Hollywood’s Awards to German-Speaking Film People

Marlene Dietrich casts her gaze on Hollywood Boulevard. In the background is the Roosevelt Hotel, site of the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929. PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

Ever since the German actor Emil Jannings became the first person to receive a golden Academy Award statuette in 1929, Germany and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have had a long ongoing relationship. Although Jannings was also the last German actor to receive an Oscar, over the years German film people in many fields have received more than 30 Academy Awards for achievements ranging from directing to film music, from art direction to camera design. If you count Austrians, even more Oscars have gone to German-speaking film people. The number of Academy nominations for German-speakers is, of course, much higher.

Despite success in other areas, Academy Awards to foreign-born male actors (other than Brits) have been extremely rare since the first one in 1929. It wasn't until 1936 that the Academy gave the acting award to the Austrian-American actor Paul Muni for his role as the title character in The Story Of Louis Pasteur. Austrian/Swiss actor Maximilian Schell received the same honor for his portrayal of a German defense lawyer in Judgment At Nuremburg (1961). Another recent exception came in 1998, when the Italian Roberto Benigni won the Best Actor Oscar for his part in Life Is Beautiful.

Actresses of German heritage have not done any better. Düsseldorf-born actress Luise Rainer set a record by being the first actress to win two Academy Awards in a row. Her name was called for the Best Actress award at the Oscar ceremonies in 1936 and 1937. Since then, a number of actresses have equaled or bettered that record, but none of them were of Germanic heritage. Luise Rainer's back-to-back wins may have also started the so-called “Oscar curse.” After her two Oscars, her film career took a nosedive. She herself later said: “For my second and third pictures I won Academy Awards. Nothing worse could have happened to me.” She eventually left Holywood to live in London. But Rainer isn't so bitter that she refuses to have anything to do with the Oscars. Although her acting career was relatively brief, she has survived two husbands and been a presenter at several Oscar ceremonies. Most recently, she appeared as the oldest surviving Oscar winner at the 75th Academy Awards in 2003. Still living in London, she continues to make film appearances, and was photographed at the London premiere of The Aviator in 2004. (She was in Hollywood at the same time as Howard Hughes and knew him then.)

The Academy's Scientific and Technical Awards have gone to Germans and German firms many times, most recently to Horst Burbulla for his Technocrane (2004, 77th Academy Awards). Many moviegoers do not realize that many of the films they see were photographed with German Arriflex cameras fitted with German Carl Zeiss lenses, and were projected onto a screen by German Kinoton projectors. The Arnold & Richter Cine Technik firm in Munich has continued to refine the Arriflex camera over the years, winning several Academy Awards for their achievements.

For the 77th Academy Awards, the 2004 German film Downfall was nominated in the category of Best Foreign Film. Director Oliver Hirschbiegel, Bruno Ganz (who played Hitler in the film), Thomas Kretschmann, and various people representing Constantin Film were in Los Angeles for the ceremonies. Unfortunately, their film did not get the 2004 Oscar, but Hirschbiegel joined the ranks of German-speaking film people who have been nominated by the Academy. As we shall see below, many famous Austrians (Arnold, Peter Lorre) and Germans (F.W. Murnau, Elke Sommer) have never even received an Oscar nomination.

See the full list of German Oscar winners and nominees below...

M O R E > Austria, Switzerland, and the Oscars

Academy Awards to Germans and German Films - By Year
German Oscars - Made in Hollywood

    Also see Academy Awards to Austrians

Year shown is when the film was first released or the year of the award. The Academy Award ceremony is held the following year.

• 1927/28* - (1) Emil Jannings - Best Actor in The Way of All Flesh (1927) and The Last Command (1928)
  *The very first Academy Awards ceremony was held in 1929 to honor works from 1927 and 1928.
• 1936 - (2) Luise Rainer - Best Actress in The Great Ziegfield - Also see Austrian awards (Paul Muni)
• 1937 - (3) Luise Rainer - Her second award for Best Actress in The Good Earth
• 1946 - (4) Ernst Lubitsch - Special Award for his "distinguished contributions to the art of the motion picture" as a director, actor, and producer
• 1947 - (5) Alfred Junge - "Art Direction - Color" for Black Narcissus
• 1950 - (6) Franz Waxman (Wachsmann) - Best Musical Score for Sunset Blvd.
• 1958 - (7) Andre Previn - Best Musical Score (Musical Picture), Gigi
• 1959 - (8) Bernhard Grzimek, producer, for Best Documentary (Feature) - Serengeti Shall Not Die
• 1959 - (9) Andre Previn (with Ken Darby) - Best Musical Score (Musical Picture), Porgy and Bess
• 1960 - (10) Eugen Shuftan (Eugen Schüfftan) - Best Cinematography (Black-and-White) for The Hustler
• 1963 - (11) Andre Previn - Best Musical Score (Adaptation or Treatment), Irma La Douce
• 1964 - (12) Andre Previn - Best Musical Score (Musical Picture), My Fair Lady
• 1966 - (13) August Arnold, head of the Munich firm Arnold & Richter KG (ARRI) - Scientific and Technical Award for inventing the first mass-produced 35mm reflex camera, the "Arriflex 35"

