Ludwig Berger (born Ludwig Bamberger; 6 January 1892 – 18 May 1969) was a

German-Jewish The history of the Jews in Germany goes back at least to the year 321, and continued through the Early Middle Ages (5th to 10th centuries CE) and High Middle Ages (''circa'' 1000–1299 CE) when Jewish immigrants founded the Ashkenazi 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 ...

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. ...

and

theatre director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...

. He directed more than 30 films between 1920 and 1969. Berger began working in the

German film industry The film industry in Germany can be traced back to the late 19th century. German cinema made major technical and artistic contributions to early film, broadcasting and television technology. Babelsberg Studio, Babelsberg became a household synon ...

during the

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...

. At Decla-Bioscop and later

UFA Ufa ( ba, Өфө , Öfö; russian: Уфа́, r=Ufá, p=ʊˈfa) is the largest city and capital city, capital of Bashkortostan, Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Belaya River (Kama), Belaya and Ufa River, Ufa rivers, in the centre-n ...

he established a reputation as a leading director of

silent films A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, whe ...

. He emigrated to Hollywood, but was unable to establish himself and returned to Europe. He subsequently worked both in France and Germany. He was a member of the jury at the

6th Berlin International Film Festival The 6th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 22 June to 3 July 1956. The FIAPF granted the festival the "A status" during this year, which was previously only reserved for Cannes and Venice. The awards for the first time, we ...

. Berger also translated a few plays of Shakespeare, including ''

Cymbeline ''Cymbeline'' , also known as ''The Tragedie of Cymbeline'' or ''Cymbeline, King of Britain'', is a play by William Shakespeare set in British Iron Age, Ancient Britain () and based on legends that formed part of the Matter of Britain concerni ...

'', ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'', and ''

Timon of Athens ''Timon of Athens'' (''The Life of Tymon of Athens'') is a play written by William Shakespeare and probably also Thomas Middleton in about 1606. It was published in the '' First Folio'' in 1623. Timon lavishes his wealth on parasitic companio ...

''. His elder brother was the set designer

Rudolf Bamberger Rudolf Bamberger (21 May 1888 – 13 August 1945) was a German art director.Prawer p. 12 He worked as a set designer in German theatre and cinema during the Weimar era. Following the introduction of sound film, he produced several documentaries. ...

who was killed in 1945.

Selected filmography

Film

* ''

The Mayor of Zalamea ''The Mayor of Zalamea'' ( es, El Alcalde de Zalamea) is a play written by Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600–1681) during the Golden Age of Spanish drama. It was probably written in 1636. It pays homage to a play by the same name by Lope de Ve ...

'' (1920) * ''

The Story of Christine von Herre ''The Story of Christine von Herre'' (german: Der Roman der Christine von Herre) is a 1921 German silent drama film directed by Ludwig Berger and starring Agnes Straub, Werner Krauss, and Paul Hartmann. It was based on a novella by Heinrich ...

'' (1921) * '' A Glass of Water'' (1923) * ''

The Lost Shoe ''The Lost Shoe'' (german: Der verlorene Schuh) is a 1923 German silent fantasy film directed by Ludwig Berger and starring Helga Thomas, Paul Hartmann and Mady Christians. Its plot is loosely based on that of Cinderella. It was shot at the ...

'' (1923) * ''

A Waltz Dream ' (''A Waltz Dream'') is an operetta by Oscar Straus with a German libretto by and , based on the novella ' (''Nux, the Prince Consort'') by Hans Müller-Einigen from his 1905 book ' (''Book of Adventures''). The young Jacobson presented Stra ...

'' (1925) * '' The Master of Nuremberg'' (1927) * '' Queen Louise'' (dir.

Karl Grune Karl Grune (22 January 1890 – 2 October 1962) was an Austrian film director and writer who made many silent films in the 1920s. Grune was born into a Jewish familySiegbert Salomon Prawer, ''Between Two Worlds: The Jewish Presence in German ...

