Franz Antel

Known for DirectingBorn 1913-06-28Died 2007-08-11 Vienna, Austria

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Franz Antel (June 28, 1913 – August 11, 2007) was a veteran Austrian filmmaker. Born in Vienna, Antel worked mainly as a film producer in the interwar years. After World War II, he began writing and directing films on a large scale. In the late 1940s, 1950s and 1960s these were mainly comedies (romantic, slapstick, and/or musical) and K.u.k. films all of which, for Austrian and German TV stations alike, have been a staple of weekend afternoon programming ever since. In between there is quite a sober film about the Oberst (Colonel) Redl affair that shook the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy on the eve of World War I. From the late 1960s, encouraged by the new opportunities in the film industry brought about by the sexual revolution, Antel gradually switched his main interest to soft porn and ribaldry. It was in particular his series of Wirtin ("hostess") films, directed under the pseudonym François Legrand, with which he tried to win international recognition. Titles included The Sweet Sins of Sexy Susan (1967), Sexy Susan Sins Again (1969), Wild, Willing & Sexy (1969) and Don't Tell Daddy (aka Naughty Nymphs in the U.S.A.) (1972). Among the actors Antel worked with were Hans Moser, Paul Hörbiger, Oskar Werner, Curd Jürgens, Tony Curtis, Herbert Fux, Heinrich Schweiger, Arthur Kennedy, Carroll Baker, Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Marisa Berenson, Britt Ekland, Andréa Ferréol. 1981 was a turning point in Antel's career when he adapted for the big screen a stage play by Ulrich Becher and Peter Preses. Set from the days of the Anschluss of 1938 until after the end of the war, Der Bockerer is about a Viennese butcher named Karl Bockerer (Karl Merkatz) whose common sense rather than intellect tells him to oppose the Nazis and who dares to show resistance just because he is never fully aware of the possible fateful consequences of his actions. While Bockerer and his wife survive the war unscathed, their son joins the SA but, after some internal intrigue, is sent to the front and killed. Der Bockerer IV The film's strong anti-fascist message, the moving dialogue, and performances by the crème de la crème of Austrian actors and actresses (Ida Krottendorf, Alfred Böhm, Heinz Marecek, Hans Holt, Dolores Schmidinger and many more) made Der Bockerer an unusually successful film and gave new impetus to Antel's career. He made three sequels, which follow the lives of the Bockerers well into the 1960s, each depicting a crucial historical event in Austria or one of its neighbouring countries: Der Bockerer II (1996) is about the ten-year occupation (1945-1955) of Austria by the allied powers; Der Bockerer III — Die Brücke von Andau (2000) is set at the time of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956; and, finally, Der Bockerer IV — Der Prager Frühling (2003) deals with Dubček's Prague Spring of 1968. Antel would recount an anecdote about himself describing how, in order to live up to his reputation as a womanizer, he used to carry a pair of high heels in his luggage which he then would occasionally place in the corridor in front of his hotel room – especially when he was travelling alone. Description above from the Wikipedia article Franz Antel, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.Read more

Movies & web series

Mein Freund, der Lipizzaner

Maskenball bei Scotland Yard

Das ist die Liebe der Matrosen

Heute nacht passiert’s

Dalli Dalli

Romy Award

Die Kaffeehaus-Clique

Blackmail Chase

Liebe, Mädchen und Soldaten

Phettbergs nette Leit Show

Immortal Melodies

Blau blüht der Enzian

Popcorn und Paprika

Auch Mimosen wollen blühen

Die gelbe Nachtigall

Glocken läuten überall

Der Schatz vom Toplitzsee

The Congress Dances

Rosen aus dem Süden

Der Obersteiger

The Butcher

Das singende Haus

Sie nannten ihn Krambambuli

V.I.P. Schaukel

Solang' die Sterne glüh'n

Das Glück liegt auf der Straße

Das Wandern ist Herrn Müllers Lust

Ideale Frau gesucht

On the Alm, there's no sin

Der Bockerer III - Die Brücke von Andau

Der Bockerer II - Österreich ist frei

Johann Strauss: The King Without a Crown

Einer spinnt immer

Im schwarzen Rössl

Liebesgrüße aus Tirol

Hello Dienstmann

Imperial Manoeuvres

The Sweetest Fruits

Der alte Sünder

Millionenerbschaft

Heimweh... dort, wo die Blumen blüh'n

Mein Vater, der Affe und ich

Frühstück mit dem Tod

Der Bockerer IV - Prager Frühling

Kaiserball

Symphonie in Gold

Lumpazivagabundus

Ein tolles Früchtchen