Mauritz Stiller

Mauritz Stiller

Birth : 1883-07-17, Helsinki, Finland

Death : 1928-11-08

History

Mauritz Stiller (Moshe Stiller) was a Finnish-Swedish film director, actor and writer, probably best known for discovering Greta Garbo and bringing her to America. With Victor Sjöström he created the production company AB Svensk Filminspelning in 1922. Stiller was a major force in the international film industry and recognized for his refined narrator structure with different fictional levels. He produced some 50 feature films between 1912-1928. After frequent disagreements with studio executives at MGM and Paramount, Stiller returned to Sweden, where he died soon afterwards. Stiller's contribution to the motion picture industry has since been recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1713 Vine Street.

Profile

Mauritz Stiller

Movies

Prejudice and Pride: Swedish Film Queer
Self
A journey through Swedish film history by the depictions of the dykes, gays and transgender people for 100 years. From Stiller via Bergman and Zetterling to the present day, they queer their rightful place.
The Divine Garbo
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Profile of actress Greta Garbo, narrated by Glenn Close
Stiller, Garbo & jag
(archive footage)
One day when Ruben Stiller is playing in a bath, he gets an alien talking to Nadja, who asks him to find out the fate of Charly's dog. Ruben agrees because Charly's host was Mauritz Stiller, and Ruben is the grandson of Mauritz's brother.
Street of Sin
Director
The Woman on Trial
Director
A story of a woman who committed a murder.
Barbed Wire
Co-Director
During WWI, a French farm girl and a German P.O.W. fall in love.
Hotel Imperial
Director
During World War I, an Austrian officer is trapped behind the Russian lines. He tries to sneak through to his own lines, but is forced to take refuge in a small hotel, where he is hidden by the establishment's chambermaid. The two fall in love, but a Russian general makes the hotel his headquarters and sets his sights on the maid. In addition, the Austrian must find out the identity of a spy who is feeding the Russians military information that could lead to the destruction of the Austrian army.
The Saga of Gosta Berling
Writer
Gösta Berling is a young and attractive minister. Because of his alcoholism and his daring sermons, he is finally defrocked. He becomes a tutor of countess Marta's stepdaughter and they fall in love. But the countess has a plan of her own.
The Saga of Gosta Berling
Director
Gösta Berling is a young and attractive minister. Because of his alcoholism and his daring sermons, he is finally defrocked. He becomes a tutor of countess Marta's stepdaughter and they fall in love. But the countess has a plan of her own.
Gunnar Hede's Saga
Writer
Gunnar Hede is raised by a strict mother, who wants him to become respectable to match his family’s wealth. He is more interested in his grandfather, who started as an itinerant violin player, but got rich by leading a herd of wild reindeer south to market. He falls for a violinist working with a married couple of traveling performers and renounces his fortune to go with them. He then tries to earn a fortune by driving reindeer to market, but it doesn’t work out and he goes insane. He is finally restored to sanity by the violinist when she returns with the performers.
Gunnar Hede's Saga
Director
Gunnar Hede is raised by a strict mother, who wants him to become respectable to match his family’s wealth. He is more interested in his grandfather, who started as an itinerant violin player, but got rich by leading a herd of wild reindeer south to market. He falls for a violinist working with a married couple of traveling performers and renounces his fortune to go with them. He then tries to earn a fortune by driving reindeer to market, but it doesn’t work out and he goes insane. He is finally restored to sanity by the violinist when she returns with the performers.
In Self Defence
Screenplay
In Self Defence
Director
Johan
Writer
On a farm in up-country Sweden, an enigmatic stranger comes to a conservative peasant community and seduces a farmer's wife. -IMDB
Johan
Director
On a farm in up-country Sweden, an enigmatic stranger comes to a conservative peasant community and seduces a farmer's wife. -IMDB
Erotikon
Writer
Erotikon is a 1920 Swedish romantic comedy film directed by Mauritz Stiller, starring Tora Teje, Karin Molander, Anders de Wahl and Lars Hanson. It is based on the 1917 play A kék róka by Ferenc Herczeg. The story revolves around an entomology professor obsessed with the sexual life of bugs, and his easygoing wife who is courted by two suitors.
