Wolfgang Staudte (9 October 1906 – 19 January 1984), born Georg Friedrich Staudte, was a German

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 ...

script writer 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. T ...

and

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

. He was born in

Saarbrücken Saarbrücken (; french: link=no, Sarrebruck ; Rhine Franconian: ''Saarbrigge'' ; lb, Saarbrécken ; lat, Saravipons, lit=The Bridge(s) across the Saar river) is the capital and largest city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken is S ...

. After 1945, Staudte also looked at German guilt in the cinema. Alongside

Helmut Käutner Helmut Käutner (25 March 1908 – 20 April 1980) was a German film director active mainly in the 1940s and 1950s. He entered the film industry at the end of the Weimar Republic and released his first films as a director in Nazi Germany. Käu ...

, he was considered the only German post-war director of any standing who, after 1945, could look back on continuous artistic filmmaking far removed from

Heimatfilm ' (, German for "homeland-films"; German singular: ') were films of a genre popular in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. ''Heimat'' can be translated as "home" (in the geographic sense), "hometown" or "homela ...

and the suppression of history. Staudte's films stood for politically committed cinema as well as for professional craftsmanship, for film art and (good) entertainment with a social claim. His most important work came in the ten years following

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 which he worked with the

DEFA DEFA (''Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft'') was the state-owned film studio of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) throughout the country's existence. Since 2019, DEFA's film heritage has been made accessible and licensable on the PRO ...

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

. The main focus of his work was to highlight the limits of German national pride. His work in anti-Nazi films, such as ''

Murderers Among Us ''Die Mörder sind unter uns'', a German film known in English as ''Murderers Among Us'' in the United States or ''The Murderers Are Among Us'' in the United Kingdom was one of the first post-World War II German films and the first ''Trümmerfilm ...

'' (1946), was also a personal working-through of his film career under the Nazis (he acted in the anti-Semitic film ''

Jud Süß (, "Süss the Jew") is a 1940 Nazi German historical drama and propaganda film produced by Terra Film at the behest of Joseph Goebbels. It is considered one of the most antisemitic films of all time. The film was directed by Veit Harlan, who ...

''). Following 1956, he worked in

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

. By the 1970s, his work was no longer considered particularly modern and he moved to television. He appeared on shows such as '' Der Kommissar'' and ''

Tatort ''Tatort'' ("Crime scene") is a German language police procedural television series that has been running continuously since 1970 with some 30 feature-length episodes per year, which makes it the longest-running German TV drama. Developed by ...

''. He is the great-uncle of the German-Iranian director and novelist Andy Siege.

Filmography

As director

Film *''

Bravo Acrobat! ''Bravo Acrobat!'' (german: Akrobat Schööön!) is a 1943 German comedy film directed by Wolfgang Staudte and starring Charlie Rivel, Clara Tabody, and Karl Schönböck. A circus clown rises to stardom. The film was loosely based on the Spanish ...

'' (1943) *' (1944) — based on a story by

Johann von Vásáry Johann von Vásáry or János Vaszary (1899–1963) was a Hungarian actor, screenwriter, playwright and film director. Several of his plays were adapted into films including ''I Entrust My Wife to You'' in 1943.Rentschler p.344 Selected filmogra ...

*' (1944, lost film, rediscovered 1996) *''

The Murderers Are Among Us ''Die Mörder sind unter uns'', a German film known in English as ''Murderers Among Us'' in the United States or ''The Murderers Are Among Us'' in the United Kingdom was one of the first post-World War II German films and the first ''Trümmerfilm ...

'' (1946) *''

The Adventures of Fridolin ''The Adventures of Fridolin'' (german: Die seltsamen Abenteuer des Herrn Fridolin B.) is an East German East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that exi ...

'' (1948) — remake of the lost film ''Der Mann, dem man den Namen stahl'' *''

Rotation Rotation, or spin, is the circular movement of an object around a '' central axis''. A two-dimensional rotating object has only one possible central axis and can rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. A three-dimensional ...

