Henry Koster

Henry Koster

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 him make Three Smart Girls, for which he personally coached to-be star Deanna Durbin. This picture, a big success, pulled Universal out of bankruptcy. Koster's second Universal film, One Hundred Men and a Girl, also was successful. After this, Koster discovered Abbott and Costello at a nightclub in New York. He returned to Hollywood and convinced Universal to hire them. Their first picture was One Night in the Tropics; the female lead, Peggy Moran, became Koster's second wife in 1942. Ironically, despite Koster's escape from Nazi Germany, when the United States entered World War II Koster was considered an enemy alien and had to stay in his house in the evening. Actor Charles Laughton would visit Koster and play chess with him. Nonetheless, Koster's postwar career proved equally successful. He was nominated for an Academy Award for The Bishop's Wife (1947). In 1950, he directed his biggest success: the James Stewart comedy Harvey. He directed Richard Burton's first U.S. film, My Cousin Rachel, and then in 1953, he was given The Robe, the first CinemaScope film. His last picture was The Singing Nun in 1965. Koster retired to Leisure Village in Camarillo, California, where he painted a series of portraits of the movie stars with whom he worked.

  • Title: Henry Koster
  • Popularity: 4.259
  • Known For: Directing
  • Birthday: 1905-05-01
  • Place of Birth: Berlin, Germany
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As: Hermann Kosterlitz
img

