A work in constant progress (and occasional regress).
Alias:
Hermann Kosterlitz
Birthplace:
Berlin, Germany
Born:
May 1, 1905
Died:
September 21, 1988
Henry Koster (May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988), born Hermann Kosterlitz, was a German-born film director, who worked in Europe as well as in Hollywood. Although he never won an Oscar, Koster directed six different actors in Oscar-nominated performances. In 1932, Koster directed his first film in Berlin, the comedy Thea Roland. In the midst of directing his second film Das häßliche Mädchen, Jewish Koster had been the subject of antisemitism, and knew he had to leave the country. He left Germany for France, where he was rehired by director Curtis Bernhardt, who had also fled. Eventually Koster went to Budapest, where he met and married Kató Király in 1934. There he also met Joe Pasternak, who represented Universal in Europe, and directed three films for him. Through his friend Gabriel Levy he ended up directing Dutch sound film De Kribbebijter, released internationally as The Cross-Patch, which proved a success both in the Netherlands - where it played in cinemas for no less than seven years - and in the UK. Soon after, Koster signed a deal with Universal Pictures in Hollywood and moved to the United States. Although Koster did not speak English, he convinced the studio to let him make Three Smart Girls, for which he personally coached to-be star Deanna Durbin. This picture, a big success, pulled Universal out of bankruptcy. Koster's second Universal film, One Hundred Men and a Girl, also was successful. After this, Koster discovered Abbott and Costello at a nightclub in New York. He returned to Hollywood and convinced Universal to hire them. Their first picture was One Night in the Tropics; the female lead, Peggy Moran, became Koster's second wife in 1942. Ironically, despite Koster's escape from Nazi Germany, when the United States entered World War II Koster was considered an enemy alien and had to stay in his house in the evening. Actor Charles Laughton would visit Koster and play chess with him. Nonetheless, Koster's postwar career proved equally successful. He was nominated for an Academy Award for The Bishop's Wife (1947). In 1950, he directed his biggest success: the James Stewart comedy Harvey. He directed Richard Burton's first U.S. film, My Cousin Rachel, and then in 1953, he was given The Robe, the first CinemaScope film. His last picture was The Singing Nun in 1965. Koster retired to Leisure Village in Camarillo, California, where he painted a series of portraits of the movie stars with whom he worked.
Dialogue:
1931 Woman in the Jungle
Director:
1931 Woman in the Jungle
1932 The Adventure of Thea Roland
1933 The Ugly Girl
1934 Peter
1935 Kleine Mutti
1935 Tagebuch der Geliebten
1935 The Cross-Patch
1935 The Ugly Girl
1936 Catherine the Last
1936 Three Smart Girls
1937 One Hundred Men and a Girl
1938 The Rage of Paris
1939 First Love
1939 Three Smart Girls Grow Up
1940 Spring Parade
1941 It Started with Eve
1942 Between Us Girls
1944 Music for Millions
1946 Two Sisters from Boston
1947 The Bishop's Wife
1947 The Unfinished Dance
1948 The Luck of the Irish
1949 Come to the Stable
1949 The Inspector General
1950 Harvey
1950 My Blue Heaven
1950 Wabash Avenue
1951 Elopement
1951 Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell
1951 No Highway
1952 My Cousin Rachel
1952 O. Henry's Full House
1952 Stars and Stripes Forever
1953 The Robe
1954 Désirée
1955 A Man Called Peter
1955 Good Morning, Miss Dove
1955 The Virgin Queen
1956 D-Day the Sixth of June
1956 The Power and the Prize
1957 My Man Godfrey
1958 Fraulein
1958 The Naked Maja
1960 The Story of Ruth
