Curt Siodmak
Encyclopedia
Curt Siodmak was a novelist and screenwriter
. He made a name for himself in Hollywood with horror
and science fiction film
s, most notably The Wolf Man and Donovan's Brain
(the latter adapted from his novel of the same name
). He was the brother of noir director Robert Siodmak
.
, Germany
, to a Polish Jewish family, Curt Siodmak acquired a degree in mathematics
before beginning to write novels. He invested early royalties earned by his first books in the movie Menschen am Sonntag (1929) a documentary
-style chronicle of the lives of four Berliners on a Sunday based on their own lives. The movie was co-directed by Curt Siodmak's older brother Robert Siodmak
and Edgar G. Ulmer, with a script by Billy Wilder
in collaboration with Fred Zinneman and cameraman Eugen Schüfftan
. Siodmak was the nephew of noted film producer Seymour Nebenzal
, who funded Menschen am Sonntag with funds borrowed from his father, Heinrich Nebenzahl..
In the following years Siodmak wrote many novels, screenplays, and short stories including the novel F.P.1 Antwortet Nicht
(F.P.1 Doesn't Answer) (1932) which became a popular movie starring Hans Albers
and Peter Lorre
.
Siodmak decided to emigrate after hearing an anti-Semitic tirade by the Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels
, and departed for England where he made a living as a screenwriter before moving to the USA in 1937.
His big break came with the screenplay for The Wolf Man (1941), starring Lon Chaney, Jr.
, which established this fictional creature as the most popular movie monster after Dracula
and Frankenstein's monster
. In the film, Siodmak created several werewolf
"legends": being marked by a pentagram
; being practically immortal apart from being struck/shot by silver implements/bullets; and the famous verse:
"Even a man who is pure in heart,
And says his prayers by night
May become a Wolf when the Wolfbane blooms
And the autumn Moon is bright"
(the last line was changed in the sequels to "The Moon is full and bright").
Siodmak's science-fiction novel Donovan's Brain
(1942) was a bestseller that was translated into many languages and was adapted for the cinema several times, beginning in 1943 with The Lady and the Monster
, then 1953's Donovan's Brain
and 1962's The Brain
. Other notable films he wrote include Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
, I Walked With a Zombie
and The Beast With Five Fingers
. An extensive interview with Siodmak about his career in both Germany and Hollywood is found in Eric Leif Davin's Pioneers of Wonder. In the plots of his work, Siodmak utilised the latest scientific findings combining those with pseudo-scientific motifs like the Jekyll and Hyde complex, the Nazi trauma
and the East-West dichotomy
.
Siodmak died in his sleep on September 2, 2000, at his home in Three Rivers, California
.
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:...
. He made a name for himself in Hollywood with horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
and science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
s, most notably The Wolf Man and Donovan's Brain
Donovan's Brain (film)
Donovan's Brain is a 1953 film, starring Lew Ayres, Gene Evans, and Nancy Reagan , based on the 1942 horror novel Donovan's Brain by Curt Siodmak.-Plot:...
(the latter adapted from his novel of the same name
Donovan's Brain
Donovan's Brain is a 1942 science fiction novel by Curt Siodmak.The novel has become something of a cult classic, with fans including Stephen King. King discusses the novel in his own book Danse Macabre and the line Cory uses to resist Donovan is repeated to similar effect in King's horror novel,...
). He was the brother of noir director Robert Siodmak
Robert Siodmak
Robert Siodmak was a German born American film director. He is best remembered as a thriller specialist and for the series of Hollywood film noirs he made in the 1940s.-Early life:...
.
Life and career
Born Kurt Siodmak in DresdenDresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, Germany
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...
, to a Polish Jewish family, Curt Siodmak acquired a degree in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
before beginning to write novels. He invested early royalties earned by his first books in the movie Menschen am Sonntag (1929) a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
-style chronicle of the lives of four Berliners on a Sunday based on their own lives. The movie was co-directed by Curt Siodmak's older brother Robert Siodmak
Robert Siodmak
Robert Siodmak was a German born American film director. He is best remembered as a thriller specialist and for the series of Hollywood film noirs he made in the 1940s.-Early life:...
and Edgar G. Ulmer, with a script by Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder was an Austro-Hungarian born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist, and journalist, whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age...
in collaboration with Fred Zinneman and cameraman Eugen Schüfftan
Eugen Schüfftan
Eugen Schüfftan was a cinematographer.He invented the Schüfftan process, a special effects technique that employed mirrors to insert actors into miniature sets. One of the first uses of the process was for Metropolis , directed by Fritz Lang...
