Günther Stapenhorst
Guenther Gustav von Stapenhorst ( born June 25, 1883 in Gebweiler in Alsace, † February 2nd 1976 in Munich) was a German film producer.
Life
From Stapenhorst son was a high school director and attended after high school and entered the Naval Academy in 1900 in the Imperial Navy. In 1916 he participated in the Battle of Jutland, 1917, he was assigned to the General Staff of the Navy. When the war ended he was a lieutenant commander and had to after the demobilization build a new life.
In 1919 he became a bank clerk, then export merchant, in 1922 a shareholder in a Hamburg export firm. By exporting and distribution of films, he came into contact with the film industry, where he worked from 1924. He participated in Arthur Ziehms Society International Film Exchange until its bankruptcy and entered 1928 as a production manager at UFA. Under his leadership created numerous productions, including the first Erich Kaestner - adaptation Emil and the Detectives.
Since the German film industry became more and more under state control, this led in 1935 to his emigration to England. There he worked for Alexander Korda as a production manager of the Gaumont British and the London Film. When the war started, he settled in Switzerland. For the small elite movie in Zurich, he produced the film Verena Stadler. After the establishment of the Gloria film on November 19, 1940, he presented four more films in Switzerland forth. Stapenhorst continued to maintain contacts with Germany and competed in 1941, 1942 and 1943 at a directorate post in the UFA, which was rejected by referring to his collaboration with Jewish actors. In Switzerland he came under suspicion of espionage. In spring 1942, he was forbidden to attend the outdoor filming of his film Steibruch. After financial losses he resigned on July 16, 1943 from the Board of Gloria movie, but remained until the war ended in Switzerland.
In 1948 he returned to Germany and founded in 1949 in Munich, the Carlton - Film GmbH. " Stapi " as he was called by his friends, produced in the fifties, numerous entertainment films, including three films based on the novels of Erich Kästner ( Lottie and Lisa, The Flying Classroom, and The Missing Miniature), where Kästner wrote the screenplays.
Baron of Stapenhorst was married to Charlotte Countess of Brockdorff since 1911. In 1962, he left the management of the company to his son Klaus Stapenhorst. His other son Fritz was editor and director, his daughter Lore screenwriter.
Günther Stapenhorst rests in the cemetery at Munich Riem.