Emil Stepanek (21 February 1895 – 12 April 1945) was an

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

set designer Scenic design (also known as scenography, stage design, or set design) is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but in recent years, are mostly trained ...

and film architect.

Biography

Stepanek was born 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 ...

, the son of a carpenter, and received a training in stage set construction, in which he worked for several years. Between 1916 and 1918 he had to perform military service. After the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he returned to his work in theatres. In 1919 he had his first contact with the film industry. In the years that followed he often worked with the renowned film architects

Julius von Borsody Julius von Borsody (8 April 1892 in Vienna – 18 January 1960, also in Vienna) was an Austrian film architect and one of the most employed set designers in the Austrian and German cinemas of the late silent and early sound film periods. His youn ...

Artur Berger Artur Semyonovich Berger (german: Arthur Berger, russian: Артур Семёнович Бергер; 27 May 1892 – 11 January 1981) was an Austrian-Soviet film architect and set designer. He was active in Austria between 1920 and 1936, during ...

and

Alexander Ferenczy Alexander Ferenczy (1895–1931) was a Hungarian art director.Tabori p.70 Selected filmography * ''Samson and Delilah (1922 film), Samson and Delilah'' (1922) * ''The Portrait (1923 film), The Portrait'' (1923) * ''Fadette'' (1926) * ''Attorney fo ...

, particularly on the

epic films Epic films are a style of filmmaking with large-scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle. The usage of the term has shifted over time, sometimes designating a film genre and at other times simply synonymous with big-budget filmmaking. Like epics in ...

Sascha-Film Sascha-Film, in full Sascha-Filmindustrie AG and from 1933 Tobis-Sascha-Filmindustrie AG, was the largest Austrian film production company of the silent film and early sound film period. History The business was established in 1910 by Alexande ...

directed by

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz ( ; born Manó Kaminer; since 1905 Mihály Kertész; hu, Kertész Mihály; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed cla ...

: ''Prinz und Bettelknabe'' (1920), ''

Sodom und Gomorrha ''Sodom und Gomorrha: Die Legende von Sünde und Strafe'' (" Sodom and Gomorrah: The Legend of Sin and Punishment"; released in English as ''Sodom and Gomorrah'' or ''Queen of Sin and the Spectacle of Sodom and Gomorrha'') is an Austrian silent ...

'' (1922), ''

Die Sklavenkönigin ''The Moon of Israel'' (german: Die Sklavenkönigin, or "The Queen of the Slaves") is a 1924 Austrian epic film. It was directed by Mihaly Kertész (later Michael Curtiz). The script was written by Ladislaus Vajda, based on H. Rider Haggard's 1 ...

'' (1924) and ''Salammbô'' (1924). Stepanek remained in film set construction up to 1936, after which he worked in the area of executive film production. In 1944 he became director of the whole of set construction in the Rosenhügel Film Studios. On 12 April 1945, one day before the end of hostilities in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

in Vienna, he lost his life in unexplained circumstances.

Selected filmography

* ''Prinz und Bettelknabe'' (Austria 1920, dir:

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)Artur Berger Artur Semyonovich Berger (german: Arthur Berger, russian: Артур Семёнович Бергер; 27 May 1892 – 11 January 1981) was an Austrian-Soviet film architect and set designer. He was active in Austria between 1920 and 1936, during ...

) * ''Eine versunkene Welt / Die Tragödie eines verschollenen Fürstensohnes'' (Austria 1922, dir: Alexander Korda) * ''

'' (Austria 1922, dir:

Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz ( ; born Manó Kaminer; since 1905 Mihály Kertész; hu, Kertész Mihály; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed cla ...

; with

) * ''

'' (Austria 1924, dir: Michael Curtiz; with Artur Berger) * ''

Salammbô ''Salammbô'' (1862) is a historical novel by Gustave Flaubert. It is set in Carthage immediately before and during the Mercenary Revolt (241–237 BCE). Flaubert's principal source was Book I of the '' Histories'', written by the Greek his ...

'' (Austria/France 1924, dir: Pierre Marodon; with Artur Berger) * ''Champagner'' (Germany/UK/Austria 1928, 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 ...

; with Artur Berger) * ''

The White Sonata ''The White Sonata'' (German: ''Die weiße Sonate'') is a 1928 Austrian silent drama film directed by Louis Seeman and starring Carla Bartheel, Vladimir Sokoloff and Paul Askonas.Parish p.458 The film's sets were designed by the art director ...

'' (1928) * ''

Father Radetzky ''Father Radetzky'' (German: ''Vater Radetzky'') is a 1929 Austrian war film directed by Karl Leiter and starring Karl Forest, Otto Hartmann and Theodor Pištěk. It is a biopic of the nineteenth century Austrian soldier Joseph Radetzky von Ra ...

