Josef Somlo
Josef Somló ( born October 5, 1884 in Papa, Austria - Hungary, † November 29, 1973 in Locarno, Switzerland ) was a Hungarian film producer and manager of the Austria -Hungarian and German film industry.
Life
Somló had studied at the Budapest University law before he joined at the beginning of 1908 to the Austrian film industry. In these years, he was appointed branch manager of the production company Projectograph -Budapest to Vienna. Three years later he moved to the director of the Austria -Hungarian Cinema Industry Co., Ltd. in 1914 appointed him to the Danish production company Nordisk to their manager for Austria - Hungary. 1915 Josef Somló was appointed sworn film experts and began at the same time to procure documentary footage of the Austrian war fronts and recycle. Josef Somló, who also serves as president headed the Federation of Austrian Industrialists cinema from 1909-19, moved in 1919 to Berlin, where he first found employment as a director of UFA foreign department.
At the beginning of 1922 he founded, together with Hermann Fellner, the composite of the first letters of both last name company ' Felsom ', he became CEO at the same time. In 1926/27 and 1929 originated Felsom productions with Mr Arnold Pressburger as a third partner under the sign of FPS Film Produktion GmbH. Moreover Somló was appointed as second chairman of the Import and Export Association of the German film industry. Felsom productions were mostly lightweight fabrics, often romantic comedies with music, which held up well with the dawn of the talkie era in the market.
Immediately after the seizure of power by the Nazis, the Jews emigrated Fellner and Somló whose company had been dissolved under pressure from the new rulers, to Britain. There went their separate ways. In London Somló founded with a partner the G & S Films, with which he produced 1938/39, several films. Until 1958 Somló produced only a few films. Besides, he also took over there post as official of the association, about 1946, when he was appointed to the Board of Directors Two Cities. Shortly after his 80th birthday, Somló settled in Locarno, Switzerland.