Mauritz Stiller: Difference between revisions
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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| ⚫ | By 1912, Stiller had become involved with Sweden's rapidly developing [[silent film]] industry. He began by writing scripts, in addition to acting and directing in [[short film]]s but within a few years gave up on acting to devote his time to writing and directing. He was soon directing feature-length productions and his 1918 effort ''[[Thomas Graals bästa barn]]'' (''Thomas Graal's First Child''), starring [[Karin Molander]], and with [[Victor Sjöström]] in the leading role, received much acclaim. |
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By 1920, having directed more than thirty-five films including ''[[Sir Arne's Treasure]]'' and ''[[Erotikon]]'', Stiller was a leading figure in Swedish filmmaking. He also directed ''[[The Blizzard (1923 film)|The Blizzard]]'' starring a young [[Einar Hanson]] and based on the [[Selma Lagerlof]] novel ''Gunnar Hedes saga''. |
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| ⚫ | By 1912 Stiller had become involved with Sweden's rapidly developing [[silent film]] industry. He began by writing scripts, in addition to acting and directing in [[short film]]s but within a few years gave up on acting to devote his time to writing and directing. He was soon directing feature-length productions and his 1918 effort ''[[Thomas Graals bästa barn]]'' (''Thomas Graal's First Child''), starring [[Karin Molander]], and with [[Victor Sjöström]] in the leading role, received much acclaim. |
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==Stiller and Garbo== |
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At the [[Royal Dramatic Theatre]] in Stockholm, he met a young actress named Greta Gustafsson whom he cast in an important but secondary role in his film, ''[[Gösta Berlings saga (film)|Gösta Berlings saga]]'' (''The Atonement of Gosta Berling'') giving her the stage name [[Greta Garbo]]. For Stiller, the screen presence of the eighteen-year-old actress led to him bringing her and Hanson to the [[United States]] after he accepted an offer from [[Louis B. Mayer]] to direct for [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]. |
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In [[Hollywood]], Mauritz Stiller was assigned to direct ''[[The Temptress]]'' (1926) for MGM, but he could not deal with studio structure. After repeated arguments with MGM executives, he was replaced on the film by [[Fred Niblo]] and his contract with the studio terminated. Stiller was immediately hired by [[Paramount Pictures]]., where he made three successful films but was let go a second time while directing his fourth as a result of his continuing disagreements with studio bosses. |
In [[Hollywood]], Mauritz Stiller was assigned to direct ''[[The Temptress]]'' (1926) for MGM, but he could not deal with studio structure. After repeated arguments with MGM executives, he was replaced on the film by [[Fred Niblo]] and his contract with the studio terminated. Stiller was immediately hired by [[Paramount Pictures]]., where he made three successful films but was let go a second time while directing his fourth as a result of his continuing disagreements with studio bosses. Hanson died in a car accident in June 1927. |
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==Death and legacy== |
==Death and legacy== |
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Revision as of 17:18, 18 July 2011
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Mauritz Stiller | |
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 Greta Garbo & Maurice Stiller on board the "S/S Drottningholm" in 1925 en route to the United States | |
| Born | Moshe Stiller 17 July 1883 |
| Died | 18 November 1928 (aged 45) |
| Occupation(s) | Director, screenwriter, actor |
| Years active | 1912 - 1928 |
| Awards | Walk of Fame - Motion Picture 1713 Vine Street |
Mauritz Stiller (17 July 1883 – 18 November 1928) was a Finnish actor, screenwriter and silent film director, who was mostly active in Sweden.
Life
Born Moshe Stiller in Helsinki, his family was of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, having lived in Russia and Poland before settling in Finland. At age four, Stiller's mother committed suicide, after which he was raised by family friends. From early on, Stiller was interested in acting. His talents did not go unnoticed, and soon Stiller was offered the opportunity to practice and display his acting skills in the theaters of Helsinki and Turku in Finland.
Drafted into the army of Czar Nicholas II -- Finland was at the time an autonomous Grand Duchy of Russia—rather than report for duty he fled the country for exile, and settled in Sweden.
Career
By 1912, Stiller had become involved with Sweden's rapidly developing silent film industry. He began by writing scripts, in addition to acting and directing in short films but within a few years gave up on acting to devote his time to writing and directing. He was soon directing feature-length productions and his 1918 effort Thomas Graals bästa barn (Thomas Graal's First Child), starring Karin Molander, and with Victor Sjöström in the leading role, received much acclaim.
By 1920, having directed more than thirty-five films including Sir Arne's Treasure and Erotikon, Stiller was a leading figure in Swedish filmmaking. He also directed The Blizzard starring a young Einar Hanson and based on the Selma Lagerlof novel Gunnar Hedes saga.
Stiller and Garbo
At the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, he met a young actress named Greta Gustafsson whom he cast in an important but secondary role in his film, Gösta Berlings saga (The Atonement of Gosta Berling) giving her the stage name Greta Garbo. For Stiller, the screen presence of the eighteen-year-old actress led to him bringing her and Hanson to the United States after he accepted an offer from Louis B. Mayer to direct for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
In Hollywood, Mauritz Stiller was assigned to direct The Temptress (1926) for MGM, but he could not deal with studio structure. After repeated arguments with MGM executives, he was replaced on the film by Fred Niblo and his contract with the studio terminated. Stiller was immediately hired by Paramount Pictures., where he made three successful films but was let go a second time while directing his fourth as a result of his continuing disagreements with studio bosses. Hanson died in a car accident in June 1927.
Death and legacy
Mauritz Stiller returned to Sweden in 1927 and died the following year from pleurisy at the age of forty-five. He was interred in the Norra begravningsplatsen in Stockholm.
Stiller's contribution to the motion picture industry has since been recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1713 Vine Street. In Kristianstad, a monument was erected in his honor. Originally, his star on the Walk of Fame was erroneously listed as "Maurice Diller" and wasn't corrected until the late 1980s.