Johannes Mario Simmel (7 April 1924 – 1 January 2009), also known as J. M. Simmel, was an Austrian writer. He was born in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

and grew up in Austria and

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. He was trained as a chemical engineer and worked in research from 1943 to the end of

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 opposing ...

. After the end of the war, he worked as a translator for the American military government and published reviews and stories in the Vienna ''Welt am Abend''. Starting in 1950, he worked as a reporter for the Munich illustrated ''

Quick Quick, as an adjective, refers to something moving with high speed. Quick may also refer to: In business * Quick (restaurant), a Belgian fast-food restaurant chain * Quick (sportswear), a Dutch manufacturer of sportswear * Quick (automobile) ...

'' in Europe and America. He wrote a number of screenplays and novels, which have sold tens of millions of copies. Many of his novels were successfully filmed in the 1960s and 1970s. He won numerous prizes, including the Award of Excellence of the Society of Writers of the UN. Important issues in his novels are a fervent pacifism as well as the relativity of good and bad. Several novels are said to have a true background, possibly autobiographic. According to his Swiss lawyer, Simmel died on 1 January 2009 in Lucerne, at 84 years of age. This date was the 99th birthday of "Thomas Lieven", the main character of "It can't always be caviar."

Awards and honors

* 1959 First prize in the competition playwright Mannheim * 1981 Culture Award of German Freemasons (Lessing-Ring) * 1984 Gold Medal of the City of Vienna * 1992

Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class The Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (german: Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria and forms part of the Austrian national honours system. History The "Austrian D ...

* 1993

Hermann Kesten Prize The Hermann Kesten Prize (german: link=no, Hermann-Kesten-Preis), formally the Hermann Kesten Medal (german: link=no, Hermann-Kesten-Medaille), is a German literary award presented annually for outstanding efforts in support of persecuted writ ...

* 2004:

Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria The Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (german: Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria. It is divided into 15 classes and is the highest award in the A ...

* 2005

Merit Cross 1st Class of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

(''Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse'') * 2011 naming of Simmelgasse in

Floridsdorf Floridsdorf (; Central Bavarian: ''Fluridsduaf'') is the 21st district of Vienna (german: 21. Bezirk, Floridsdorf), located in the northern part of the city and comprising seven formerly independent communities: Floridsdorf, Donaufeld, Greater Je ...

(the 21st district of Vienna)

Bibliography

* " Why Am I So Happy?" (Mich wundert, daß ich so fröhlich bin. Zsolnay, Vienna 1949). The title is a quote from Martinus von Biberach (died 1498); but also hints at Heinrich Heine's 1837 poem "Die Lorelei": "Ich weiß nicht, was soll es bedeuten / Daß ich so traurig bin". * ''Das geheime Brot''. Zsolnay, Vienna 1950. (English: Secret, or hidden, bread.) * ''Der Mörder trinkt keine Milch. Ein Kriminalroman''. Demokratische Druck- und Verlags-Gesellschaft, Bären-Bücher 19, Linz 1950. (English: Murderers don't drink milk. A detective story.) * ''Man lebt nur zweimal''. Demokratische Druck- und Verlags-Gesellschaft, Bären-Bücher 21, Linz 1950. (English: You only live twice.) The title is a parody of the German proverb "Man lebt nur einmal". * '' I Confess'' ("Ich gestehe alles." Zsolnay, Vienna 1953) * '' The Pretender (?)'' ("Der Hochstapler. Immer, wenn er Kuchen aß...". Südverlag, München/Konstanz 1954), (mit Hans Hartmann) * '' God Protects Lovers'' ("Gott schützt die Liebenden.", Zsolnay, Vienna 1957), published in the United States as ''The Sibyl Cipher'' * '' The Nina B. Affair'' ("Affäre Nina B.", Zsolnay, Vienna 1958) * '' It Can't Always Be Caviar'' a.k.a. "The Monte Cristo Cover-up" ("Es muß nicht immer Kaviar sein.", Schweizer Druck- und Verlagshaus, Zürich 1960) * '' To the bitter end'' ("Bis zur bitteren Neige.", Knaur, München 1962) * '' Love Is Only A Word'' ("Liebe ist nur ein Wort.", Knaur, München 1963) * '' The Berlin Connection'' a.k.a. "Dear Fatherland" or "Double Agent - Triple Cross" ("Lieb Vaterland magst ruhig sein." Knaur, München 1965) * '' The Cain Conspiracy'' a.k.a. "Cain '67" ("Alle Menschen werden Brüder.", Knaur, München 1967). The German title is taken from Schiller's 1785 poem "

Ode to Joy "Ode to Joy" (German language, German: , literally "To heJoy") is an ode written in the summer of 1785 by German poet, playwright, and historian Friedrich Schiller and published the following year in ''Thalia (magazine), Thalia''. A slightl ...

