Josef von Sternberg - Biography, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Filmography (Read)

Joseph von Sternberg - biography, date of birth, place of birth, filmography, clips, Director, Writer, Producer, Editor, Operator, Design.
May 29, 1894 Vienna, Austria-Hungary - December 22, 1969 Hollywood - American film director, producer, screenwriter and composer of Austrian descent. Born in Vienna into a family of businessman Moses Sternberg and his wife Serafina. In 1901, his father took him with his family to America, where he hoped to start a new life. In 1904, after unsuccessful attempts to gain a foothold in the United States, the Sternbergs returned to Vienna with five children. In 1909, the family went to America again; Jonas Sternberg lived on odd jobs. According to his recollections, the family existed on the verge of a living wage. From 1911, Sternberg worked in a film repair shop, which later became part of the World Film Corporation (WFC). In 1914, the WFC entered into a permanent contract with him, and he made a career there. His task was to edit and produce intertitles (captions) for films. In 1917, with the entry of the United States into the First World War, he was drafted into the army for two years and served in Washington. In 1923, Sternberg moved to Hollywood and worked as an assistant director. Since the producers preferred aristocratic names, in the credits he was declared "Joseph von Sternberg". He decided to keep this name. In the summer of 1924, according to his own script, Sternberg directed the first film as a director - The Salvation Hunters. At the initiative of Charlie Chaplin, United Artists bought the film for distribution. In February 1925, he was released and enjoyed immense success. Sternberg signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, but after the second film he left the studio. In 1926, he married actress Rize Royce. In the summer of 1924, according to his own script, Sternberg directed the first film as a director - The Salvation Hunters. On the initiative of Charlie Chaplin, United Artists bought the film for distribution. In February 1925, he was released and enjoyed immense success. Sternberg signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, but after the second film he left the studio. In 1926, he married actress Rize Royce. In the summer of 1924, according to his own script, Sternberg directed the first film as a director - The Salvation Hunters. On the initiative of Charlie Chaplin, United Artists bought the film for distribution. In February 1925, he was released and enjoyed immense success. Sternberg signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, but after the second film he left the studio. In 1926, he married actress Rize Royce. From 1927 to 1935, Sternberg worked at the Paramount studio. In 1927, his film "Underworld" (Underworld) became a milestone in the development of the genre of gunster cinema. In 1928, films such as "The Last Order" and "New York Docks" were released. In The Last Order, he first worked with the German actor Emil Jannings, who won the Academy Award for his performance as a Russian general who became an extra in Hollywood .
In 1929, Sternberg made his first sound film, Thunderbolt, and left for Germany before the premiere. In 1930, at the initiative of Emil Jannings at the UFA studio, he shot the film "Blue Angel" based on the novel "Teacher Unrat" by Heinrich Mann. Despite the resistance of the studio management, he invited the little-known Berlin actress Marlene Dietrich to the main role, who thanks to this work gained international fame. Sternberg divorced Riza Royce. From 1931 to 1935 in Hollywood, he shot six films with the participation of Marlene Dietrich, including Morocco (Morocco, 1931), "Blonde Venus" (Die Blonde Venus, 1932) and "Shanghai Express" (1932). Successful collaboration with Dietrich burdened his personal life due to rumors about their intimate relationship. Sternberg tore up the working agreement.
In January 1933, shortly before Hitler came to power, Sternberg again came to Berlin, but realized that the political situation was not conducive to cooperation with the UFA. Her boss Alfred Gugenberg supported Hitler and the NSDAP. Sternberg returns to Hollywood.
In 1935 he moved to Columbia Studios, as Paramount decided in favor of Ernst Lubitsch. But after the second film, he broke the contract.
In 1938, the Austrian government offered him the post of Commissioner for Film Affairs. He hoped to use his position for anti-Nazi propaganda in the country. But due to the "Anschluss" of Austria, these plans were not implemented. Sternberg suffered a nervous breakdown and a creative crisis.
In 1939, at the outbreak of World War II, he directed Sergeant Madden for Metro Goldwyn Meyer, and in 1941 at the time the United States entered the war, he directed The Shanghai Gesture for United Artists. Filming was complicated by his poor physical condition. In 1943, commissioned by the Department of War Information, Sternberg directed the documentary The Town about Maddison, Indiana. In 1945, he married Jean Avette McBride; the marriage was dissolved two years later. In 1947, Sternberg began teaching at the film department of the University of California. In 1948 he moved from Hollywood to New York, distanced himself from his films, declaring them immature. In October he married Mary Otis Wilner, and a son was born in the family. On November 22, 1949, Sternberg sold off his rich art collection under the hammer to fund a new film. In 1952, in Japan, he shot his artistic testament, The Saga of Anathan, which production was under his complete control. This black-and-white poetic film was not a success at the box office. In 1960, Sternberg accompanied Marlene Dietrich on her tour of Germany, became a member of the Academy of Arts in West Berlin. On December 22, 1969, Sternberg died in Hollywood. His ashes rest in Westwood Cemetery.

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Author: Jane Watson