Vienna Art Film Industry-Wikipedia
The Viennese art film industry was the first important Austrian film production company. She went from the 1910 founded First Austrian cinema film industry and did pioneering work in almost all areas of the Austrian silent film. The photographer Anton Kolm, his wife and daughter of a Panoptikum owner, Luise Kolm and Jakob Fleck acted as the founder.
The foundation of the Viennese art film, or its predecessor, fell into a time when the Austrian-Hungarian film and cinema market was almost completely dominated by French companies. In order to be able to exist against these financially strong companies, the Vienna Art Film was the first Austrian film production company to count on the support of patriotic media and cinema owner.
The company was responsible for the first Austrian weekly show and the first Austrian feature film. Since it took up major events for the first few years, the production company is also of great importance as a chronicler of the last magnificent years of the Danube monarchy.
Foundation as First Austrian films industry [ Edit | Edit the source text ]
In January 1910, Anton Kolm, Luise Kolm and Jakob Fleck found the First Austrian films industry in Währinger Straße 15 in the ninth district of Alsergrund. With the short documentary The carnival train in Ober-St. Veit the young company drew attention to itself for the first time. The recordings that were taken on February 6, 1910 were first seen on February 8th in the Vienna cinemas. A little later, on March 14, the funeral was filmed by Mayor Karl Lueger. The report found raging sales and was shown in 22 Viennese cinemas. The Austrian comet – One of the two Austrian film magazines at that time – commented on this in his March 24 issue “So finally a Viennese film that will take its way through the world.” Also in 1910, the first advertising production was created in the broader sense: Since women’s hats were very popular at this time, but in cinemas, however, provided poor visibility in the back ranks, Anton Kolm produced The hat in the cinema to remedy this problem. The enormously positive media coverage characterized by patriotism about the first film productions from Austrian hands secured the company and also made investors aware of investors. In order to be able to accept new investors, a change in the legal form was necessary. The film production company became GesmbH.
Change in Austrian-Hungarian cinema industry GmbH [ Edit | Edit the source text ]
From December 16, 1910, the new name of the company is Austrian-Hungarian cinema industry GmbH . New investors provided 310,000 crowns. On February 27, 1911, a film rental will be opened at Neubaugasse 33 in Vienna-Neubau. In addition to the in -house productions, selected foreign productions for the Viennese cinema owners are also offered there. From the beginning, they were mainly based on the French market, which at that time produced the film.
The first announcements of their films in specialist journals were still very small, while French corporations made up to two sides. The competition from foreign companies that still mastered the market was great. The Kolms and Jacob Fleck reacted by filming as much as possible from the start to deliver current reports from Vienna to the Viennese cinema. These include events such as the Stapellauf of the K.U.K.-Tei-Marine slaughter ship SMS Zrinyi in the port of Trieste and the flight week on Wiener Neustadt airfield-then one of the world’s largest airports in young aviation history. There they even received the permission granted to film the emperor, which was known to be as well known as the film, he quickly recognized the propaganda value of this medium. The popular Wiener Bathinsel Gänsehäufel and the Vienna Prater, as well as ski events, Semmering in winter, the Plitwitzer lakes, fire disasters, urban images of Krakau, Mariazell, Prague were also filmed and brought to the Viennese cinemas. With “Types and scenes from Vienna Volksleben” A documentary with folk singers and other Viennese “originals” also appeared in 1911.
On July 29, 1911, the Viennese art film industry filmed the “Fire disaster Vienna-Nordbahnhof” For the cinemas, and as a cynical reaction to the “Humpelrock” created by the French fashion designer Paul Poiret in 1910, with which one could hardly go, and whose carriers were often mocked, the feature film was carried out Martha with the skirt – to which the hobula skirt had deteriorated.
According to the French model, Anton Kolm also led the strange short film a. With the Berlin actor Oskar Sabo, he had his main actor in the production from 1910, The evil mother -in -law , found. In 1911 Kolm filmed Die Folk singer and 1912 Karl Blasel as a dentist With the main actor of the same name, who has been a popular Viennese comedian for around a decade.
The drama “Die Ahnfrau”, published in 1910, after Franz Grillparzer, was not only the first Austrian feature film, which was demonstrated by contemporary records, but also represented Jakob Fleck’s directorial debut. With the film version of this folk, the first Austrian feature film company made a way to was already specified from France, but was again pioneering performance in Austria. Since the audience gradually had enough of the less imaginative short films around 1907/1908, and for the first time the number of cinema, French producers reacted with the filming of contemporary literature. This movement, which gave movie more depth and content, called Film d’Art and found a imitator in Austria with the Vienna Art Film Industry, as the company called itself from 1911. These “art films” were usually folk pieces or (social) dramas from the simple people. Several films of this kind appeared in 1911: Der Dorftrottel , The lucky doll , Mother – tragedy of a factory girl and Just a poor servant . Ludwig Anzengruber’s works in particular were often filmed – ten times between 1914 and 1919. Some works were even filmed twice.
