Bernard Vorhaus

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Bernard Vorhaus (December 25, 1904 – November 23, 2000) was an American film director born in New York City, of German descent, who spent many decades living in the UK. He worked early in his career as a screenwriter and co-produced the film The Singing City. He was blacklisted in Hollywood for his communist sympathies, and returned to England, where he resumed his career; he was known alongside Michael Powell for his quota quickies, he had also worked in Europe.

Career[]

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The Harvard University graduate, in addition to directing thirty-two films, was also the mentor to future film director David Lean, some of whose work as a film editor early in his career was on Vorhaus pictures.

He worked steadily as a screenwriter in Hollywood while in his 20s for such studios as Columbia Pictures and Fox Studios but wanted to direct movies. He eventually decided to move to England and began directing quota quickies, such as The Last Journey (1935).

After attaining success in England, Vorhaus moved back to the U.S. and began working at Republic Pictures directing B-movies. He was blacklisted in 1951 at HUAC hearings.

Vorhaus had already moved to Europe at that time and directed a few minor films while there. He finally returned to England and retired from the film business, unlike contemporaries Joseph Losey and Cy Endfield, who were also communist blacklisters, he founded a company Domar Industries a business specialising in house renovations. His films gained a resurgence in the 1980s.

Family[]

Vorhaus had two children, Gwyn and David, an bass player and electronic music pioneer who worked under the name White Noise.^{[citation needed]}

Selected filmography[]

Play media

Ronald Reagan looking for Bogeys in Recognition of the Japanese Zero Fighter (1943)

• Steppin' Out (US, 1925) author of screenplay
• Seventh Heaven (US, 1927) co-author of screenplay
• No Other Woman (US, 1928) co-author of screenplay
• Sunshine (US, 1928) two-reeler; debut as director
• The Singing City (Germany, 1930) producer; starring Brigitte Helm
• City of Song (UK, 1931) producer
• Money for Speed (UK, 1933)
• Crime on the Hill (UK, 1933)
• The Ghost Camera (UK, 1933)
• On Thin Ice (UK, 1933)
• The Night Club Queen (UK, 1933)
• The Broken Melody (UK, 1934)
• Blind Justice (UK, 1934)
• Dark World (UK, 1935)
• Street Song (UK, 1935)
• Ten Minute Alibi (UK, 1935)
• The Last Journey (UK, 1935)
• Dusty Ermine (UK, 1936)
• Broken Blossoms (UK, 1936) technical supervisor
• Cotton Queen (UK, 1937)
• King of the Newsboys (US, 1938)
• Fisherman's Wharf (US, 1939)
• Way Down South (US, 1939) co-director
• Three Faces West (US, 1940)
• Lady From Louisiana (US, 1941)
• Angels With Broken Wings (US, 1941)
• The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine (US, 1942)
• Recognition of the Japanese Zero Fighter (US, 1943) short film
• Bury Me Dead (US, 1947)
• The Amazing Mr. X (US, 1948) also known as The Spiritualist
• So Young, So Bad (US, 1950)
• The Lady From Boston (France-US, 1951) also known as Pardon My French
• Imbarco a mezzanotte (Italy, 1951) also known as Stranger on the Prowl; replaced by Joseph Losey
• Fanciulle di lusso (Italy, 1953) also known as Finishing School, written by blacklisted writer Norma Barzman
• Roman Holiday (US, 1953) assistant director, under pseudonym

References[]

External links[]

• Bernard Vorhaus at IMDb
• Bernard Vorhaus at the BFI's Screenonline
• BritishPictures entry