	German director Oliver Hirschbiegel talks with the media at a reception in Los Angeles prior to the 2005 Academy Award ceremonies. His Oscar-nominated film DOWNFALL (“Der Untergang”) lost out to a Spanish picture for Best Foreign Language Film. PHOTO: Hyde Flippo

• 1972 - (14) Rolf Zehetbauer - Best Set Design for the musical Cabaret
• 1979 - (15) Volker Schlöndorf, director - Best Foreign Language Film - The Tin Drum / Die Blechtrommel  > DVD - Criterion Collection
• 1986 - (16) Willi Burth and Kinoton GmbH - Scientific or Technical Award (Plaque) - Invention and development of the Non-rewind Platter System for motion picture presentations
• 1989 - (17) Wolfgang and Christoph Lauenstein - Best Short Animated Film - Balance
• 1990 - (18) Arnold & Richter Engineering Dept. - Scientific or Technical Award - For development of the Arriflex BL camera system and the 35BL-4S model
• 1992 - (19) Erich Kästner - The Gordon E. Sawyer Award for lifetime achievement in camera design and construction
• 1993 - (20) Pepe Danquart - Best Short Film, Schwarzfahrer
• 1994 - (21) Hans Zimmer - Best Musical Score - Disney's Lion King
• 1995 - (22) Arnold & Richter Cine Technik - Scientific and Technical Award - For development of the Arriflex 535 series of cameras
• 1995 - (23) Peter Denz (Präzisions-Entwicklung Denz) - Scientific and Technical Award for a flicker-free color video-assist camera
• 1996 - (24) Thomas Stellmach and Tyron Montgomery - Best Animated Short (Quest)
• 1996 - (25) Volker Engel - Best Visual Effects (Independence Day)
• 1998 - (26) Arnold & Richter Cine Technik and Carl Zeiss Co. - Scientific and Technical Award - For the concept and optical design of the Carl Zeiss/Arriflex Variable Prime Lenses
• 1998 - (27) Arnold & Richter Cine Technik and Arri USA, Inc. - Scientific and Technical Award - For the concept and engineering of the Arriflex 435 Camera System
• 2000 - (28) Udo Schauss, Hildegard Ebbesmeier, Karl Lenhardt, Ralf Linn and Norbert Brinker - Scientific and Technical Award (Certificate) for the optical and mechanical design of the Schneider Super Cinelux lenses for motion picture projection (Germany's Jos. Schneider Optische Werke GmbH was founded in 1913; Schneider Optics in the US)
• 2000 - (29) Florian Gallenberger - Best Short Film: Quiero Ser ("I want to be...")
• 2002 - (30) Caroline Link, director - Best Foreign Language Film - Nowhere in Africa (Nirgendwo
  in Afrika)
• 2002 - (31) Arnold & Richter Cine Technik and Panavision Inc. - Scientific and Technical Award - Award of Merit (statuette) for continuing development and innovation in the design and manufacturing of advanced camera systems specifically designed for the motion picture entertainment industry. (Arriflex camera)
• 2002 - (32) Kinoton GmbH - Scientific and Technical Award - Engineering and development of the Kinoton FP 30/38 EC II studio projector
• 2004 - (33) Horst Burbulla - Scientific and Technical Award - For invention and development of the Technocrane telescoping camera crane

   WEB > Academy Awards - Oscars.org

The terms Oscar®, Academy Awards®, and the Oscar® design mark are the trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

German Films Nominated for Academy Awards

   Note: From 1956 (the first year that the "Foreign Language Films" category became official) until today, there were three Germanys. Up until 1990, films were nominated for West Germany (German Federal Republic) or East Germany (German Democratic Republic). Only one East German film was ever nominated: Jacob the Liar (1976). After German reunification in 1990, films are credited to the Federal Republic of Germany.

   Award winners are marked with an asterisk (*)

