Wilhelm Dieterle Autograph: Hand Signed Photo

Collectibles : Autographs : Movie Stars

 

Wilhelm Dieterle portrait photo-postcard by German Ross editor. Hand signed with fountain pen.

Size: 3,5 x 5,5 inches. Very fine condition.

The Autograph comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

William Dieterle (1893 –1972) was a German actor and film director, who in 1937 attained American citizenship.

He directed his first film in 1923, Der Mensch am Wege, which co-starred a young Marlene Dietrich. Following that, he returned to acting for several years and appeared in such notable German films as Das Wachsfigurenkabinett (Waxworks) (1924) and F.W. Murnau's Faust (1926). In 1927, Dieterle and his wife, Charlotte Hagenbruch, formed their own production company and directed more films, such as the recently restored Sex in Chains (1928) in which he also played the lead role.

In 1930, Dieterle emigrated to the United States when he was offered a job in Hollywood to make German versions of American films. He adapted quickly to Hollywood filmmaking and was soon directing original films, The Last Flight (1931), Jewel Robbery (1932), Adorable (1933), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936), The Life of Emile Zola (1937), Juarez (1939) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939).

Dieterle's career declined during the 1950s as a result of the McCarthyism period. Although he was never blacklisted directly, his libertarian film Blockade (1938) as well as some of the people he worked with were considered suspect. He continued to make films in the United States in the 1950's, including the film noir The Turning Point (1952), Salome (1953) with Rita Hayworth, Elephant Walk (1954) with Elizabeth Taylor, and a biopic of Richard Wagner, Magic Fire (1955) for Republic Pictures. He made some films in Germany and Italy, and a notorious U.S. flop, Quick, Let's Get Married (1964) -- also known as The Confession or Seven Different Ways -- with Ginger Rogers before retiring in 1965.

Dieterle is remembered as a tireless director of refinement and elegance who always wore a large hat and white gloves on the set.

Item ID: col-2848