'' (1949) *''

Second Hand Destiny ''Second Hand Destiny'' (german: Schicksal aus zweiter Hand) is a 1949 West German drama film directed by Wolfgang Staudte and starring Erich Ponto, Heinz Klevenow and Marianne Hoppe. It is sometimes considered a film noir.Spicer p. 460 At the t ...

'' (1949) *''

A Tale of Five Cities ''A Tale of Five Cities'' ( it, Passaporto per l'oriente and released as ''A Tale of Five Women'' in the US) is a 1951 British-Italian international co-production drama film directed by Romolo Marcellini and five other directors. The five cities ...

'' (1951, anthology film) *''

Der Untertan ''Der Untertan'' (; literally "the underling", translated into English under the titles ''Man of Straw'', ''The Patrioteer'', and ''The Loyal Subject'') is one of the best known novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, ...

'' (1951) — based on the novel ''

'' by

Heinrich Mann Luiz Heinrich Mann (; 27 March 1871 – 11 March 1950), best known as simply Heinrich Mann, was a German author known for his Social criticism, socio-political novels. From 1930 until 1933, he was president of the fine poetry division of the ...

*''

Poison in the Zoo ''Poison in the Zoo'' (german: Gift im Zoo) is a 1952 West German thriller film directed by Hans Müller and Wolfgang Staudte and starring Irene von Meyendorff, Carl Raddatz and Petra Peters. Production During production in 1951, the director ...

'' (directed by Hans Müller, 1952) *' (premiere: 1952,

Überläufer In German film history, an Überläufer (literally '' defector'') is a film that was in production under the Third Reich but only completed and premiered after the end of the Second World War. The vast majority of such films are romantic comedies ...

from 1945) *''

Die Geschichte vom kleinen Muck ''Die Geschichte vom Kleinen Muck'' (English: ''The Story of Little Muck'') is a 1953 feature film directed by Wolfgang Staudte, adapted from the 19th century fairy tale, '' Little Muck'', written by Wilhelm Hauff Wilhelm Hauff (29 November ...

'' (1953) — based on the fairy tale '' Little Muck'' by

Wilhelm Hauff Wilhelm Hauff (29 November 180218 November 1827) was a Württembergian poet and novelist. Early life Hauff was born in Stuttgart, the son of August Friedrich Hauff, a secretary in the Württemberg ministry of foreign affairs, and Hedwig Wilhelmi ...

*'' Leuchtfeuer'' (1954) *''

Ciske de Rat ''Ciske de Rat'' ("Ciske the Rat") is the first part of a trilogy by Dutch author Piet Bakker. It is part of the Ciske trilogy which was written between 1941 (publication was however delayed by paper shortages until 1942) and 1946. The book was p ...

'' (Dutch-language, 1955) — based on the novel ''

'' by Piet Bakker **'' Ciske – ein Kind braucht Liebe'' (German-language, 1955) — based on the novel ''

'' by Piet Bakker *''Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder'' (1955, unfinished film) — based on

Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

's ''

Mother Courage and Her Children ''Mother Courage and Her Children'' (german: Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder, links=no) is a play written in 1939 by the German dramatist and poet Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956), with significant contributions from Margarete Steffin. Four theatrical ...

'' *''

Rose Bernd ''Rose Bernd'' is a stage drama in five acts by Gerhart Hauptmann Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann (; 15 November 1862 – 6 June 1946) was a German dramatist and novelist. He is counted among the most important promoters of literary naturalis ...

'' (1957) — based on ''

'' by

Gerhart Hauptmann Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann (; 15 November 1862 – 6 June 1946) was a German dramatist and novelist. He is counted among the most important promoters of literary naturalism, though he integrated other styles into his work as well. He recei ...