In 1910 the Austrian-Hungarian cinema industry And your predecessor, the First Austrian films industry , A total of four feature films and 14 documentaries – in the usual length of around 10 minutes each for the time. The oldest Austrian feature film, which is still preserved today, also dates from this time and comes from the Wiener Kunstfilm. It is the all -soul story The miller and his child (1911). The film was a great success and could be played as a “event film” every year, but the production is often seen in production. The film was shot due to the light -insensitive cameras only in sunlight on an outdoor stage. However, obviously poor scenes were not repeated, but were kept due to the lack of footage – even if the wind moves the curtains and the Christmas tree in the house when the doors and windows are closed. The last film of the Austrian-Hungarian cinema industry appeared on January 12, 1912-it was the most complex production of the Kolm Speck film company and was called Trilby , based on the book template of the same name.
New foundation as a Viennese art film industry [ Edit | Edit the source text ]
Due to differences with director Kühnel, a great investor of the Austrian-Hungarian cinema industry GmbH , who also wanted to have a artistically successful perspective in film production, Anton Kolm left the company in October 1911. As early as November 1, 1911, he took the operation of the operation of the Viennese art film on. The start -up capital was only comparatively modest 30,000 crowns, but reception halls were also built with the latest achievements of film technology. One of the investors in the Viennese art film was Elias Tropp, whose wife Eugénie Bernay later became a silent film star.
In relation to film production, the most important change to the past was the change from documentary film production to a majority feature film production. Since the Viennese art film was financially financially on weak legs, the first production had to be a success. Among other things, this was made more difficult by the fact that parts of the media of the Viennese art film were less positive than the previous companies. This was particularly apparent with the film magazine The Austrian comet that was suddenly a negative negative of the new film company Anton’s Kolm. The cause of the change in mood was the differences with the former investors.
This first film project that should bring immediate success were “the unknown” – after Franz Grillparzer’s play of the same name. Werbeinwerbeieneren was switched on in sizes, as so far only the financially strong French companies did, and one committed to the Viennese population of well -known Viennese actors such as Eugénie Bernay, Claire Wallenin, Karl Blasel and Viktor Kutschera. Directed by Luise Kolm. The recipe worked at least to a limited extent: the film, which was premiered on March 15, 1912, was a great success and was also successfully sold internationally. However, this did not yet bring the hoped -for breakthrough to be at one level with the French competitors, at least in Austria. After the predecessors of the Vienna Art Film was already responsible for the first documentary and the first game and comedian films, the Vienna Art Film continued to continue pioneering in Austrian film history. In November 1912, when other Austrian film production companies with the foreign competition for market shares in the cinemas The goosebumps The first correct documentation of the Viennese art film industry .
First major productions- at the transition from short feature films [ Edit | Edit the source text ]
After the premiere of the 10,000 crowns expensive large -scale production The unknown the Viennese art film, which was already financially, fell into even greater financial difficulties when Elias Tropp exit from society, and a little later founded the Vindobona film Felix Dörmanns. Nevertheless, the Viennese art film continued its steady ascent. In 1913 the controversial film adaptation of the “Waltz King” Johann Strauß appeared: Johann Strauß on the beautiful blue Danube . Therefore, since Johann Strauß was not long dead and many still knew him from concerts and found an early film adaptation unworthy. After intensive research, the Filmarchiv Austria managed to find this film in spring 2007. After comprehensive analysis and restoration, the film should also be made accessible to the public. [first] Last but not least, the film was also one of those attempts to make the film socially acceptable in Austria. Directed by Karl Zeska, Hansi Niese-the female counterpart to Alexander Girardi and thus also an answer to the great Sascha film production The million kile About and with Alexander Girardi – as well as Selma Kurz, Louise Kartous, Richard Waldemar and Alfred Grünfeld – all well -known Viennese stage actors of that time. The premiere of the Strauß biography adapted by Alfred Deutsch-German and Siegfried Löwy for the film took place on November 20, 1913 in the Opera cinema. The music was composed by Alfred Grünwald, who concerted live during the premiere. Production fell at a time when the Sascha film has already become a serious competitor and the film production in Austria stood at the upheaval of short film.
In addition to the financially strong Sascha film, other Austrian film production companies were also created at that time. The proportion of French and other foreign films in Austrian cinemas has been pushed back more and more – at the same time, Austrian productions continued to penetrate abroad. The Viennese art film was able to assert itself as the strongest Austrian film producer for the time being. From the Hochzeit von Valeni , which had its premiere in the Opera cinema on October 10, also followed a success. The pastor of Kirchfeld , with Max Neufeld in a leading role, fantastic number of visitors could also be achieved. With Austrian folk and home literature, which not only had the French film as a model, but with increasing experience, more and more qualitatively met this genre, the Viennese art film asserted itself as a leading film producer in Austria.
