Bruno Frank
Bruno Frank was a German-Jewish writer born in Stuttgart in 1878, known for his contributions to poetry, drama, and historical novels. Coming from a prosperous family and later marrying into a theatrical lineage, Frank was immersed in literary circles and was influenced by notable figures like Klaus and Thomas Mann. He received a comprehensive education in law, history, philosophy, and literature, and gained recognition as a lyric poet with three collections published between 1905 and 1919. Frank served in World War I, and post-war, he focused on freelance writing, producing a variety of works, including short stories and plays.
His historical novels, particularly "Tage des Königs" and "Trenck: Roman eines Günstlings," reflect his admiration for Frederick the Great. Frank's dramatic works often received mixed reviews, noted for their psychological depth and language but sometimes criticized for pacing. Emigrating from Germany after the rise of the Nazis, he sought refuge in several countries before relocating to Hollywood in 1937 to write film scripts. Bruno Frank lived in Beverly Hills until his death in 1945, shortly after World War II ended. His literary career effectively concluded in 1933, marking a significant transition in his life and work due to the sociopolitical upheaval of the time.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Bruno Frank
Boxer
- Born: June 13, 1878
- Birthplace: Stuttgart, Germany
- Died: June 20, 1945
- Place of death: Beverly Hills, California
Biography
Bruno Frank was born into an affluent German-Jewish family in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1878. Frank joined a theatrical family with his marriage to Elisabeth Pallenberg-Massary in 1924; Pallenberg-Massary was the daughter of actress Fritzi Massary and stepdaughter of comedian Max Pallenberg. Frank moved in literary circles, growing close to Klaus and Thomas Mann. He aspired to being a humane gentleman similar to the literary figures he most admired—Ivan Turgenev, Leo Tolstoy, and Friedrich Hoelderlin.
Before World War I, Frank, educated in law, history, philosophy, and literature at several German universities, was recognized as a gifted lyric poet. He published three collections of verse, reminiscent of the best work of Rainer Maria Rilke, between 1905 and 1919. During World War I, he served on the western front and in Russia.
After the war, Frank became a freelance writer. Admittedly, he wrote dramas in order to have the wherewithal to write fiction. His five collections of short stories, published between 1911 and 1927, were promising. His historical novel, Tage des Königs (1924; The Days of the King, 1927), about the rule of Frederich the Great of Prussia, whom Frank admired greatly, portrayed Frederich as a true genius who suffered from the isolation that frequently accompanies high office. Frederich also figured prominently in Frank’s Trenck: Roman eines Günstlings (1926; Trenck: The Love Story of a Favorite, 1928).
Frank’s first drama, Die treue Magd, opened in Frankfurt-am-Main on November 5, 1916, to mixed reviews. Psychologically penetrating in its portrayal of the tragic elements of human nature, the play’s momentum was impeded by this penetration. Critics admired Frank’s outstanding use of language but complained that the play dragged. Nevertheless, it played to receptive audiences in Berlin and Wiesbaden and had a run of about twenty-seven months in Frankfurt.
Frank succeeded best in dealing with domestic situations in a humorous way, as in Bibikoff, based on a sketch by Fyodor Dostoevski, where the humor approaches slapstick. As his dramatic writing continued, Frank, essentially a traditionalist, attempted some experimentation. In Das Weib auf dem Tiere (1921; Young Madame Conti, 1938), a courtroom drama about the trial of a prostitute who has murdered her lover, Frank involved audiences in the outcome of the play by having them serve on the jury. This is his most expressionistic play.
Frank and his wife left Germanythe day after the Nazis burned the Reichtag building in Berlin. After seeking refuge in Austria, Switzerland, and Italy, they finally reached London, where they stayed until 1937, when Frank was invited to come to Hollywood, where his friend Thomas Mann had already settled, to write film scripts. The Franks lived in Beverly Hills, California, until Bruno died in 1945, six weeks after the German capitulation that ended its war against the allies. He wrote no dramas after 1933.