*'' Escape from Sahara'' (1958) *' (1958) — screenplay by Ennio de Concini,

Duccio Tessari Duccio Tessari (11 October 1926 – 6 September 1994) was an Italian director, screenwriter and actor, considered one of the fathers of Spaghetti Westerns. Born in Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian re ...

and W. Staudte *'' The Muzzle'' (1958) — based on a novel by

Heinrich Spoerl Heinrich Christian Johann Spoerl (; 1887–1955) was a German author. Biography Spoerl was born on 8 February 1887 in Düsseldorf, where he also grew up. He studied jurisprudence in Marburg, Berlin and Munich and was a solicitor in Düsseldorf fr ...

*''

Roses for the Prosecutor ''Roses for the Prosecutor'' (german: Rosen für den Staatsanwalt) is a 1959 West German comedy film with tragical and critical elements, directed by Wolfgang Staudte and starring Martin Held, Walter Giller and Ingrid van Bergen. It was one of th ...

'' (1959) *'' The Fair'' (1960) *'' The Last Witness'' (1960) — based on a book by Maximilian Vernberg *''

The Happy Years of the Thorwalds ''The Happy Years of the Thorwalds'' (German: ''Die glücklichen Jahre der Thorwalds'') is a 1962 West German drama film directed by Wolfgang Staudte and , starring Elisabeth Bergner, Hansjörg Felmy and Dietmar Schönherr.Bock & Bergfelder p.40 I ...

'' (co-director: , 1962) — based on ''

Time and the Conways ''Time and the Conways'' is a British play written by J. B. Priestley in 1937 illustrating J. W. Dunne's Theory of Time through the experience of a moneyed Yorkshire family, the Conways, over a period of nineteen years from 1919 to 1937. Wide ...

'' by

J. B. Priestley John Boynton Priestley (; 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator. His Yorkshire background is reflected in much of his fiction, notably in ''The Good Compa ...

*' (1963) — based on

's ''

Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music b ...

'' *'' Destination Death'' (1964) *' (1964) — based on a story by *' (1966) — based on a play by Charles Rudolph *' (1968) *''

Gentlemen in White Vests Gentlemen in White Vests (german: Die Herren mit der weißen Weste) is a 1970 German comedy film directed by Wolfgang Staudte and starring Martin Held, Walter Giller and Heinz Erhardt. It was shot at the Spandau Studios and on location aroun ...

'' (1970) *''

Jailbreak in Hamburg ''Jailbreak in Hamburg'' (german: Fluchtweg St. Pauli) is a 1971 German thriller film directed by Wolfgang Staudte and starring Horst Frank, Christiane Krüger, and Heinz Reincke. The film's sets were designed by the art director Peter Rothe. ...

'' (1971) *' (1978) Television *''Die Rebellion'' (1962, TV film) — based on the novel ''

Rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

'' by

Joseph Roth Moses Joseph Roth (2 September 1894 – 27 May 1939) was an Austrian journalist and novelist, best known for his family saga ''Radetzky March'' (1932), about the decline and fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, his novel of Jewish life ''Job'' ( ...

*' (1966, TV film) *''Die Klasse'' (1968, TV film) — based on a novel by Hermann Ungar *''Die Gartenlaube'' (1970, TV film) — based on a play by Hermann Ungar *'' Der Kommissar: Messer im Rücken'' (1970, TV series episode) *'' Der Kommissar: ...wie die Wölfe'' (1970, TV series episode) *' (1970, TV series, 5 episodes) *''Die Person'' (1970, TV film) — based on a story by *'' Der Kommissar: Besuch bei Alberti'' (1971, TV series episode) *'' Der Kommissar: Ende eines Tanzvergnügens'' (1971, TV series episode) *'' Der Kommissar: Die Anhalterin'' (1971, TV series episode) *'' Der Kommissar: Lisa Bassenges Mörder'' (1971, TV series episode) *'' Der Kommissar: Tod eines Ladenbesitzers'' (1971, TV series episode) *' (1971, TV miniseries) — based on ''

The Sea-Wolf Seawolf, Sea wolf or Sea Wolves may refer to: Animals * Sea wolf, a wolf subspecies found in the Vancouver coastal islands * Seawolf (fish), a marine fish also known as wolffish or sea wolf * A nickname of the killer whale * South American sea ...

