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F. W. Murnau

File:F._W._Murnau_circa_1920-1930.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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F. W. Murnau

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Also known as Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe, Friedrich Murnau, F.W. Murnau, F W Murnau

German film director (1888–1931)

OverviewAI-generated

F. W. Murnau, born Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe in Bielefeld, Germany, was a film director, screenwriter, and producer. He began his professional work in 1919 and was educated at Heidelberg University and the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts. Murnau’s filmography includes works in the horror and drama genres, with notable titles such as *Faust*, *Der Letzte Mann*, *The last laugh*, and *Tabu*.

A German citizen who participated in World War I, Murnau was also identified as homosexual. He died on March 11, 1931, in Santa Barbara, where he suffered an accidental death resulting from a traffic collision.

Synthesized by Vinony from 37 facts across 7 sources: Wikidata, Crossref, MusicBrainz, Last.fm, TMDb, Open Library, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Person · Open Library

Born
1888
Died
1931
Works
12

Top works

  • Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau
  • Tabu
  • Der Letzte Mann
  • The last laugh
  • Faust

via Open Library + Wikidata

Film & TV

Directing · Bielefeld, North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Friedrich Wilhelm “F. W.” Murnau (December 28, 1888 – March 11, 1931) was one of the most influential German film directors of the silent era, and a prominent figure in the expressionist movement in German cinema during the 1920s. Although some of Murnau’s films have been lost, most still survive. While the horror film Nosferatu (1922) is his most famous work, the romantic melodrama Sunrise: A…

Known for

  • Murnau, Borzage and Fox — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)2008
  • The Way to Murnau — Himself (archive footage)2003
  • Los 5 Faust de F. W. Murnau — Himself (archive footage)2002
  • The Movie City of Hollywood — Self1928
  • Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans — Dancer (uncredited)1927
  • The Film in the Film — Self1924

via TMDB

Music · MusicBrainz

Country
US

via MusicBrainz · CC0

Listeners · Last.fm

Listeners
21
Total plays
39

<a href="https://www.last.fm/music/F.+W.+Murnau">Read more on Last.fm</a>

via Last.fm · F. W. Murnau

Key facts

Born
Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe , ( 1888-12-28 ) 28 December 1888, Bielefeld , German Empire
Died
11 March 1931 (1931-03-11) (aged 42), Santa Barbara, California , U.S.
Burial place
Stahnsdorf South-Western Cemetery
Alma mater
University of Berlin , University of Heidelberg
Occupations
Film director producer screenwriter
Years active
1919–1931
Movement
German Expressionism
Allegiance
German Empire
Branch
Imperial German Army Luftstreitkräfte
Conflicts
World War I Eastern Front

via Wikipedia infobox

~12 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (né Plumpe; 28 December 1888 – 11 March 1931) was a German film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is regarded as one of cinema's most influential filmmakers for his work in the silent era.

An erudite child with an early interest in film, Murnau eventually studied philology and art before director Max Reinhardt recruited him to his acting school. During World War I, he served in the Imperial German Army, initially as an infantry company commander and communications officer and later with the German Army's Flying Corps as an observer/gunner. He survived several crashes without any severe injuries.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “F. W. Murnau” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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