Hans Billian
Encyclopedia
Hans Billian was a German
film director
, screenwriter
, and actor
who is renowned for the "sex comedies" he directed in 1970s. He was also credited as Hans Billan, Phillip Halliday, and Christian Kessler.
Billian originally wanted to become an opera singer but due to the deterioration of his voice during his nine years in military service
he had to abandon this plan. After World War II
, he settled in West Germany
and started to work as an actor at theatres in Hamburg
and Wolfenbüttel
. He later began to work also as a director's assistant.
In 1950, he started to work for various German film producers. Especially, his work for Constantin-Film proved to be successful until 1961 when he left this company to work as a freelance screenwriter and director. Until late 1960s, he wrote films or directed films that fell under the category Heimatfilm
, such as Ich kauf' mir lieber einen Tirolerhut in 1965. In late 1960s and early 1970s, he directed softcore
sex comedies, like Pudelnackt in Oberbayern (1969) (a Bavarian sex comedy
pioneer), Die Jungfrauen von Bumshausen (Run, Virgin, Run) (1970), and Das Mädchen mit der heißen Masche (Loves of a French Pussycat) (1972) (starring Sybil Danning
).
In 1973, Billian directed hardcore
short-length loops for the Swedish company Venus Film. When the ban on hardcore pornography was lifted in Germany, he started to direct numerous short-length hardcore films there. In 1975, he directed the first German full-length hardcore feature film
, Bienenstich im Liebesnest (soft version known as Im Gasthaus zum scharfen Hirschen, also known as Zimmermädchen machen es gern). In 1976, he directed Josefine Mutzenbacher...wie sie wirklich war? 1. Teil (Sensational Janine) about the early life of Viennese
courtesan
Josephine Mutzenbacher
. The film that had the title role played by Patricia Rhomberg who also had an intimate relationship with Billian was his greatest success. During this period, Billian continued to shoot loops, a number of which attracted particular attention such as Massagesalon Elvira that featured Anne Magle, the Danish
porn sensation of the '70s.
Josefine Mutzenbacher...wie sie wirklich war? 1. Teil was conceived by Billian as the first part of a Josefine Mutzenbacher series but when the producer Gunter Otto of Herzog refused to finance a second part, Billian took the money from the production company Starlight and directed Die Beichte der Josefine Mutzenbacher (Josephine) in 1979. However, Otto who held the rights for the title released Josefine Mutzenbacher...wie sie wirklich war? 2. Teil (Professional Janine) in 1980. Both films were unable to reach the success of the 1976 film, particularly due to absence of Rhomberg and lack of continuity with the first film. In 1981 (Aus dem Tagebuch der Josefine Mutzenbacher ), 1987 (Die Liebesschule der Josefine Mutzenbacher ) & 1991 Billian directed three further Josefine Mutzenbacher titles. Gunter Otto made consecutive Josefine movies (Josefine Mutzenbacher - Wie sie wirklich war: 3,4,5,6. Teil) from 1982 to 1984.
In 1990s he directed porn videos especially for the producer Tabu of Bochum
but these videos fell far from the quality of his work in 1970s.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
who is renowned for the "sex comedies" he directed in 1970s. He was also credited as Hans Billan, Phillip Halliday, and Christian Kessler.
Billian originally wanted to become an opera singer but due to the deterioration of his voice during his nine years in military service
Military service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...
he had to abandon this plan. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he settled in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
and started to work as an actor at theatres in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, located on the Oker river about 13 kilometres south of Brunswick. It is the seat of the District of Wolfenbüttel and of the bishop of the Protestant Lutheran State Church of Brunswick...
. He later began to work also as a director's assistant.
In 1950, he started to work for various German film producers. Especially, his work for Constantin-Film proved to be successful until 1961 when he left this company to work as a freelance screenwriter and director. Until late 1960s, he wrote films or directed films that fell under the category Heimatfilm
Heimatfilm
Heimatfilm is the name given to a film genre that was popular in Germany, Switzerland and Austria from the late 40s to the early 70s. They were usually shot in the Alps, the Black Forest or the Lüneburg Heath and always involved the outdoors...
, such as Ich kauf' mir lieber einen Tirolerhut in 1965. In late 1960s and early 1970s, he directed softcore
Softcore
Softcore pornography is a form of filmic or photographic pornography or erotica that is less sexually explicit than hardcore pornography. It is intended to tickle and arouse men and women. Softcore pornography depicts nude and semi-nude performers engaging in casual social nudity or non-graphic...
sex comedies, like Pudelnackt in Oberbayern (1969) (a Bavarian sex comedy
Bavarian porn
Bavarian porn is a campy subgenre of softcore porn comedy. The apogee of the genre was the late 1960s and early 1970s, corresponding roughly to the chancellorship of Willy Brandt, but these films continued to be produced up to about 1980. Today they live on as staples of late night European cable...
pioneer), Die Jungfrauen von Bumshausen (Run, Virgin, Run) (1970), and Das Mädchen mit der heißen Masche (Loves of a French Pussycat) (1972) (starring Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning is an Austrian actress known for her many roles in B movies, science fiction films, and action films.-Early life:Danning was born in Ried im Innkreis, Austria as Sybille Johanna Danninger...
).
In 1973, Billian directed hardcore
Hardcore pornography
Hardcore pornography is a form of pornography that features explicit sexual acts. The term was coined in the second half of the 20th century to distinguish it from softcore pornography. It usually takes the form of photographs, often displayed in magazines or on the Internet, or films. It can also...
short-length loops for the Swedish company Venus Film. When the ban on hardcore pornography was lifted in Germany, he started to direct numerous short-length hardcore films there. In 1975, he directed the first German full-length hardcore feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
, Bienenstich im Liebesnest (soft version known as Im Gasthaus zum scharfen Hirschen, also known as Zimmermädchen machen es gern). In 1976, he directed Josefine Mutzenbacher...wie sie wirklich war? 1. Teil (Sensational Janine) about the early life of Viennese
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
courtesan
Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
Josephine Mutzenbacher
Josephine Mutzenbacher
Josephine Mutzenbacher – The Life Story of a Viennese Whore, as Told by Herself is an erotic novel first published anonymously in Vienna, Austria in 1906...
. The film that had the title role played by Patricia Rhomberg who also had an intimate relationship with Billian was his greatest success. During this period, Billian continued to shoot loops, a number of which attracted particular attention such as Massagesalon Elvira that featured Anne Magle, the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
porn sensation of the '70s.
Josefine Mutzenbacher...wie sie wirklich war? 1. Teil was conceived by Billian as the first part of a Josefine Mutzenbacher series but when the producer Gunter Otto of Herzog refused to finance a second part, Billian took the money from the production company Starlight and directed Die Beichte der Josefine Mutzenbacher (Josephine) in 1979. However, Otto who held the rights for the title released Josefine Mutzenbacher...wie sie wirklich war? 2. Teil (Professional Janine) in 1980. Both films were unable to reach the success of the 1976 film, particularly due to absence of Rhomberg and lack of continuity with the first film. In 1981 (Aus dem Tagebuch der Josefine Mutzenbacher ), 1987 (Die Liebesschule der Josefine Mutzenbacher ) & 1991 Billian directed three further Josefine Mutzenbacher titles. Gunter Otto made consecutive Josefine movies (Josefine Mutzenbacher - Wie sie wirklich war: 3,4,5,6. Teil) from 1982 to 1984.
In 1990s he directed porn videos especially for the producer Tabu of Bochum
Bochum
Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and is surrounded by the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen.-History:...
but these videos fell far from the quality of his work in 1970s.
External links
- Interview with Hans Billian Interview from 1996 (in German)