Erotikon
Director
Erotikon is a 1920 Swedish romantic comedy film directed by Mauritz Stiller, starring Tora Teje, Karin Molander, Anders de Wahl and Lars Hanson. It is based on the 1917 play A kék róka by Ferenc Herczeg. The story revolves around an entomology professor obsessed with the sexual life of bugs, and his easygoing wife who is courted by two suitors.
Fiskebyn
Adaptation
Fiskebyn
Director
Sir Arne's Treasure
Screenplay
Three Scottish officers, including Sir Archi, murder Sir Arne and his household for a coffin filled with gold. The only survivor is Elsalill, who moves to relatives in Marstrand. There she meets a charming young officer- Sir Archi- and she soon understands that he was one of the murderers.
Sir Arne's Treasure
Director
Three Scottish officers, including Sir Archi, murder Sir Arne and his household for a coffin filled with gold. The only survivor is Elsalill, who moves to relatives in Marstrand. There she meets a charming young officer- Sir Archi- and she soon understands that he was one of the murderers.
Song of the Scarlet Flower
Writer
The son of a wealthy farmer loves a simple maid, for which he's booted out of the house by his father.
Song of the Scarlet Flower
Director
The son of a wealthy farmer loves a simple maid, for which he's booted out of the house by his father.
Thomas Graal's Best Child
Writer
Frau Bessie, once a madcap, aristocratic and modern Swedish fraulein, has become now a whimsical and conservative Swedish burgess after her marriage to Herr Thomas Graal. The destabilization of the marriage begins right at the wedding (which contains some hilarious incidents) when Frau Bessie announces the first Graal child must be a girl, creating a terrible conflict with her husband who is hoping for a boy. It takes a scandal to finally end the war between man and wife.
Thomas Graal's Best Child
Director
Frau Bessie, once a madcap, aristocratic and modern Swedish fraulein, has become now a whimsical and conservative Swedish burgess after her marriage to Herr Thomas Graal. The destabilization of the marriage begins right at the wedding (which contains some hilarious incidents) when Frau Bessie announces the first Graal child must be a girl, creating a terrible conflict with her husband who is hoping for a boy. It takes a scandal to finally end the war between man and wife.
Alexander the Great
Writer
In a small provincial town there is a hotel run by one of those eccentric cooks of long ago who made generous meals that have nothing in common with the extravagant restaurateurs of nowadays and their meagre menus. The manager is named after Alexander the Great and in his restaurant the town bourgeoisie meet and discuss various issues, especially matters of the heart. Morals are part of the conversations and prove to be complicated issues even for strict and serious Nordics. 28 minutes of runtime are missing and presumed lost.
Alexander the Great
Director
In a small provincial town there is a hotel run by one of those eccentric cooks of long ago who made generous meals that have nothing in common with the extravagant restaurateurs of nowadays and their meagre menus. The manager is named after Alexander the Great and in his restaurant the town bourgeoisie meet and discuss various issues, especially matters of the heart. Morals are part of the conversations and prove to be complicated issues even for strict and serious Nordics. 28 minutes of runtime are missing and presumed lost.
Thomas Graal's Best Film
Director
Thomas Graal's a screenwriter, is very fond of his secretary Bessie. Overtaken by a kiss by Thomas she runs away. In his misfortune Thomas writes a screenplay inspired by Bessie. But she has not been really honest with him. 31 minutes of runtime are missing and presumed lost.
The Ballerina
Director
Lovers are torn apart by a noble's desire for the female half of the couple.
The Wings
Director
The story is that of a conniving countess coming between a gay sculptor, Claude Zoret, and his bisexual model and lover, Mikaël, ultimately leading to Zoret's death in a raging storm at the base of a statue of Mikaël as the mythological Icarus. The film is missing 19 minutes of run time.
The Wings
Screenplay
The story is that of a conniving countess coming between a gay sculptor, Claude Zoret, and his bisexual model and lover, Mikaël, ultimately leading to Zoret's death in a raging storm at the base of a statue of Mikaël as the mythological Icarus. The film is missing 19 minutes of run time.
The Wings
Director
