Biography

Mauritz Stiller

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Moshe "Mauritz" Stiller, born July 17, 1883, in Helsinki, Finland, was a director, writer and actor. He began his artistic activity in the theatre, as an actor at 16. Mauritz Stiller portrayed 87 roles from 1899-1916 and directed 16 productions 1911-28. Together with Viktor Sjöström ( director, actor, writer) he was recruited in 1912 as director/actor to the Swedish film industry by Charles Magnusson at AB Svenska Biografteatern. Mauritz Stiller's films was instantly successful. During his first year he directed six feature films. "Herr Arnes pengar" (1919), "Erotikon" (1920) and "Gösta Berlings saga" (1923) are three cornerstones of Swedish film production. In "Gösta Berlings saga" Greta Garbo, 18 years old, made her first major role. Greta Garbo and Mauritz Stiller came to be best friends and allies forever. Stiller introduced Garbo to the German audience in 1925, before the two sailed of to the USA to make "The Temptress" for Paramount/Irving Thalberg in 1926. Mauritz Stiller directed 51 feature films and appeared as an actor in seven productions from 1912-1927. At 1:05 am Nov 8, 1928, Mauritz Stiller died in Stockholm, after undergoing numerous surgeries, an abscess of a lung ended a great artist's life.
- IMDb mini biography by: Ulf Kjell Gür

Was Greta Garbo's mentor, and brought her to Hollywood. He was abruptly fired from directing her second MGM Hollywood film, The Temptress (1926), after repeated arguments with MGM executives and was soon let go. Unable to hold a job in Hollywood, he returned to Sweden in 1928 and died shortly after at age 45. Garbo was devastated.
The son of Polish-Russian parents, he escaped to Sweden via Finland in order to avoid being conscripted into the Tsarist Army.
His directing style was entirely autocratic, in that he demanded total control over all facets of his production -- something he could never have hoped to achieve in Hollywood, and which contributed significantly to his failure there.
One of the primary directors of early Swedish film, rivaled only by Victor Sjöström. Main works include Sir Arne's Treasure (1919), Erotikon (1920) and The Saga of Gösta Berling (1924), the latter starring Greta Garbo.
He was posthumously awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1713 Vine Street in Hollywood, California on April 14, 1988. His star was originally listed under the erroneous name "Maurice Diller".

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