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 The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a Constitutional republic, constitutional federal republic for the first time in ...

and released his first films as a director in

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. Käutner is relatively unknown outside of Germany, although he is considered one of the best filmmakers in German film history. He was one of the most influential film directors of German post-war cinema and became known for his sophisticated literary adaptations. He was born in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

. Käutner started out as a director in the Nazi era, but his films remained largely free of Nationalsocialist propaganda. One of his early successes was ''Romanze in Moll'' (1943), an adaptation of Guy du Maupassant’s short story “Les Bijoux". Other remarkable films were '' Große Freiheit Nr. 7'' and ''

Under the Bridges ''Under the Bridges'' (german: Unter den Brücken) is a 1946 German drama film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring Hannelore Schroth, Carl Raddatz and Gustav Knuth. The film was shot in Berlin during the summer of 1944, but was not released ...

''. His 1956 film '' Der Hauptmann von Köpenick'' was nominated for the

Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

at the

29th Academy Awards For the 29th Academy Awards, the Best International Feature Film was introduced as a competitive category, instead of only a Special Achievement Award. The first winner in this new category was Federico Fellini's ''La Strada'' with Anthony Qu ...

. Three years later, his film '' The Rest Is Silence'' was entered into the

9th Berlin International Film Festival The 9th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 26 June – 7 July 1959. The festival welcomed the cinematic movement known as the New Wave and screened the work of directors such as Jean-Luc Godard, Agnès Varda and François ...

. He died in

Castellina in Chianti Castellina in Chianti is a ''comune'' (municipality) of c. 2,800 inhabitants in the province of Siena, in the Italian region Tuscany, located about south of Florence and about northwest of Siena. It is part of the Chianti Hills, between t ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. Käutner made two films for

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...

in Hollywood: '' The Restless Years'' (1958) and ''

A Stranger in My Arms ''A Stranger in My Arms'' (also known as ''And Ride a Tiger'') is a 1959 CinemaScope drama film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring June Allyson, Jeff Chandler, Sandra Dee, Charles Coburn, Mary Astor and Peter Graves. Plot A Korean War tes ...

'' (1959). However, neither of them received critical success and Käutner was unhappy with the lack of creative freedom he had, so he returned to Germany."Das edelste Requisit"

Der Spiegel ''Der Spiegel'' (, lit. ''"The Mirror"'') is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. With a weekly circulation of 695,100 copies, it was the largest such publication in Europe in 2011. It was founded in 1947 by John Seymour Chaloner ...

(1959, in German)

Selected filmography

Director

Feature Films * ''

Kitty and the World Conference ''Kitty and the World Conference'' (german: Kitty und die Weltkonferenz) is a 1939 German comedy film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring Hannelore Schroth, Fritz Odemar and Christian Gollong. It is a screwball comedy set against the backd ...

'' (1939) * ''

Woman Made to Measure ''Woman Made to Measure'' (german: Frau nach Maß) is a 1940 German comedy film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring Hans Söhnker, Leny Marenbach and Dorit Kreysler.Hull p. 235 Produced by Terra Film, it was shot at the Babelsberg Studios ...

'' (1940) * '' Clothes Make the Man'' (1940) * '' Goodbye, Franziska'' (1941) * '' Anuschka'' (1942) * '' We Make Music'' (1942) * ''

Romance in a Minor Key ''Romance in a Minor Key'' (german: Romanze in Moll) is a 1943 German historical drama film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring Marianne Hoppe, Paul Dahlke, and Ferdinand Marian. It was shot at the Johannisthal Studios in Berlin. The fil ...

'' (1943) * '' Große Freiheit Nr. 7'' (1944) * ''

'' (1946) * ''

In Those Days ''In Those Days'' (german: In jenen Tagen) is a 1947 German drama film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring Gert Schäfer, Erich Schellow and Winnie Markus. It was one of the cycle of Rubble films made in the wake of Germany's defeat during ...

'' (1947) * '' The Original Sin'' (1948) * '' Royal Children'' (1950) * '' The Orplid Mystery'' (1950) * '' White Shadows'' (1951) * ''

Captain Bay-Bay ''Captain Bay-Bay'' (german: Käpt'n Bay-Bay) is a 1953 West German musical comedy film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring Hans Albers, Bum Krüger and Lotte Koch. It is in the style of an operetta film. It was shot at the Wiesbaden Studi ...