1961 Flower Drum Song
1962 Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation
1963 Marilyn
1963 Take Her, She's Mine
1965 Dear Brigitte
1966 The Singing Nun
Producer:
1931 Woman in the Jungle
1932 The Adventure of Thea Roland
1933 The Ugly Girl
1934 Peter
1935 Kleine Mutti
1935 Tagebuch der Geliebten
1935 The Cross-Patch
1935 The Ugly Girl
1936 Catherine the Last
1936 Three Smart Girls
1937 One Hundred Men and a Girl
1938 The Rage of Paris
1939 First Love
1939 Three Smart Girls Grow Up
1940 Spring Parade
1941 It Started with Eve
1942 Between Us Girls
1944 Music for Millions
1946 Two Sisters from Boston
1947 The Bishop's Wife
1947 The Unfinished Dance
1948 The Luck of the Irish
1949 Come to the Stable
1949 The Inspector General
1950 Harvey
1950 My Blue Heaven
1950 Wabash Avenue
1951 Elopement
1951 Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell
1951 No Highway
1952 My Cousin Rachel
1952 O. Henry's Full House
1952 Stars and Stripes Forever
1953 The Robe
1954 Désirée
1955 A Man Called Peter
1955 Good Morning, Miss Dove
1955 The Virgin Queen
1956 D-Day the Sixth of June
1956 The Power and the Prize
1957 My Man Godfrey
1958 Fraulein
1958 The Naked Maja
1960 The Story of Ruth
1961 Flower Drum Song
1962 Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation
1963 Marilyn
1963 Take Her, She's Mine
1965 Dear Brigitte
1966 The Singing Nun
Screenplay:
1927 Children's Souls Accuse You
1929 Das letzte Fort
1929 Sündenfall
1931 Stamboul
1931 The Man Who Committed the Murder
1931 The Man Who Killed
1931 Woman in the Jungle
1932 Happy Hearts
1932 The Adventure of Thea Roland
1933 Der Tunnel
1933 The Ugly Girl
1933 Toto
1934 Der Doppelgänger
1934 Peter
1935 Kleine Mutti
1935 Tagebuch der Geliebten
1935 The Cross-Patch
1935 The Ugly Girl
1936 Catherine the Last
1936 Three Smart Girls
1937 One Hundred Men and a Girl
1938 The Rage of Paris
1939 First Love
1939 Three Smart Girls Grow Up
1940 Spring Parade
1941 It Started with Eve
1942 Between Us Girls
1944 Music for Millions
1946 Two Sisters from Boston
1947 The Bishop's Wife
1947 The Unfinished Dance
1948 The Luck of the Irish
1949 Come to the Stable
1949 The Inspector General
1950 Harvey
1950 My Blue Heaven
1950 Wabash Avenue
1951 Elopement
1951 Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell
1951 No Highway
1952 My Cousin Rachel
1952 O. Henry's Full House
1952 Stars and Stripes Forever
1953 The Robe
1954 Désirée
1955 A Man Called Peter
1955 Good Morning, Miss Dove
1955 The Virgin Queen
1956 D-Day the Sixth of June
1956 The Power and the Prize
1957 My Man Godfrey
1958 Fraulein
1958 The Naked Maja
1960 The Story of Ruth
1961 Flower Drum Song
1962 Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation
1963 Marilyn
1963 Take Her, She's Mine
1965 Dear Brigitte
1966 The Singing Nun
Story:
1927 Children's Souls Accuse You
1929 Das letzte Fort
1929 Sündenfall
1931 Stamboul
1931 The Man Who Committed the Murder
1931 The Man Who Killed
1931 Woman in the Jungle
1932 Happy Hearts
1932 The Adventure of Thea Roland
1932 There Goes the Bride
1933 Der Tunnel
1933 The Ugly Girl
1933 Toto
1934 Der Doppelgänger
1934 Peter
1935 Kleine Mutti
1935 Tagebuch der Geliebten
1935 The Cross-Patch
1935 The Ugly Girl
1936 Catherine the Last
1936 Three Smart Girls
1937 One Hundred Men and a Girl
1938 The Rage of Paris
1939 First Love
1939 Three Smart Girls Grow Up
1940 Spring Parade
1941 It Started with Eve
1942 Between Us Girls
1944 Music for Millions
1946 Two Sisters from Boston
1947 The Bishop's Wife
1947 The Unfinished Dance
1948 The Luck of the Irish
1949 Come to the Stable
1949 The Inspector General
1950 Harvey
1950 My Blue Heaven
1950 Wabash Avenue
1951 Elopement
1951 Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell
1951 No Highway
1952 My Cousin Rachel
1952 O. Henry's Full House
1952 Stars and Stripes Forever
1953 The Robe
1954 Désirée
1955 A Man Called Peter
1955 Good Morning, Miss Dove
1955 The Virgin Queen
1956 D-Day the Sixth of June
1956 The Power and the Prize
1957 My Man Godfrey
1958 Fraulein
1958 The Naked Maja
1960 The Story of Ruth
1961 Flower Drum Song
1962 Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation
1963 Marilyn
1963 Take Her, She's Mine
1965 Dear Brigitte
1966 The Singing Nun
Writer:
1926 Orphan of Lowood
1927 Children's Souls Accuse You
1927 Eins + Eins = Drei
1927 Prinz Louis Ferdinand
1929 Das letzte Fort
1929 Liebfraumilch
1929 Sündenfall
1929 Sündig und süß
1931 Frivolous youth
1931 His girlfriend Annette
1931 Stamboul
1931 The Man Who Committed the Murder
1931 The Man Who Killed
1931 The indictment
1931 Woman in the Jungle
1932 Five from the Jazzband
1932 Happy Hearts
1932 The Adventure of Thea Roland
1932 The Rebel
1932 There Goes the Bride
1933 Der Tunnel
1933 Le sexe faible
1933 The Ugly Girl
1933 Toto
1934 Der Doppelgänger
1934 Die vertauschte Braut
1934 Peter
1935 Ball im Savoy
1935 Kleine Mutti
1935 Tagebuch der Geliebten
1935 The Cross-Patch
1935 The Ugly Girl
1936 Catherine the Last
1936 Three Smart Girls
1937 Farewell Again
1937 One Hundred Men and a Girl
1938 The Rage of Paris
1939 First Love
1939 Three Smart Girls Grow Up
1940 Spring Parade
1941 It Started with Eve
1942 Between Us Girls
1944 Music for Millions
1946 Two Sisters from Boston
1947 The Bishop's Wife
1947 The Unfinished Dance
1948 The Luck of the Irish
1949 Come to the Stable
1949 The Inspector General
1950 Harvey
1950 My Blue Heaven
1950 Wabash Avenue
1951 Elopement
1951 Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell
1951 No Highway
1952 My Cousin Rachel
1952 O. Henry's Full House
1952 Stars and Stripes Forever
1953 The Robe
1954 Désirée
1955 A Man Called Peter
1955 Good Morning, Miss Dove
1955 The Virgin Queen
1956 D-Day the Sixth of June
1956 The Power and the Prize
1957 My Man Godfrey
1958 Fraulein
1958 The Naked Maja
1960 The Story of Ruth
1961 Flower Drum Song
1962 Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation
1963 Marilyn
1963 Take Her, She's Mine
1965 Dear Brigitte
1966 The Singing Nun
1967 Eine Handvoll Helden
Most data and links to images for the Movies section come from TheMovieDB (TMDB).
Additional data for Film Titles come from The Open Movie Database (OMDb).
At least one plug-in comes from IMDb.
Data are -- hey, it's a plural -- subject to the limitations of their sources. (For example, TMDB search results currently max out at 20.) I am limiting myself to free data sources for now. (No, a "free trial" is not free.)
While much of the above data are retrieved directly from outside APIs and other such sources, data from American Film Institute (AFI) and British Film Institute (BFI) were manually entered the old fashioned way into a MySQL database. Re BFI I took the following liberties:
Regarding profile removals and data corrections:
Filtering is applied here to film projects flagged as "adult" by TheMovieDB. Pending "popular demand" I am contemplating a login and profile system with preferences (such as whether to allow adult images to appear) and permissions (such as data entry).
Whereas the overall purpose of this website is to serve as a personal demo/portfolio/workshop of web and data skills, this Movies section is not meant to compete with or substitute for far more definitive movie websites.
Whether or not he still clings to an award which he won in 1986 as a film critic for his college's newspaper, Jeffrey Hartmann is not responsible for the texts of overviews and biographies supplied by external data sources.