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Erich Pommer


Foto: Alexander Binder (1888-1929)

1889 - 1966

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Erich Pommer ranks with the most important personalities of the German silent movie era and he was participated in the worldwide success of the German film. No other producer had influenced the German film so much like Erich Pommer. 
 
Pommer started his film career as a film agent for Gaumont in Vienna, since 1912 he worked for the "Film- und Kinematographen GmbH Eclair". When this company started to produce movies under the name "Wiener-Autoren-Film", Pommer became their production manager. This marked the beginning of a unique career. 
 
In 1914 Pommer was called up to the West front and after a wound he was assigned as recruit instructor. In 1917 he changed to the film and picture office where he was in charge of week shows and documentaries.
 
Already in 1915 he founded the "Decla-Film Gesellschaft" and during his absence the leadership was protected by his brother Albert Pommer and Erich Morawsky. The production company flourished and finally merged with the "Deutsche Bioscop AG" in 1920 to "Decla-Bioscop AG". During this time they realised several movie classics and Pommer consolidated his reputation as an ambitionated producer. In 1923 Pommer was elected into the board of directors of the Ufa and pulled now the most important strings of the German movie production. 
 
To his well-known productions of the 10s belong "Der Herr ohne Wohnung" (15), "Carl und Carla" (15), "Die Stimme des Toten" (16), "Dynamit" (16), "Der Schwur der Renate Rabenau" (16), "Die Faust des Schicksals" (17), "Das Spiel vom Tode" (17), "Genie und Liebe" (18), "Harry wird Millionär" (18), "Die Krone des Lebens" (18), "Halbblut" (19), "Die Spinnen" (19), "Harakiri" (19) and "Opfer" (19).
 
Many internationally successful but also cost-intensive films were created, especially in the 20s and the German film industry belonged to the most important besides the one of the USA. 
 
Numerous film classics were realised in the 20s, among them "Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari" (20), "Genuine" (20), "Irrende Seelen" (21), "Der müde Tod" (21), "Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler" (22), "Phantom" (22), "Ein Glas Wasser" (23), "Die Finanzen des Grossherzogs" (23), "Die Nibelungen (22-24), "Der letzte Mann" (24), "Pietro, der Korsar" (25), "Tartüff" (25), "Varieté" (25), "Metropolis" (26) - the most expensive and many years later also the most successful production of the Ufa, "Manon Lescaut" (26), "Faust" (26), "Heimkehr" (28), "Asphalt" (29) and "Die wunderbare Lüge der Nina Petrowna" (29).
 
Because of the financial disaster during the production of "Metropolis" the Ufa did not extend the contract with Pommer and he went to the USA for awhile where he produced two movies for Paramount with the movie star Pola Negri. In 1927 he returned again to Germany and was contracted again by the Ufa.
 
At the beginning of the sound film Pommer achieved an unexpected success with "Der blaue Engel" (30), through which Marlene Dietrich began her great career. But also the movies "Die Drei von der Tankstelle" (30) and "F.P.1 antwortet nicht" (32) set new standards.
 
Till 1933 Erich Pommer realised very successful movies like "Liebling der Götter" (30), "Bomben auf Monte Carlo" (31), "Der Kongress tanzt" (31), "Ein blonder Traum" (32) and "Ich und die Kaiserin" (33). 1933 - the year the Nazis came into power - the Ufa began to cancel the contracts with their Jewish employees, also the one with Erich Pommer. Pommer emigrated to Paris where he produced severel movies, afterwards he arrived at Hollywood where he produced the movie "Music in the Air " (34). 
 
But not the USA but England became the country of his choice. There he founded a new production company together with the actor Charles Laughton. Between 1937 and 1939 they produced movies like "Vessel of Wrath" (38) and "Jamaica Inn" (39), always with Laughton as the leading actor.
 
When World War II broke out Pommer was located in New York and decided to stay in the USA. After some movies Pommer fall seriously ill in 1941, his contract with RKO wasn't renewed. In 1944 he got the American nationality. Pommer got into financial difficulties so that he and his wife had to work in a porcelain factory.
 
After the war Erich Pommer returned to Germany as a film officer with the order to reorganize the German film production.
 
In 1951 he founded the "Intercontinental Film GmbH" in Munich where he could realise some remarkable movies - "Nachts auf den Strassen" (51), "Kinder, Mütter und ein General" (55). But the restrictions he became dictated led to his return to California. He became seriously ill again - a leg was amputated and therefore he was confined to a wheelchair - and his career as a producer ended.
 
In 1966 Erich Pommer died at the Motion Picture Hospital in Woodland Hills, LA.
 

