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| name = Curt Courant
| name = Curt Courant
| birth_date = 11 May 1899
| birth_date = 11 May 1899
| birth_place = [[Berlin]], [[Province of Brandenburg]], [[German Empire]]
| birth_place = [[Katowice]], German Empire
| death_date = {{death date and age|1968|4|20|1899|5|11|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1968|4|20|1899|5|11|df=y}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California
| death_place = Los Angeles, California
Line 13: Line 13:
| yearsactive = 1917–1962
| yearsactive = 1917–1962
}}
}}
'''Curt Courant''' (11 May 1899 – 20 April 1968) was a German [[cinematographer]] who worked on over a hundred films during the [[silent film|silent]] and early [[sound film|sound]] eras. Courant worked in several European countries, collaborating with figures such as [[Alfred Hitchcock]] and [[Fritz Lang]]. As he was of Jewish ancestry, Courant was forced to leave Germany in 1933 and go into exile following the [[Nazi]] takeover of power. Courant worked at several of the leading British studios during the mid-1930s. He was the uncle of [[Willy Kurant]] who also became a cinematographer.
'''Curt Courant''' (11 May 1899 – 20 April 1968) was a German-American [[cinematographer]] whose work includes more than 100 German and international films from the [[silent film|silent]] and early [[sound film|sound]] eras.<ref>https://www.exilarchiv.de/?p=4175 {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref> Courant worked in several European countries, collaborating with figures such as [[Fritz Lang]], [[Alfred Hitchcock]] and [[Charlie Chaplin]]. As he was of Jewish ancestry, Courant was forced to leave Germany in 1933 and go into exile following the [[Nazi]] takeover of power.

== Life ==
Curt Courant began his professional career as a cameraman in 1917 at [[Joe May|Joe May's]] film production company in Berlin. In the following years, Courant became one of the most important cinematographers in [[Cinema of Germany|German film]]. In 1920, the actress [[Asta Nielsen]] engaged him for her film version of ''Hamlet'', in which he was behind the camera together with [[Axel Graatkjær]]. In 1924, he traveled to Rome to film the spectacular historical epic ''[[Quo Vadis (1924 film)|Quo Vadis]]'' (1924). The film impressed not only with its star cast, its army of extras and its circus animals, but also with its early experiments with widescreen formats. In 1927, Courant signed with [[UFA GmbH|Ufa]] and went on to make grandiose exotic spectacles such as ''[[Secrets of the Orient]]'' (1927/28) and ''[[The White Devil (1930 film)|The White Devil]]'' (1929), but also melodramas, including Kurt Bernhardt's ''[[The Woman One Longs For]]'' (1929) starring [[Marlene Dietrich]] and Fritz Kortner. In 1928/29, he shot Fritz Lang's science fiction adventure ''[[Woman in the Moon|Frau im Mond]]'' together wit Otto Kanturek.

After the [[Nazi Party]] seized power in 1933, the Jewish Courant left Germany and gained an international reputation with a number of British and French films.

In Great Britain, he worked for Alfred Hitchcock on the thriller ''[[The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)|The Man Who Knew Too Much]]'' (1934), for [[Berthold Viertel]] on ''The Passing of the Third Floor Back'' (1935), a fascinating combination of documentary realism and spiritual allegory, and on [[John Brahm|John Brahms]]' remake of D. W. Griffith's ''[[Broken Blossoms (1936 film)|Broken Blossoms]]'' (1936).

In France, Courant filmed some of the most important French films of the decade and worked with directors such as [[Jean Renoir]] (''La Bête Humaine'', 1938), [[Marcel Carné]] (''Le jour se lève'', 1939) and [[Max Ophüls]] (''Sarajevo'', 1940).

After the invasion of the [[Wehrmacht]] and the capitulation of France in 1940, Courant, like many other German artists and intellectuals, fled to the United States. Courant moved to [[Los Angeles]] and hoped to continue his career in the Hollywood film business. When the USA entered the war in 1941, he was assigned to the [[Special Services (entertainment)|Special Services Division]] under [[Frank Capra]]. Courant's family remained in Germany. His mother, Nuscha Fanny Courant, was killed in the [[Chełmno extermination camp]] on May 13, 1942.<ref>https://www.bundesarchiv.de/gedenkbuch/en1025490;jsessionid=fFzLq-lyu4mVgzHPtHb_3GBUroEYqLQblSLZ6mrX.koresi {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref>

Despite several applications, the [[American Society of Cinematographers]] (ASC) refused him membership, which excluded him from studio work in Hollywood. Particularly in technical professions, American trade unions were keen to protect the interests of their members, which is why emigrated cameramen such as Courant or [[Eugen Schüfftan]] were rarely officially employed in film productions.<ref>https://www.filmportal.de/en/node/1166083 {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref> Courant tried to sue for his membership in court and lost the case in 1950. Nevertheless, he worked as a co-cameraman for Charles Chaplin in 1947 on his film adaptation of ''[[Monsieur Verdoux]]''. In 1961, he was behind the camera for the last time for the [[Jayne Mansfield]] film ''[[It Happened in Athens]]''. In the absence of continuous film work, Courant began teaching as a lecturer at [[University of California, Los Angeles|UCLA]]. He died on April 20, 1968 in Los Angeles.


