E. W. Emo
Encyclopedia
E. W. Emo was an Austria
n film director, specialising in comedies, 21 of them with the actor Hans Moser
. He also worked outside Austria and wrote some screenplays.
in Austria, was the son of a teacher. He attended the Provincial Secondary School (Landesrealschule) in Krems an der Donau and did military service during World War I
. In 1919 he worked at first as a bit-part actor, then as a director's assistant and production manager, and finally as an assistant film director. In that capacity in 1927 he moved to Berlin
, where he also worked as a cutter and dramaturgist with a number of different directors.
In 1928 he directed his first film drama, called Flitterwochen ("Honeymoon"). After that he made many light entertainment films, and with the advent of sound films, also filmed several musicals and operettas. As a director Emo contributed much to the popularity of actors such as Paul Hörbiger
, Theo Lingen
and above all Hans Moser
, who appeared in 21 of his films altogether. In 1936 Emo founded in Berlin, with Paul Hörbiger and the Austrian consul Karl Künzel, the Algefa-Film company. In the same year he officially changed his name to his business name, Emerich Walter Emo. He later ran the film company Emo-Film.
During the time of National Socialist government, he was reckoned one the principal directors of Wien-Film
, where he continued to make light comedies, often with Hans Moser, to whom he allowed a great deal of latitude for improvisation. In many of his films Emo also criticised the clichés of the Wiener Film
(the standard popular, sentimental and nostalgic "Viennese film"), for example in Anton der letzte ("Anton the Last") (1939), where he exaggerated Hans Moser's usual screen persona into petulance and querulence, and in Liebe ist zollfrei ("Love is Duty-free") (1941), where he represented the high society of Vienna not as vulgar, but as snobbish and malicious.
Emo's only expressly propagandist film was Wien 1910 (1943), which was made with the intention, through its distorted representation of the politics of Vienna around the anti-Semitic Karl Lueger
and the German nationalist Georg Ritter von Schönerer
, of legitimizing the Anschluss
of Austria by Germany. The attempt failed, however, as the film was still too "Austrian" for the National Socialists and was forbidden to be shown in the Ostmark
, as Austria was known under National Socialist rule; in Germany it attracted little interest.
Emo made a few more films after the end of World War II
.
He married the German actress Anita Dorris in 1930; their daughter was the actress Maria Emo (b. 1936).
E. W. Emo died on 2 December 1975 in Vienna of arteriosclerosis
.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n film director, specialising in comedies, 21 of them with the actor Hans Moser
Hans Moser (actor)
Hans Moser was an Austrian actor who, during his long career, from the 1920s up to his death, mainly played in comedy films. He was particularly associated with the genre of the Wiener Film...
. He also worked outside Austria and wrote some screenplays.
Life
Emerich Josef Wojtek, born in Seebarn near GrafenwörthGrafenwörth
Grafenwörth is a municipality in the district of Tulln in Lower Austria, Austria....
in Austria, was the son of a teacher. He attended the Provincial Secondary School (Landesrealschule) in Krems an der Donau and did military service during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. In 1919 he worked at first as a bit-part actor, then as a director's assistant and production manager, and finally as an assistant film director. In that capacity in 1927 he moved to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where he also worked as a cutter and dramaturgist with a number of different directors.
In 1928 he directed his first film drama, called Flitterwochen ("Honeymoon"). After that he made many light entertainment films, and with the advent of sound films, also filmed several musicals and operettas. As a director Emo contributed much to the popularity of actors such as Paul Hörbiger
Paul Hörbiger
Paul Hörbiger was an Austrian theatre and film actor.-Life and work:Paul Hörbiger was born in Budapest, the son of Hans Hörbiger, an engineer who wrote Welteislehre on glacial cosmology, and elder brother of actor Attila Hörbiger. In 1902 the family returned to Vienna, while Paul attended the...
