Paul Czinner (30 May 1890 – 22 June 1972) was a Hungarian-born British writer, film director, and producer.

Biography

Czinner was born to a Jewish family in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

. After studying literature and philosophy at the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich histor ...

, he worked as a journalist. From 1919 onward, he dedicated himself to work for the film industry as writer, director and producer. Czinner became engaged to actress

Gilda Langer Gilda Langer (born Hermengild Langer; 16 May 1896 – 31 January 1920) was a German stage and film actress whose career began in the mid-1910s and lasted until her death in 1920. She appeared both on stage and in silent films; however, all films ...

in early 1920. Shortly after their engagement Langer succumbed to the

Spanish flu The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

and died on 31 January 1920. In 1924, he offered the leading role in his film ''Nju'' to

Elisabeth Bergner Elisabeth Bergner (22 August 1897 – 12 May 1986) was an Austrian-British actress. Primarily a stage actress, her career flourished in Berlin and Paris before she moved to London to work in films. Her signature role was Gemma Jones in '' Esca ...

. They became partners. Due to the persecution of Jews by the Nazi Party under

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

, the two, both Jewish, fled to Vienna and then London, where they were married. Despite Czinner's homosexuality, the union proved a happy and personally and professionally enriching one for both partners. 1934 saw the realisation of his film ''

Catherine the Great , en, Catherine Alexeievna Romanova, link=yes , house = , father = Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst , mother = Joanna Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp , birth_date = , birth_name = Princess Sophie of Anhal ...

'', with his wife playing the main role, though the film was not shown in Germany. They emigrated to the United States in 1940, working on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

. After the end of World War II, they returned to England, where Czinner successfully adapted numerous operas to film (e.g. ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanis ...

'', ''

Der Rosenkavalier (''The Knight of the Rose'' or ''The Rose-Bearer''), Op. 59, is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel ''Les amours du chevalier de Faublas'' ...

'').

Death

Czinner died on 22 June 1972 in London, aged 82.

Selected filmography

* ''Inferno'' (1919) * '' Husbands or Lovers'' (1924) * ''

Jealousy Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety. Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgus ...

'' (1925) * ''

The Fiddler of Florence ''The Fiddler of Florence'' (german: Der Geiger von Florenz) is a 1926 German silent comedy film directed by Paul Czinner and starring Elisabeth Bergner, Conrad Veidt, and Nora Gregor. The film was shot at the EFA Studios in Berlin and on loc ...

'' (1926) * '' Doña Juana'' (1927) * '' Fräulein Else'' (1929) * ''

The Way of Lost Souls ''The Way of Lost Souls'' is a 1929 British drama film directed by Paul Czinner and starring Pola Negri, Warwick Ward and Hans Rehmann. It is also known by the alternative title ''The Woman He Scorned''. Location shooting was done in the far ...

'' (released in USA as ''The Woman He Scorned'') (1929) * '' Ariane'' (1931) * '' Dreaming Lips'' (1932) * '' Ariane, Russian maid'' (1932) * ' (1932) * ''

'' (1934) * '' Escape Me Never'' (1935) * ''

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 ...

'' (1936) * '' Dreaming Lips'' (1937) * '' Stolen Life'' (1939) * ''

'', based on Mozart's opera. (1954) * '' The Bolshoi Ballet'' (1958) * ''

The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...

'' (1959) * ''

'', based on the opera by Richard Strauss (1962) * ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'', ballet film starring

Rudolf Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev ( ; Tatar/ Bashkir: Рудольф Хәмит улы Нуриев; rus, Рудо́льф Хаме́тович Нуре́ев, p=rʊˈdolʲf xɐˈmʲetəvʲɪtɕ nʊˈrʲejɪf; 17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet ...

and

Margot Fonteyn Dame Margaret Evelyn de Arias DBE (''née'' Hookham; 18 May 191921 February 1991), known by the stage name Margot Fonteyn, was an English ballerina. She spent her entire career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet (formerly the Sadler's Wells ...

(1966)

References

External links

* * 1890 births 1972 deaths Austro-Hungarian people American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent University of Vienna alumni Hungarian expatriates in the United Kingdom Hungarian film directors American film directors American film producers German-language film directors Hungarian Jews Hungarian film producers Hungarian emigrants to the United States Hungarian expatriates in Germany Hungarian expatriates in Austria {{US-film-producer-stub