Karl Koch (director)
Encyclopedia
Carl Koch or Karl Koch (30 July 1892 in Nümbrecht
, Germany – 1 December 1963 in Barnet
, England) was a German film director
and writer
with many secondary credits including collaborations with his wife Lotte Reiniger
, the animator of The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926).
Koch is perhaps best known as assistant to Jean Renoir
, who helped get Koch and Reiniger exit visas from Germany in 1936. Koch and Renoir, during the filming of La Grande Illusion
(in which Koch has an uncredited role), discovered that Koch's artillery unit had actually fired on Renoir's airplane during World War I
.
In 1939, Koch and Renoir began an adaptation of Tosca
at Mussolini
's invitation. Renoir had to abandon this project when Italy entered the war against France. Koch completed the film as "Carlo Koch", with Luchino Visconti
as his assistant.
(from fandango.com)
Nümbrecht
Nümbrecht is a municipality in the Oberbergischer Kreis, in Northrhine-Westfalia, Germany. It is a health resort, known for its good climate.-Neighbouring places:North: WiehlWest: Engelskirchen NümbrechtEast: Reichshof...
, Germany – 1 December 1963 in Barnet
Barnet
High Barnet or Chipping Barnet is a place in the London Borough of Barnet, North London, England. It is a suburban development built around a twelfth-century settlement and is located north north-west of Charing Cross. Its name is often abbreviated to Barnet, which is also the name of the London...
, England) was a German film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
with many secondary credits including collaborations with his wife Lotte Reiniger
Lotte Reiniger
Charlotte "Lotte" Reiniger was a German silhouette animator and film director.- Early life :Lotte Reiniger was born in Berlin-Charlottenburg, German Empire, on June 2, 1899...
, the animator of The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926).
Koch is perhaps best known as assistant to Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s...
, who helped get Koch and Reiniger exit visas from Germany in 1936. Koch and Renoir, during the filming of La Grande Illusion
Grand Illusion (film)
Grand Illusion is a 1937 French war film directed by Jean Renoir, who co-wrote the screenplay with Charles Spaak. The story concerns class relationships among a small group of French officers who are prisoners of war during World War I and are plotting an escape.The title of the film comes from a...
(in which Koch has an uncredited role), discovered that Koch's artillery unit had actually fired on Renoir's airplane 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 1939, Koch and Renoir began an adaptation of Tosca
Tosca
Tosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
at Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
's invitation. Renoir had to abandon this project when Italy entered the war against France. Koch completed the film as "Carlo Koch", with Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo was an Italian theatre, opera and cinema director, as well as a screenwriter. He is best known for his films The Leopard and Death in Venice .-Life:...
as his assistant.
Filmography
(From filmportal.de)- 1919 Das Ornament des verliebten Herzens, other
- 1920/1921 Der fliegende Koffer, camera
- 1920 Amor und das standhafte Liebespaar, camera
- 1921 Der Stern von Bethlehem, camera
- 1921/1922 Das Geheimnis der Marquise, other
- 1922 Dornröschen, camera
- 1922/1923Aschenputtel, camera
- 1922–1924 Kind und Welt: Das Großstadtkind und die Gartenarbeitsschule, writer, director
- 1923–1926 Die Abenteuer des Prinzen AchmedThe Adventures of Prince AchmedThe Adventures of Prince Achmed is a 1926 German animated fairytale film by Lotte Reiniger. It is the oldest surviving animated feature film; two earlier ones were made in Argentina by Quirino Cristiani, but they are considered lost...
, cinematography, director (uncredited) - 1924 Die Barcarole, other
- 1927 Der scheintote Chinese, other
- 1926/1928 Ägyptische Reise. Eine Expedition durch das älteste Land der Welt, writer, director, produce, camera
- 1928 Der scheintote Chinese [second version?], other
- 1928 Doktor Dolittle und seine Tiere [1-part version], cinematography
- 1928 Doktor Dolittle und seine Tiere. (originally with music by Paul DessauPaul DessauPaul Dessau was a German composer and conductor.- Biography :Dessau was born in Hamburg into a musical family...
, Kurt WeillKurt WeillKurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
and Paul HindemithPaul HindemithPaul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child...
), cinematography- 1. Abenteuer: Die Reise nach Afrika
- 2. Abenteuer: Die Affenbrücke
- 3. Abenteuer: Die Affenkrankheit
- 1929 Der Tod (aka Totentanz, from BrechtBertolt BrechtBertolt Brecht was a German poet, playwright, and theatre director.An influential theatre practitioner of the 20th century, Brecht made equally significant contributions to dramaturgy and theatrical production, the latter particularly through the seismic impact of the tours undertaken by the...
's The Baden-Baden Lesson on ConsentThe Baden-Baden Lesson on ConsentThe Baden-Baden Lesson on Consent is a Lehrstück by the German dramatist Bertolt Brecht, written in collaboration with Slatan Dudow and Elisabeth Hauptmann...
), director - 1929/1930 Die Jagd nach dem Glück, writer, assistant director, producer
- 1930 Zehn Minuten Mozart, cinematography
- 1931/1932 Harlekin, other
- 1931/1932 Nippon, director
- 1932 Sissi, other
- 1933/1934 Das rollende Rad, other
- 1934 Das gestohlene Herz, other
- 1934 Das rollende Rad. Ein Film von Wagen und Straßen, writer
- 1934 Der Graf von Carabas, other
- 1934/1935 Der kleine Schornsteinfeger, other
- 1935 Papageno, other
- 1935 Galathea, producer
(from fandango.com)
- La MarseillaiseLa Marseillaise (film)La Marseillaise is a film about the early part of the French Revolution. The film was directed by Jean Renoir. La Marseillaise is shown from the eyes of the citizens of Marseille, counts in German exile and, of course the king Louis XVI each showing their own small problems.-Cast:* Pierre Renoir ...
(1938) screenplay - La Règle du jeuThe Rules of the GameThe Rules of the Game is a 1939 French film directed by Jean Renoir about upper-class French society just before the start of World War II...
(1939) assistant director - La Tosca (1941) begun by Renoir
- Signora dell'ovest (1942) aka Girl of the Golden West
- Night of the Silvery Moon (1954)
External links
- Exhibit of still photos by Koch from The Threepenny OperaThe Threepenny OperaThe Threepenny Opera is a musical by German dramatist Bertolt Brecht and composer Kurt Weill, in collaboration with translator Elisabeth Hauptmann and set designer Caspar Neher. It was adapted from an 18th-century English ballad opera, John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, and offers a Marxist critique...
directed by his wife Lotte ReinigerLotte ReinigerCharlotte "Lotte" Reiniger was a German silhouette animator and film director.- Early life :Lotte Reiniger was born in Berlin-Charlottenburg, German Empire, on June 2, 1899...
- Article on Reiniger & Koch by William MoritzWilliam MoritzWilliam Moritz , film historian, specialized in visual music and experimental animation. His principal published works concerned abstract filmmaker and painter Oskar Fischinger...