Other movies from Erich Pommer:
Wien in Kriegszeiten (15) O diese Männer (15) Ein Schrei in der Nacht (15) Die Masuren (15) Die Goldquelle (15) Der Glaube siegt (15) Der Barbier von Filmersdorf (15) Das Gewissen (15) Brot! (15) Berlin im Kriegsjahr (15) Streichhölzer, kauft Streichhölzer! (16) Papa soll nicht heiraten (16) Komtesse Hella (16) Der Weg der Tränen (16) Der Tod des Erasmus (16) Der Thug (16) Das Lied des Lebens (16) Das Licht im Dunkeln (16) Das Geheimnis des Sees (16) Dummy sucht seinen Verstand (17) Wer küsst mich? (17) Wenn die Lawinen stürzen (17) Die Spinne (17) Zwei blaue Jungen (17) Und wenn ich lieb' nimm Dich in acht...! (17) Frühling und Tod (17) Doktor Lauffen (17) Die gute Partie (17) Die Tochter der Gräfin Stachowska (17) Die Königstochter von Travankore (17) Die Glaswand/Der Klub der Neun (17) Der Mann im Havelock (17) Tot und lebendig (17) Komtesse Hanne (17) Der Königssee (17) Der Jubläumspreis (17) Der Fremde (17) Das Mädel von nebenan (17) Das Hochzeitsgeschenk (17) Das Goldfischchen (17) Das Defizit (17) Das Buch des Lasters (17) Baronesschen auf Strafurlaub (17) Harry lernt radfahren (17) Harry als Badeengel (17) Heide-Gretel (18) Harry wird Familienvater (18) Die Kraft des Michael Argobast (18) Marionetten des Hasses (18) Lebendig tot (18) Inge (18) In den wilden Schroffen des Hochgebirges (18) Hotel Wasserhose (18) Harrys Glücksschirm (18) Harry will energisch werden (18) Harry lernt gruseln (18) Harry lernt Billardspielen (18) Harry als Wachsfigur (18) Harry als Detektiv (18) Hanne und ihre Freier (18) Frau Gräfin (18) Die fromme Helene (18) Die Sünde (18) Die Frauen des Josias Grafenreuth (18) Das bemooste Haupt (18) Das Lied der Mutter (18) Das Glück der Frau Beate (18) Clown Charly (18) Der Wilderer (18) Bergfrühling (18) Baronesse und Vetter Fritz (18) Arme Lena! (18) Der Volontär (18) Der Cowboy (18) Das verwunschene Schloss (18) Der Weg, der zur Verdammnis führt (19) Pest in Florenz (19) Die blonde Loo (19) Die Insel der Glücklichen (19) Die Frau mit den Orchideen (19) Die Ehe der Frau Mary (19) Der falsche Schein (19) Der Weg, der zur Verdammnis führt (19) Der Richter von Zalamea (19) Das ewige Rätsel (19) Die sieben Schwaben (19) Die Rache ist mein (19) Bettler-G.m.b.H. (19) Wolkenbau und Flimmerstern (19) Um Ruhm und Frauenglück (20) Toteninsel (20) Maulwürfe (20) Die Nacht der Königin Isabeau (20) Die Kwannon von Okadera (20) Die Augen der Maske (20) Der Januskopf (20) Das Zeichen des Malayen (20) Das Haupt des Juarez (20) Das Geheimnis von Bombay (20) Frauenruhm (20) Johannes Goth (20) Das Blut der Ahnen (20) Tötendes Schweigen (20) Die Frau im Himmel (20) Sieger Tod (20) Der siebente Tag (20) Die Tophar-Mumie (20) Die sieben Todsünden (20) Die Dreizehn aus Stahl (20) Die treibende Kraft (21) Der Erbe der van Diemen (21) Um den Sohn (21) Das Spiel mit dem Feuer (21) Die schwarze Pantherin (21) Der Mord in der Greenstreet (21) Die Intrigen der Madame de la Pommeraye (21) Zirkus des Lebens (21) Violet (21) Unrecht Gut (21) Schloss Vogelöd (21) Hazard (21) Die Jagd nach dem Tode (21) Kämpfende Herzen (21) Der ewige Fluch (21) Der Roman der Christine von Herre (21) Das Mädchen, das wartet (21) Bardame (22) Die Prinzessin Suwarin (23) Tatjana (23) Der Evangelimann (23) Der Sprung ins Leben (23) Seine Frau, die Unbekannte (23) Der steinerne Reiter (23) Die Austreibung (23) Der verlorene Schuh (23) Michael (24) Dekameron-Nächte (24) Komödie des Herzens (24) Die Frau mit dem schlechten Ruf (25) Die gefundene Braut (25) Blitzzug der Liebe (25) Liebe macht blind (25) Das Mädchen mit der Protektion (25) Herrn Filip Collins Abenteuer (25) Ein Walzertraum (25) Der Turm des Schweigens (25) Zur Chronik von Grieshuus (25) Die Prinzessin und der Geiger (25) Die Brüder Schellenberg (26) Der rosa Diamant (26) Der Geiger von Florenz (26) Die drei Kuckucksuhren  (26) Hotel Imperial (26) Barbed Wire - Stacheldraht (27) Ungarische Rhapsodie (28) Melodie des Herzens (29) Liebeswalzer (30) Hokuspokus (30) Einbrecher (30) Der Mann, der seinen Mörder sucht (30) Voruntersuchung (31) Stürme der Leidenschaft (31) Zwei Herzen und ein Schlag (32) Der Sieger (32) Schuss im Morgengrauen (32) Early to Bed (32) Quick (32) Ich bei Tag und Du bei Nacht (32) On a volé un homme - Der gestohlene Millionär (34) Liliom (34) Fire Over England - Feuer über England (36) Farewell Again (37) St. Martin's Lane (38) Dance, Girl, Dance (40) They Knew What They Wanted (40) Illusion in Moll (52) Eine Liebesgeschichte (54)


 
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