring Robert Taylor, Audrey Totter and Herbert Marshall. It was directed by Curtis Bernhardt from a screenplay by Sydney Boehm and Lester Cole, based on a play by Alan R. Clark and Bradbury Foote. ...

'' (

1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...

) *''

Possessed Possessed may refer to: Possession * Possession (disambiguation), having some degree of control over something else ** Spirit possession, whereby gods, demons, animas, or other disincarnate entities may temporarily take control of a human body *** ...

'' (1947) *''

'' (

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...

) *''

Payment on Demand ''Payment on Demand'' is a 1951 American drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Bette Davis and Barry Sullivan. The screenplay by Bernhardt and Bruce Manning chronicles a marriage from its idealistic early days to its dissolution. P ...

'' (1951) *'' The Blue Veil'' (1951) *''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt t ...

'' (

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

) *''

Miss Sadie Thompson ''Miss Sadie Thompson'' is a 1953 3-D American musical romantic drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Rita Hayworth, José Ferrer, and Aldo Ray. The film was released by Columbia Pictures. The film is based on W. Somerset Maugham ...

'' (

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...

) *''

Beau Brummell George Bryan "Beau" Brummell (7 June 1778 – 30 March 1840) was an important figure in Regency England and, for many years, the arbiter of men's fashion. At one time, he was a close friend of the Prince Regent, the future King George IV, but ...

'' (

1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...

) *''

Interrupted Melody ''Interrupted Melody'' is a 1955 biographical musical film, filmed in CinemaScope and Eastman Color, directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Glenn Ford, Eleanor Parker, Roger Moore, and Cecil Kellaway. The film was produced for Metro-Goldwyn-Ma ...

'' (

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

) *'' Gaby'' (

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

) *''

Stefanie in Rio ''Stefanie in Rio'' is a 1960 West German romantic comedy film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Carlos Thompson, Sabine Sinjen and Andréa Parisy.Bock & Bergfelder p.41 It is a sequel to the 1958 film '' Stefanie''. It was shot at the Spa ...

'' (1960) *''

Damon and Pythias The story of Damon (; grc-gre, Δάμων, gen. Δάμωνος) and Pythias (; or ; or Phintias, ) is a legend in Greek historic writings illustrating the Pythagorean ideal of friendship. Pythias is accused of and charged with plotting against ...

'' ( 1962) *''

'' (1964)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bernhardt, Curtis Film directors from Rhineland-Palatinate German theatre directors Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States 1899 births 1981 deaths People from Rhenish Hesse Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) People from Worms, Germany