Rosa Porten (18 February 1884 – 7 May 1972) was a prolific German screenwriter, actress, and director during the silent 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: The Girl from Abroad - writer 1927: Fahrendes Volk (documentary short) - writer 1925: Hedda Gabler (screenplay) - writer 1924: Die Schmetterlingsschlacht - writer 1922: Your Bad Reputation - writer, actor 1921: Your Brother's Wife - 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: Film Kathi - 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: The Coquette - writer, director, actor 1917: The Newest Star of Variety - 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: Not of the Woman Born - 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)
Works and publications Porten, Rosa. Die Filmprinzeß: Roman aus der Kino-Welt. = The Film Princess. Berlin: Eysler, 1919.
References
External links
Rosa Porten on the Women Film Pioneers Project