Herbert Selpin

Infobox Person
name = Herbert Selpin
birth_date = birth date|1904|5|29
birth_place = Berlin, Germany
death_date = death date and age|1942|8|1|1904|5|29
death_place = Berlin, Germany
other_names =
known_for =
occupation = Film director and screenplay author
nationality =
parents =

Herbert Selpin (May 29, 1902 (or 1904)—August 1, 1942) was a German film director and screenplay author.

__TOC__

Biography

Herbert Selpin was born on May 29, 1902 (or 1904) in Berlin. After his medical studies in the same city, Selpin worked as a dancer, boxer, librarian, and art seller before he obtained, in the mid-1920s, an internship at the Ufa film studios. Selpin was subsequently employed by the European subsidiary of the Fox Film Corporation, where he held several different positions, including—in 1927—that of director's assistant to Walther Ruttmann on the set of "Berlin. Sinfonie einer Großstadt".

After several positions as editor, Selpin received an assignment as director for "Chauffeur Antoinette", released in 1931 by Excelsior Films. In the following two years, Selpin ran into conflict with the National Socialists for his sympathetic portrayals of the British. From 1933 onwards he was making propaganda films for the Ufa studios, which was by then under the control of the Propaganda Ministry. After several propaganda films that were not well received ("Schwarzhemden" in 1933, "Die Reiter von Deutsch-Ostafrika" in 1934, and "Alarm in Peking" in 1937), Selpin was successful in 1941 with "Carl Peters", an anti-British film. This was followed by another propaganda film "Geheimakte WB 1" in 1941–1942.

On the set of "Titanic" in 1942, Selpin made several remarks critical of the military. He was denounced by his fellow screenwriter and personal friend Walter Zerlett-Olfenius, and—upon failing to retract his statements during a subsequent meeting with Joseph Goebbels—was arrested on July 31, 1942. Herbert Selpin was found dead in his cell a day later.

Titanic was completed by Werner Klingler.

Filmography

*Die Abenteuer eines Zehnmarkscheines (1926) - director's assistant
*Ariane (1930/31) - editor
*So lang' noch ein Walzer von Strauß erklingt (1931) - editor
*Opernredoute (1931) - editor
*Eine Nacht im Grandhotel (1931) - editor
*Die Sache August Schulze (1931) - editor
*Der ungetreue Eckehart (1931) - editor
*Chauffeur Antoinette (1931) - director
*Der Läufer von Marathon (1932–1933) - editor, director's assistant
*Camicia Nera/Schwarzhemden (1933 documentary) – director of the German version
*Zwischen zwei Herzen (1933–1934) - director
*Mädels von heute (1933) - director
*Kleiner Mann - was nun? (1933) - editor, screenplay, director's assistant
*Der Traum vom Rhein (1933) - director
*Die Reiter von Deutsch-Ostafrika (1934) - director
*Der Springer von Pontresina (1934) - director
*Le domino vert (1935) - director
*Ein idealer Gatte (1935) - director
*Der grüne Domino (1935) - director
*Spiel an Bord (1936) - director, screenplay
*Romanze (1936) - director
*Die Frau des Anderen (1936) - director
*Die rote Mütze (1937) - director
*Alarm in Peking (1937) - director, screenplay
*Wasser für Canitoga (1938–1939) - director
*Sergeant Berry (1938) - director
*Ich liebe Dich (1938) - director, writer
*Ein Mann auf Abwegen (1939–1940) - director
*Trenck, der Pandur (1940) - director
*Carl Peters (Film) (1940–1941) - director, screenplay
*Geheimakte WB 1 (1941–1942) - director, screenplay
*Titanic (1942) - director, screenplay

References

::"This article is translated from its equivalent on the German Wikipedia"