Trivia

Considered to be one of the most important German directors of the post WWII era.

Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1958

During the war, he avoided overt political content in his films, which allowed him to continue his career unhindered after 1945. Later he was much acclaimed for his socially conscious, often starkly realistic post-war films, which depicted the plight of the common man, struggling with the traumatic effects of the war and its aftermath.

His 1956 film, Der Hauptmann von Köpenick, was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 29th Academy Awards. Three years later, his film The Rest Is Silence was entered into the 9th Berlin International Film Festival.

Helmut Käutner had the honour to realise the first German post-war movie. "In jenen Tagen" (1947) was a great success and launched the new German film.

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890-1945". Pages 520-523. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.

Produced two films for Universal during his brief sojourn in Hollywood : The Restless Years (1958) and A Stranger in My Arms (1959).

Studied design and theater at the Munich Art School and at Munich University.

He made his film debut as an actor in "Kreuzer Emden" (1932), after that he turned to the theater again and wrote songs besides.

His career suffered a sharp drop in the 60's. He didn't find the tune of the time and his works concentrated on television. In the following two decades he directed TV movies, appeared as an actor and also played at the theater again.

The director Helmut Käutner began his career as an actor and was a member of the foundation of the cabaret group "Die vier Nachrichter".

He only continued his film career in 1939, first as a writer for movies after that he directed his first movie.

Born at 8:00pm-CET

Son-in-law of Reinhold Balqué and Elisabeth Balqué née Günther, brother-in-law of Sigrid Balqué.