Josef von Sternberg

9 films · 1925 to 1952

Born 29 May 1894, Vienna · Died 22 December 1969

Josef von Sternberg was an Austrian-American filmmaker whose career successfully spanned the transition from the silent to the sound era, during which he worked with most of the major Hollywood studios. He is best known for his film collaboration with actress Marlene Dietrich in the 1930s, including the highly regarded Paramount/UFA production The Blue Angel (1930). He was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, for Morocco (1930) and Shanghai Express (1932). Sternberg's finest works are noteworthy for their striking pictorial compositions, dense décor, chiaroscuro illumination, and relentless camera motion, endowing the scenes with emotional intensity. He is also credited with having initiated the gangster film genre with his silent era movie Underworld (1927).

Biography adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.