Willi Forst Austrian actor, director, producer Date of Birth: 07.04.1903 Country: Austria

1. Biography of Willy Forst
2. Early Career in Theater
3. Success in Film and Theater
4. Directorial Career
5. Recognition and Later Life

Biography of Willy Forst

Willy Forst was an Austrian actor, director, and producer who also worked in Germany. He was born as Wilhelm Anton Frohs on April 7, 1902, in Vienna, to Wilhelm Frohs, an artist, and Maria Perschl, the daughter of a miller.

Early Career in Theater

After finishing high school and performing in amateur productions, Forst joined a theater troupe in Teschen in 1919. Despite lacking formal training, he was accepted as the "second young lover and comedian with mandatory choir participation." He later performed in various German-speaking provincial theaters.

Success in Film and Theater

In 1920, Forst made his film debut in an Austrian movie called "Der Wegweiser." He began regularly appearing in films from 1927, including two films with Marlene Dietrich. His breakthrough came in 1929 when he portrayed a musician in the sound film "Atlantic." In the early 1930s, he became a favorite of the audience due to his roles in musical comedies.

Directorial Career

In 1933, Forst made his directorial and screenwriting debut with the film "Leise flehen meine Lieder" about Franz Schubert. His second film, "Maskerade" (1934), became a worldwide success and launched the career of newcomer Paula Wessely. He also brought back Pola Negri to Germany for the film "Mazurka" (1935). During this period, Forst primarily worked in Vienna and established his production company, Willy Forst Film-Produktion.

Recognition and Later Life

In 1939, Forst directed and starred in his most famous film, "Bel Ami," based on Guy de Maupassant's novel. Despite the occupation of his homeland by the Nazis, his Austrian films provided escapism and joy to the audience. Forst admired directors Ernst Lubitsch and René Clair.

After a prolonged preparation period in Prague, Forst began filming "Wiener Mädeln" (Viennese Girls) in 1944, hoping it would be the first German post-war film. However, the film was not released until 1949 and did not achieve success, similar to his subsequent works.

In 1948, Forst's film "Operette" (1940) was shown as a trophy in the Soviet Union. His 1951 film, "Die Sünderin," caused controversy due to a short scene featuring Hildegarde Knef posing naked in the background and its depiction of suicide. Some cities protested, and the film was banned in certain areas.

Forst's last film, "Wien, du Stadt meiner Träume" (Vienna, City of My Dreams), released in 1957, had a programmatic title. From 1957 onwards, he rarely appeared in public and chose to retire gracefully. He lived in Brissago, Switzerland, with his wife Melanie, whom he married in 1934, until her death in 1973. Forst then moved to Vienna in 1977.

He passed away on August 11, 1980, in Vienna. In the same year, he declined to appear in a film dedicated to him titled "Sterne, die vorüberzogen" (Stars That Passed).