Europäische Filmemigration in Die USA Vor 1920 2001

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Europäische Filmemigration in Die USA Vor 1920 2001 Repositorium für die Medienwissenschaft Hanns-Georg Rodek Europäische Filmemigration in die USA vor 1920 2001 https://doi.org/10.25969/mediarep/15965 Veröffentlichungsversion / published version Sammelbandbeitrag / collection article Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Rodek, Hanns-Georg: Europäische Filmemigration in die USA vor 1920. In: Frank Kessler, Sabine Lenk, Martin Loiperdinger (Hg.): Europäer in den USA. Frankfurt am Main: Stroemfeld/Roter Stern 2001 (KINtop. Jahrbuch zur Erforschung des frühen Films 10), S. 151–191. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25969/mediarep/15965. Nutzungsbedingungen: Terms of use: Dieser Text wird unter einer Creative Commons - This document is made available under a creative commons - Namensnennung - Weitergabe unter gleichen Bedingungen 4.0/ Attribution - Share Alike 4.0/ License. For more information see: Lizenz zur Verfügung gestellt. Nähere Auskünfte zu dieser Lizenz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ finden Sie hier: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ HANNS-GEORG RODEK Europäische Filmemigration in die USA vor 1920 Diese Recherche umfaßt nur Personen, die in Europa geboren wurden, in die USA übersiedelten und dort vor 1920 an Filmen mitarbeiteten. Bei der Zusammenstellung der Liste wurde von der Annahme ausgegangen, daß nahezu alle diese Filmschaffenden inzwischen verstorben sind. Deshalb wur­ den r. Nachruf-Indexe aus den Bereichen Schauspiel, Regie, Drehbuch, Kamera etc. nach in Europa Geborenen durchsucht; 2. Europäerinnen und Europäer her­ ausgefiltert, die in den USA verstorben sind; 3. Nachforschungen angestellt, in­ wieweit die US-Filmographien dieser Personen zurückreichen.' Es muß jedoch mit einer beträchtlichen Dunkelziffer gerechnet werden, weil r. der Geburtsort vieler früher Filmschaffender unbekannt ist; 2. eine Reihe von Schauspielern sich im Nachhinein zu gebürtigen Amerikanern stilisierten (wie der in Rumänien geborene Johnny Weissmuller); 3. viele eu­ ropäische Filmschaffende nach einigen Jahren in Amerika auf den alten Kon­ tinent zurückkehrten und somit in den amerikanischen Nachrufen nicht auf­ tauchen; 4. aufgrund mangelhafter Dokumentation früher Filme US-credits von vielen Europäern erst ab 1920 bekannt sind, obwohl sie bereits vorher an amerikanischen Filmen mitgewirkt haben; 5. von vielen im Stummfilm Täti• gen das Todesdatum unbekannt ist. Aus der folgenden Liste lassen sich einige schon recht gut belegte Schluß• folgerungen ziehen: Aufgrund der gemeinsamen Sprache und Geschichte stammt mindestens die Hälfte der Europäer, die im frühen US-Film arbeite­ ten, aus Großbritannien. Die meisten aus England übersiedelten hatten bereits in ihrer Heimat auf der Bühne einen gewissen Bekanntheitsgrad erlangt. Ihr Motiv für den Wech­ sel war nicht wirtschaftliche Not, sondern in der Regel das Streben nach noch größerem Erfolg. Häufig wurden renommierte Londoner Theaterleute in die USA abgeworben, um den dortigen Bühnen Prestige zu verleihen. Dies scheint in den 188oer Jahren begonnen zu haben. Fast ohne Ausnahme erhiel­ ten Engländer Engagements als