Walter Reisch
Walter Reisch was an Austrian-born screenwriter and director, known for his significant contributions to the film industry from the 1920s through the 1960s. Born in 1903, he navigated a career marked by the upheaval of two World Wars and the rise of National Socialism, which prompted him to move multiple times across Europe before settling in Hollywood in 1938. Reisch began his career in Vienna, where he worked on silent films and later wrote and directed several notable movies, some of which were later remade in Hollywood. His Hollywood career flourished under his collaboration with renowned figures such as Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder, resulting in successes like "Ninotchka" and "The Great Waltz," both of which earned him Academy Award nominations.
Reisch received his only Academy Award for the film "Titanic," and he continued to make significant contributions to the film industry through the 1950s. His later works included romantic comedies and adaptations, showcasing his versatility and depth as a storyteller. After the decline of the Hollywood studio system in the 1960s, he shifted to freelance work, offering consulting and lecturing until his passing in 1983. Reisch's legacy endures through his diverse body of work, reflecting the rich intersection of culture, history, and cinema.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Walter Reisch
Writer
- Born: May 23, 1903
- Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
- Died: March 28, 1983
- Place of death: Los Angeles, California
Biography
The political turmoil of the first half of the twentieth century meant that Walter Reisch was constantly on the move. Born in Austria in 1903, he weathered World War I, the galloping inflation of the 1920’s, the rise of National Socialism in the 1930’s, and World War II during the 1940’s. Finally the 1950’s brought him a little stability.
Up until then, Reisch had worked in the film industry in Vienna writing scenarios and title cards and assistant directing for the silent films produced by Sascha, Helios, and other studios. When inflation virtually closed down the Austrian film industry in 1927, he relocated to Berlin with his new wife, the dancer Ina Schulthess. There he won a contract to write films for the AAFA studios and his career as a screenwriter gained a firm footing. He had a strong background in literature, music, and dance and he tapped that resource for the sound films that required musical background and for films rich in historical allusions such as Der Raub der Mona Lisa (the theft of the Mona Lisa).
When the Nazi Party came to power in 1933, Reisch immediately returned to Vienna, where the film industry had regained ground. There, between 1933 and 1936, he wrote several films, and directed some as well. Two of them, Maskerade (masquerade) and Episode, were later remade in Hollywood as Escapade and My Love Came Back respectively. He remained in Vienna until 1936 and did one more film there, writing and directing Silhouetten (silhouettes), a film about ballet featuring Lisl Handl, who later became his second wife.
By 1938, Reisch had moved to Hollywood. He worked under contract with Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer (MGM). For the remainder of his career, he worked in America, with one interruption in 1954 and 1955 when he directed two films in Germany. His work with the American cinema was highly productive, often collaborating with Charles Brackett and sometimes with Billy Wilder.
Before World War II, Reisch had three major successes in a row: The Great Waltz, a biographical story of Johann Strauss; Ninotchka, about a communist agent (played by Greta Garbo) who falls in love with a Russian nobleman; and Comrade X, dealing with the same theme. The first and the last of these brought him Academy Award nominations. Reisch also had a nomination for his work as screenwriter (along with John Balderston and John Van Druten) on Gaslight, starring Ingrid Bergman, who won as Best Actress in a major role.
The films that followed World War II, from 1946 to 1959, brought Reisch great recognition. In 1946, he wrote and directed Song of Scheherazade, about the Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. It was the only film that he directed during his American career. After that, Reisch worked almost exclusively for Twentieth Century Fox and usually in collaboration with Brackett. Best known of these are The Mating Season, a romantic comedy; Titanic, a quasidocumentary about the lives of people who perished with the sinking of the ship; The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker, based on the stage play by Liam O’Brien; and Journey to the Center of the Earth. Reisch won his only Academy Award for Titanic.
The Hollywood studio system began to disintegrate in the 1960’s. That, along with personal factors, brought an end to Reisch’s work as screenwriter. He did, however, continue to do freelance work, consulting and lecturing until his death in 1983.