. Siodmak was the nephew of noted film producer Seymour Nebenzal
Seymour Nebenzal
Seymour Nebenzal was a German film producer. He produced 46 films between 1927 and 1961.He got into film production through his father Heinrich Nebenzahl who in the early 1920s worked with German action star Harry Piel. In 1926 Heinrich Nebenzahl and director-producer Richard Oswald founded the...
, who funded Menschen am Sonntag with funds borrowed from his father, Heinrich Nebenzahl..
In the following years Siodmak wrote many novels, screenplays, and short stories including the novel F.P.1 Antwortet Nicht
F.P.1
F.P.1 antwortet nicht, or F.P.1 Doesn't Respond was the name of a novel written by noted science fiction and fantasy writer/director Kurt Siodmak, best known as the creator of The Wolf Man....
(F.P.1 Doesn't Answer) (1932) which became a popular movie starring Hans Albers
Hans Albers
Hans Philipp August Albers was a German actor and singer. He was the single biggest male movie star in Germany between 1930 and 1945 and one of the most popular German actors of the twentieth century.- Life and work :...
and Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre
Peter Lorre was an Austrian-American actor frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner.He caused an international sensation in 1931 with his portrayal of a serial killer who preys on little girls in the German film M...
.
Siodmak decided to emigrate after hearing an anti-Semitic tirade by the Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism...
, and departed for England where he made a living as a screenwriter before moving to the USA in 1937.
His big break came with the screenplay for The Wolf Man (1941), starring Lon Chaney, Jr.
Lon Chaney, Jr.
Lon Chaney, Jr. , born Creighton Tull Chaney, was an American character actor. He was best known for his roles in monster movies and as the son of famous silent film actor, Lon Chaney...
, which established this fictional creature as the most popular movie monster after Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
and Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster
Frankenstein's monster is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus. The creature is often erroneously referred to as "Frankenstein", but in the novel the creature has no name...
. In the film, Siodmak created several werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
"legends": being marked by a pentagram
Pentagram
A pentagram is the shape of a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes...
; being practically immortal apart from being struck/shot by silver implements/bullets; and the famous verse:
"Even a man who is pure in heart,
And says his prayers by night
May become a Wolf when the Wolfbane blooms
And the autumn Moon is bright"
(the last line was changed in the sequels to "The Moon is full and bright").
Siodmak's science-fiction novel Donovan's Brain
Donovan's Brain
Donovan's Brain is a 1942 science fiction novel by Curt Siodmak.The novel has become something of a cult classic, with fans including Stephen King. King discusses the novel in his own book Danse Macabre and the line Cory uses to resist Donovan is repeated to similar effect in King's horror novel,...
(1942) was a bestseller that was translated into many languages and was adapted for the cinema several times, beginning in 1943 with The Lady and the Monster
The Lady and the Monster
The Lady and the Monster is a film based on the horror novel Donovan's Brain by Curt Siodmak.-Plot:The film is about the attempts to keep alive the brain of a multimillionaire after his death, only to create a telepathic monster...
, then 1953's Donovan's Brain
Donovan's Brain (film)
Donovan's Brain is a 1953 film, starring Lew Ayres, Gene Evans, and Nancy Reagan , based on the 1942 horror novel Donovan's Brain by Curt Siodmak.-Plot:...
and 1962's The Brain
The Brain (1962 film)
The Brain is a 1962 film directed by Freddie Francis. It stars Anne Heywood and Janette Scott. A UK-West German production The Brain differs from earlier film versions of the Curt Siodmak novel Donovan's Brain: in this remake, the dead man seeks his own murderer, through contact with the doctor...
. Other notable films he wrote include Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers is an American black and white science fiction film, directed by Fred F. Sears and released by Columbia Pictures. The film is also known as Invasion of the Flying Saucers. It was ostensibly suggested by the non-fiction work Flying Saucers from Outer Space by Donald...
