Egon Eis (born Egon Eisler; 6 October 1910 – 6 September 1994) was an Austrian

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

. He wrote for nearly 50 films between 1930 and 1983. Eis was forced into exile during the

Nazi era Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...

, but returned to work in the German film industry after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

where he worked on the popular series of

Edgar Wallace Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace (1 April 1875 – 10 February 1932) was a British writer of crime and adventure fiction. Born into poverty as an illegitimate London child, Wallace left school at the age of 12. He joined the army at age 21 and was ...

films as well as other projects. He was born in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

and died in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, Germany. His brother

Otto Eis Otto Eis (1903–1952) was an Austrian-born writer who worked on a number of screenplays. He was born Otto Eisler to a Jewish family in Budapest which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He later moved to Germany, where he was employed in ...

was also a screenwriter.

Filmography

Screenwriter

* ''

The Tiger Murder Case ''The Tiger Murder Case'' (German: ''Der Tiger'') is a 1930 German mystery film directed by Johannes Meyer (director), Johannes Meyer and starring Charlotte Susa, Harry Frank and Hertha von Walther.Bock & Bergfelder p.206 It was shot at the Babel ...

'' (dir. Johannes Meyer, 1930) * ' (dir.

Alfred Zeisler Alfred Zeisler (September 26, 1897 – March 1, 1985) was an American-born German film producer, director, actor and screenwriter. He produced 29 films between 1927 and 1936. He also directed 16 films between 1924 and 1949. Selected filmogr ...

, 1930) — based on a novel by Curt Siodmak * '' The Copper'' (dir.

Richard Eichberg Richard Eichberg (27 October 1888 – 8 May 1952) was a German film director and film producer, producer. He directed 87 films between 1915 and 1949. He also produced 77 films between 1915 and 1950. He was born in Berlin, Germany and died i ...

, 1930) * '' Täter gesucht'' (dir. Carl Heinz Wolff, 1931) — based on a novel by Frank Arnau * ' (dir.

Karl Grune Karl Grune (22 January 1890 – 2 October 1962) was an Austrian film director and writer who made many silent films in the 1920s. Grune was born into a Jewish family Siegbert Salomon Prawer, ''Between Two Worlds: The Jewish Presence in Germa ...

, 1931) — based on a play by Josef Matthäus Velter * '' The Yellow House of Rio'' (1931) (dir.

, Robert Péguy, 1931) — based on a play by Josef Matthäus Velter * ''

Express 13 ''Express 13'' () is a 1931 German thriller film directed by Alfred Zeisler and starring Charlotte Susa, Heinz Könecke and Fee Malten.Paech & Paech p. 223 It was shot at UFA's Babelsberg Studios in Berlin. The film's sets were designed by ...

'' (dir.

, 1931) * '' Tropical Nights'' (dir. Leo Mittler, 1931) — based on ''

Victory The term victory (from ) originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal duel, combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes a strategic vi ...

'' by

Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the Eng ...

* '' The Squeaker'' (dir.

Karel Lamač Karel Lamač (27 January 1897 – 2 August 1952) was a Czech film director, actor, screenwriter, producer and singer. He directed more than 100 films in Czechoslovakia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Life Lama� ...

Martin Frič Martin Frič (29 March 1902 – 26 August 1968) was a Czech film director, screenwriter and actor. He had more than 100 directing credits between 1929 and 1968, including feature films, shorts and documentary films. Throughout his life, F ...

, 1931) — based on '' The Squeaker'' by

* '' Salto Mortale'' (dir. E. A. Dupont, 1931) — based on a novel by Alfred Machard * ''

The Paw ''The Paw'' () is a 1931 German thriller film directed by Hans Steinhoff and starring Charlotte Susa, Hans Rehmann, and Fritz Rasp.Bock & Bergfelder p. 384 It was made as a co-production with the Italian Cines Studios. The film's sets were de ...

'' (dir.