The story is that of a conniving countess coming between a gay sculptor, Claude Zoret, and his bisexual model and lover, Mikaël, ultimately leading to Zoret's death in a raging storm at the base of a statue of Mikaël as the mythological Icarus. The film is missing 19 minutes of run time.
Love and Journalism
Director
A woman journalist employed as a maid by a great explorer is overcome with remorse at revealing his private life to the public. He shares her feelings and marries her
Dolken
Director
Lyckonålen
Director
Hans bröllopsnatt
Director
The Avenger
Director
Hämnaren (The Avenger) was made in 1915, and was rediscovered in Berlin in 2001. It begins with a woman named Ester, who is reading a letter and crying. The letter says that a man named George won't marry her, because he knows his father would never allow him to marry a Jewish woman. Ester dies of childbirth, and possibly a broken heart. Her suitor Jakob takes care of her son, who is named Josef, and sends George a note, accusing him of causing her death
Hans hustrus förflutna
Director
Madame de Thèbes
Director
The story is wacky – a gypsy is cursed by her father, so that she has to deny her illegitimate son in order for him to have a successful life. She gives him to a well-to-do lady who has lost her own child. Later, he has grown up to be a politician who wants to become the foreign minister. He doesn’t know that his real mother is the famous Madame de Thebes, the fortuneteller who all politicians make sure to visit! This information falls into the hands of a rival, who tries to use it to ruin his career. Meanwhile, the rival’s attractive daughter is attacked by a ruffian and needs to be rescued… There are a lot of striking images in this film. You can see the beauty of them even if the state of the print is far from perfect. The Norwegian actress Ragna Wettergreen gives a haunting performance as Madame de Thebes, with wisdom and regret – and quite a few melodramatic gestures. Understatement was not the norm in those days.
När konstnärer älska
Director
Det röda tornet
Screenplay
Det röda tornet
Director
Skottet?
Director
During a duck hunt the local land owner Brandt has told his ranger and his son to sit in a boat and collect ducks as they are shot down. When Brandt's dog gets in the water he commands the ranger's son to jump in the water to save the dog but the boy drowns.
Brother Against Brother
Director
Two brothers compete for the love of a woman while the impending war threatens to separate them from both sides of the border. Based on the novel "La Débâcle" by Émile Zola.
På livets ödesvägar
Director
The Mannequin
Writer
Lili is a young and courageous woman. She does things that create confusion. She suddenly begin to act in a film's plot in a movie theater, or take a mannequin from a shop.
The Mannequin
Director
Lili is a young and courageous woman. She does things that create confusion. She suddenly begin to act in a film's plot in a movie theater, or take a mannequin from a shop.
When Love Kills
Writer
When Love Kills
Director
Vampire
Screenplay
A lieutenant in love with a woman cheat on his money and forces him to forge a bill of exchange. He kills the creditor and flees abroad. A few years later he gets a job as a stagehand. By chance he run into the woman.
Vampire
Director
A lieutenant in love with a woman cheat on his money and forces him to forge a bill of exchange. He kills the creditor and flees abroad. A few years later he gets a job as a stagehand. By chance he run into the woman.
The Unknown Woman
Screenplay
Mauritz Stiller directed adaptation of Hugo von Hofmannsthal's Das fremde Mädchen.
The Unknown Woman
Director
Mauritz Stiller directed adaptation of Hugo von Hofmannsthal's Das fremde Mädchen.
Den moderna suffragetten
Director
Directed by Mauritz Stiller.
The Springtime of Life
Lieutenant Plein
A motherless child has a tumultuous existence, but she eventually becomes a famous international opera singer. Past and present meet when she performs in her original home town.
The Black Masks
Writer
The Black Masks
Director
The Gardener
Writer
A gardener's son has fallen in love with the daughter of one of the workers at the nursery, and the two are married. The gardener then kicks his progeny off the property and begins to act despicably toward his son's wife.
The Gardener
Passenger
A gardener's son has fallen in love with the daughter of one of the workers at the nursery, and the two are married. The gardener then kicks his progeny off the property and begins to act despicably toward his son's wife.
Mor och dotter
Director
Mor och dotter
Writer
Mor och dotter