, 1927) * '' Sins of the Fathers'' (1928) * ''

The Woman from Moscow ''The Woman from Moscow'' is a 1928 American drama film starring Pola Negri. This was Negri's last silent film released with musical score and sound effects. The picture is a remake of Paramount's 1918 Pauline Frederick film '' Fedora'', based ...

'' (1928) * '' The Burning Heart'' (1929) * ''

The Vagabond King ''The Vagabond King'' is a 1925 operetta by Rudolf Friml in four acts, with a book and lyrics by Brian Hooker and William H. Post, based upon Justin Huntly McCarthy's 1901 romantic novel and play ''If I Were King''. The story is a fictionali ...

'' (1930) * ''

Playboy of Paris ''Playboy of Paris'' is a 1930 American pre-Code musical comedy film directed by Ludwig Berger and starring Maurice Chevalier, Frances Dee (in her film debut), and O.P. Heggie. It was based on a 1911 play '' The Little Cafe'' by Tristan Bernard ...

'' (1930) * '' The Little Cafe'' (1931) * ''

I by Day, You by Night ''I by Day, You by Night'' (german: Ich bei Tag und du bei Nacht) is a 1932 German musical comedy film directed by Ludwig Berger and starring Käthe von Nagy and Willy Fritsch. It was shot at the Babelsberg Studios and on location at the Sansso ...

'' (1932) * ''

Early to Bed Early may refer to: History * The beginning or oldest part of a defined historical period, as opposed to middle or late periods, e.g.: ** Early Christianity ** Early modern Europe Places in the United States * Early, Iowa * Early, Texas * Early ...

'' (1933) * ''

Waltz War ''Waltz War'' (German: ''Walzerkrieg'') is a 1933 German musical comedy film directed by Ludwig Berger and starring Renate Müller, Willy Fritsch and Paul Hörbiger. It is loosely based on the rivalry between waltz composers Joseph Lanner and Jo ...

'' (1933) * ''

Court Waltzes ''Court Waltzes'' (french: La guerre des valses) is a 1933 musical film directed by Ludwig Berger and Raoul Ploquin and starring Fernand Gravey, Armand Dranem and Madeleine Ozeray. It was the French-language version of '' Waltz War'', made b ...

'' (1933) * ''

Pygmalion Pygmalion or Pigmalion may refer to: Mythology * Pygmalion (mythology), a sculptor who fell in love with his statue Stage * ''Pigmalion'' (opera), a 1745 opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Pygmalion'' (Rousseau), a 1762 melodrama by Jean-Jacques ...

'' (1937) * ''

Three Waltzes ''Three Waltzes'' (French: ''Les trois valses'') is a 1938 French historical musical film directed by Ludwig Berger and starring Yvonne Printemps, Pierre Fresnay and Henri Guisol.Diffrient p.55 It is an operetta film, based on music by Oscar S ...

'' (1938) * '' Ergens in Nederland'' (1940) * '' The Thief of Bagdad'' (1940) * ''

The Immortal Face ''The Immortal Face'' (german: Das unsterbliche Antlitz) is a 1947 Austrian historical drama film directed by Géza von Cziffra and starring Marianne Schönauer, O.W. Fischer and Helene Thimig.Fritsche p. 85 The film's sets were designed by the ...

'' (1947) * ''

Ballerina A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on yea ...

'' (1950) * '' Stresemann'' (dir.

Alfred Braun Alfred Braun (13 May 1888 – 3 January 1978) was a German screenwriter, actor and film director. Filmography Actor * ''Das Leid der Liebe'' (1916) * ''Der Sohn der Magd'' (1919) * '' The Gambler'' (1920) - Stöckel * '' Rosenmontag'' (1924) * ...

, 1957)

Television

*1954: ''Die Spieler'' — based on '' The Gamblers'' by

Nikolai Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; uk, link=no, Мико́ла Васи́льович Го́голь, translit=Mykola Vasyliovych Hohol; (russian: Яновский; uk, Яновський, translit=Yanovskyi) ( – ) was a Russian novelist, ...