Hans Steinhoff Hans Steinhoff (10 March 1882 – 20 April 1945) was a German film director, best known for the propaganda films he produced in Nazi Germany. Life and career Steinhoff started his career as a stage actor in the 1900s and later worked as a sta ...

, 1931) ** '' The Man with the Claw'' (dir. Nunzio Malasomma, 1931) * ''

A Shot at Dawn ''A Shot at Dawn'' () is a 1932 German crime film directed by Alfred Zeisler and starring Ery Bos, Genia Nikolaieva and Karl Ludwig Diehl. It was based on the play ''The Woman and the Emerald'' by Harry Jenkins and recounts a jewel theft.Youn ...

'' (dir.

, 1932) — based on a play by Harry Jenkins ** ' (dir.

Serge de Poligny Serge de Poligny (1903–1983) was a French screenwriter and film director. Career Serge de Poligny was born in Paris in 1903. He studied art at the Beaux-Arts de Paris, École des Beaux-Arts in the class of the painter Maurice Denis. In 1925 ...

, 1932) — based on a play by Harry Jenkins * '' Teilnehmer antwortet nicht'' (dir.

Rudolph Cartier Rudolph Cartier (born Rudolph Kacser, renamed himself in Germany to Rudolph Katscher; 17 April 1904 – 7 June 1994) was an Austrian television director, filmmaker, screenwriter and producer who worked predominantly in British television, excl ...

Marc Sorkin Marc Sorkin or Mark Sorkin (1902–1986) was a Russian-born film editor and director.Rentschler p.277 He worked with Georg Wilhelm Pabst on a number of films as editor or assistant director. He was born in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius which w ...

, 1932) *'' Caribbean Enchantment'' (dir.

Juan Orol Juan Rogelio García García (August 4, 1897 – May 26, 1988), better known as Juan Orol, was a Spanish-born Mexican actor, film producer, director and screenwriter. Orol was a pioneer of the Mexican cinema's first talkies and one of the main pr ...

, 1947) * ''Algo flota sobre el agua'' (dir. Alfredo B. Crevenna, 1948) — based on a novel by Lajos Zilahy * '' La casa de la Troya'' (dir. Carlos Orellana, 1948) — based on a novel by Alejandro Pérez Lugín * ''La dama del velo'' (dir. Alfredo B. Crevenna, 1949) * ''El rencor de la tierra'' (dir. Alfredo B. Crevenna, 1949) * ''Otra primavera'' (dir. Alfredo B. Crevenna, 1950) — based on a play by Rodolfo Usigli * ''Huellas del pasado'' (dir. Alfredo B. Crevenna, 1950) * '' Yo quiero ser tonta'' (dir. Eduardo Ugarte, 1950) — based on a play by Carlos Arniches * '' Girls in Uniform'' (dir. Alfredo B. Crevenna, 1951) — remake of '' Mädchen in Uniform'' * '' Doña Clarines'' (dir. Eduardo Ugarte, 1951) — based on a play by the Quintero brothers * ''

Woman Without Tears ''Woman Without Tears'' (Spanish: ''La mujer sin lágrimas'') is a 1951 Mexican historical drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorou ...

'' (dir. Alfredo B. Crevenna, 1951) * '' Canasta uruguaya'' (dir.

René Cardona René Cardona (October 8, 1905 – April 25, 1988) was a Mexican director, actor, producer, screenwriter, and film editor, who was prominent during part of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Biography René Cardona was born in Havana, Cuba, on ...

, 1951) * ''El puerto de los siete vicios'' (dir. Eduardo Ugarte, 1951) * '' The Woman You Want'' (dir.

Emilio Gómez Muriel Emilio Gómez Muriel was a prolific Mexican film director, active between the 1930s and the 1970s. He is known for melodramas, but one of his first films was ''Redes'' (release: 1936), an attempt at social cinema with a mostly non-professional ...

, 1952) * ''Prisionera del recuerdo'' (dir. Eduardo Ugarte, 1952) * '' Women Who Work'' (dir.