, I Walked With a Zombie
I Walked with a Zombie
I Walked with a Zombie is a 1943 horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur. It was the second horror film from producer Val Lewton for RKO Pictures; the first was the very successful Cat People, also directed by Tourneur...
and The Beast With Five Fingers
The Beast with Five Fingers
The Beast with Five Fingers is a horror film directed by Robert Florey and with a screenplay by Curt Siodmak, based on a short story by W. F. Harvey first published in the New Decameron. The original music score was composed by Max Steiner...
. An extensive interview with Siodmak about his career in both Germany and Hollywood is found in Eric Leif Davin's Pioneers of Wonder. In the plots of his work, Siodmak utilised the latest scientific findings combining those with pseudo-scientific motifs like the Jekyll and Hyde complex, the Nazi trauma
Consequences of German Nazism
Nazism and the acts of the Nazi German state profoundly affected many countries, communities and peoples before, during and after World War II. While the attempt of Germany to exterminate several nations viewed as subhuman by Nazi ideology was eventually stopped by the Allies, Nazi aggression...
and the East-West dichotomy
East-West dichotomy
The East-West dichotomy is a sociological concept used to describe perceived differences between Western cultures and the Eastern world. Cultural rather than geographical in division, the boundaries of East and West are not fixed, but vary according to the criteria adopted by individuals using the...
.
Siodmak died in his sleep on September 2, 2000, at his home in Three Rivers, California
Three Rivers, California
Three Rivers is a census-designated place in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 2,182 at the 2010 census, down from 2,248 at the 2000 census....
.
Novels
- F.P.1 Doesn't Answer (1933)
- Black Friday (1939)
- Donovan's BrainDonovan's BrainDonovan's Brain is a 1942 science fiction novel by Curt Siodmak.The novel has become something of a cult classic, with fans including Stephen King. King discusses the novel in his own book Danse Macabre and the line Cory uses to resist Donovan is repeated to similar effect in King's horror novel,...
(1942) - The Beast with Five Fingers (1945)
- Whomsoever I Shall Kiss (1952)
- Riders to the Stars (1954)
- Skyport (1959)
- For Kings Only (1964)
- Hauser's Memory (1968)
- The Third Ear (1971)
- City in the Sky (1974)
- Frankenstein Meets Wolfman (1981)
- Gabriel's Body (1992)
Short stories
- The Eggs from Lake Tanganyika (1926)
- Variation of a Theme (1972)
- The P Factor (1976)
- Experiment with Evil (1985)
Non fiction
- Even a Man Who Is Pure in Heart: The Life of a Writer, Not Always to His Liking (1997)
- Wolf Man's Maker (2001) (Posthumous autobiography)
Partial filmography
- Mascottchen (Mascots, 1929) - writer
- Flucht in die Fremdenlegion (1929) - writer
- Menschen am Sonntag (People on SundayPeople on SundayPeople on Sunday is a 1930 German silent drama film directed by Curt and Robert Siodmak from a screenplay by Billy Wilder. It follows the lives of a group of residents of Berlin on a summer's day during the interwar period. Hailed as a work of genius, it is a pivotal film not only in the...
, 1930) - writer - Der Schuß im Tonfilmatelier (The Shot in the Talker Studio, 1930) - writer
- Der Kampf mit dem Drachen oder: Die Tragödie des Untermieters (1930) - writer
- Der Mann, der seinen Mörder sucht (Looking for His Murderer, 1931)
- Der Ball (1931) - screenplay
- Le BalLe BalLe Bal is the title of collection of 2 novellas written by Irène Némirovsky. Published in France in 1930, it has been recently re-issued, due to the increasing interest in and popularity of the author's work, following the discovery and publication of Suite Française.Le Bal is a short novella...
(1931) - screenplay - Die Unsichtbare Front (The Invisible FrontThe Invisible FrontThe Invisible Front , alternated A submarine spying film or Ein U-Boot-Spionage-Film in German, is a german cloak-and-dagger-movie from 1932, directed by Richard Eichberg and starring Trude von Molo, Karl Ludwig Diehl, Veit Harlan and Paul Hörbiger. The story was written by Robert A. Stemmle, Curt...
, 1932) - writer - F.P.1 antwortet nicht (1932) - screenplay
- I.F.1 ne répond plus (1933) - screenplay
- F.P.1F.P.1F.P.1 antwortet nicht, or F.P.1 Doesn't Respond was the name of a novel written by noted science fiction and fantasy writer/director Kurt Siodmak, best known as the creator of The Wolf Man....