'' by

Jack London John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...

*'' Der Kommissar: Ein rätselhafter Mord'' (1971, TV series episode) *'' Der Kommissar: Die Tote im Park'' (1972, TV series episode) *' (1972, TV film) — based on a novel by Raoul Anderland *''Marya Sklodowska-Curie'' (1972, TV film) — biographical film about

Marie Curie Marie Salomea Skłodowska–Curie ( , , ; born Maria Salomea Skłodowska, ; 7 November 1867 – 4 July 1934) was a Polish and naturalized-French physicist and chemist who conducted pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first ...

*'' Der Kommissar: Das Komplott'' (1973, TV series episode) *'' Der Kommissar: Die Nacht, in der Basseck starb'' (1973, TV series episode) *'' Der Kommissar: Ein Funken in der Kälte'' (1973, TV series episode) *''Nerze nachts am Straßenrand'' (1973, TV film) — based on a novel by *''

: Tote brauchen keine Wohnung'' (1973, TV series episode) *''Ein fröhliches Dasein'' (1974, TV film) — screenplay by

Robert Wolfgang Schnell Robert Wolfgang Schnell (March 8, 1916 – August 1, 1986) was a German writer. Life Robert Wolfgang Schnell was born in Barmen, Germany, into a middle-class family; his father was a bank clerk. He studied music and taught himself painting. T ...

*''Lehmanns Erzählungen'' (1975, TV film) — based on a story by

Siegfried Lenz Siegfried Lenz (; 17 March 19267 October 2014) was a German writer of novels, short stories and essays, as well as dramas for radio and the theatre. In 2000 he received the Goethe Prize on the 250th Anniversary of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's bi ...

*''Schließfach 763'' (1975, TV film) — screenplay by *' (1975, TV series, 13 episodes) *' (1975, TV miniseries) — based on ''

Burning Daylight ''Burning Daylight'' is a novel by Jack London, published in 1910, one of the best-selling books of that year and London's best-selling book in his lifetime. The novel has been adapted for film. Plot The first part of the novel takes place in ...

'' by

*''

: '' (1976, TV series episode) *''Um zwei Erfahrungen reicher'' (1976, TV film) — screenplay by

*''Prozeß Medusa'' (1976, TV film) — based on a novel by *''

: Spätlese'' (1977, TV series episode) *''

MS Franziska ''MS Franziska'' is a German television series. See also *List of German television series External links

* Nautical television series 1978 German television series debuts 1978 German television series endings German-language television ...

'' (1978, TV miniseries) *''Das verschollene Inka-Gold'' (1978, TV film) — based on a story by

*''Feuerwasser'' (1978, TV film) — based on a play by Ulrich Becher *''

: '' (1979, TV series episode) *'' Iron Gustav'' (1979, TV miniseries) — based on the novel ''Iron Gustav'' by

Hans Fallada Hans Fallada (; born Rudolf Wilhelm Friedrich Ditzen; 21 July 18935 February 1947) was a German writer of the first half of the 20th century. Some of his better known novels include '' Little Man, What Now?'' (1932) and ''Every Man Dies Alone'' ...

*''

: Schussfahrt'' (1980, TV series episode) *''

: '' (1980, TV series episode) *''Die Pawlaks'' (1982, TV miniseries) *' (1983, TV series, 4 episodes) *''Satan ist auf Gottes Seite'' (1983, TV film) — based on a novel by

Hans Herlin Hans Herlin (1925–December 20, 1994) was a German novelist. Born in Stadtlohn, North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany), he was drafted into the Luftwaffe in World War II and trained as a pilot. In 1944 he fled to Switzerland and lived in France from 19 ...

