Peter Viertel: Difference between revisions
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==Biography== |
==Biography== |
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Viertel was born to [[Jews|Jewish]] parents in [[Dresden, Germany|Dresden]], the writer and actress [[Salka Viertel]] and the writer [[Berthold Viertel]].<ref name="german" /> In 1928, his parents moved to [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]], [[California]], where Viertel grew up with his brothers, Hans and Thomas. The home in [[Santa Monica neighborhoods|Santa Monica Canyon]] was the site of [[Salon (gathering)|salons]] and meetings of the Hollywood [[intelligentsia]] and the [[émigré]] community of European intellectuals, particularly at the Sunday night tea parties given by Viertel's mother.<ref>http://www.usc.edu/libraries/archives/arc/libraries/feuchtwanger/exiles/viertel.html</ref> However, Viertel identified more with Southern California youth culture than with the European millieu he was exposed to by his family. "The physical aspect of European intellectuals was so totally different from what an American kid wants to be," he told the ''International Herald Tribune'' in 1992. "I knew [[Bert Brecht]] was close to being a genius, but he was a funny-looking man to me." |
Viertel was born to [[Jews|Jewish]] parents in [[Dresden, Germany|Dresden]], the writer and actress [[Salka Viertel]] and the writer [[Berthold Viertel]].<ref name="german" /> In 1928, his parents moved to [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]], [[California]], where Viertel grew up with his brothers, Hans and Thomas. The home in [[Santa Monica neighborhoods|Santa Monica Canyon]] was the site of [[Salon (gathering)|salons]] and meetings of the Hollywood [[intelligentsia]] and the [[émigré]] community of European intellectuals, particularly at the Sunday night tea parties given by Viertel's mother.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usc.edu/libraries/archives/arc/libraries/feuchtwanger/exiles/viertel.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2007-08-29 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829033805/http://www.usc.edu/libraries/archives/arc/libraries/feuchtwanger/exiles/viertel.html |archivedate=2007-08-29 |df= }}</ref> However, Viertel identified more with Southern California youth culture than with the European millieu he was exposed to by his family. "The physical aspect of European intellectuals was so totally different from what an American kid wants to be," he told the ''International Herald Tribune'' in 1992. "I knew [[Bert Brecht]] was close to being a genius, but he was a funny-looking man to me." |
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Viertel graduated from [[Dartmouth College]] in 1941.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://thedartmouth.com/2007/11/08/news/briefs/ | title = Daily Debriefing | first = Josh | last = Roselman | work = [[The Dartmouth]] | accessdate = 2007-11-08 }}</ref> He was an enlisted man in the United States Marine Corps in the South Pacific theater for part of World War II, but after being assigned office work in California (in his memoirs he joked he was a "Remington Raider" in reference to the typewriters they used), he sought and eventually gained work with the [[Office of Strategic Services|O.S.S.]] as a second lieutenant. His native German language skills were put to use in Nazi-controlled Europe. Viertel later co-wrote a play titled ''The Survivors'' with writer Irwin Shaw based upon experiences related to World War II. |
Viertel graduated from [[Dartmouth College]] in 1941.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://thedartmouth.com/2007/11/08/news/briefs/ | title = Daily Debriefing | first = Josh | last = Roselman | work = [[The Dartmouth]] | accessdate = 2007-11-08 }}</ref> He was an enlisted man in the United States Marine Corps in the South Pacific theater for part of World War II, but after being assigned office work in California (in his memoirs he joked he was a "Remington Raider" in reference to the typewriters they used), he sought and eventually gained work with the [[Office of Strategic Services|O.S.S.]] as a second lieutenant. His native German language skills were put to use in Nazi-controlled Europe. Viertel later co-wrote a play titled ''The Survivors'' with writer Irwin Shaw based upon experiences related to World War II. |
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Viertel was best known for his novel ''White Hunter Black Heart'', which was made [[White Hunter Black Heart|into a film]] starring [[Clint Eastwood]] in 1990.<ref>[http://www.surinenglish.com/noticias.php?Noticia=10689 ''Sur in English': "Peter Viertel author and screenwriter" May 31 2007]</ref> It is a thinly-disguised account of Viertel's experiences working with film director [[John Huston]] while they were making ''[[The African Queen (film)|The African Queen]]''. The central character is scriptwriter Pete Verrill while the Huston character is called John Wilson. Viertel's opinion of the finished film was tempered by his idea that Huston himself would have preferred a portrayal with more sarcasm.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/05/AR2007110501748_pf.html Washington Post Obituary November 6, 2007]</ref> Viertel's looks and personality were an inspiration for Robert Redford's character Hubbell Gardiner in ''[[The Way We Were]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|title=Deborah Kerr: In Memory|url=http://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/deborah-kerr-in-memory|work=rogerebert.com|publisher=Chicago Sun-Times|accessdate=April 14, 2013|date=October 18, 2007}}</ref> |