Schauspieler; erst in der neuen Heimat began­ nen sie, sich für Regie zu interessieren. Frankreich schickte als einziges europäisches Land filmerfahrene Per­ sonen aus den Bereichen Schauspiel, Regie und Kamera nach Amerika. Sie wurden meist von ihren Mutterfirmen Pathe, Gaumont und Eclair entsandt, um deren US-Töchter an der Ostküste zu verstärken. Viele Schauspielerinnen und Schauspieler kehrten wieder zurück, relativ viele Regisseure und Kame­ raleute schafften dagegen den Übergang nach Hollywood. l5I Eine - zumindest zeitweilige - Rückkehr aus Amerika war für Engländer und Franzosen wahrscheinlich. Die anderen Europäer blieben fast alle dauer­ haft in den USA. Aus dem übrigen Europa kamen relativ viele Seiteneinsteiger (aus den Be­ reichen Oper, Tanz, Sport), die sich in Amerika im Film versuchten. Der neue Beruf des Filmproduzenten wurde wesentlich von aus Osteuro­ pa eingewanderten Juden geschaffen. Den Beruf des (Stumm-)Filmkomponisten und Arrangeurs dominierten Zentraleuropäer. Die folgenden Thesen sind noch nicht genügend belegt: Unter den Einwanderern wurden praktisch nur Engländer Stars im frühen US-Kino, obwohl das Sprachproblem im Stummfilm nicht existierte. Aus­ nahmen wie Valentino, Moreno und Nissen bestätigen die Regel. Der Anteil der Nicht-Schauspieler-Berufe bei Ankömmlingen aus Konti­ nentaleuropa war größer als bei denen aus Großbritannien. Mit Beginn des Ersten Weltkriegs stieg der Bedarf nach zentraleuropäi• schen Physiognomien; deshalb stieg die Zahl der von dort stammenden Schauspieler. Das jiddische Theater in New York holte systematisch Schauspieler aus Polen, Rumänien und Rußland, von denen viele auch im Film auftraten. Die Filmdebütanten aus Deutschland, Österreich, Italien und Spanien scheinen zu Hause nicht nur keine Film-, sondern auch wenig Theatererfah­ rung gehabt haben. Ankömmlinge aus Irland und Schottland kamen offenbar seltener von der Bühne als Engländer, die später im Film arbeiteten. Anmerkung 1 Die hauptsächlichen Quellen, die bei 1908 - Dec. 1915, Film-Index, Stockholm der Recherche benutzt wurden, waren die 1976; dies., American Film Index 1916- Nachrufe in der Zeitschrift Variety sowie 1920: Motion Pictures ]anuary 1916 - De­ Evelyn Mack Truitt, Who was Who on cember 1920, Film-Index, Stockholm 1984; Screen, Bowker, New York 1984; David American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Ragan, Who's Who in Hollywood, Facts on Pictures Produced in the United States - F File, New York etc. 1992; John Parker 2: American Feature Films 1911-20, Uni­ (Hg.), Who's Who in the Theatre, Pitman, versity of California Press, Berkeley etc. London 1912 ff.; Billy H. Doyle, The Ulti­ 1988; Jay Robert Nash (Hg.), The Motion mate Directory of the Silent Screen Perfor­ Picture Guide, Baseline, New York etc. mers, Scarecrow, Metuchen, NJ, London 1985 ff.; Raymond Chirat, Catalogi-te des 1995; Paul C. Spehr, The Movies Begin: films franr;ais de fiction 1908 a 1918, Cine­ Making Movies in New Jersey 1887 - 1920, matheque frarn,aise, Paris 1995; außerdem Newark Museum, Newark, NJ 1977; Einar International Movie Data Base, 1990 - Lauritzen, Gunnar Lundquist, American 2001. - URL: http://www.imdb.com. Mein Film Index 1908-191 J: Motion Picturesjuly Dank gilt Geoffrey Donaldson. 