Hans Janowitz (2 December 1890 – 25 May 1954) was a German author. Janowitz was an officer in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, but returned from it as a

pacifist Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ''a ...

. Shortly after the war ended, he met the similarly minded

Carl Mayer Carl Mayer (20 November 1894 – 1 July 1944) was an Austrians, Austrian screenwriter. Mayer wrote or co-wrote the screenplays to ''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (1920), ''The Haunted Castle (1921 film), The Haunted Castle'' (1921), ''Der Letz ...

in Berlin, who suggested he work as an author. Together they wrote the script to ''

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari ''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' () is a 1920 German silent horror film directed by Robert Wiene and written by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer. The quintessential work of early German Expressionist cinema, it tells the story of an insane hypno ...

'' (''Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari''), which was filmed by

Robert Wiene Robert Wiene (; 27 April 1873 – 17 July 1938) was a German film director, screenwriter and Film producer, producer, active during the Silent film, silent era. He is widely-known for directing the landmark 1920 film ''The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari ...

during 1919 and 1920, and released in February 1920. The movie is a prominent work of

German expressionism Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radi ...

. Supposedly, the film was at first offered to director

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), better known as Fritz Lang (), was an Austrian-born film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety Obituari ...

, in the early part of his career, who suggested the now-famous framing story of the madman remembering his past, who then recounts the tale of a girl's mysterious murder, first read about by Janowitz in a newspaper account. Janowitz and Mayer protested the change, but it was made anyway over their objections, and Lang left the project to direct another film. Wiene was then hired to direct the film. Janowitz then worked with another two movies by

F. W. Murnau Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (born Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe; December 28, 1888March 11, 1931) was a German film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is regarded as one of cinema's most influential filmmakers for his work in the silent era. An e ...

. As early as 1922, he ended his movie career and became active in the oil business.

Selected filmography

*''

'' (''Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari'', 1920) *''

Der Januskopf ''Der Januskopf'' () is a lost film, lost 1920 German silent film directed by F. W. Murnau. The film was an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella ''Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.'' Little is known about the production. I ...

'' (1920) * ''

Eternal River ''Eternal River'' (German: ''Ewiger Strom'') is a 1920 German silent drama film directed by Johannes Guter and starring Werner Krauss, Marija Leiko and Heinrich Peer.Giesen p.36 The film's sets were designed by the art director Robert Neppach ...

'' (1920) * ''

The Red Masquerade Ball ''The Red Masquerade Ball'' (German: ''Die rote Redoute'') is a 1921 German silent film directed by Hanns Kobe and starring Rudolf Forster, Marija Leiko and Ressel Orla.Giesen p.36 Cast * Rudolf Forster * Marija Leiko * Ressel Orla * Paul Rehkop ...

'' (1921) * '' The Black Panther'' (1921) * '' Circus of Life'' (1921) * ''

Roswolsky's Mistress ''Roswolsky's Mistress'' () is a 1921 German silent drama film directed by Felix Basch and starring Asta Nielsen, Paul Wegener, and Wilhelm Diegelmann. It was based on a novel by George Froeschel. The film was shot at the Tempelhof Studios in B ...

'' (''Die Geliebte Roswolskys'', 1921) *'' Marizza, called the Smuggler Madonna'' (''Marizza, genannt die Schmugglermadonna'', 1922) * ''

The Burning Secret ''The Burning Secret'' () is a 1933 Austrian-German drama film directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Alfred Abel, Hilde Wagener and Hans Joachim Schaufuß. It was based on the 1913 novella of the same title by Stefan Zweig. It was released ...

'' (1923)

External links

* 1890 births 1954 deaths 20th-century German screenwriters Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I German pacifists German male screenwriters Jewish Czech writers Jewish pacifists People from Poděbrady Jews from Bohemia {{Germany-writer-stub