'' (1929) * '' Devotion'' (1929) * '' The Deed of Andreas Harmer'' (1930) * ''

Money on the Street ''Money on the Street'' (german: Geld auf der Straße) is a 1930 Austrian-German romantic comedy film directed by Georg Jacoby and starring Lydia Pollman, Georg Alexander, and Franz Schafheitlin. It is notable for the screen debut of Hedy Lama ...

'' (Austria 1930, dir:

Georg Jacoby Georg Jacoby (23 July 1882 – 21 February 1964) was a German film director and screenwriter.Profile
, bfi.org.uk; accessed ...

; with Hans Jacoby) * ''Die vom 17er Haus'' (Austria 1932, dir: Artur Berger; with Artur Berger) * ''Scampolo, ein Kind der Straße'' (Germany 1932, dir:

Hans Steinhoff Hans Steinhoff (10 March 1882 – 20 April 1945) was a German film director, best known for the propaganda films he made in the Nazi era. Life and career Steinhoff started his career as a stage actor in the 1900s and later worked as a stag ...

) * ''Lumpenkavaliere'' (Austria 1932, dir:

Carl Boese Carl Eduard Hermann Boese (; 26 August 1887 – 6 July 1958) was a German film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer. He directed 158 films between 1917 and 1957. Selected filmography * ''Farmer Borchardt'' (1917) * ''Donna Lucia ...

; with Artur Berger) * '' Madame Wants No Children'' (Germany 1933, dir: Hans Steinhoff) * ''

Maskerade ''Maskerade'' is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the eighteenth book in the ''Discworld'' series. The witches Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg visit the Ankh-Morpork Opera House to find Agnes Nitt, a girl from Lancre, and get ...

'' (Austria 1934, dir:

Willi Forst Willi Forst, born Wilhelm Anton Frohs (7 April 1903 – 11 August 1980) was an Austrian actor, screenwriter, film director, film producer and singer. As a debonair actor he was a darling of the German-speaking film audiences, as a director, one o ...

; with

Oskar Strnad Oskar Strnad (26 October 1879 – 3 September 1935) was an Austrian architect, sculptor, designer and set designer for films and theatres. Together with Josef Frank he was instrumental in creating the distinctive character of the '' Wiener Sc ...

) * ''

Tales from the Vienna Woods "Tales from the Vienna Woods" (german: "Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald", links=no, italic=no, occasionally ) is a waltz by Johann Strauss II. Composed in 1868 in music, 1868, , Opus number, Op. 325, was one of six Viennese waltzes by Johann Stra ...

'' (Austria 1934, dir: Georg Jacoby) * ''

Episode An episode is a narrative unit within a larger dramatic work or documentary production, such as a series intended for radio, television or streaming consumption. The noun ''episode'' is derived from the Greek term ''epeisodion'' (), meaning t ...

'' (Austria 1935, dir:

Walter Reisch Walter Reisch (May 23, 1903 – March 28, 1983) was an Austrian-born director and screenwriter. He also wrote lyrics to several songs featured in his films, one popular title is "Flieger, grüß mir die Sonne". He was married to the dancer and a ...

) * ''

The Emperor's Candlesticks ''The Emperor's Candlesticks'' is an 1899 historical novel by Baroness Orczy. Written soon after the birth of her son John, it is her first book as an author rather than translator and was a commercial failure. As in the Scarlet Pimpernel, the ...

'' (Austria 1936, dir:

Karl Hartl Karl Hartl (10 May 1899 – 29 August 1978) was an Austrian film director. Life Born in Vienna, Hartl began his film career at the Austrian Sascha-Film company of Alexander Kolowrat and from 1919 was assistant to the Hungarian director Alexande ...

; with

Kurt Herlth Kurt Herlth (1896–1966) was a German art director known for his designs of film sets. His brother Robert Herlth was also an art director active in the German film industry, and the two men worked together a number of times.Bock & Bergfelder p.1 ...

Werner Schlichting Werner Schlichting (1904–1996) was a German art director who worked on over a hundred films during a lengthy career. He worked on a number of Austrian films including '' The Congress Dances'' and ''The Last Ten Days'' (1955).Fritsche p.253 Sele ...

) * '' Court Theatre'' (Austria 1936, dir: Willi Forst; with

) * '' Hannerl and Her Lovers'' (1936)

Sources and external links

*
Filmportal.de Emil Stepanek: filmography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stepanek, Emil Austrian scenic designers Film people from Vienna 1895 births 1945 deaths Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I