Mathias Wieman
Encyclopedia
Mathias Wieman (23 June 1902 – 3 December 1969) was a German
stage-performer, silent-and-sound motion picture actor
.
, the only son of Carl Philipp Anton Wieman and his wife Louise. Raised in Osnabrück
, Wiesbaden
and Berlin
, where he studied four terms of philosophy, history of art and languages, Wieman wanted to actually become an airplane technical designer and flier. He started his acting career on the stage in Berlin under the direction of Max Reinhardt
at the Deutsches Theater
. In the early 1920s, he was a member of the Holtorf-Truppe, a stock theater group that included future director Veit Harlan
. His fellow stage actors included his future wife, Erika Meingast, Marlene Dietrich
, Dora Gerson
and Max Schreck
(the vampire in Nosferatu). Later he began working in silent and sound films; he landed supporting roles in Femme, Königin Luise and Das Land ohne Frauen. In 1930, along with Leni Riefenstahl
, he appeared in Avalanche (Stürme über dem Mont Blanc), and in 1932 he played the lead in Riefenstahl's Das Blaue Licht
.
At the height of his film career, during the decade of the 1930s, Wieman acted in such productions as The Man Without a Name (Mensch ohne Namen), Queen of Atlantis (Die Herrin von Atlantis), The Countess of Monte Cristo (Die Gräfin von Monte Christo), Fräulein Hoffmanns Erzählungen, The Rider of the White Horse (Der Schimmelreiter), Viktoria, Patriots, and Togger. He also had an international success with his appearance in "The Eternal Mask" (Die Ewige Maske). The movie was awarded with the American National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Film in the United States in 1937 (National Board of Review Awards 1937
). The film was also nominated for an award at the Venice Film Festival
. Also in 1937, Wieman was made
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...
stage-performer, silent-and-sound motion picture 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...
.
Early life
Wieman was born in OsnabrückOsnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
, the only son of Carl Philipp Anton Wieman and his wife Louise. Raised in Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
, Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where he studied four terms of philosophy, history of art and languages, Wieman wanted to actually become an airplane technical designer and flier. He started his acting career on the stage in Berlin under the direction of Max Reinhardt
Max Reinhardt (theatre director)
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
at the Deutsches Theater
Deutsches Theater
The Deutsches Theater in Berlin is a well-known German theatre. It was built in 1850 as Friedrich-Wilhelm-Städtisches Theater, after Frederick William IV of Prussia. Located on Schumann Street , the Deutsches Theater consists of two adjoining stages that share a common, classical facade...
. In the early 1920s, he was a member of the Holtorf-Truppe, a stock theater group that included future director Veit Harlan
Veit Harlan
Veit Harlan was a German film director and actor.-Life and career:Harlan was born in Berlin. After studying under Max Reinhardt, he first appeared on the stage in 1915 and, after World War I, worked in the Berlin stage. In 1922 he married Jewish actress and cabaret singer Dora Gerson; the couple...
. His fellow stage actors included his future wife, Erika Meingast, Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
, Dora Gerson
Dora Gerson
Dora Gerson was a Jewish German cabaret singer and motion picture actress of the silent film era who was murdered with her family at Auschwitz concentration camp.- Life and work :...
and Max Schreck
Max Schreck
Friedrich Gustav Max Schreck was a German actor. He is most often remembered today for his lead role in the film Nosferatu .-Early life:Max Schreck was born in Berlin-Friedenau, on 6 September 1879....
(the vampire in Nosferatu). Later he began working in silent and sound films; he landed supporting roles in Femme, Königin Luise and Das Land ohne Frauen. In 1930, along with Leni Riefenstahl
Leni Riefenstahl
Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl was a German film director, actress and dancer widely noted for her aesthetics and innovations as a filmmaker. Her most famous film was Triumph des Willens , a propaganda film made at the 1934 Nuremberg congress of the Nazi Party...
, he appeared in Avalanche (Stürme über dem Mont Blanc), and in 1932 he played the lead in Riefenstahl's Das Blaue Licht
Das Blaue Licht
Das Blaue Licht is a black-and-white 1932 film written and directed by Leni Riefenstahl and Béla Balázs, with uncredited scripting by Carl Mayer. In Riefenstahl's film version, the witch, Junta, played by Riefenstahl, is intended to be a sympathetic character...
.
At the height of his film career, during the decade of the 1930s, Wieman acted in such productions as The Man Without a Name (Mensch ohne Namen), Queen of Atlantis (Die Herrin von Atlantis), The Countess of Monte Cristo (Die Gräfin von Monte Christo), Fräulein Hoffmanns Erzählungen, The Rider of the White Horse (Der Schimmelreiter), Viktoria, Patriots, and Togger. He also had an international success with his appearance in "The Eternal Mask" (Die Ewige Maske). The movie was awarded with the American National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Film in the United States in 1937 (National Board of Review Awards 1937
National Board of Review Awards 1937
-Best American Films:#Night Must Fall#The Life of Emile Zola#Black Legion#Camille#Make Way for Tomorrow#The Good Earth#They Won't Forget#Captains Courageous#A Star Is Born#Stage Door- Top Foreign Films :#The Eternal Mask...
). The film was also nominated for an award at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
. Also in 1937, Wieman was made