• 1956 - The Captain of Köpenick (Der Hauptmann von Köpenick) - Real-Film GmbH - Producer: Gyula Trebitsch - Director: Helmut Käutner
• 1957 - The Devil Came at Night (Nachts, wenn der Teufel kam) - Divina-Film - Producer/Director: Robert Siodmak
• 1958 - Arms and the Man (Helden) - Bavaria Filmkunst - Producers: Peter Golbaum and Harry R. Sokal - Director: Franz Peter Wirth
• 1959 - The Bridge (Die Brücke) - Fono Film - Producer: Hermann Schwerin - Director: Bernhard Wicki  > DVD - The Bridge
• 1960s - No German films were nominated for Best Foreign Language Film from 1960 to 1972.
• 1973 - The Pedestrian* (Der Fußgänger) - Director: Maximilian Schell
• 1978 - The Glass Cell (Die gläserne Zelle) - Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), Radiotelevisao Portuguesa (RTP), Roxy Film GmbH, Royal, Solaris Film - Producer: Luggi Waldleitner - Director: Hans W. Geissendörfer
• 1982 - Das Boot (The Boat) - Bavaria Atelier GmbH, Columbia - Director: Wolfgang Petersen - Other nominees for Das Boot were: Hannes Nikel (Editing), Jost Vacano (Cinematography), Milan Bor (Sound), Wolfgang Petersen (Writing)
• 1985 - Angry Harvest (Bittere Ernte) - Admiral, CCC Filmkunst GmbH, Zweites Deutches Fernsehen (ZDF) - Artur Brauner producer - Director: Agnieszka Holland
• 1979 - The Tin Drum* (Die Blechtrommel) - Argos Films, Artemis Productions, Bioskop Film, Film Polski Film Agency, Franz Seitz Filmproduktion - Producers: Anatole Dauman, Franz Seitz - Director: Volker Schlöndorff  > DVD - Criterion Collection
• 1976 - Jacob the Liar (Jakob der Lügner) German Democratic Republic (East Germany) - DEFA-Studio für Spielfilme - Producer: Herbert Ehler - Director: Frank Beyer
• 1990 - Nasty Girl (Das schreckliche Mädchen) - Filmverlag der Autoren, Sentana Filmproduktion, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) - Producer: Michael Senftleben - Director: Michael Verhoeven
• 1992 - Schtonk! - Bavaria Film, Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) - Producer/Director: Helmut Dietl
• 1997 - Beyond Silence (Jenseits der Stille) - Bayerischer Rundfunk, Claussen & Wöbke Filmproduktion GmbH, Roxy Film GmbH, Schweizer Fernsehen DRS, Süddeutscher Rundfunk, arte - Producers: Jakob Claussen, Luggi Waldtleitner, Thomas Wobke - Director: Caroline Link
• 2002 - Nowhere in Africa* (Nirgendwo in Afrika) - Bavaria Film, Constantin Film Produktion GmbH, MTM Cineteve - Producers: Bernd Eichinger, Peter Herrmann, Michael Weber - Director: Caroline Link  > DVD - German with English subtitles
• 2004 - Downfall (Der Untergang) - Constantin Film Produktion GmbH, ARD, ORF - Producer: Bernd Eichinger - Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel

ALSO SEE > Austria and the Oscars

Selected German Nominations for Academy Awards

   Many famous Hollywood film people never received an Oscar (Marlene Dietrich). Some were never even nominated. Here's a selection of Germans who were nominated but never got a win (Michael Ballhaus, Lotte Lenya, Wim Wenders, Oscar Werner), or won several times (Franz Waxman, William Wyler). Some of the Germans nominated...

   Academy Award winners are marked with an asterisk (*)

• Michael Ballhaus - Cinematography: Broadcast News (1987), The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), Gangs of New York (2002)
• Marc-Andreas Bochert and Gabriele Lins - Short Film (Live Action): Kleingeld ("Small Change" 1999)
• Marlene Dietrich - Actress: Morocco (1930), as Amy Jolly

	German actor Thomas Kretschmann in Los Angeles for the 2005 Academy Award ceremonies. He played SS officer Hermann Fegelein in the Oscar-nominated film DOWNFALL (“Der Untergang”). His other films include U-571, THE PIANIST, and HEAD IN THE CLOUDS. PHOTO: Hyde Flippo

• Hugo Friedhofer - Music: The Woman in the Window (1945), The Best Years of Our Lives* (1946), The Bishop's Wife (1947), Joan of Arc (1948), Above and Beyond (1953), Between Heaven and Hell (1956), An Affair to Remember (1957), Boy on a Dolphin (1957), The Young Lions (1958)
• Lotte Lenya - Actress in a Supporting Role: The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961), as Countess Magda Terribili-Gonzales
• Henry Koster - Direction: The Bishop's Wife (1947)
• Armin Mueller-Stahl - Actor in a Supporting Role: Shine (1996), as Peter Helfgott
• Chris Stenner and Heidi Wittlinger - Documentary Short: Das Rad (2002)
• Oscar Werner - Actor in a Supporting Role: Ship of Fools (1965), as Dr. Schumann
• Franz Waxman - Music: The Young in Heart (1938), Rebecca (1940), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941), Suspicion (1941), Objective, Burma! (1945), Humoresque (1946), Sunset Boulevard* (1950), A Place in the Sun* (1951), The Silver Chalice (1954), The Nun's Story (1959), Taras Bulba (1962)
• Wim Wenders - Documentary Feature: Buena Vista Social Club (1999, with Ulrich Felsberg)
• William Wyler - Direction: Dodsworth (1936), Wuthering Heights (1939), The Letter (1940), The Little Foxes (1941), Mrs. Miniver* (1942), The Best Years of Our Lives* (1946), The Heiress (1949), Detective Story (1951), Roman Holiday (1953), Friendly Persuasion (1956), Ben-Hur* (1959), The Collector (1965)
• Hans Zimmer - Music: Rain Man (1988), The Lion King* (1994), The Preacher's Wife (1996), As Good As It Gets (1997), The Thin Red Line (1998), The Pince of Egypt (1998), Gladiator (2000)

WEB > Academy Awards - Oscars.org

N E X T > Austria and the Oscars

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