Paul Wegener

German actor, writer, and film director Paul WegenerWegener in 1916Born(1874-12-11)11 December 1874Arnoldsdorf, Province of Prussia, German EmpireDied13 September 1948(1948-09-13) (aged 73)Berlin, Allied-occupied GermanyOccupationActorSpouse(s)Lyda Salmonova (divorced, remarried)Greta Schröder (m.1924, divorced)Children1RelativesAlfred Wegener (cousin)Kurt Wegener (cousin) Paul Wegener (11 December 1874 – 13 September 1948) was a German actor, writer, and film director known for his pioneering role in German expressionist cinema. Acting career At the age of 20, Wegener decided to end his law studies and concentrate on acting, touring the provinces before joining Max Reinhardt's acting troupe in 1906. In 1912, he turned to the new medium of motion pictures and appeared in the 1913 version of The Student of Prague. It was while making this film that he first heard the old Jewish legend of the Golem and proceeded to adapt the story to film, co-directing and co-writing the script with Henrik Galeen. His first version of the tale The Golem (1915, now lost) was a success and firmly established Wegener's reputation. In 1917, he made a parody of the story called Der Golem und die Tänze