Influences on Hollywood by People
from Austria, Germany and Switzerland
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Fred Astaire’s father came to America from Austria. Photo from the Maureen Solomon Collection. |
From its earliest days Hollywood has been an international affair.
The Germanic impact (Austrian, German and German-Swiss) on Hollywood is often underestimated or even ignored. But the fact is that Hollywood — without its decades of Teutonic influence — would not be the center of the world’s entertainment industry that it is today. True, there have been other influences from France, Italy, Russia, Japan, Great Britain and other sources, but just as people of Germanic heritage make up the largest single ethnic element other than Anglo-Saxon in the United States, no other single influence on American cinema has been greater than that from the German-speaking world. (And that’s not even counting the Austrian Arnold!)
There were three main waves of Hollywood immigration from German-speaking Europe. More...
• Also see Cinema News on the right. > >
• Films in German on Blu-ray and DVD
German-Hollywood Connections
Recently added...
- Babelsberg and Ufa - A look at the world’s oldest continuously running film studio near Berlin.
- An Ufa Chronology (1891-pres.) - A historical timeline that includes world cinema and other German studios.
- Billy Wilder | Austrian-American director, writer, producer — and cinematic genius. More…
Other Connections
- The Studios – in Hollywood and Germany
- Berlinale | About the annual Berlin International Film Festival in February. More...
- Famous German Movies | Beginning with the early silent era, films from Germany have made their mark on world cinema—and influenced Hollywood. More...
- Germans (and Others) in Hollywood | About the three main waves of Germanic immigration to Hollywood. More...
Filmmakers and Screen Actors with
German-Hollywood Connections
- Bernd Eichinger, 61, died suddenly in Los Angeles on Jan. 24. The German film producer was responsible for many notable Hollywood and European films. See the sidebar on the right for more…
- Ursula Andress | Swiss-born actress best known for her bikini-clad role in Dr. No, the first James Bond movie in 1962.
- Michael Ballhaus | This German-born cinematographer came to Hollywood from Germany in the 1980s. He has worked often with director Martin Scorsese.
- Leonardo DiCaprio | His middle name is Wilhelm and he has a German mother. - Also see an Interview with DiCaprio’s Oma (his German grandmother).
- Marlene Dietrich | Born in Berlin, Dietrich came to Hollywood after her success as Lola Lola in The Blue Angel (1930).
- Thomas Gottschalk | Very famous (in Germany) TV personality and movie actor. Has a second home in California.
- Herbert Grönemeyer | Germany’s best-known and most successful singer, actor and composer. He appeared in Das Boot (1981) and also created the music for The American, starring George Clooney.
- Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck | German film director (The Lives of Others, The Tourist)
- Heidi Klum | Germany’s best-known and most successful fashion model and TV personality.
- Hedy Lamarr | Austrian-born actress known as a popular screen glamour girl in the 1930s and 1940s.
- Fritz Lang | Austrian-born director (Metropolis, M, Fury, The Big Heat)
- Peter Lorre | Austrian-born actor (M, The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca and Mr. Moto)
- Leni Riefenstahl | She was Hitler’s favorite film director - and she had a big impact on Hollywood and world cinema.
- Billy Wilder | Austrian-American director, writer, producer (Double Indemnity, Some like It Hot, Stalag 17 and The Apartment)
- Hans Zimmer | Hollywood film music composer from Germany. Recent film music: Angels & Demons, Sherlock Holmes, Despicable Me and Inception, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
- Full Index and many more people coming up...
- More Famous Film People and others from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
The Studios – in Hollywood and Germany
- Babelsberg and Ufa - A look at the world’s oldest continuously running film studio near Berlin. This studio has persevered through four different German governments from the silent era to now.
- An Ufa Chronology (1891-pres.) - A historical timeline that includes world cinema and other German studios.
- Emelka - Bavaria Film - This studio began in Munich – as a counterweight to Ufa in the north. During the Cold War era, it was West Germany’s main film and TV studio.
Berlin’s Boulevard der Stars
Dietrich Gets a Star in Berlin
In ceremonies on Feb. 12, 2010, the star for Marlene Dietrich on Berlin’s new Boulevard of Stars was unveiled as the first of 40. German cinematographer Michael Ballhaus was also honored with a star in 2010. More...
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Related Pages
- The Studios – in Hollywood and Germany
- German Cinema - From the German Way book
- The Berlinale - The Berlin International Film Festial
- Films in German on Blu-ray and DVD
- Famous Germans, Austrians and Swiss
- Famous Graves - The graves and cemeteries of the famous