, Theo Lingen
Theo Lingen
Theo Lingen , born Franz Theodor Schmitz, was a German actor, director and screenwriter. He appeared in over 230 films between 1929 and 1978, and directed 21 films between 1936 and 1960.-Life and career:...
and above all Hans Moser
Hans Moser (actor)
Hans Moser was an Austrian actor who, during his long career, from the 1920s up to his death, mainly played in comedy films. He was particularly associated with the genre of the Wiener Film...
, who appeared in 21 of his films altogether. In 1936 Emo founded in Berlin, with Paul Hörbiger and the Austrian consul Karl Künzel, the Algefa-Film company. In the same year he officially changed his name to his business name, Emerich Walter Emo. He later ran the film company Emo-Film.
During the time of National Socialist government, he was reckoned one the principal directors of Wien-Film
Wien-Film
Wien-Film GmbH was a large Austrian film company, which in 1938 succeeded the Tobis-Sascha-Filmindustrie AG and lasted until 1985...
, where he continued to make light comedies, often with Hans Moser, to whom he allowed a great deal of latitude for improvisation. In many of his films Emo also criticised the clichés of the Wiener Film
Wiener Film
Wiener Film is an Austrian film genre, consisting of a combination of comedy, romance and melodrama in an historical setting, mostly, and typically, the Vienna of the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
(the standard popular, sentimental and nostalgic "Viennese film"), for example in Anton der letzte ("Anton the Last") (1939), where he exaggerated Hans Moser's usual screen persona into petulance and querulence, and in Liebe ist zollfrei ("Love is Duty-free") (1941), where he represented the high society of Vienna not as vulgar, but as snobbish and malicious.
Emo's only expressly propagandist film was Wien 1910 (1943), which was made with the intention, through its distorted representation of the politics of Vienna around the anti-Semitic Karl Lueger
Karl Lueger
Karl Lueger was an Austrian politician and mayor of Vienna. The populist and anti-Semitic politics of his Christian Social Party are sometimes viewed as a model for Hitler's Nazism.- Career :...
and the German nationalist Georg Ritter von Schönerer
Georg Ritter von Schönerer
Georg Ritter von Schönerer was an Austrian politician active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and a major exponent of German nationalism in Austria....
, of legitimizing the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
of Austria by Germany. The attempt failed, however, as the film was still too "Austrian" for the National Socialists and was forbidden to be shown in the Ostmark
Ostmark (Austria)
Ostmark was the name used by Nazi propaganda to replace that of the formerly independent Austria after the Anschluss annexation of that country by Nazi Germany in 1938....
, as Austria was known under National Socialist rule; in Germany it attracted little interest.
Emo made a few more films after the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
He married the German actress Anita Dorris in 1930; their daughter was the actress Maria Emo (b. 1936).
E. W. Emo died on 2 December 1975 in Vienna of arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis
Arteriosclerosis refers to a stiffening of arteries.Arteriosclerosis is a general term describing any hardening of medium or large arteries It should not be confused with "arteriolosclerosis" or "atherosclerosis".Also known by the name "myoconditis" which is...
.
Filmography (selection)
- Flitterwochen (1928)
- Im Prater blühen wieder die Bäume (1929)
- Heute nacht - eventuell (1930)
- Der unbekannte Gast (1931)
- Ich heirate meinen Mann (1931)
- Fräulein - falsch verbunden (1932)
- Der Frauendiplomat (1932)
- Petersburger Nächte (1935)
- Familie Schimek (1935)
- Drei Mäderl um Schubert (1936) (also wrote the screenplay)
- Ungeküsst soll man nicht schlafen gehn (1936)
- 13 Stühle (1938)
- Anton, der Letzte (1938)
- Liebe ist zollfrei (1941)
- Der liebe Augustin (1941)
- Schwarz auf weiß (1943)
- Wien 1910 (Karl Lueger, Bürgermeister von Wien) (1943)
- Der Theodor im Fußballtor (1950)
- Hilfe, ich bin unsichtbar (1951)
- Damenwahl (1953)
- Ober zahlen (1957)
- Wenn die Bombe platzt (1958)