Julio Bracho Julio Bracho Gavilán (17 July 1909 – 26 April 1978) was a Mexican film director and screenwriter. Bracho was born as ninth of eleven children of Julio Bracho y Zuloaga and his wife Luz Pérez Gavilán. His sister Guadalupe Bracho Pérez ...

, 1953) * '' Victoria and Her Hussar'' (dir.

Rudolf Schündler Rudolf Ernst Paul Schündler (17 April 1906, in Leipzig – 12 December 1988, in Munich) was a German actor and director. He played "Karl" in ''The Exorcist'' (1973). After finishing the film ''The Nasty Girl'', Schündler died of a heart attac ...

, 1954) — based on the operetta '' Viktoria und ihr Husar'' * '' A House Full of Love'' (dir. Hans Schweikart, 1954) — based on the play ''Fräulein Fortuna'' by Ladislas Fodor * '' The Phantom of the Big Tent'' (dir.

Paul May Paul May (8 May 1909 – 25 February 1976) was a German film director and film editor, editor. He directed 40 films between 1935 and 1972. Biography He was the son of Peter Ostermayr, a film producer with Universum Film AG, and his wife O ...

, 1954) * ''

Der Frosch mit der Maske ''Der Frosch mit der Maske'' (translation: ''The Frog with the Mask''), aka ''Face of the Frog'', is a 1959 West German-Danish black-and-white crime film directed by Harald Reinl and starring Siegfried Lowitz and Joachim Fuchsberger. It was the ...

'' (dir.

Harald Reinl Harald Reinl (8 July 1908 in Bad Ischl, Austria – 9 October 1986 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain) was an Austrian film director. He is known for the films he made based on Edgar Wallace and Karl May books (see Karl May movies and Edgar Wallace ...

, 1959) — based on '' The Fellowship of the Frog'' by

* '' The Crimson Circle'' (dir.

Jürgen Roland Jürgen Roland, born Jürgen Schellack (25 December 1925 – 21 September 2007) was a German film director. Roland was described as the "father of German TV crime shows". He directed about 80 TV productions and 30 movies. Life and career Rol ...

, 1960) — based on '' The Crimson Circle'' by

* ''

The Dead Eyes of London ''The Dead Eyes of London'' ( and also known as ''Dark Eyes of London'') is a 1961 West German black and white crime film directed by Alfred Vohrer and starring Joachim Fuchsberger, Karin Baal and Dieter Borsche. Plot A series of murders of ...

'' (dir.

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 ...

, 1961) — based on '' The Dark Eyes of London'' by

* '' The Devil's Daffodil'' (dir.

Ákos Ráthonyi Ákos Ráthonyi (26 March 1908 – 6 January 1969) was a Hungarian film director and screenwriter. He directed 42 films between 1936 and 1968. He was born in Budapest, Hungary and died in Munich, West Germany. He is widely considered one of ...

, 1961) — based on '' The Daffodil Mystery'' by

* '' The Puzzle of the Red Orchid'' (dir. Helmut Ashley, 1962) — based on a novel by

* '' The Inn on the River'' (dir.

, 1962) — based on '' The India-Rubber Men'' by

* ''

He Can't Stop Doing It ''He Can't Stop Doing It'' (German: ''Er kann's nicht lassen'') is a 1962 West German mystery film directed by Axel von Ambesser and starring Heinz Rühmann, Rudolf Forster and Grit Boettcher.BFI.org/ref> It was loosely based on the ''Father Brow ...

'' (dir.

Axel von Ambesser Axel Eugen Alexander von Oesterreich (22 June 1910 – 16 September 1988), better known as Axel von Ambesser, was a German playwright, actor and film director. Ambesser's father was Alexander Constantin von Oesterreich. Ambesser was born in Hambu ...

, 1962) — based on ''

Father Brown Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective. He is featured in 53 short stories by English author G. K. Chesterton, published between 1910 and 1936. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intuition and ...