". * '' The Caesar Code'' ("Und Jimmy ging zum Regenbogen.", Knaur, München 1970). The German title is from

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

's "And Jimmy went to the rainbow's foot. Because he was five. And a man". * ''The stuff that dreams are made of'' (Knaur, München 1971). The title is taken from

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

's play '' The Tempest''. * ''Die Antwort kennt nur der Wind'' (Knaur, München 1973.) * ''Niemand ist eine Insel'' (Knaur, München 1975). The title is a translation of "No man is an island", from ''

Devotions upon Emergent Occasions ''Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, and severall steps in my Sicknes'' is a prose work by the English metaphysical poet and cleric in the Church of England John Donne, published in 1624. It covers death, rebirth and the Elizabethan concept ...

'' (1624) by John Donne. * ''Hurra, wir leben noch'' (Knaur, München 1978) * ''Wir heißen euch hoffen'' (Knaur, München 1980) * '' Let the Flowers Live'' ("Bitte, laßt die Blumen leben", Knaur, München 1983) * '' The Secret Protocol'' ("Die im Dunkeln sieht man nicht", Knaur, München 1985) * '' With the clowns came tears'' ("Doch mit den Clowns kamen die Tränen", Knaur, München 1987) * ''Im Frühling singt zum letztenmal die Lerche'' (Knaur, München 1990) * ''Auch wenn ich lache, muß ich weinen'' (Knaur, München 1993) * '' Dream the Impossible Dream (?)'' ("Träum den unmöglichen Traum", Knaur, München 1996) * '' The Man who painted Almond Trees (?)'' ("Der Mann, der die Mandelbäumchen malte", Knaur, München 1998) * '' Love is the Last Bridge'' ("Liebe ist die letzte Brücke", Knaur, München 1999) (?): Not sure about English title

Filmography

*''

My Schoolfriend ''My Schoolfriend'' (german: Mein Schulfreund) is a 1960 German comedy drama film directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Heinz Rühmann, Loni von Friedl, and Hertha Feiler. It is based on the play ''Der Schulfreund'' by Johannes Mario Simmel. ...

'', directed by

Robert Siodmak Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German film director who also worked in the United States. He is best remembered as a thriller specialist and for a series of films noirs he made in the 1940s, such as ''The Killers'' (194 ...

(1960, based on the play ''Der Schulfreund'') *'' The Nina B. Affair'', directed by

(1961, based on the novel ''Affäre Nina B.'') *', directed by

Géza von Radványi Géza von Radványi (born Géza Grosschmid; 26 September 1907 – 27 November 1986) was a Hungarian film director, cinematographer, producer and writer. Biography Born Géza Grosschmid, he took the name Radványi from his paternal grandmother. ...

(1961, based on the novel ''Es muß nicht immer Kaviar sein'') *', directed by

(1961, based on the novel ''Es muß nicht immer Kaviar sein'') *''

Und Jimmy ging zum Regenbogen ''Und Jimmy ging zum Regenbogen'' (English: ''And Jimmy Went to the Rainbow's Foot'' ) is a movie by Alfred Vohrer based on the novel '' The Caesar Code'' by Johannes Mario Simmel. It was filmed in Vienna and Munich in autumn 1970 and released in ...

'', directed by

Alfred Vohrer Alfred Vohrer (29 December 1914 – 3 February 1986) was a German film director and actor. He directed 48 films between 1958 and 1984. His 1969 film '' Seven Days Grace'' was entered into the 6th Moscow International Film Festival. His 1972 ...

(1971, based on the novel ''Und Jimmy ging zum Regenbogen'') *'' Love Is Only a Word'', directed by

(1971, based on the novel ''Liebe ist nur ein Wort'') *'' The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of'', directed by

(1972, based on the novel ''Der Stoff aus dem die Träume sind'') *'' All People Will Be Brothers'', directed by

(1973, based on the novel ''Alle Menschen werden Brüder'') *', directed by

(1973, based on the novel ''Gott schützt die Liebenden'') *''

Only the Wind Knows the Answer ''Only the Wind Knows the Answer'' (german: Die Antwort kennt nur der Wind) is a 1974 West German-French thriller film directed by Alfred Vohrer and starring Maurice Ronet, Marthe Keller and Karin Dor. It was entered into the 9th Moscow Interna ...

'', directed by

(1974, based on the novel ''Die Antwort kennt nur der Wind'') *'' To the Bitter End'', directed by

Gerd Oswald Gerd Oswald (June 9, 1919 – May 22, 1989) was a German director of American films and television. Biography Born in Berlin, Oswald was the son of German film director Richard Oswald and actress Käthe Oswald. He worked as a child actor be ...