*1954: ''Der Schauspieldirektor'' — based on ''

Der Schauspieldirektor ' (''The Impresario''), K. 486, is a comic ''singspiel'' by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, set to a German libretto by Gottlieb Stephanie, an Austrian ''Schauspieldirektor''. Originally, it was written because of "the imperial command" of the Holy Roma ...

'' by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

*1955: ''Frau Mozart'' *1955: ''Undine'' — based on '' Ondine'' by

Jean Giraudoux Hippolyte Jean Giraudoux (; 29 October 1882 – 31 January 1944) was a French novelist, essayist, diplomat and playwright. He is considered among the most important French dramatists of the period between World War I and World War II. His work ...

*1957: ''Der Tod des Sokrates'' — based on ''

Phaedo ''Phædo'' or ''Phaedo'' (; el, Φαίδων, ''Phaidōn'' ), also known to ancient readers as ''On The Soul'', is one of the best-known dialogues of Plato's middle period, along with the ''Republic'' and the ''Symposium.'' The philosophical ...

'' by

Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...

*1958: ''Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung'' — based on ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken ...

'' *1958: ''Was ihr wollt'' — based on ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

'' *1958: ''Viel Lärm um nichts'' — based on ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'' *1958: ''Wie es euch gefällt'' — based on ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...

'' *1958: ''Maß für Maß'' — based on ''

Measure for Measure ''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604, according to available records. It was published in the ''First Folio'' of 1623. The play's plot features its ...

'' *1958: ''Ein Sommernachtstraum'' — based on ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

'' *1959: ''Das Paradies und die Peri'' — based on ''

Paradise and the Peri ''Paradise and the Peri'', in German ''Das Paradies und die Peri'', is a secular oratorio for soloists, choir, and orchestra by Robert Schumann. Completed in 1843, the work was published as Schumann's Op. 50. The work is based on a German tran ...

'' and ''

Lalla-Rookh ''Lalla Rookh'' is an Oriental romance by Irish poet Thomas Moore, published in 1817. The title is taken from the name of the heroine of the frame tale, the (fictional) daughter of the 17th-century Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The work consis ...

'' *1960: ''Die Nacht in Zaandam'' *1961: ''Hermann und Dorothea'' — based on ''

Hermann and Dorothea ''Hermann and Dorothea'' is an epic poem, an idyll, written by German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe between 1796 and 1797, and was to some extent suggested by Johann Heinrich Voss's ''Luise'', an idyll in hexameters, which was first published i ...

'' by

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as trea ...

*1962: ''Alpenkönig und Menschenfeind'' — based on a play by

Ferdinand Raimund Ferdinand Raimund (born Ferdinand Jakob Raimann; 1 June 1790 – 5 September 1836, Pottenstein, Lower Austria) was an Austrian actor and dramatist. Life and work He was born in Vienna as a son of Bohemian woodturning master craftsman Jako ...

*1964: ''Ottiliens Tollheiten'' *1967: ''Samen von Kraut und Unkraut – Drei Szenen aus der Geschichte Hessens'' *1968: ''Odysseus auf Ogygia'' — based on a play by

Fritz von Unruh Fritz von Unruh (; 10 May 1885 – 28 November 1970) was a German expressionist dramatist, poet, and novelist. Biography Unruh was born in Koblenz, Germany. A general's son, he was an officer in the German army until 1912, when he ...

*1969: ''Demetrius'' (co-director: Heribert Wenk) — based on ''

Demetrius Demetrius is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning “Demetris” - "devoted to goddess Demeter". Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, Dimitri, Dimitrie, Dimitar, Dumit ...

'' by

Friedrich Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friends ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Berger, Ludwig 1892 births 1969 deaths 20th-century German male actors German theatre directors German male film actors Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Mass media people from Mainz People from Rhenish Hesse Translators of William Shakespeare German male dramatists and playwrights 20th-century German dramatists and playwrights German male poets Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States 20th-century German screenwriters German male screenwriters Actors from Mainz German people of Belgian descent