Von Sternberg, Josef

Von Sternberg, Josef (1894-1969), Austrian-American film director, known for the visual beauty, particularly the lighting, and atmosphere of his films. Born Jonas Sternberg in Vienna, he went to the United States as a child. His first independent film, The Salvation Hunters (1925), established his reputation. It was followed by Underworld (1927), Docks of New York (1928), and The Last Command (1928). These silent films were followed by von Sternberg's best-known pictures, Der Blaue Engel (1930; The Blue Angel), a talkie made in Germany that introduced the German film star Marlene Dietrich. Other films with Dietrich followed, notably Morocco (1930) and The Shanghai Express (1932), as well as some without her, such as An American Tragedy (1931). After the early 1930s his films revealed more concern with visual imagery than with plot development; among the best was The Shanghai Gesture (1941). His autobiography, Fun in a Chinese Laundry, was published in 1965.