- Born
- Died
- Birth nameWerner Richard Heymann
- Nickname
- Werner Heyman
- Werner Richard Heymann was active as a classical composer in Berlin from 1912. By the end of the decade, he also wrote songs for cabaret and served as musical director for Max Reinhardt from 1918 to 1919. In films with Ufa from 1923, he initially worked as assistant to the head of the music department Erno Rapee, before replacing the latter in 1926. Heymann remained under contract until 1933 as musical director and composer, scoring several classic films for F.W. Murnau and Fritz Lang. He also established himself as among the foremost writers of songs for film operetta, creating hits for popular fare like Three from the Filling Station (1930) and Bombs Over Monte Carlo (1931).
Forced to flee from Nazi persecution because of his Jewish background, Heymann made his way to Hollywood via Paris and London. There, he was noted particularly for scoring two of Ernst Lubitsch's best films: Ninotchka (1939) and To Be or Not to Be (1942). Heymann returned to Germany in 1951 where he resumed writing film scores and songs for the theatre until his death in 1961.
- IMDb mini biography by: I.S.Mowis
- SpousesElisabeth Millberg(March 5, 1952 - May 30, 1961) (his death, 1 child)Eva Heymann(1940 - ?) (divorced)Ilse Bachmann(1931 - ?) (divorced)Liselotte Schumacher(July 1916 - ?) (divorced)
- Member of the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1960
- He began his film career as a composer when he was hired by producer Erich Pommer as an assistant to the musical director at UFA Studios in 1925.
- Considered to be one of the most important composers in German cinema in the ''20s and '30s.
- He worked as a composer for cabarets in Berlin, among them "Schall und Rauch" directed by Max Reinhardt. Later he took over the direction of the cabaret himself.
- He attended the Königliche Hochschule for music in Berlin, where he was taught by Paul Juon.
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