Léo Lasko (1885–1949) was a German

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 ...

and

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 ...

of the silent and early

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the br ...

eras. As Lasko was of

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

descent he was classified as a "non-

Aryan ''Aryan'' (), or ''Arya'' (borrowed from Sanskrit ''ārya''), Oxford English Dictionary Online 2024, s.v. ''Aryan'' (adj. & n.); ''Arya'' (n.)''.'' is a term originating from the ethno-cultural self-designation of the Indo-Iranians. It stood ...

" by the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

. Following their 1933 takeover he was banned from film work and eventually emigrated to Britain.

Selected filmography

Director * ''

The Merry Husband ''The Merry Husband'' (German: ''Der lustige Ehemann'') is a 1919 German silent comedy film directed by Léo Lasko and starring Victor Janson, Irmgard Bern and Marga Köhler.Monaco p.339 The film's sets were designed by the art director Kurt R ...

'' (1919) * '' The Dagger of Malaya'' (1919) * '' The Panther Bride'' (1919) * ''

The Howling Wolf ''The Howling Wolf'' (German: ''Der heulende Wolf'') is a 1919 German silent crime film directed by Léo Lasko and starring Carl Auen, Meinhart Maur and Victor Janson. It was part of a series of films featuring the detective character Joe Deebs. ...

'' (1919) * '' The Woman Without a Soul'' (1920) * ''

Va banque ''Va banque'' or ''Vabanque'' is a gambling term from the card game of Pharo or Faro, which was popular in the 18th and 19th century. It is similar to the decision to "go bank" (or "''banco''") in '' chemin de fer'', a form of baccarat. It ...

'' (1920) * '' Indian Revenge'' (1920) *''The Pink Jersey'' (Das rosa Trikot) (1920) * ''

The Convict of Cayenne ''The Convict of Cayenne'' (German: ''Der Sträfling von Cayenne'') is a 1921 German silent drama film directed by Léo Lasko and starring Frederic Zelnik and Loni Nest.Bock & Bergfelder p.549 It premiered in Berlin at the Marmorhaus. Cast In a ...

'' (1921) * '' James Morres'' (1921) * ''

The Devil's Chains ''The Devil's Chains'' (German: ''Satansketten'') is a 1921 German silent film directed by Léo Lasko and starring Ressel Orla, Margarete Kupfer and Marga von Kierska. The film's sets were designed by the art director Robert Herlth and Walter R� ...

'' (1921) * ''

The Buried Self ''The Buried Self'' (German: ''Das begrabene Ich'') is a 1921 German silent drama film directed by Léo Lasko and starring Frederic Zelnik and Wilhelm Diegelmann.Bock & Bergfelder p.549 The film's sets were designed by the art director Fritz L ...

'' (1921) * ''

Parisian Women ''Parisian Women'' (German: ''Pariserinnen'') is a 1921 German silent film directed by Léo Lasko and starring Ressel Orla, Xenia Desni and Ralph Arthur Roberts.Krautz p.314 The film's sets were designed by the art director Robert Herlth and Wal ...

'' (1921) * '' People of the Sea'' (1925) * '' Hands Up, Eddy Polo'' (1928) * ''

Scapa Flow Scapa Flow (; ) is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray,S. C. George, ''Jutland to Junkyard'', 1973. South Ronaldsay and Hoy. Its sheltered waters have played an impor ...

'' (1930) * ''

Night of Temptation ''Night of Temptation'' () is a 1932 German drama film directed by Léo Lasko and Robert Wohlmuth and starring Werner Fuetterer, Elga Brink and Josef Eichheim.Krautz p. 292 It was shot at the Emelka Studios in Munich. The film's sets were desig ...

'' (1932) Screenwriter * ''

Vendetta Vendetta may refer to: * Feud or vendetta, a long-running argument or fight Film * ''Vendetta'' (1919 film), a film featuring Harry Liedtke * ''Vendetta'' (1950 film), an American drama produced by Howard Hughes * ''Vendetta'' (1986 film), an ...

'' (1919) * '' Wibbel the Tailor'' (1920) * ''

The Land of Smiles ''The Land of Smiles'' (German: ') is a 1929 romantic operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár. The German language libretto was by Ludwig Herzer and Fritz Löhner-Beda. The performance duration is about 100 minutes. This was one of Lehár's late ...

'' (1930) * ''

Schubert's Dream of Spring ''Schubert's Dream of Spring'' () is a 1931 German musical film directed by Richard Oswald and starring Carl Jöken, Gretl Theimer and Alfred Läutner. It was shot at the Halensee Studios in Berlin with sets designed by the art director Franz ...

'' (1931) * ''

'' (1932)

Bibliography

External links

* 1885 births 1949 deaths Film people from Hamburg Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United Kingdom Silent film screenwriters 20th-century German screenwriters {{Germany-film-director-stub