'' stories by

G. K. Chesterton Gilbert Keith Chesterton (29 May 1874 – 14 June 1936) was an English author, philosopher, Christian apologist, journalist and magazine editor, and literary and art critic. Chesterton created the fictional priest-detective Father Brow ...

* '' The White Spider'' (dir.

, 1963) — based on a novel by Louis Weinert-Wilton * ' (dir. Rudolf Zehetgruber, 1964) — based on a novel by Victor Gunn * ''Im Auftrag der schwarzen Front'' (dir. , 1969, TV film) * ''Die Kugel war Zeuge'' (dir. Rainer Söhnlein, 1974, TV film) * ''Zwei Finger einer Hand'' (dir. Georg Marischka, 1975, TV film) * ''Kennwort Schmetterling'' (dir. , 1981, TV film) * ' (dir.

Sándor Simó Sándor Simó (7 August 1934 – 4 September 2001) was a Hungarian film producer, film director, director and screenwriter. He produced 25 films and directed a further seven. His 1969 film ''Those Who Wear Glasses'' won the Golden Leopard a ...

, 1983) * ''Ein Mann namens Parvus'' (dir. Rudolf Nussgruber, 1984, TV film) * ' (dir. Lutz Büscher, 1986, TV film) — based on a novel by

Georges Simenon Georges Joseph Christian Simenon (; 12/13 February 1903 – 4 September 1989) was a Belgian writer who created the fictional detective Jules Maigret. One of the most prolific and successful authors of the 20th century, he published around 400 ...

Film adaptations

*'' Prison sans barreaux'', directed by

Léonide Moguy Léonide Moguy (14 July 1899 – 21 April 1976) was a Ukrainian, French and Italian film director, screenwriter and film editor. Moguy was born Leonid Mohylevskyi () in Odessa, Odesa, Russian Empire in 1899 in a Jewish family. He lived in Soviet ...

(1938, based on the play ''Gefängnis ohne Gitter'') *'' Prison Without Bars'', directed by

Brian Desmond Hurst Brian Desmond Hurst (12 February 1895 – 26 September 1986) was an Irish people, Irish film director. With over thirty films in his filmography, Hurst was hailed as Northern Ireland's best film director by BBC film critic Mike Catto.Scree ...

(1938, based on the play ''Gefängnis ohne Gitter'') *'' Water for Canitoga'', directed by Herbert Selpin (1939, based on the play ''Wasser für Canitoga'') *''Prison Without Bars'' (1939, TV play, based on the play ''Gefängnis ohne Gitter'') *'' I Was a Prisoner on Devil's Island'', directed by

Lew Landers Lew Landers (born Louis Friedlander, January 2, 1901 – December 16, 1962) was an American independent film and television director. Biography Born as Louis Friedlander in New York City, Lew Landers began his movie career as an actor. In 1914, ...

(1941, based on the story ''Southern Cross'') *''

Desires Desires are states of mind that are expressed by terms like "wanting", " wishing", "longing" or "craving". A great variety of features is commonly associated with desires. They are seen as propositional attitudes towards conceivable states of a ...

'', directed by Rolf Hansen (1952, based on the play ''Das letzte Rezept'') *', directed by

Rolf von Sydow Rolf von Sydow (18 June 1924 – 16 June 2019) was a German film director and author. Life Von Sydow worked as a film director in Germany. He married on three occasions. As an author, Sydow wrote several books and audible books. Works by Syd ...

(1962, based on the story ''Der Midas von Mittelstadt'')

Plays

*''Das letzte Rezept'' *''Der lächerliche Sir Anthony'' *''Wasser für Canitoga'' *''Neun Offiziere'' *''Gefängnis ohne Gitter''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Eis, Egon 1910 births 1994 deaths Austrian male screenwriters 20th-century Austrian Jews Film people from Vienna Exiles from Nazi Germany 20th-century Austrian screenwriters 20th-century Austrian male writers