152 David Abel Spottiswoode Aitken Rußland (oder Amsterdam) r883 - Edinburgh r868 - Los Angeles r933 Arcadia/Kal. r973 Schauspieler Kameramann Begann mit r 3Jahren auf der Bühne in Shake­ US-Filme: ro9 nachweisbare r9r6-45 speare-Rollen; character actor im Film, u. a. Dr. Cameron in BIRIB OF A NATION. William L. Abingdon US-Filme: 89 nachweisbare r9rr-27 Tewcester (England) r859-New York r9r8 Charles E. »Cap« Anderson Schauspieler Schweden r882 - Los Angeles r956 US-Filme: 4 nachweisbare r9r4-r8 Schauspieler US-Filme: 43 nachweisbare r9r8-46 Ivan Abramson Wilna (Litauen) r869- New York r934 Robert Anderson Filmregisseur, Drehbuchautor Odense (Dänemark) r890 - Woodland Gründer mehrerer jüdischer Publikationen Hills/Kal. r 96 3 in den USA; Opernunternehmer; Gründer Schauspieler der Ivan Film Company, die zeitweise Wil­ US-Filme: 25 nachweisbare r9r7-29 liam Randolph Hearst als Teilhaber hatte; klagte als Unabhängiger erfolglos gegen die Lucien Andriot Marktpraktiken der großen Studios. Paris r892 - Riverside County/Kai. r979 US-Filme: 3I nachweisbare r914-33 Kameramann Besuch der Ecole Centrale in Paris; von Eugene Acker Eclair r9r4 in die USA geholt; dann bei Art­ Stockholm r 88 9 - San Francisco r 97 r craft, Pathe, Fox, MGM und RKO tätig. Schauspieler · US-Filme: r58 nachweisbare r9r4-57 US-Filme: ro nachweisbare r9r 5-23 Bert Angeles Jacob Adler London r875 - New York r950 Odessa r855 -New York r926 Filmregisseur, Schauspieler Schauspieler US-Filme: 2 nachweisbare r9r3/r5 Patriarch des jiddischen Theaters in Ame­ rika; in die USA r887; sein Shylock war so JeanAngelo beeindruckend, daß er ihn am Broadway in Paris r875 - Paris r933 Jiddisch gab, während die anderen auf der Schauspieler Bühne Englisch sprachen; Gründer der Ab r903 in Frankreich auf der Bühne, ab Adler-Schauspielerdynastie; Kinder: Fran­ r908 Held von Abenteuerfilmen; seine Be­ ces, J ay, Julia, Luther, Stella, Celia, Sophia. liebtheit überstand auch den Wechsel zum US-Filme: r nachweisbarer r9r4 Tonfilm; r9r7/r8 kurzzeitig in den USA. US-Filme: r nachweisbarer r9r8 Sidney Ainsworth Manchester r872 -Madison/Wisc. r922 Georges Archainbaud Schauspieler Paris r890- Beverly Hills/Kal. r959 Kam als Kleinkind in die USA; Star bei Filmregisseur Essanay; Filme ab r909. Schauspieler in Paris; für Eclair r9r 5 nach US-Filme: 39 nachweisbare r9r r-22 Fort Lee/N.J.; bald Regie auch für World, Pathe, Selznick, RKO, Paramount, Colum­ bia; inszenierte B-Filme und viele Western; Stiefsohn von Emile Chautard (s.d.). US-Filme: r38 nachweisbare r9r6-58 153 Henry Armetta Carl Axzelle Palermo (Italien) 4. Juli 1888 - San Diego/ Schweden 1881 - Malibu/Kal. 1958 Kai. 1945 Schauspieler italienischer Schauspieler US-Filme: 8 nachweisbare 1917-28 Nach Amerika 1902 mit 14Jahren als blin­ der Schiffspassagier; zunächst Barbier-Hel­ William H. Bainbridge fer im Lambs Club, einem Schauspieler­ England 1853-? [1931] treff, wo ihn Raymond Hitchcock entdeck­ Schauspieler te; blieb drei Jahre bei dessen Company; US-Filme: 25 nachweisbare 1916-24 Spezialität: aufgeregte Südländer mit dickem Akzent. Reginald Barker US-Filme: 144 nachweisbare 1915-45 Rothwell (Schottland) oder Winnipeg (Kanada) 1886 - Los Angeles 1945 Etienne Arnaud Filmregisseur, Schauspieler Frankreich 1879-? [1955]
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