Thea von Harbou  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

Related e

Wikipedia Wiktionary Shop Featured: Rhombicuboctahedron by Leonardo da Vinci

Thea Gabriele von Harbou (1888 – 1954) was a German writer, screenwriter, novelist, film director, and actress. She is remembered as the screenwriter of the science fiction film classic Metropolis (1927) and for the 1925 novel on which it was based. Harbou collaborated as a screenwriter with film director Fritz Lang, her husband, during the period of transition from silent to sound films.

Scripts (selection)

• Destiny (1921) directed by Fritz Lang
• Phantom (1922) directed by F. W. Murnau
• The Expulsion (1923) directed by F. W. Murnau
• The Grand Duke's Finances (1924) directed by F. W. Murnau
• Michael (1924) directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer
• Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler (Dr. Mabuse, King of Crime) (1922)
• Die Nibelungen: Siegfried (Siegfried's Death) (1924)
• Die Nibelungen: Kriemhilds Rache (Kriemhilde's Revenge) (1924)
• Metropolis (1927)
• Spione (Spies) (1928)
• Frau im Mond (Woman in the Moon), from her novel Die Frau im Mond (1929)
• M (1931)

Filmography

• The Passion of Inge Krafft, directed by Robert Dinesen (1921, based on an idea by Thea von Harbou)
• Template:Ill, directed by Friedrich Feher (1921, based on the novel Das Haus ohne Tür und Fenster)
• The Indian Tomb, directed by Joe May (1921, based on the novel Das indische Grabmal)
• The Stone Rider, directed by Fritz Wendhausen (1923, based on an idea by Thea von Harbou)
• Metropolis, directed by Fritz Lang (1927, based on the novel Metropolis)
• Spione, directed by Fritz Lang (1928, based on the novel Spione)
• Woman in the Moon, directed by Fritz Lang (1929, based on the novel The Rocket to the Moon)