'' (1953) * ''

The Last Bridge ''The Last Bridge'' (german: Die Letzte Brücke) is a 1954 Austrian-Yugoslavian war drama film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring Maria Schell, Bernhard Wicki and Barbara Rütting.Von Dassanowsky p.157 It tells the story of a German nur ...

'' (1954) * '' Portrait of an Unknown Woman'' (1954) * '' Ludwig II'' (1955) * ''

Des Teufels General ''The Devil's General'' (german: Des Teufels General) is a 1955 black and white West German film based on the play of the same title by Carl Zuckmayer. The film features Curd Jürgens as General Harras, Marianne Koch, Viktor de Kowa, Karl John ...

'' (1955) * '' Sky Without Stars'' (1955) * ''

The Girl from Flanders ''The Girl from Flanders'' (german: Ein Mädchen aus Flandern) is a 1956 romantic drama film directed by Helmut Käutner starring Nicole Berger, Maximilian Schell, and Viktor de Kowa. It is an adaption of the novel '' Engele von Löwen'' (Ang ...

'' (1956) * '' The Captain from Köpenick'' (1956) * ''

The Zurich Engagement ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1957) * '' Love from Paris'' (1957) * '' The Restless Years'' (1958) * ''

Der Schinderhannes ''Der Schinderhannes'' is a 1958 film directed by Helmut Käutner, starring Curd Jürgens and Maria Schell. It was also known as ''Duel in the Forest''. The story depicts the life of the 18th century outlaw Schinderhannes. It is based on a 1927 p ...

'' (1958) * ''

'' (1959) * '' The Rest Is Silence'' (1959) * ''

The Goose of Sedan ''The Goose of Sedan'' (german: Die Gans von Sedan) is a 1959 French- West German comedy war film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring Hardy Krüger, Jean Richard and Dany Carrel. It was based on the novel ''Un Dimanche au Champ D'Honneur'' ...

'' (1959) * '' A Glass of Water'' (1960) * ''

Black Gravel ''Black Gravel'' (German: ''Schwarzer Kies'') is a 1961 West German drama film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring Ingmar Zeisberg and Anita Höfer. The screenplay was written by Käutner and Walter Ulbrich. The film was shot in Lautzen ...

'' (1961) * ''

The Dream of Lieschen Mueller ''The Dream of Lieschen Mueller'' (german: Der Traum von Lieschen Müller) is a 1961 West German musical comedy film directed by Helmut Käutner and starring Sonja Ziemann, Martin Held and Cornelia Froboess. It was made at the Spandau Studios in ...

'' (1961) * '' Redhead'' (1962) * '' The House in Montevideo'' (1963) * ' (1964) * ''

Die Feuerzangenbowle ''Die Feuerzangenbowle'' (''The Fire Tongs Bowl'', ''The Punch Bowl'') is a German novel, later adapted into several films, which tells the story of a famous writer going undercover as a pupil at a small town gymnasium after his friends tell him ...

'' (1970) Television * ''Das Gespenst von Canterville'' (1964, TV film) — (based on ''

The Canterville Ghost "The Canterville Ghost" is a humorous short story by Oscar Wilde. It was the first of Wilde's stories to be published, appearing in two parts in '' The Court and Society Review'', 23 February and 2 March 1887. The story is about an American fa ...

'') * ''Romulus der Große'' (1965, TV film) — (based on ''

Romulus the Great Friedrich Dürrenmatt's play ''Romulus der Große'' (''Romulus the Great'', 1950) shows the demise of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century – taking place during the day of (and the day following) the Ides of March, 476. The ruin o ...

'') * ''Die Flasche'' (1965, TV film) — (based on a story by

Joachim Ringelnatz Joachim Ringelnatz is the pen name of the German author and painter Hans Bötticher (7 August 1883, Wurzen, Saxony – 17 November 1934, Berlin). His pen name ''Ringelnatz'' is usually explained as a dialect expression for an animal, possibly a ...

) * ''Robin Hood, der edle Räuber'' (1966, TV film) — (Musical based on

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is dep ...

) * ''Leben wie die Fürsten'' (1966, TV film) — (based on a play by

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ''Antigone'', an a ...

) * ''Die spanische Puppe'' (1967, TV film) — (based on ''The Double Doll'' by Giles Cooper) * ''Stella'' (1967, TV film) — (based on a play by

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...