The First World War-fight with the Sascha film about the Austrian market [ Edit | Edit the source text ]
With the outbreak of the First World War, most of the companies that have now been hostile had to leave the country. The Austrian market, which was strongly characterized by French production and rental companies, was now open to the Austrian producers. For the time being, however, only sparsely invested and foreign films, such as from Germany, continued to make up the majority of the films shown in Austria. It was not until 1915 that the Austrian film market began to develop – numerous competitors were created. However, the only competitor at eye level of the Viennese art film was the Sascha film, which continuously increased in strength-as she had the family assets of her founder, Count Sascha Kolowrat-Krakowsky.
The first “battle”, if you like, went to the Viennese art film. As early as September 1914, she brought reports of the war in her new weekly show, the “war journal”, which was new to the cinemas every week. Raimund Czerny and Heinrich Findeis were on the fronts as cameramen. The first big game film success of the war years was also the account of the Vienna Art Film. With Liane Haid, who rose to the first Austrian film star after this role, you had the perfect main roles for the propaganda film With heart and hand for the fatherland (1915) found. Further productions of this kind followed, how The dream of an Austrian reservist (1915), With God for Emperor and the Reich (1916) and In the spell of the duty (1917). Furthermore, however, the folk literature films such as The Meineidbauer (1915) and The eyesore (1917). In all productions just mentioned, Jakob Fleck and Luise Kolm directed. The longest production of the Vienna Art Film also appears during the war years: The lighter . Wilhelm Klitsch and Liane Haid are part of the main cast in this as in many other films of the Viennese art film. Other actors used are Hermann Benke and Karl Baumgartner. The actor Max Neufeld, which is popular with the audience, is in war.
In 1919 the Viennese art film industry Founded by Anton and Luise Kolm as a Vita film.
As directors, especially in the first few years, the company founders Anton Kolm, Luise Kolm and Jakob Fleck as well as Luise Kolm’s brother Claudius Veltée – mostly as a team – acted themselves. From 1913 Alfred German-German was a screenwriter at the Vienna Art Film Industry.
Other directors who worked at least irregularly for the Viennese art film were Walter Friedemann, Ludwig Ganghofer, Max Neufeld and Hans Otto Löwenstein.
The Viennese art film’s studio was in the then Viennese suburb of Mauer, as can be seen from a contemporary advertisement. They probably stood in the same place as the Rosenhügel film studios, which were still existing today, which were built by the successor society Vita-Film. [2]
The productions of the time were all without sound and usually had maximum play lengths of around 20 minutes. Of course, this also met for the Viennese art film industry. Some topics were also produced twice. Following a selection of the works – mostly feature films and dramas – from the countless weekly show productions, only a small selection is given.
- The carnival train in Ober-St. Veit (Wochenschau production, 1910)
- The funeral procession Sr. Excellence of the Mayor Dr. Karl Lueger (Wochenschau production, 1910)
- The evil mother -in -law (1910)
- The ancestor (1910, 1919)
- Types and scenes from Vienna Volksleben (Documentary, 1911)
- Folk singer (1911)
- Der Dorftrottel (1911)
- The lucky doll (1911)
- Mother – tragedy of a factory girl (1911)
- Just a poor servant (1911)
- Martha with the skirt (1911)
- The miller and his child (1910, 1911; Premiere on October 21, 1911)
- Trilby (1912)
- The goosebumps (Documentary, 1912)
- Karl Blasel as a dentist (1912)
- The unknown (1912)
- The psychiatrist (Second title: The proletarian heart , 1913)
- The pastor of Kirchfeld (1913/1914; Premiere on October 30, 1914)
- Svengali (1914)
- The fourth commandment (1914)
- The Meineidbauer (1915)
- Francesco Bono, Paolo Caneppele, Günter Krenn (ed.): Electric shadows. Filirarchive Austria, who 1999, ISBN 3-90199932-02-X.
- Walter Fritz: In the cinema I experience the world: 100 years of cinema and film in Austria. Brandstätter, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3854476612.
- Markus Nepf: The pioneering work by Anton Kolm, Louise Veltée / Kolm / Fleck and Jakob Fleck until the beginning of the First World War. Diploma thesis. Vienna 1991. (In addition also in: Electric shadows. Vienna 1999)
- ↑ Filmarchive – Messages from the Filmarchiv Austria , 03/07, page 68
- ↑ Francesco Bono, Paolo Caneppele, Günter Krenn (hg.): Electrical shadow , Vienna 1999, Filmarchiv Austria Austria
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