Paul Merzbach (27 November 1888 – September 1943) 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 ...

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

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 ...

. Merzbach worked in the Austrian and Germany film industries during the early stages of his career. He worked initially on scripts, but in 1924 he directed his first film. During the late 1920s, Merzbach worked in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

before returning to Germany. Following the

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

rise to power in 1933, Merzbach went into exile in Britain.Brinson, Dove & Taylor p.139 He worked in the British film industry for the remainder of his career. His final contribution was the screenplay for '' Hatter's Castle'' (1942), directed by

Lance Comfort Lance Comfort (11 August 1908 – 25 August 1966) was an English film director. In a career spanning over 25 years, he became one of the most prolific film directors in Britain, though he never gained critical attention and remained on the ...

Selected filmography

Director

* '' The Hobgoblin'' (1924) * ''

Old Mamsell's Secret ''Old Mamsell's Secret'' (German:''Das Geheimnis der alten Mamsell'') is a 1925 German silent film directed by Paul Merzbach and starring Frida Richard, Guido Parish and Marcella Albani.Nelmes & Selbo The film's art direction was by Andrej A ...

'' (1925) * ''

The Bank Crash of Unter den Linden ''The Bank Crash of Unter den Linden'' (german: Der Bankkrach unter den Linden) is a 1926 German silent film directed by Paul Merzbach and starring Alfred Abel, Hans Albers, and Margarete Schlegel.Bock & Bergfelder p. 8 It was produced by the Ge ...

'' (1926) * '' For Her Sake'' (1930) * '' Dante's Mysteries'' (1931) * ''

The False Millionaire ''The False Millionaire'' (Swedish: ''Falska millionären'') is a 1931 French-Swedish comedy film directed by Paul Merzbach and starring Fridolf Rhudin, Zarah Leander and Annalisa Ericson.Wallengren p.53 It was shot at the Råsunda Studios in Sto ...

'' (1931) * '' Mother-in-Law's Coming'' (1932) * ''

Love at Second Sight Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the lov ...

'' (1934) * '' Invitation to the Waltz'' (1935) * '' A Star Fell from Heaven'' (1936)

Screenwriter

* ''

The House in Dragon Street ''The House in Dragon Street'' (German: ''Das Haus in der Dragonerstrasse '') is a 1921 German silent crime film directed by Richard Oswald and starring Edmund Löwe, Werner Krauss and Lilly Flohr. The film premiered in Berlin on 24 June 1921. ...

'' (1921) * '' The Golden Plague'' (1921) * ''

Lola Montez, the King's Dancer ''Lola Montez, the King's Dancer'' (german: Lola Montez, die Tänzerin des Königs) is a 1922 German silent historical drama film directed by Willi Wolff and starring Ellen Richter, Arnold Korff, and Fritz Kampers. It portrays the life of Lola M ...

'' (1922) * '' The Lady and Her Hairdresser'' (1922) * '' The Great Unknown'' (1924) * ''

Letters Which Never Reached Him ''Letters Which Never Reached Him'' (German: ''Briefe, die ihn nicht erreichten'') is a 1925 German silent film directed by Frederic Zelnik and starring Albert Bassermann, Marcella Albani and Mia Pankau. The film's sets were designed by the art ...

'' (1925) * '' A Sister of Six'' (1926) * ''

Only a Dancing Girl ''Only a Dancing Girl'' (german: Nur eine Tänzerin, sv, Bara en danserska) is a 1926 German-Swedish silent drama film directed by Olof Molander and starring Lil Dagover, Walter Janssen and Harry Halm.Schumann p. 180 The film's sets were des ...

'' (1926) * '' Sealed Lips'' (1927) * '' Parisiennes'' (1928) * ''

Sin In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, s ...

'' (1928) * ''

The Triumph of the Heart ''The Triumph of the Heart'' (Swedish: ''Hjärtats triumf'') is a 1929 Swedish silent drama film directed by Gustaf Molander and starring Carl Brisson, Lissy Arna and Edvin Adolphson.Gustafsson p.185 It was shot at the Råsunda Studios in Stock ...

'' (1929) * '' Say It with Music'' (1929) * ''

Father and Son Father and Son or Fathers and Sons may refer to: Literature * ''Father and Son'' (book), a 1907 memoir by Edmund Gosse *Father and Son (comics), cartoon characters created by E. O. Plauen * ''Fathers and Sons'' (novel), an 1862 novel by Ivan Tur ...

'' (1930) * ''

'' (1931) * ''

The Secret of Johann Orth ''The Secret of Johann Orth'' (German: ) is a 1932 German historical film, historical drama film directed by Willi Wolff and starring Karl Ludwig Diehl, Ellen Richter and Paul Wegener.Grange p.398 It was shot at the Johannisthal Studios in Berlin ...

'' (1932) * ''

Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...

'' (1934) * '' Mimi'' (1935) * '' Hail and Farewell'' (1936) * ''

It Happened to One Man ''It Happened to One Man'' is a 1940 British drama film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Wilfrid Lawson, Nora Swinburne and Marta Labarr. The screenplay was scripted by Paul Merzbach and Nina Jarcis, based on the play of the same name b ...

'' (1940) * '' Hatter's Castle'' (1942)

References

Bibliography

* Bergfelder, Tim & Cargnelli, Christian. ''Destination London: German-speaking emigrés and British cinema, 1925-1950''. Berghahn Books, 2008. * Brinson, Charmian, Dove, Richard & Taylor,Jennifer. ''Immortal Austria?: Austrians in Exile in Britain''. Rodopi, 2007.

External links

* 1888 births 1943 deaths Austrian Jews Austrian film editors Austrian male screenwriters Austrian film directors Film people from Vienna Jewish emigrants from Austria to the United Kingdom after the Anschluss 20th-century Austrian screenwriters 20th-century Austrian male writers {{Austria-film-director-stub