(1933) - screenplay - Girls Will Be BoysGirls Will Be BoysGirls Will Be Boys is a 1934 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Dolly Haas, Cyril Maude and Esmond Knight. A young woman dresses up as a boy to fool a wealthy misogynist. It is based on The Last Lord, a play by Robert Siodmak...
(1934) - writer - It's a BetIt's a BetIt's a Bet is a 1935 British black-and-white comedy-drama film, directed by Alexander Esway and starring Ronald Shiner as Fair the Man. It was produced by British International Pictures.-Synopsis:...
(1935) - writer - Abdul the DamnedAbdul the DamnedAbdul the Damned is a 1935 British drama film directed by Karl Grune and starring Fritz Kortner, Nils Asther and John Stuart. It was made by British International Pictures. It set in the Ottoman Empire in the years before the First World War where the Sultan and the Young Turks battle for power...
(1935) - treatment (uncredited) - I Give My Heart (1935) - writer
- The TunnelThe Tunnel (1935 film)The Tunnel, also known as Transatlantic Tunnel in the United States, is a 1935 British science fiction film based on the 1913 novel Der Tunnel by Bernhard Kellermann, about the building of a transatlantic tunnel. It was directed by Maurice Elvey and stars Richard Dix, Leslie Banks, Madge Evans,...
(1935) - writer - Non-Stop New YorkNon-Stop New YorkNon-Stop New York is a 1937 crime film based on the novel Sky Steward by Ken Attiwill. A woman who can clear an innocent man of the charge of murder is pursued by gangsters onto a luxurious transatlantic flying boat.-Cast:...
(1937) - writer - Her Jungle LoveHer Jungle LoveHer Jungle Love is a 1938 adventure film directed by George Archainbaud and starring Dorothy Lamour.-Cast:* Dorothy Lamour - Tura* Ray Milland - Bob Mitchell* Lynne Overman - Jimmy Wallace* J. Carrol Naish - Kuasa...
(1938) - writer - The Invisible Man ReturnsThe Invisible Man ReturnsThe Invisible Man Returns is a 1940 horror science fiction film from Universal. It was written as a sequel to the 1933 film The Invisible Man, which was based on the novel The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells. The studio had signed a multi-picture contract with Wells, and they were hoping that this...
(1940) - screenplay - Black FridayBlack Friday (1940 film)Black Friday is a 1940 American science fiction film starring Boris Karloff. Béla Lugosi, although second-billed, has only a small part in the film and does not appear with Karloff....
(1940) - screenplay - The ApeThe ApeThe Ape is a 1940 American horror film made for Monogram Pictures, co-written by Curt Siodmak and starring Boris Karloff.-Plot outline:Dr. Bernard Adrian is a kindly mad scientist who seeks to cure a young woman's polio. He needs spinal fluid from a human to complete the formula for his...
(1940) - adaptation and screenplay - The Wolf Man (1941) - writer
- Invisible AgentInvisible AgentInvisible Agent is a 1942 science fiction film from Universal. This movie was a war-time propaganda production that was part of a Hollywood effort to boost morale at the home front. It loosely echoed a series of formula war-horror films produced during this period that typically featured a mad...
(1942) - writer - London Blackout Murders (1943) - writer
- Frankenstein Meets the Wolf ManFrankenstein Meets the Wolf ManFrankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, released in 1943, is an American monster horror film produced by Universal Studios starring Lon Chaney, Jr. as the Wolf Man and Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein's monster. This was the first of a series of "ensemble" monster films combining characters from several film...
(1943) - writer - The Purple V (1943) - screenplay
- Mantrap (1943) - writer
- I Walked with a ZombieI Walked with a ZombieI Walked with a Zombie is a 1943 horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur. It was the second horror film from producer Val Lewton for RKO Pictures; the first was the very successful Cat People, also directed by Tourneur...
(1943) - screenplay - False Faces (1943) - writer
- Son of DraculaSon of Dracula (1943 film)Son of Dracula is a 1943 American horror film directed by Robert Siodmak - his first film for Universal studios - with a screenplay based on an original story by his brother Curt. The film stars Lon Chaney, Jr. and his frequent co-star Evelyn Ankers. Notably it is the first film where a vampire...