) * ''Valentin Katajews chirurgische Eingriffe in das Seelenleben des Dr. Igor Igorowitsch'' (1967, TV film) — (based on a play by

Valentin Kataev Valentin Petrovich Kataev (russian: Валенти́н Петро́вич Ката́ев; also spelled Katayev or Kataiev; – 12 April 1986) was a Russian and Soviet novelist and playwright who managed to create penetrating works discussing ...

) * ' (1968, TV film) — (based on

Guy de Maupassant Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (, ; ; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, remembered as a master of the short story form, as well as a representative of the Naturalist school, who depicted human lives, destin ...

's ''

Bel-Ami ''Bel-Ami'' (, "Dear Friend") is the second novel by French author Guy de Maupassant, published in 1885; an English translation titled ''Bel Ami, or, The History of a Scoundrel: A Novel'' first appeared in 1903. The story chronicles journalist ...

'') * ''Tagebuch eines Frauenmörders'' (1969, TV film) — (screenplay by ) * ' (1969, TV film) — (based on a play by

Walter Hasenclever Walter Georg Alfred Hasenclever (8 July 1890 – 22 June 1940) was a German Expressionist poet and playwright. His works were banned when the Nazis came to power and he went into exile in France. There he was imprisoned as a "foreign enemy". H ...

and

Kurt Tucholsky Kurt Tucholsky (; 9 January 1890 – 21 December 1935) was a German journalist, satirist, and writer. He also wrote under the pseudonyms Kaspar Hauser (after the historical figure), Peter Panter, Theobald Tiger and Ignaz Wrobel. Tucholsky was o ...

) * ''Einladung ins Schloß oder Die Kunst das Spiel zu spielen'' (1970, TV film) — (based on '' Invitation to the Castle'') * '' Der Kommissar: Anonymer Anruf'' (1970, TV series episode) * ''Die seltsamen Abenteuer des geheimen Kanzleisekretärs Tusmann'' (1972, TV film) — (based on a story by

E. T. A. Hoffmann Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (born Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann; 24 January 1776 – 25 June 1822) was a German Romantic author of fantasy and Gothic horror, a jurist, composer, music critic and artist. Penrith Goff, "E.T.A. Hoffmann" in ...

) * ''Ornifle oder Der erzürnte Himmel'' (1972, TV film) — (based on a play by

) * ''Die preußische Heirat'' (1974, TV film) — (based on ''Zopf und Schwert'' by Karl Gutzkow) * ''

Derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and ...

: Stiftungsfest'' (1974, TV series episode) * ''Margarete in Aix'' (1976, TV film) — (based on a play by

Peter Hacks Peter Hacks (21 March 1928 – 28 August 2003) was a German playwright, author, and essayist. Hacks was born in Breslau (Wrocław), Lower Silesia. Displaced by World War II, Hacks settled in Munich in 1947, where he made acquaintance with T ...

) * ''Mulligans Rückkehr'' (1978, TV film) — (based on a novel by ) (final film)

Screenwriter

* '' Wibbel the Tailor'' (1939, directed by Viktor de Kowa) * '' Film ohne Titel'' (1948, directed by

Rudolf Jugert Rudolf Jugert (1907–1979) was a German film director. Selected filmography * '' Film Without a Title'' (1948) * '' Hallo, Fräulein!'' (1949) * '' A Day Will Come'' (1950) * '' Nights on the Road'' (1952) * '' Illusion in a Minor Key'' (1952) * ...

) * ''

Nights on the Road ''Nights on the Road'' (german: Nachts auf den Straßen) is a 1952 West German crime drama film directed by Rudolf Jugert and starring Hans Albers, Hildegard Knef, Marius Goring and Lucie Mannheim. It was produced by the veteran Erich Pomme ...

'' (1952, directed by

)

Actor

* ''

Cruiser Emden ''Cruiser Emden'' (german: Kreuzer Emden) is a 1932 German war film directed by Louis Ralph and starring Ralph, Renée Stobrawa, Hans Schlenck, and Werner Fuetterer. It was shot at the Emelka Studios in Munich. It is a remake of a 1926 silent ...

'' (1932, directed by Louis Ralph), as Seaman * '' A Far Country'' (1967, TV film, directed by

Ida Ehre Ida Ehre (; 9 July 1900 in Přerov, Moravia – 16 February 1989 in Hamburg) was an Austrian-German actress and theatre director and manager. Biography Ehre’s father was a hazzan. She learned acting at the University of Music and Performing Art ...

