Josef von Sternberg

JOSEF VON STERNBERG d1969. Austrian-American filmmaker whose career successfully spanned the transition from the silent to the sound era, during which he worked with most of the major Hollywood studios. He is best known for his film collaboration with actress Marlene Dietrich in the 1930s, including the highly regarded Paramount/UFA production The Blue Angel (1930). His finest works are noteworthy for their striking pictorial compositions and relentless camera motion, endowing the scenes with emotional intensity. He is also credited with having initiated the gangster film genre with his silent era movie Underworld (1927). He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for Morocco (1930) and Shanghai Express (1932). He died in California aged 75 on December 22nd 1969