Max Mack

Max Mack (actually: Moritz Myrthenzweig; born October 21, 1884 in Halberstadt, † February 18, 1973 in London ) was a German film director. He is one of the pioneers of the German silent cinema.

Life

Mack, born as the son of a Jewish cantor, worked from 1906 as a stage actor at the City Theater Eisenach and in 1911 was brought by the director Viggo Larsen production company Vita Scope. There he made ​​his directorial debut in the same year. From 1912 until the end of the First World War, he was one of the most prolific filmmakers. Even before Stellan Rye's The Student of Prague in 1913 Mack's film The Other premiered. The film, starring Albert Bassermann in the double lead role deals with the topic of schizophrenia and is considered the first German auteur film. Also in 1913, Mack led the audience success Where is Coletti? crime comedy in the German film. Already in 1915, Ernst Lubitsch in films Macks small supporting roles.

In 1916 he published together with Ewald André Dupont one of the first books on film theory, The wriggling canvas. In 1917 he founded his own production company, Max Mack - Film GmbH. In 1928, Mack involved in sound film experiments; so takes his first full-length sound film only on the Rhine ... the then current issue of occupation on the Rhine, to distinguish themselves from the rampant sentimental " Rhein- bliss ".

Max Mack was demonstrably involved in the course of his film career in 138 films;. mainly pre-1920 sound film Max Mack offered no further work more; with the advent of the Nazis, he was no longer welcome as a Jew. He emigrated to the UK, where in 1935, still turned the little successful film Be Careful, Mr. Smith, after his career was finally over. Thus no practical job opportunities, Mack now set out to write his memoirs, in 1943 under the title With a Sigh and a Smile. A Showman Looks Back in London appear. He married in London a well-off widow to their mentally disabled daughter he cared.

Mack died at the age of 88 years in London.

Filmography (selection)

Awards

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