Berthold Viertel (28 June 1885 - 24 September 1953) was an Austrian
screenwriter and film director, known for his work in Germany, the UK
and the US.Viertel was born in Vienna, the capital of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire, but later went to work in Berlin. Viertel
developed a reputation as a poet and theatre director, before moving
into film work from 1922. As a screenwriter and director, he
collaborated with some of the leading figures of the silent era of
German cinema and worked on several influential films. Uneasy Money
(1926) is a work of New Objectivity film movement.He was married to
screenwriter and actress Salka Viertel from 30 April 1918 to 20
December 1947.Following the collapse of Viertel's theatre troupe, he
faced severe financial difficulties and accepted an offer from the Fox
Film Corporation. He came to Los Angeles in 1928 planning to stay for
just three years. Viertel wanted to gain experience working for the
booming Hollywood film industry and hoped to earn enough to return to
Europe. For four years, he worked for Fox then Paramount Pictures, and
Warner Brothers. Viertel grew to intensely dislike the atmosphere in
Hollywood, which he found paranoid and which he believed placed too
many artistic restraints on him. Viertel wanted to produce socially
relevant films and did not believe Hollywood had the capacity to do
so. This came to a head when he was working on the Paramount film The
Cheat (1928) and after clashing with studio bosses he was replaced by
George Abbott.
screenwriter and film director, known for his work in Germany, the UK
and the US.Viertel was born in Vienna, the capital of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire, but later went to work in Berlin. Viertel
developed a reputation as a poet and theatre director, before moving
into film work from 1922. As a screenwriter and director, he
collaborated with some of the leading figures of the silent era of
German cinema and worked on several influential films. Uneasy Money
(1926) is a work of New Objectivity film movement.He was married to
screenwriter and actress Salka Viertel from 30 April 1918 to 20
December 1947.Following the collapse of Viertel's theatre troupe, he
faced severe financial difficulties and accepted an offer from the Fox
Film Corporation. He came to Los Angeles in 1928 planning to stay for
just three years. Viertel wanted to gain experience working for the
booming Hollywood film industry and hoped to earn enough to return to
Europe. For four years, he worked for Fox then Paramount Pictures, and
Warner Brothers. Viertel grew to intensely dislike the atmosphere in
Hollywood, which he found paranoid and which he believed placed too
many artistic restraints on him. Viertel wanted to produce socially
relevant films and did not believe Hollywood had the capacity to do
so. This came to a head when he was working on the Paramount film The
Cheat (1928) and after clashing with studio bosses he was replaced by
George Abbott.
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