Max Ophüls facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Max Ophüls
Born	Maximillian Oppenheimer (1902-05-06)6 May 1902 Saarbrücken, German Empire
Died	26 March 1957(1957-03-26) (aged 54) Hamburg, West Germany
Occupation	Director, Writer
Years active	1931–1957
Spouse(s)	Hildegard Wall (m. 1926)
Children	Marcel Ophuls

Maximillian Oppenheimer (May 6, 1902 – March 26, 1957) was a famous film director. He was better known as Max Ophüls. He directed movies in Germany, France, and the United States. Max Ophüls made almost 30 films during his career.

Some of his most well-known films include La Ronde (1950), Le Plaisir (1952), The Earrings of Madame de… (1953), and Lola Montès (1955). In America, he was sometimes called Max Opuls. An annual film festival in Saarbrücken is named after him.

Max Ophüls' Life Story

Early Years and Career Beginnings

Max Ophüls was born in Saarbrücken, Germany. His father, Leopold Oppenheimer, owned textile shops. Max chose the name "Ophüls" as a pseudonym (a made-up name). He did this so his family wouldn't be embarrassed if his acting career didn't work out.

He started as an actor in 1919. From 1921 to 1923, he acted at the Theater Aachen. Later, he became a theater director. He was the first director at the city theater in Dortmund. In 1924, Ophüls began producing plays. By 1926, he was the creative director of the Burgtheater in Vienna.

After directing about 200 plays, he moved into filmmaking in 1929. He started as a dialogue director in Berlin. His first film was a short comedy in 1931 called Dann schon lieber Lebertran.

One of his early and important films was Liebelei (1933). This movie showed many things he became known for. These included beautiful sets, a focus on female characters, and dramatic duels. While working at the Burgtheater, Ophüls met actress Hilde Wall. They got married in 1926.

Life in Exile and Later Films

In 1933, Max Ophüls left Germany. He was Jewish and saw the difficult political changes happening with the Nazis. He moved to France and became a French citizen in 1938. When Germany took over France, he traveled through Switzerland and Italy. In 1941, he moved to the United States.

In Hollywood, director Preston Sturges helped him. Ophüls then directed several important films there. His first Hollywood movie was The Exile (1947). His film Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) is considered his best American movie. He also directed Caught (1949) and The Reckless Moment (1949). He returned to Europe in 1950.

Back in France, he directed and helped write La Ronde (1950). This film won an award in 1951. He also made Le Plaisir and The Earrings of Madame de... (1953). His last major film was Lola Montès (1955).

Max Ophüls passed away on March 26, 1957, in Hamburg. He was working on a film called The Lovers of Montparnasse. His friend Jacques Becker finished the movie. Max Ophüls is buried in Le Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. His son, Marcel Ophuls, also became a famous documentary filmmaker.

Max Ophüls' Unique Film Style

Max Ophüls was known for his special way of moving the camera. He used smooth, flowing camera movements. These often involved complex crane and dolly shots, where the camera moves on wheels or a special arm. He also used many tracking shots, where the camera follows the action.

Many filmmakers today are inspired by his movies. For example, director Paul Thomas Anderson spoke about Ophüls' film The Earrings of Madame de... (1953).

Some of Ophüls' films tell the story from a female character's point of view. Film experts have studied movies like Liebelei (1933) and Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948). They see these as examples of "woman's film" genre, which focuses on women's experiences. Interestingly, many of his main female characters had names starting with "L," like Leonora, Lisa, and Lola.

Actor James Mason worked with Ophüls on two films. He wrote a short poem about Ophüls' love for camera movements:

A shot that does not call for tracks

Is agony for poor dear Max,

Who, separated from his dolly,

Is wrapped in deepest melancholy.

Once, when they took away his crane,

I thought he'd never smile again.

Filmography

• Max Ophüls also worked on Les amants de Montparnasse (1958) before he passed away.

See also

In Spanish: Max Ophüls para niños

• List of German-speaking Academy Award winners and nominees