*''

: '' (1984, TV series episode) *''Der Snob'' (1984, TV film) — based on a play by

Carl Sternheim Carl Sternheim (born William Adolph Carl Francke; 1 April 1878 – 3 November 1942) was a German playwright and short story writer. One of the major exponents of German Expressionism, he especially satirized the moral sensibilities of the emergi ...

*''So ein Theater'' (1984, TV film) *' (1985, TV miniseries)

As screenwriter

*'' The Axe of Wandsbek'' (dir.

Falk Harnack Falk Harnack (2 March 1913 – 3 September 1991) was a German director and screenwriter. During Germany's Nazi era, he was also active with the German Resistance and toward the end of World War II, the partisans in Greece. Harnack was from a fam ...

, 1951) — based on a novel by

Arnold Zweig Arnold Zweig (10 November 1887 – 26 November 1968) was a German writer, pacifist and socialist. He is best known for his six-part cycle on World War I. Life and work Zweig was born in Glogau, Prussian Silesia (now Głogów, Poland), the son ...

As actor

* ''

The Street Song ''The Street Song'' or ''The Streetsweeper'' (German: ''Gassenhauer'') is a 1931 German musical crime film directed by Lupu Pick and starring Ina Albrecht, Ernst Busch and Albert Hoermann.Carol Anne Costabile-Heming, Rachel J. Halverson & Kri ...

'' (1931) * ''

Secret of the Blue Room ''The Secret of the Blue Room'' is a 1933 American pre-Code mystery film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Lionel Atwill, Gloria Stuart, Paul Lukas and Edward Arnold. The film's plot concerns a group of wealthy people who stay at a Europe ...

'' (1932) * '' Tannenberg'' (1932) * '' Homecoming to Happiness'' (1933) * '' Grand Duchess Alexandra'' (1933) * ''

The Hymn of Leuthen ''The Hymn of Leuthen'' (german: Der Choral von Leuthen) is a 1933 German film depicting Frederick the Great, directed by Carl Froelich starring Otto Gebühr, Olga Tschechowa and Elga Brink. It was part of the cycle of nostalgic Prussian films ...

'' (1933) * ''

Stronger Than Regulations ''Stronger Than Regulations'' (German: ''Stärker als Paragraphen'') is a 1936 German mystery film directed by Jürgen von Alten and starring Paul Hartmann, Karl Hellmer and Manja Behrens. It was shot at the Grunewald Studios in Berlin. The film' ...

'' (1936) * '' Susanne in the Bath'' (1936) * '' Togger'' (1937) * '' All Lies'' (1938) * ''

By a Silken Thread ''By a Silken Thread'' (german: Am seidenen Faden) is a 1938 German drama film directed by Robert A. Stemmle and starring Willy Fritsch, Carl Kuhlmann and Käthe von Nagy. The film was intended to be an exposure of "crooked Jewish capitalists" ...

'' (1938) * '' D III 88'' (1939) * ''

Shoulder Arms ''Shoulder Arms'' is Charlie Chaplin's second film for First National Pictures. Released in 1918, it is a silent comedy film set in France during World War I, the first of three films he made on the subject of war. It co-starred Edna Purviance ...

'' (1939) * ''

Legion Condor The Condor Legion (german: Legion Condor) was a unit composed of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany, which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legio ...

'' (1939) * ''

'' (1940) * '' Friedemann Bach'' (1941) * ''

Riding for Germany ''Riding for Germany'' (german: Reitet für Deutschland) is a 1941 German drama film directed by Arthur Maria Rabenalt and starring Willy Birgel, Gertrud Eysoldt and Gerhild Weber. A German cavalry officer, badly injured during the First World Wa ...

'' (1941) * '' The Big Game'' (1942)

External links

*
Literature on Wolfgang Staudte
{{DEFAULTSORT:Staudte, Wolfgang 1906 births 1984 deaths Mass media people from Saarland German male film actors People from Saarbrücken People from the Rhine Province Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 20th-century German male actors