Henry Koster

Biography

Henry Koster (May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988), born Hermann Kosterlitz, was a German-born film director, who worked in Europe as well as in Hollywood. Although he never won an Oscar, Koster directed six different actors in Oscar-nominated performances. In 1932, Koster directed his first film in Berlin, the comedy Thea Roland. In the midst of directing his second film Das häßliche Mädchen, Jewish Koster had been the subject of antisemitism, and knew he had to leave the country. He left Germany for France, where he was rehired by director Curtis Bernhardt, who had also fled. Eventually Koster went to Budapest, where he met and married Kató Király in 1934. There he also met Joe Pasternak, who represented Universal in Europe, and directed three films for him. Through his friend Gabriel Levy he ended up directing Dutch sound film De Kribbebijter, released internationally as The Cross-Patch, which proved a success both in the Netherlands - where it played in cinemas for no less than seven years - and in the UK. Soon after, Koster signed a deal with Universal Pictures in Hollywood and moved to the United States. Although Koster did not speak English, he convinced the studio to let hi…

Directed

1. Harvey (1950) — Director
2. The Robe (1953) — Director
3. The Bishop's Wife (1947) — Director
4. Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962) — Director
5. No Highway in the Sky (1951) — Director
6. The Inspector General (1949) — Director
7. The Story of Ruth (1960) — Director
8. My Cousin Rachel (1952) — Director
9. Désirée (1954) — Director
10. O. Henry's Full House (1952) — Director
11. Flower Drum Song (1961) — Director
12. It Started with Eve (1941) — Director
13. The Virgin Queen (1955) — Director
14. D-Day the Sixth of June (1956) — Director
15. Dear Brigitte (1965) — Director
16. Come to the Stable (1949) — Director
17. One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937) — Director
18. Three Smart Girls (1936) — Director
19. My Man Godfrey (1957) — Director
20. The Luck of the Irish (1948) — Director
21. The Singing Nun (1966) — Director
22. The Rage of Paris (1938) — Director
23. Good Morning, Miss Dove (1955) — Director
24. First Love (1939) — Director
25. A Man Called Peter (1955) — Director
26. Spring Parade (1940) — Director
27. Stars and Stripes Forever (1952) — Director
28. Take Her, She's Mine (1963) — Director
29. Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell (1951) — Director
30. Three Smart Girls Grow Up (1939) — Director
31. The Naked Maja (1958) — Director
32. The Unfinished Dance (1947) — Director
33. Catherine the Last (1936) — Director
34. Wabash Avenue (1950) — Director
35. The Power and the Prize (1956) — Director
36. Music for Millions (1944) — Director
37. Two Sisters from Boston (1946) — Director
38. Little Mother (1935) — Director
39. The Crosspatch (1935) — Director
40. My Blue Heaven (1950) — Director

Also appeared in

1. Unwanted Cinema (2005)