), as

Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating pathologies explained as originating in conflicts i ...

* '' The Devil and the Good Lord'' (1967, TV film, directed by

Peter Beauvais Peter Beauvais (September 9, 1916, Weißenstadt, Germany – December 17, 1986, Baden-Baden, Germany) was a German television film director and scriptwriter. As a director for three decades, he helped pioneer and significantly influenced the develo ...

), as Archbishop * ' (1968, TV miniseries, directed by

), as Sir Gordon Towns * ' (1968, TV miniseries, directed by Wolfgang Becker), as Dr. Brenner * '' Bend Sinister'' (1970, TV film, directed by

Herbert Vesely Herbert Vesely (31 March 1931 – 13 July 2002) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He directed 17 films between 1955 and 1988. Selected filmography * ' (1955) * ''The Bread of Those Early Years'' (1962) — (based on the nove ...

), as Adam Krug * '' Der Kommissar: Messer im Rücken'' (1970, TV, directed by

Wolfgang Staudte Wolfgang Staudte (9 October 1906 – 19 January 1984), born Georg Friedrich Staudte, was a German film director, script writer and acting, actor. He was born in Saarbrücken. After 1945, Staudte also looked at German guilt in the cinema. Alon ...

), as Hugo Blasek * ''

Hauser's Memory ''Hauser's Memory'' is a 1970 science fiction television movie directed by Boris Sagal and that starred Susan Strasberg, David McCallum, Lilli Palmer, Robert Webber and Leslie Nielsen. The screenplay by Adrian Spies was based on a 1968 novel of th ...

'' (1970, TV film, directed by

Boris Sagal Boris Sagal (October 18, 1923 – May 22, 1981) was an American television and film director. Early life and career Born in Yekaterinoslav, Ukrainian SSR (now known as Dnipro, Ukraine) to a Ukrainian-Jewish family, Sagal immigrated to the Unite ...

), as Dr. Kramer * ' (1971, TV miniseries, directed by Wilhelm Semmelroth), as Sir Frederic Fairlie * ''

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 b ...

: '' (1971, TV, directed by Peter Schulze-Rohr), as Professor Kemm * ''

Temptation in the Summer Wind ''Temptation in the Summer Wind'' (german: Versuchung im Sommerwind) is a 1972 West German romantic comedy film directed by Rolf Thiele and starring Helmut Käutner, Yvonne Furneaux, and Paul Hubschmid Paul Hubschmid (; 20 July 1917 – 31 De ...

'' (1972, directed by

Rolf Thiele Rolf Thiele (7 March 1918 – 9 October 1994) was a German film director, producer and screenwriter. He directed 42 films between 1951 and 1977. He was born in Prödlitz, then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His 1958 film '' Eva'' was ente ...

), as Professor Bomhard * ' (1973, TV film, directed by

Wolfgang Petersen Wolfgang Petersen (14 March 1941 – 12 August 2022) was a German film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for the World War II submarine warfare film '' Das Boot'' (1981). His other films include '' The ...

), as Canisius * '' Karl May'' (1974, directed by

Hans-Jürgen Syberberg Hans-Jürgen Syberberg (born 8 December 1935) is a German film director, whose best known film is his lengthy feature '' Hitler: A Film from Germany''. Early life Born in Nossendorf, Pomerania, the son of an estate owner, Syberberg lived un ...

), as Karl May * ''

: Nur Aufregungen für Rohn'' (1975, TV, directed by Wolfgang Becker), as Paul Seibach * ''

: Auf eigene Faust'' (1976, TV, directed by

Zbyněk Brynych Zbyněk Brynych (13 June 1927 – 24 August 1995) was a Czech film director and screenwriter. He directed 30 films between 1951 and 1985. Selected filmography Czechoslovakia * '' Suburban Romance'' (1958) * ''Five in a Million'' (1959) * '' ...

), as Duktus

Literature

* Hans-Jürgen Tast: ''Helmut Käutner – Unter den Brücken. 1944/45''. Schellerten: Kulleraugen, 2007; * Hans-Jürgen Tast: ''Helmut Käutner – In jenen Tagen. 1947''. Schellerten: Kulleraugen, 2007;

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kautner, Helmut 1908 births 1980 deaths Mass media people from Düsseldorf People from the Rhine Province German Film Award winners Best Director German Film Award winners Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany