Ewald André Dupont (25 December 1891 – 12 December 1956) was a German

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

, one of the pioneers of the German film industry. He was often credited as E. A. Dupont.

Early life and career

Born in

Zeitz Zeitz (; , ) is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river White Elster, in the triangle of the federal states Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Saxony. History First a Slavic pagan settlem ...

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

and raised in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, DuPont was the son of journalists Hedwig Friedlander and Hermann DuPont, then-editor of ''

Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung The ''Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung'', often abbreviated ''BIZ'', was a German weekly illustrated magazine published in Berlin from 1892 to 1945. It was the first mass-market German magazine and pioneered the format of the illustrated news magazine ...

''. After briefly attending the

University of Berlin The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humbol ...

, DuPont began work in 1911 as a reporter, columnist, and, eventually, editor of the ''Berliner Allgemeinen Zeitung''. A newspaper columnist in 1916, Dupont became a screenwriter and began directing his own crime-story scripts in 1918. After several successes in his native Germany in

silent film A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...

s, he worked in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and in

Hollywood, California Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...

. One of his greatest successes was the silent film ''

Varieté ''Variety'' ( , also known by the alternative titles ''Jealousy'' or ''Vaudeville'') is a 1925 German silent drama film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont based on the 1912 novel '' The Oath of Stephan Huller'' by Felix Hollaender. The trapeze ...

'' (1925). This film, about an ex-trapeze artist, was noted for its innovative camerawork with highly expressive movement through space, accomplished by the expressionist cinematographer

Karl Freund Karl W. Freund, A.S.C. (; January 16, 1890 – May 3, 1969) was a German Bohemian and American cinematographer and film director. He is best known for photographing ''Metropolis'' (1927), ''Dracula'' (1931), and television's ''I Love Lucy'' (1 ...

. ''Varieté'' even did well in the United States, screening for 12 weeks at New York's Rialto Theatre.

United States

Dupont's success was noticed by

Carl Laemmle Carl Laemmle (; born Karl Lämmle ; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) was a German-American film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures. He produced or worked on over 400 films. Regarded as one of the ...

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of N ...

, who offered Dupont a lucrative contract. His first project was ''

Love Me and the World Is Mine ''Love Me and the World Is Mine'' is a 1928 American silent romantic film directed by Ewald André Dupont (E.A. Dupont) and released by Universal Pictures. Plot Hannerl (Philbin) is a young woman growing up in Old Vienna. She falls in love wi ...

'' in the early summer of 1926, which ran well over budget ($350,000) and was not a success.

Britain

Dupont then headed to Britain and made the film ''

Piccadilly Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, England, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road (England), A4 road that connects central London to ...

'' (1929), a late silent, which is remembered for the central performance of the Chinese-American actress

Anna May Wong Wong Liu Tsong (January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961), known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress, considered the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood, as well as the first Chinese American actress to gain internat ...

. ''

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

'' (also 1929) is a retelling of the

Titanic disaster Titanic, RMS ''Titanic'' sank on 15 April 1912 in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The largest ocean liner in service at the time, ''Titanic'' was four days into her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, USA with ...

and is seen as one of the most innovative uses of

sound film A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, bu ...

technology available at the time. Dupont made several more films in Britain and a few in Germany and France.

Later career

After a brief return to Germany, the Jewish director emigrated to the United States in 1933, where he was assigned to several

B movies A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second half of a double feature, ...

and low budget "programmer" films. Unhappy with the lack of opportunities afforded him in Hollywood, Dupont became a talent agent in 1940.Hal Erickson, Rovi
/ref> Dupont returned to filmmaking when he wrote and directed '' The Scarf'' (1951). In 1952 and 1953, he wrote 23 episodes for the TV series ''

Big Town ''Big Town'' is a popular long-running radio drama featuring a corruption-fighting newspaper editor initially played from 1937 to 1942 by Edward G. Robinson in his first radio role, with echoes of the conscience-stricken tabloid editor he had p ...

'' (1950–56) and directed two of those episodes, "Tape Recorder" (19 June 1952) and "The Story of Jerry Baxter" (1 January 1953). Dupont directed several more low-budget films, such as '' The Neanderthal Man'' (1953).

Selected filmography

Director

* '' Europe, General Delivery'' (1918) * ''

Midnight Midnight is the transition time from one day to the next – the moment when the date changes, on the local official clock time for any particular jurisdiction. By clock time, midnight is the opposite of noon, differing from it by 12 hours. ...

'' (1918) * ''

The Devil Satan, also known as the Devil, is a devilish entity in Abrahamic religions who seduces humans into sin (or falsehood). In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the '' yetzer hara'', or 'e ...

'' (1918) * '' The Japanese Woman'' (1919) * ''

The Secret of the American Docks ''The Secret of the American Docks'' (German: ''Das Geheimnis des Amerika-Docks'') is a 1919 German silent mystery film directed by Ewald André Dupont and starring Max Landa, Gustav Botz, and Reinhold Schünzel. The film's sets were designe ...

'' (1919) * '' The Mask'' (1919) * '' The Spies'' (1919) * ''

The Apache of Marseilles ''The Apache of Marseilles'' () is a 1919 German silent thriller film directed by Ewald André Dupont and starring Max Landa, Hanni Weisse, and Reinhold Schünzel Reinhold Schünzel (7 November 1888 – 11 November 1954) was a German actor ...

'' (1919) * '' The Derby'' (1919) * '' Alkohol '' (co-director: Alfred Lind, 1919) * '' World by the Throat'' (1920) * '' The Grand Babylon Hotel'' (1920) * '' The White Peacock'' (1920) * ''

Whitechapel Whitechapel () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough tow ...

'' (1920) * '' Hearts are Trumps'' (1920) * '' Murder Without Cause'' (1921) * '' Children of Darkness'' (1921) * '' The Vulture Wally'' (1921) * '' Kinder der Finsternis '' (1921) * '' She and the Three'' (1922) * '' The Green Manuela '' (1923) * ''

The Ancient Law ''The Ancient Law'' () is a 1923 German silent drama film directed by E. A. Dupont and starring Henny Porten, Ruth Weyher and Hermann Vallentin. The son of an Orthodox Rabbi faces hostility from his father when he decides to become an actor. ...

'' (1923) * ''

The Humble Man and the Chanteuse ''The Humble Man and the Chanteuse'' (German: ''Der Demütige und die Tänzerin'') is a 1925 German silent film directed by E. A. Dupont and starring Lil Dagover, Olga Limburg and Margarete Kupfer. It was based on a novel by Felix Hollaender. Th ...

'' (1925) * ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' (1925) * ''

'' (1927) * ''

Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Olympia (Par ...

'' (1928) * ''

'' (1929) * ''

'' (English-language film, 1929) ** '' Atlantik'' (German-language film, 1929) ** ''

Atlantis Atlantis () is a fictional island mentioned in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and ''Critias'' as part of an allegory on the hubris of nations. In the story, Atlantis is described as a naval empire that ruled all Western parts of the known world ...

'' (French-language film, 1930) * '' Two Worlds'' (English-language film, 1930) ** '' Two Worlds'' (German-language film, 1930) ** '' Les deux mondes'' (French-language film, 1930) * '' Menschen im Käfig '' (German-language film, 1930) ** '' Le cap perdu'' (French-language film, 1931) ** '' Cape Forlorn '' (English-language film, 1931) * '' Salto Mortale'' (French-language film, 1931) ** '' Salto Mortale'' (German-language film, 1931) * '' Peter Voss, Thief of Millions'' (1932) * '' The Marathon Runner'' (1933) * '' Ladies Must Love'' (1933) * '' The Bishop Misbehaves'' (1935) * '' Forgotten Faces'' (1936) * ''

A Son Comes Home ''A Son Comes Home'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by E.A. Dupont and starring Mary Boland, Julie Haydon and Donald Woods (actor), Donald Woods. It was one of three films made by Dupont for Paramount Pictures.St. Pierre p.23 Plot Cast * ...

'' (1936) * '' Night of Mystery'' (1937) * '' On Such a Night'' (1937) * '' Love on Toast'' (1937) * ''

Hell's Kitchen Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton, or Midtown West on real estate listings, is a neighborhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York. It is considered to be bordered by 34th Street (or 41st Street) to the south, ...