Screenwriter

• The Legend of Holy Simplicity (dir. Joe May, 1920)
• The Wandering Image (dir. Fritz Lang, 1920)
• The Women of Gnadenstein (dir. Robert Dinesen and Joe May, 1921)
• Four Around a Woman (dir. Fritz Lang, 1921) - Screenplay based on a play by Rolf E. Vanloo
• Destiny (dir. Fritz Lang, 1921)
• The Indian Tomb (dir. Joe May, 1921)
• The Burning Soil (dir. F. W. Murnau, 1922)
• Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (dir. Fritz Lang, 1922) - Screenplay based on Dr. Mabuse by Norbert Jacques
• Phantom (dir. F. W. Murnau, 1922) - Screenplay based on a novel by Gerhart Hauptmann
• Princess Suwarin (dir. Johannes Guter, 1923) - Screenplay based on a novel by Ludwig Wolff
• The Expulsion (dir. F. W. Murnau, 1923) - Screenplay based on a play by Template:Ill
• The Grand Duke's Finances (dir. F. W. Murnau, 1924) - Screenplay based on a novel by Frank Heller
• Die Nibelungen—Part 1: Siegfried (dir. Fritz Lang, 1924) - Screenplay based on the Nibelungenlied
• Die Nibelungen—Part 2: Kriemhild's Revenge (dir. Fritz Lang, 1924) - Screenplay based on the Nibelungenlied
• Michael (dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1924) - Screenplay based on a novel by Herman Bang
• Chronicles of the Gray House (dir. Template:Ill, 1925) - Screenplay based on a novella by Theodor Storm
• Metropolis (dir. Fritz Lang, 1927)
• Spione (dir. Fritz Lang, 1928)
• Woman in the Moon (dir. Fritz Lang, 1929)
• M (dir. Fritz Lang, 1931)
• The First Right of the Child (dir. Fritz Wendhausen, 1932)
• The Marathon Runner (dir. E. A. Dupont, 1933) - Screenplay based on a novel by Werner Scheff
• The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (dir. Fritz Lang, 1933) - Screenplay based on Dr. Mabuse by Norbert Jacques
• Hanneles Himmelfahrt (dir. Thea von Harbou, 1934) - Screenplay based on The Assumption of Hannele by Gerhart Hauptmann
• What Am I Without You (dir. Arthur Maria Rabenalt, 1934)
• Elisabeth und der Narr (dir. Thea von Harbou), 1934)
• Princess Turandot (dir. Gerhard Lamprecht, 1934) - Screenplay based on Turandot
• The Old and the Young King (dir. Hans Steinhoff, 1935)
• An Ideal Husband (dir. Herbert Selpin, 1935) - Screenplay based on An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde
• I Was Jack Mortimer (dir. Carl Froelich, 1935) - Screenplay based on I Was Jack Mortimer by Alexander Lernet-Holenia
• Der Mann mit der Pranke (dir. Rudolf van der Noss, 1935) - Screenplay based on a novel by Template:Ill
• The Impossible Woman (dir. Johannes Meyer, 1936) - Screenplay based on a novel by Mia Fellmann
• Escapade (dir. Erich Waschneck, 1936) - Screenplay based on My Official Wife by Richard Henry Savage
• A Woman of No Importance (dir. Hans Steinhoff, 1936) - Screenplay based on A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde
• Der Herrscher (dir. Veit Harlan, 1937) - Screenplay based on a play by Gerhart Hauptmann
• Don't Promise Me Anything (dir. Wolfgang Liebeneiner, 1937) - Screenplay based on a play by Charlotte Rissmann
• The Broken Jug (dir. Gustav Ucicky, 1937) - Screenplay based on The Broken Jug by Heinrich von Kleist
• Mother Song (dir. Carmine Gallone, 1937)
• Template:Ill (dir. Veit Harlan, 1938) - Screenplay based on a play by Max Halbe
• The Woman at the Crossroads (dir. Josef von Báky, 1938) - Screenplay based on a novel by Template:Ill
• Covered Tracks (dir. Veit Harlan, 1938) - Screenplay based on a radio drama by Hans Rothe
• Template:Ill (dir. Josef von Báky, 1939)
• Hurrah! I'm a Father (dir. Kurt Hoffmann, 1939)
• Lauter Liebe (dir. Heinz Rühmann, 1940)
• Wie konntest Du, Veronika! (dir. Milo Harbich, 1940)
• Template:Ill (dir. Jürgen von Alten, 1940) - Screenplay based on a novel by F. B. Cortan
• Clarissa (dir. Gerhard Lamprecht, 1941) (uncredited)
• Template:Ill (dir. Josef von Báky, 1941) - Screenplay based on a play by Template:Ill
• With the Eyes of a Woman (dir. Karl Georg Külb, 1942) - Screenplay based on a novel by Zsolt Harsányi
• Maria Malibran (dir. Guido Brignone, 1943)
• Gefährtin meines Sommers (dir. Fritz Peter Buch, 1943) - Screenplay based on a novel by Template:Ill
• Template:Ill (dir. Georg Jacoby, 1943) - Screenplay based on two plays by Template:Ill
• Template:Ill (dir. Fritz Kirchhoff, 1944) - Screenplay based on a novel by Template:Ill
• Via Mala (dir. Josef von Báky, 1945) - Screenplay based on Via Mala by John Knittel
• Template:Ill (dir. Erich Engel, 1944/1948)
• Template:Ill (dir. Ulrich Erfurth, 1944/1950)
• A Day Will Come (dir. Rudolf Jugert, 1950) - Screenplay based on a novella by Ernst Penzoldt
• Dr. Holl (dir. Rolf Hansen, 1951)
• Your Heart Is My Homeland (dir. Richard Häussler, 1953) - Screenplay based on a novel by Irmgard Wurmbrand

Director

• Elisabeth und der Narr (1934)
• Hanneles Himmelfahrt (1934)

Remakes

• The Tiger of Eschnapur (1938) – remake of The Indian Tomb (1921)
• The Indian Tomb (1938) – remake of The Indian Tomb (1921)
• M (1951) – Remake of M (1931)
• The Tiger of Eschnapur (1959) – remake of The Indian Tomb (1921)
• The Indian Tomb (1959) – remake of The Indian Tomb (1921)
• Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse (1962) – remake of The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)