(1975, based on the novel ''Bis zur bitteren Neige'') *', directed by

Roland Klick Roland Klick (born 1934) is a German film director and screenwriter. Biography Klick was born in Hof, Bavaria and grew up in Nennslingen after the war. Klick studied theater and German in Munich, worked as a cameraman on a film by Rolf Schün ...

(1976, based on the novel ''Lieb Vaterland magst ruhig sein'') *'' Es muss nicht immer Kaviar sein'', directed by Thomas Engel (1977, TV miniseries, based on the novel ''Es muß nicht immer Kaviar sein'') *''Mich wundert, daß ich so fröhlich bin'', directed by

Michael Kehlmann Michael Kehlmann (21 September 1927 – 1 December 2005) was an Austrian television film director and theatre director, screenwriter and actor. During 1951–1953, Kehlmann was the manager of the "Kleines Theater im Konzerthaus", Vienna. He was awa ...

(1982, TV film, based on the novel ''Mich wundert, daß ich so fröhlich bin'') *'' The Roaring Fifties'', directed by

Peter Zadek Peter Zadek (; 19 May 1926 – 30 July 2009) was a German director of theatre, opera and film, a translator and a screenwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest directors in German-speaking theater. Biography Peter Zadek was born on 19 May ...

(1983, based on the novel ''Hurra wir leben noch'') *', directed by

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, Tessari started in the fifties as documentarist and as screenwriter of pe ...

(1986, based on the novel ''Bitte laßt die Blumen leben'') *'' Mit den Clowns kamen die Tränen'', directed by

Reinhard Hauff Reinhard Hauff (born 23 May 1939) is a German film director. His works, which were mostly carried out in the late 1960s to early 1990s, are known for their social and political commentary. ''Stammheim (film), Stammheim'', which is based on the act ...

(1990, TV miniseries, based on the novel ''Doch mit den Clowns kamen die Tränen'') *', directed by (2008, TV film, based on the novel ''Und Jimmy ging zum Regenbogen'') *', directed by (2008, TV film, based on the novel ''Gott schützt die Liebenden'') *'' Love Is Only a Word'', directed by (2010, based on the novel ''Liebe ist nur ein Wort'') *', directed by (2011, TV film, based on the novel ''Niemand ist eine Insel'')

Screenwriter

* 1951: ''

Spring on Ice ''Spring on Ice'' (German: ''Frühling auf dem Eis'') is a 1951 Austrian musical comedy film directed by Georg Jacoby and starring Eva Pawlik, Herta Mayen and Hans Holt. It is set around the Vienna Ice Revue. The film was shot using Agfacolor a ...

'' (dir.

Georg Jacoby Georg Jacoby (23 July 1882 – 21 February 1964) was a German film director and screenwriter.Profile
, bfi.org.uk; accessed 1 ...

) * 1953: '' Diary of a Married Woman'' (dir.

Josef von Báky Josef may refer to *Josef (given name) *Josef (surname) Josef is the surname of the following people: * Jens Josef (born 1967), German composer of classical music, a flutist and academic teacher * Michelle Josef (born 1954), Canadian musician and tr ...

) * 1955: ''

Hotel Adlon The Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is a luxury hotel in Berlin, Germany. It is on Unter den Linden, the main boulevard in the central Mitte district, at the corner with Pariser Platz, directly opposite the Brandenburg Gate. The original Hotel Adlon ...

'' (dir.

) * 1955: '' Dunja'' (dir.

) * 1956: '' Kitty and the Great Big World'' (dir.

Alfred Weidenmann Alfred Weidenmann (10 May 1916 – 9 June 2000) was a German film director, screenwriter, and author of children's books. He directed more than 30 films between 1942 and 1984. Selected filmography * '' Hände hoch (1942) * ' (1944) * '' I ...

) * 1957: ''

The Girl and the Legend ''The Girl and the Legend'' (german: Robinson soll nicht sterben) is a 1957 German historical drama film directed by Josef von Báky and starring Romy Schneider, Horst Buchholz and Erich Ponto. It was shot at the Bavaria Studios in Munich.Petzel ...

'' (dir.

) * 1958: '' Stefanie'' (dir.

) * 1960: ' (dir.

Georg Marischka Georg Marischka (born 29 June 1922 in Vienna; died 9 August 1999 in Munich) was an Austrian actor, screen writer, director and film producer for cinema and television. Life George Marischka was born into the world of film because his father w ...

)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Simmel, Johannes Mario 1924 births 2009 deaths Austrian male writers Austrian expatriates in Switzerland Austrian expatriates in the United Kingdom Austrian people of German descent Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class Recipients of the Grand Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria Writers from Vienna