Viertel was best known for his novel ''White Hunter Black Heart'', which was made [[White Hunter Black Heart|into a film]] starring [[Clint Eastwood]] in 1990.<ref>[http://www.surinenglish.com/noticias.php?Noticia=10689 ''Sur in English': "Peter Viertel author and screenwriter" May 31 2007]</ref> It is a thinly-disguised account of Viertel's experiences working with film director [[John Huston]] while they were making ''[[The African Queen (film)|The African Queen]]''. The central character is scriptwriter Pete Verrill while the Huston character is called John Wilson. Viertel's opinion of the finished film was tempered by his idea that Huston himself would have preferred a portrayal with more sarcasm.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/05/AR2007110501748_pf.html Washington Post Obituary November 6, 2007]</ref> Viertel's looks and personality were an inspiration for Robert Redford's character Hubbell Gardiner in ''[[The Way We Were]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|title=Deborah Kerr: In Memory|url=http://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/deborah-kerr-in-memory|work=rogerebert.com|publisher=Chicago Sun-Times|accessdate=April 14, 2013|date=October 18, 2007}}</ref> |
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Of his screenwriting work for Hollywood productions, Viertel said that it was primarily a vehicle for income so that he could continue to write novels.<ref>[http://www.eeweems.com/peter_viertel/la_tribuna_obit.html Marbella, Spain, La Tribuna obituary November 6, 2007]</ref> Though he worked closely with movie professionals that he liked such as [[Billy Wilder]] and Huston, Viertel said there was always creative tension.<ref name="eeweems.com">[http://www.eeweems.com/peter_viertel/la_tribuna_obit.html English translation of La Tribuna obituary November 6, 2007]</ref> |
Of his screenwriting work for Hollywood productions, Viertel said that it was primarily a vehicle for income so that he could continue to write novels.<ref>[http://www.eeweems.com/peter_viertel/la_tribuna_obit.html Marbella, Spain, La Tribuna obituary November 6, 2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071125165725/http://www.eeweems.com/peter_viertel/la_tribuna_obit.html |date=November 25, 2007 }}</ref> Though he worked closely with movie professionals that he liked such as [[Billy Wilder]] and Huston, Viertel said there was always creative tension.<ref name="eeweems.com">[http://www.eeweems.com/peter_viertel/la_tribuna_obit.html English translation of La Tribuna obituary November 6, 2007] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071125165725/http://www.eeweems.com/peter_viertel/la_tribuna_obit.html |date=November 25, 2007 }}</ref> |
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Viertel is recognized for introducing surfing in Europe. In 1956, while on location in [[Biarritz]] for the filming of The Sun Also Rises, Viertel was so impressed by the waves that he sent for his surfboard from California and soon afterwards started Europe's first surf club.<ref>The Encyclopedia of Surfing, by Matt Warshaw, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005</ref> |
Viertel is recognized for introducing surfing in Europe. In 1956, while on location in [[Biarritz]] for the filming of The Sun Also Rises, Viertel was so impressed by the waves that he sent for his surfboard from California and soon afterwards started Europe's first surf club.<ref>The Encyclopedia of Surfing, by Matt Warshaw, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005</ref> |
Revision as of 08:59, 7 January 2018
Peter Viertel | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 4 November 2007 | (aged 86)
Spouse(s) | Virginia Lee Ray (m. 19??; div. 1958) |
Parent(s) | Berthold Viertel Salka Viertel |
Peter Viertel (16 November 1920 – 4 November 2007)[1] was an author and screenwriter.
Biography
Viertel was born to Jewish parents in Dresden, the writer and actress Salka Viertel and the writer Berthold Viertel.[1] In 1928, his parents moved to Santa Monica, California, where Viertel grew up with his brothers, Hans and Thomas. The home in Santa Monica Canyon was the site of salons and meetings of the Hollywood intelligentsia and the émigré community of European intellectuals, particularly at the Sunday night tea parties given by Viertel's mother.[2] However, Viertel identified more with Southern California youth culture than with the European millieu he was exposed to by his family. "The physical aspect of European intellectuals was so totally different from what an American kid wants to be," he told the International Herald Tribune in 1992. "I knew Bert Brecht was close to being a genius, but he was a funny-looking man to me."