==Selected filmography==
==Selected filmography==

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|style=width: 600px; font-style: italic;|

'''Silent Films'''

* ''[[The Onyx Head]]'' (1917)
* ''[[The Onyx Head]]'' (1917)
* ''[[Waves of Fate]]'' (1918)
* ''[[Waves of Fate]]'' (1918)
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* ''[[The King of Paris (1930 French-language film)|The King of Paris]]'' (1930, French)
* ''[[The King of Paris (1930 French-language film)|The King of Paris]]'' (1930, French)
* ''[[The White Devil (1930 film)|The White Devil]]'' (1930)
* ''[[The White Devil (1930 film)|The White Devil]]'' (1930)

'''Sound Films'''
*''[[City of Song]]'' (1931)
*''[[City of Song]]'' (1931)
* ''[[My Cousin from Warsaw (1931 French film)|My Cousin from Warsaw]]'' (1931)
* ''[[My Cousin from Warsaw (1931 French film)|My Cousin from Warsaw]]'' (1931)
Line 84: Line 103:
* ''[[Who Takes Love Seriously?]]'' (1931)
* ''[[Who Takes Love Seriously?]]'' (1931)
* ''[[The Unknown Singer (1931 film)|The Unknown Singer]]'' (1931)
* ''[[The Unknown Singer (1931 film)|The Unknown Singer]]'' (1931)
⚫
* ''[[Rasputin, Demon with Women]]'' (1932)
* ''[[His Highness Love]]'' (1931)
* ''[[His Highness Love]]'' (1931)
⚫
* ''[[Rasputin, Demon with Women]]'' (1932)
* ''[[Lilac (film)|Lilac]]'' (1932)
* ''[[This One or None]]'' (1932)
* ''[[This One or None]]'' (1932)
* ''[[Gitta Discovers Her Heart]]'' (1932)
* ''[[Gitta Discovers Her Heart]]'' (1932)
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*''[[Monsieur Verdoux]]'' (1947) uncredited
*''[[Monsieur Verdoux]]'' (1947) uncredited
*''[[It Happened in Athens]]'' (1962)
*''[[It Happened in Athens]]'' (1962)
}}
{{div col end}}

==Reference==
{{reflist}}


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==

Latest revision as of 10:48, 20 August 2024

Curt Courant
Fritz Lang with cameraman Curt Courant (middle) on film Frau im Mond (1929)
Born11 May 1899
Katowice, German Empire
Died20 April 1968(1968-04-20) (aged 68)
Los Angeles, California
OccupationCinematographer
Years active1917–1962

Curt Courant (11 May 1899 – 20 April 1968) was a German-American cinematographer whose work includes more than 100 German and international films from the silent and early sound eras.[1] Courant worked in several European countries, collaborating with figures such as Fritz Lang, Alfred Hitchcock and Charlie Chaplin. As he was of Jewish ancestry, Courant was forced to leave Germany in 1933 and go into exile following the Nazi takeover of power.

Life

[edit]

Curt Courant began his professional career as a cameraman in 1917 at Joe May's film production company in Berlin. In the following years, Courant became one of the most important cinematographers in German film. In 1920, the actress Asta Nielsen engaged him for her film version of Hamlet, in which he was behind the camera together with Axel Graatkjær. In 1924, he traveled to Rome to film the spectacular historical epic Quo Vadis (1924). The film impressed not only with its star cast, its army of extras and its circus animals, but also with its early experiments with widescreen formats. In 1927, Courant signed with Ufa and went on to make grandiose exotic spectacles such as Secrets of the Orient (1927/28) and The White Devil (1929), but also melodramas, including Kurt Bernhardt's The Woman One Longs For (1929) starring Marlene Dietrich and Fritz Kortner. In 1928/29, he shot Fritz Lang's science fiction adventure Frau im Mond together wit Otto Kanturek.

After the Nazi Party seized power in 1933, the Jewish Courant left Germany and gained an international reputation with a number of British and French films.

In Great Britain, he worked for Alfred Hitchcock on the thriller The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), for Berthold Viertel on The Passing of the Third Floor Back (1935), a fascinating combination of documentary realism and spiritual allegory, and on John Brahms' remake of D. W. Griffith's Broken Blossoms (1936).

In France, Courant filmed some of the most important French films of the decade and worked with directors such as Jean Renoir (La Bête Humaine, 1938), Marcel Carné (Le jour se lève, 1939) and Max Ophüls (Sarajevo, 1940).

After the invasion of the Wehrmacht and the capitulation of France in 1940, Courant, like many other German artists and intellectuals, fled to the United States. Courant moved to Los Angeles and hoped to continue his career in the Hollywood film business. When the USA entered the war in 1941, he was assigned to the Special Services Division under Frank Capra. Courant's family remained in Germany. His mother, Nuscha Fanny Courant, was killed in the Chełmno extermination camp on May 13, 1942.[2]

Despite several applications, the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) refused him membership, which excluded him from studio work in Hollywood. Particularly in technical professions, American trade unions were keen to protect the interests of their members, which is why emigrated cameramen such as Courant or Eugen Schüfftan were rarely officially employed in film productions.[3] Courant tried to sue for his membership in court and lost the case in 1950. Nevertheless, he worked as a co-cameraman for Charles Chaplin in 1947 on his film adaptation of Monsieur Verdoux. In 1961, he was behind the camera for the last time for the Jayne Mansfield film It Happened in Athens. In the absence of continuous film work, Courant began teaching as a lecturer at UCLA. He died on April 20, 1968 in Los Angeles.

Selected filmography

[edit]
Silent Films

Sound Films

Reference

[edit]
  1. ^ https://www.exilarchiv.de/?p=4175 [bare URL]
  2. ^ https://www.bundesarchiv.de/gedenkbuch/en1025490;jsessionid=fFzLq-lyu4mVgzHPtHb_3GBUroEYqLQblSLZ6mrX.koresi [bare URL]
  3. ^ https://www.filmportal.de/en/node/1166083 [bare URL]

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Bock, Hans-Michael & Bergfelder, Tim. The Concise Cinegraph: Encyclopaedia of German Cinema. Berghahn Books, 2009.
[edit]
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