'' (1939) * '' The Scarf'' (1951) * '' Pictura: An Adventure in Art'' (1951, co-director) * '' Problem Girls'' (1953) * '' The Neanderthal Man '' (1953) * '' The Steel Lady'' (1953) * '' Return to Treasure Island'' (1954)

Screenwriter

* '' Vengeance Is Mine'' (dir.

Rudolf Meinert Rudolf Meinert (1882 – 6 March 1943) was an Austrian screenwriter, film producer and film director, director. Meinert was born Rudolf Bürstein in Vienna, but worked for most of his career in the Cinema of Germany, German film industry. He bec ...

, 1916) * '' The Onyx Head'' (dir.

Joe May Joe May (born Joseph Otto Mandl; 7 November 1880 – 29 April 1954) was an Austrian film director and film producer and one of the pioneers of Cinema of Germany, German cinema. Biography After studying in Berlin and a variety of odd jobs, he b ...

, 1917) * ''

Let There Be Light "Let there be light" is an English translation of the Hebrew (''yehi 'or'') found in Genesis 1:3 of the Torah, the first part of the Hebrew Bible. In Old Testament translations of the phrase, translations include the Greek phrase (''genēt ...

'' (dir.

Richard Oswald Richard Oswald (5 November 1880 – 11 September 1963) was an Austrian film director, producer, screenwriter, and father of German-American film director Gerd Oswald. Early life and career Richard Oswald, born in Vienna as Richard W. Ornstein, ...

, 1917) * ''

Ferdinand Lassalle Ferdinand Johann Gottlieb Lassalle (born Lassal; 11 April 1825 – 31 August 1864) was a German jurist, philosopher, socialist, and political activist. Remembered as an initiator of the German labour movement, he developed the theory of state s ...

'' (dir.

, 1918) * '' His Majesty the Hypochondriac'' (dir.

Frederic Zelnik Frederic Zelnik (born Friedrich Zelnik; 17 May 1885 – 29 November 1950) was an Austrian producer, director, and actor. He was one of the most important producers-directors of the German silent cinema. Zelnik achieved success through period oper ...

, 1918) * ''

Alkohol ''Alkohol'' ('Alcohol') is a 1919 German silent drama film directed by Ewald André Dupont and Alfred Lind and starring Wilhelm Diegelmann, Ernst Rückert, and Georg H. Schnell. The film was begun by Lind but finished by Dupont. It was his ...

'' (dir. Alfred Lind, 1919) * ''

Patience or forbearance, is the ability to endure difficult or undesired long-term circumstances. Patience involves perseverance or tolerance in the face of delay, provocation, or stress without responding negatively, such as reacting with disrespect ...

'' (dir.

Felix Basch Felix Basch (1885–1944) was an American-Austrian actor, screenwriter and film director. He first acted in Vienna, and he was a producer and director for the German film production company U. F. A. Following the Nazi takeover of power in Germ ...

and

Paul Leni Paul Leni (born Paul Josef Levi, 8 July 1885 – 2 September 1929) was a German filmmaker and a key figure in German Expressionism (cinema), German Expressionism, making ''Hintertreppe'' (1921) and ''Waxworks (film), Waxworks'' (1924) in German ...

, 1920) * '' Madame Pompadour'' (dir.

Herbert Wilcox Herbert Sydney Wilcox Order of the British Empire, CBE (19 April 1890 – 15 May 1977) was a British film producer and film director, director. He was one of the most successful British filmmakers from the 1920s to the 1950s. He is best know ...

, 1927) * '' Magic Fire'' (dir.

William Dieterle William Dieterle (July 15, 1893 – December 9, 1972) was a German-born actor and film director who emigrated to the United States in 1930 to leave a worsening political situation. He worked in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood primarily a ...

, 1955) * '' Please Murder Me'' (dir. Peter Godfrey, 1956)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dupont, Ewald Andre 1891 births 1956 deaths Burials at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery People from Zeitz People from the Province of Saxony Film directors from Saxony-Anhalt Humboldt University of Berlin alumni Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States German silent film directors