Viertel graduated from Dartmouth College in 1941.[3] He was an enlisted man in the United States Marine Corps in the South Pacific theater for part of World War II, but after being assigned office work in California (in his memoirs he joked he was a "Remington Raider" in reference to the typewriters they used), he sought and eventually gained work with the O.S.S. as a second lieutenant. His native German language skills were put to use in Nazi-controlled Europe. Viertel later co-wrote a play titled The Survivors with writer Irwin Shaw based upon experiences related to World War II.
Viertel was best known for his novel White Hunter Black Heart, which was made into a film starring Clint Eastwood in 1990.[4] It is a thinly-disguised account of Viertel's experiences working with film director John Huston while they were making The African Queen. The central character is scriptwriter Pete Verrill while the Huston character is called John Wilson. Viertel's opinion of the finished film was tempered by his idea that Huston himself would have preferred a portrayal with more sarcasm.[5] Viertel's looks and personality were an inspiration for Robert Redford's character Hubbell Gardiner in The Way We Were.[6]
Of his screenwriting work for Hollywood productions, Viertel said that it was primarily a vehicle for income so that he could continue to write novels.[7] Though he worked closely with movie professionals that he liked such as Billy Wilder and Huston, Viertel said there was always creative tension.[8]
Viertel is recognized for introducing surfing in Europe. In 1956, while on location in Biarritz for the filming of The Sun Also Rises, Viertel was so impressed by the waves that he sent for his surfboard from California and soon afterwards started Europe's first surf club.[9]
Viertel was twice married. His first wife was Virginia Ray "Jigee" Schulberg, the ex-wife of the novelist and screenwriter Budd Schulberg; she was pregnant with their only child, Christine, when Viertel abandoned her to live with the fashion model Simone Micheline Bodin known professionally as Bettina. His second wife was the actress Deborah Kerr (from 23 July 1960 until Kerr's death on 16 October 2007); by her, he had two stepdaughters, Melanie and Francesca Bartley. He died nineteen days after Deborah in Marbella, Spain; the cause was lymphoma. He was 12 days shy of his 87th birthday.
At the time of his death, it was reported that a novel based upon his O.S.S. experiences from World War II was in completed form, as was also a second volume of memoirs.[8]
A filmed documentary by director Michael Scheingraber was in production at the time of Viertel's death. Titled Peter Viertel – Between the Lines, the film is based upon over 400 minutes of recorded interviews with him.[10]
Films
- Saboteur (1942)
- The Hard Way (1943)
- We Were Strangers (1949)
- Roughshod (1949)
- Decision Before Dawn (1951)
- The African Queen (1951)
- The Village (1953)
- The Sun Also Rises (1957)
- Les bijoutiers du clair de lune (1958)
- The Old Man and the Sea (1958)
- Le Couteau dans la plaie (1962)
- White Hunter Black Heart (1990)
Books
- The Canyon (1940)
- Line of Departure (1947)
- White Hunter Black Heart (1953)
- Love Lies Bleeding (1964)
- Bicycle on the Beach (1971)
- American Skin (1984)
- Dangerous Friends: At Large with Huston and Hemingway in the Fifties (1992)
- Loser Deals (1995)
Footnotes
- ^ a b "Screenwriter Viertel dies shortly after his wife Deborah Kerr" November 5 2007 (in German)
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-08-29. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Roselman, Josh. "Daily Debriefing". The Dartmouth. Retrieved 2007-11-08.
- ^ Sur in English': "Peter Viertel author and screenwriter" May 31 2007
- ^ Washington Post Obituary November 6, 2007
- ^ Ebert, Roger (October 18, 2007). "Deborah Kerr: In Memory". rogerebert.com. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
- ^ Marbella, Spain, La Tribuna obituary November 6, 2007 Archived November 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b English translation of La Tribuna obituary November 6, 2007 Archived November 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The Encyclopedia of Surfing, by Matt Warshaw, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005
- ^ Peter Viertel Between the Lines – letter from Director Michael Scheingraber
References
- "Peter Viertel, 86, Author and Screenwriter, Is Dead", by Douglas Martin, The New York Times, November 6, 2007
External links
- Obituary in N.Y. Times, 8 November 2007 (requires login)
- Obituary by Ronald Bergan in The Guardian, 7 November 2007
- Peter Viertel at IMDb
- Peter Viertel (fan-site) Images, letters, bio and other information
- 1920 births
- 2007 deaths
- 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights
- American expatriates in Spain
- American male dramatists and playwrights
- American dramatists and playwrights
- American male screenwriters
- American memoirists
- American military personnel of World War II
- American people of German-Jewish descent
- Deaths from cancer in Spain
- Dartmouth College alumni
- Deaths from lymphoma
- German emigrants to the United States
- German expatriates in Spain
- Surfers
- People of the Office of Strategic Services
- United States Marine Corps officers
- Writers from Santa Monica, California
- 20th-century male writers