Introduction
Rosa Porten (February 18, 1884 - May 7, 1972) was a prolific German screenwriter, actor, and director during the nitrate film era.
Early life
Porten was born in Düsseldorf, Germany, the daughter of Franz Porten and Wincenzia Porten (née Wybiral). She had a younger sister, Henny Porten, and a younger brother, Fritz Porten. Her father was an opera singer and her sister was a popular film star in Germany.
Career
As a child, Porten and her sister would often appear in school plays and moving picture image collections featuring opera and arias that their father shot.
As a director, Porten's films were notable for featuring storylines centered on women.
Personal life
Porten was married to director, Franz Eckstein. She died in 1972 in Munich, Germany.
Filmography
The following is a selected list of works by Porten. Film archivists suspect that Porten worked on over 50 films, but most have not survived due to the flammable nature of the films of that period. Her films have been featured in film festivals like The Fifth International Women and the Silent Screen Conference, Stockholm University, Sweden in June 2008, Il Cinema Ritrovato and UNESCO’s World Day for Audiovisual Heritage in 2010 and 2014.
Screenwriter
- 1928: Die Heiratsfalle - writer, director
- 1927: Das Mädchen aus der Fremde - writer
- 1927: Fahrendes Volk (documentary short) - writer
- 1925: Hedda Gabler (screenplay) - writer
- 1924: Die Schmetterlingsschlacht - writer
- 1922: Ihr schlechter Ruf - writer, actor
- 1921: Deines Bruders Weib - writer
- 1921: Die Hexe - writer
- 1921: Die Rächer - writer
- 1921: Lotte Lore - writer
- 1921: Was tat ich dir? - writer
- 1921: You Are the Life - writer
- 1921: Durch Liebe erlöst - writer
- 1921: Opfer der Liebe - writer
- 1920: Badebubi - writer
- 1920: Das Drama von Glossow - writer
- 1920: Auri Sacra Fames, 2. Teil - Das Testament eines Exzentrischen - writer, actor
- 1920: Auri Sacra Fames, 1. Teil - An der Liebe Narrenseil - writer, actor
- 1920: Themis - writer, actor
- 1919: Die da sterben, wenn sie lieben - writer
- 1918: Die Augen der Schwester - writer, actor
- 1918: Ihr Junge - writer, actor
- 1918: Die Filmkathi - writer, director, actor
- 1918: Der Trompeter von Säckingen - writer
- 1917: Die nicht lieben dürfen... - writer, director, actor
- 1917: Ihr laßt den Armen schuldig werden - writer, actor
- 1917: Die Erzkokette - writer, director, actor
- 1917: Der neueste Stern vom Variété - writer, director, actor
- 1917: Gräfin Maruschka - writer, director, actor
- 1916: Die Wäscher-Resl - writer, director, actor
- 1916: Das große Schweigen - writer
- 1915: Abgründe - writer
- 1911: Das Liebesglück der Blinden = The Happy Love of a Blind Girl (short) - writer
Actor
- 1921: Die Rächer - actor
- 1910: Das Geheimnis der Toten (short) - actor
- 1910: Wem gehört das Kind? = Who owns the child? (short) - actor
- In 2014, Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna restored this nitrate film that was in the holdings of the Deutsche Kinemathek
- 1909: Der Brief an den lieben Gott (short) - actor
- 1909: Die kleine Baroness (short) - actor
- 1909: Othello (short) - actor, as Emilia
- 1908: Funiculi Funicula (short) - actor
- 1906: Apachentanz (short) - actor
- 1906: Meißner Porzellan (short) - actor, as Dame
Director
As a director, Porten often co-directed with her husband, Franz Eckstein; in these instances she used the pseudonym, Dr. R. Portegg.
- 1920: Die List Einer Zigarettenmacherin = Wanda's Trick - director (as R. Portegg)
- 1918: Der nicht vom Weibe Geborene - director
- 1918: Der Dieb - director (as R. Portegg)
- 1917: Das Opfer der Yella Rogesius = The Victim of the Yella Rogesius - director (as R. Portegg)
- 1917: Das Teufelchen = The Devil - director (as Dr. R. Portegg)
- In 2013, Österreichisches Filmmuseum = Austrian Film Museum restored this nitrate film, with the photochemical preservation process completed by Svenska Filminstitutet. Original had special tinting which was recreated via the Desmet method
- 1917: Die Landpomeranze = The Unwieldy Country Woman - director (as Dr. R. Portegg)
- "Rosa Porten - Filmography". filmportal.de at Deutsches Filminstitut. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
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- "Filmographie Rosa Porten". f_films - female filmworkers in europe - Deutsches Filminstitut. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
- "Österreichisches Filmmuseum, Wien: FIAF Annual Report 2013" (PDF). Österreichisches Filmmuseum. 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
Works and publications
- Porten, Rosa. Die Filmprinzeß: Roman aus der Kino-Welt. = The Film Princess. Berlin: Eysler, 1919. OCLC 711795572