(1943) - story - The Climax (1944) - adaptation, screenplay
- House of FrankensteinHouse of Frankenstein (1944 film)House of Frankenstein is an American monster horror film produced in 1944 by Universal Studios as a sequel to Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man the previous year. This monster rally approach would continue in the following film, House of Dracula, as well as the 1948 comedy Abbott and Costello Meet...
(1944) - story - Frisco Sal (1945) - writer
- Shady LadyShady Lady"Shady Lady" was the Ukrainian entry for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. It was sung by Ani Lorak, composed by Philipp Kirkorov and written by Karen Kavaleryan. However, in Greece, around the time of the Contest, there were many rumors stating that popular composer Dimitris Kontopoulos had...
(1945) - writer - The Return of Monte Cristo (1946) - story
- The Beast with Five FingersThe Beast with Five FingersThe Beast with Five Fingers is a horror film directed by Robert Florey and with a screenplay by Curt Siodmak, based on a short story by W. F. Harvey first published in the New Decameron. The original music score was composed by Max Steiner...
(1946) - writer - Berlin ExpressBerlin ExpressBerlin Express is a black-and-white drama film directed by Jacques Tourneur. Thrown together by chance, a group of people search a city for a kidnapped peace activist. Set in Allied-occupied Germany, it was shot on location in post-World War II Frankfurt-am-Main and Berlin...
(1948) - story - Tarzan's Magic FountainTarzan's Magic FountainTarzan's Magic Fountain is a 1949 Tarzan film starring Lex Barker as Tarzan and Brenda Joyce as his companion Jane. The film also features Albert Dekker and Evelyn Ankers, was co-written by Curt Siodmak, and directed by Lee Sholem....
(1949) - screenplay - Bride of the GorillaBride of the GorillaBride of the Gorilla is a 1951 B-movie film directed by Curt Siodmak and starring Raymond Burr, Lon Chaney Jr. and Barbara Payton. The pre-release working title was The Face in the Water.-Plot:...
(1951) - writer - The Magnetic MonsterThe Magnetic MonsterThe Magnetic Monster is a 1953 independent science fiction film, directed by Curt Siodmak, and starring Richard Carlson and King Donovan.-Plot:...
(1953) - writer - I Led 3 Lives (episode: Infra Red Film 1954) - writer
- Riders to the StarsRiders to the StarsRiders to the Stars is an American science fiction film that was released in 1954 by Ivan Tors Productions and directed by Richard Carlson. It stars William Lundigan, Martha Hyer, Herbert Marshall, and Richard Carlson.- Plot :...
(1954) - writer - Creature with the Atom BrainCreature with the Atom Brain (1955 film)Creature with the Atom Brain was a 1955 B-movie zombie film from Clover Productions, directed by Edward L. Cahn from a screenplay by Curt Siodmak and distributed by Columbia Pictures as the bottom half of a double bill with It Came from Beneath the Sea...
(1955) - writer - Earth vs. the Flying SaucersEarth vs. the Flying SaucersEarth vs. the Flying Saucers is an American black and white science fiction film, directed by Fred F. Sears and released by Columbia Pictures. The film is also known as Invasion of the Flying Saucers. It was ostensibly suggested by the non-fiction work Flying Saucers from Outer Space by Donald...
(1956) - screen story - Curucu, Beast of the Amazon (1956) - writer
- Love Slaves of the Amazons (1957) - screenplay, story
- Tales of Frankenstein (1958) (TV) - story
- The Devil's MessengerThe Devil's MessengerThe Devil's Messenger is a 1961 anthology horror film starring Lon Chaney Jr.In this feature version of the 1959 Swedish TV series 13 Demon Street, a 50,000-year-old woman is found frozen in an ice field, and a man's death is foretold in dreams....
(1961) - uncredited - Sherlock Holmes und das Halsband des Todes (1962) - screenplay
- Das Feuerschiff (The LightshipThe LightshipThe Lightship is a 1985 American drama film directed by Jerzy Skolimowski.- Cast :* Robert Duvall - Caspary* Arliss Howard - Eddie* Klaus Maria Brandauer - kapitan Miller* Badja Djola - Nate* William Forsythe - Gene* Tim Phillips - Thorne...
, 1963) - writer - Ski Fever (1966) - writer