Henry Koster Movies

  • 1929
    imgMovies

    Liebfraumilch

    Liebfraumilch

    1 1929 HD

    img
  • 1955
    imgMovies

    Good Morning, Miss Dove

    Good Morning, Miss Dove

    6.846 1955 HD

    img
  • 1933
    imgMovies

    Der Tunnel

    Der Tunnel

    6 1933 HD

    img
  • 1952
    imgMovies

    O. Henry's Full House

    O. Henry's Full House

    6.5 1952 HD

    img
  • 1950
    imgMovies

    Harvey

    Harvey

    7.7 1950 HD

    img
  • 1961
    imgMovies

    Flower Drum Song

    Flower Drum Song

    6.1 1961 HD

    img
  • 1941
    imgMovies

    It Started with Eve

    It Started with Eve

    7.148 1941 HD

    img
  • 1949
    imgMovies

    The Inspector General

    The Inspector General

    6.4 1949 HD

    img
  • 1962
    imgMovies

    Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation

    Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation

    6.344 1962 HD

    img
  • 1953
    imgMovies

    The Robe

    The Robe

    6.8 1953 HD

    img
  • 1960
    imgMovies

    The Story of Ruth

    The Story of Ruth

    7.3 1960 HD

    img
  • 1965
    imgMovies

    Dear Brigitte

    Dear Brigitte

    6.385 1965 HD

    img
  • 1955
    imgMovies

    The Virgin Queen

    The Virgin Queen

    7.1 1955 HD

    img
  • 1954
    imgMovies

    Désirée

    Désirée

    6.4 1954 HD

    img
  • 1952
    imgMovies

    Stars and Stripes Forever

    Stars and Stripes Forever

    6.8 1952 HD

    img
  • 1939
    imgMovies

    First Love

    First Love

    7.8 1939 HD

    img
  • 1937
    imgMovies

    One Hundred Men and a Girl

    One Hundred Men and a Girl

    6.295 1937 HD

    img
  • 1955
    imgMovies

    A Man Called Peter

    A Man Called Peter

    6.4 1955 HD

    img
  • 1938
    imgMovies

    The Rage of Paris

    The Rage of Paris

    6.1 1938 HD

    img
  • 1963
    imgMovies

    Take Her, She's Mine

    Take Her, She's Mine

    5 1963 HD

    img
  • 1951
    imgMovies

    No Highway in the Sky

    No Highway in the Sky

    6.9 1951 HD

    img
  • 1956
    imgMovies

    D-Day the Sixth of June

    D-Day the Sixth of June

    5.3 1956 HD

    img
  • 1936
    imgMovies

    Three Smart Girls

    Three Smart Girls

    6.4 1936 HD

    img
  • 1939
    imgMovies

    Three Smart Girls Grow Up

    Three Smart Girls Grow Up

    7.3 1939 HD

    img
  • 1951
    imgMovies

    Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell

    Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bell

    6.6 1951 HD

    img
  • 1966
    imgMovies

    The Singing Nun

    The Singing Nun

    5.6 1966 HD

    img
  • 1957
    imgMovies

    My Man Godfrey

    My Man Godfrey

    6.3 1957 HD

    img
  • 1947
    imgMovies

    The Bishop's Wife

    The Bishop's Wife

    7.052 1947 HD

    img
  • 1935
    imgMovies

    The Crosspatch

    The Crosspatch

    9.5 1935 HD

    img
  • 1952
    imgMovies

    My Cousin Rachel

    My Cousin Rachel

    6.69 1952 HD

    img
  • 1958
    imgMovies

    The Naked Maja

    The Naked Maja

    6 1958 HD

    img
  • 1947
    imgMovies

    The Unfinished Dance

    The Unfinished Dance

    6 1947 HD

    img
  • 1949
    imgMovies

    Come to the Stable

    Come to the Stable

    6.3 1949 HD

    img
  • 1950
    imgMovies

    Wabash Avenue

    Wabash Avenue

    4.7 1950 HD

    img
  • 1948
    imgMovies

    The Luck of the Irish

    The Luck of the Irish

    5.7 1948 HD

    img
  • 1936
    imgMovies

    Catherine the Last

    Catherine the Last

    6.4 1936 HD

    img
  • 1934
    imgMovies

    Peter

    Peter

    1 1934 HD

    img
  • 1956
    imgMovies

    The Power and the Prize

    The Power and the Prize

    5.5 1956 HD

    img
  • 1944
    imgMovies

    Music for Millions

    Music for Millions

    6 1944 HD

    img
  • 1951
    imgMovies

    Elopement

    Elopement

    5 1951 HD

    img
  • 1940
    imgMovies

    Spring Parade

    Spring Parade

    6.8 1940 HD

    img
  • 1933
    imgMovies

    Le sexe faible

    Le sexe faible

    1 1933 HD

    img
  • 1958
    imgMovies

    Fraulein

    Fraulein

    7 1958 HD

    img
  • 1946
    imgMovies

    Two Sisters from Boston

    Two Sisters from Boston

    5.8 1946 HD

    img
  • 1935
    imgMovies

    Little Mother

    Little Mother

    5.6 1935 HD

    img
  • 1932
    imgMovies

    Married by the Stork

    Married by the Stork

    7 1932 HD

    img
  • 1963
    imgMovies

    Marilyn

    Marilyn

    6 1963 HD

    img
  • 1931
    imgMovies

    Frivolous youth

    Frivolous youth

    1 1931 HD

    img
  • 1932
    imgMovies

    There Goes the Bride

    There Goes the Bride

    6.4 1932 HD

    img
  • 1939
    imgMovies

    First Love

    First Love

    7.8 1939 HD

    img
  • 1934
    imgMovies

    Der Doppelgänger

    Der Doppelgänger

    6 1934 HD

    img
  • 1934
    imgMovies

    Die vertauschte Braut

    Die vertauschte Braut

    5.8 1934 HD

    img
  • 1942
    imgMovies

    Between Us Girls

    Between Us Girls

    6 1942 HD

    img
  • 1937
    imgMovies

    Farewell Again

    Farewell Again

    5 1937 HD

    img
  • 1950
    imgMovies

    My Blue Heaven

    My Blue Heaven

    7 1950 HD

    img
  • 1967
    imgMovies

    Eine Handvoll Helden

    Eine Handvoll Helden

    5.7 1967 HD

    img
  • 1927
    imgMovies

    Children's Souls Accuse You

    Children's Souls Accuse You

    1 1927 HD

    img
  • 1927
    imgMovies

    Children's Souls Accuse You

    Children's Souls Accuse You

    1 1927 HD

    img
  • 1933
    imgMovies

    Toto

    Toto

    5.2 1933 HD

    img
  • 1933
    imgMovies

    The Private Secretary Gets Married

    The Private Secretary Gets Married

    7 1933 HD

    img
  • 1932
    imgMovies

    Five from the Jazzband

    Five from the Jazzband

    7 1932 HD

    img
  • 1938
    imgMovies

    The Rage of Paris

    The Rage of Paris

    6.1 1938 HD

    img
  • 1963
    imgMovies

    Take Her, She's Mine

    Take Her, She's Mine

    5 1963 HD

    img
  • 1931
    imgMovies

    Stamboul

    Stamboul

    1 1931 HD

    img
  • 1965
    imgMovies

    Dear Brigitte

    Dear Brigitte

    6.385 1965 HD

    img
  • 1935
    imgMovies

    Affairs of Maupassant

    Affairs of Maupassant

    6 1935 HD

    img
  • 1932
    imgMovies

    The Rebel

    The Rebel

    6 1932 HD

    img
  • 1935
    imgMovies

    Affairs of Maupassant

    Affairs of Maupassant

    6 1935 HD

    img
  • 1942
    imgMovies

    Between Us Girls

    Between Us Girls

    6 1942 HD

    img
  • 1935
    imgMovies

    Ball at the Savoy

    Ball at the Savoy

    7 1935 HD

    img
  • 1931
    imgMovies

    The Man Who Killed

    The Man Who Killed

    1 1931 HD

    img
  • 1931
    imgMovies

    The Man Who Committed the Murder

    The Man Who Committed the Murder

    5.2 1931 HD

    img
  • 1926
    imgMovies

    Orphan of Lowood

    Orphan of Lowood

    1 1926 HD

    img
  • 1929
    imgMovies

    Das letzte Fort

    Das letzte Fort

    1 1929 HD

    img
  • 1927
    imgMovies

    Prinz Louis Ferdinand

    Prinz Louis Ferdinand

    1 1927 HD

    img
  • 1929
    imgMovies

    Sündig und süß

    Sündig und süß

    1 1929 HD

    img
  • 1931
    imgMovies

    Woman in the Jungle

    Woman in the Jungle

    5 1931 HD

    img
  • 1929
    imgMovies

    Sündenfall

    Sündenfall

    1 1929 HD

    img
  • 1932
    imgMovies

    Happy Hearts

    Happy Hearts

    9 1932 HD

    img
  • 1931
    imgMovies

    The indictment

    The indictment

    1 1931 HD

    img
  • 1933
    imgMovies

    The Private Secretary Gets Married

    The Private Secretary Gets Married

    7 1933 HD

    img
  • 1935
    imgMovies

    The Ugly Girl

    The Ugly Girl

    1 1935 HD

    img
  • 1927
    imgMovies

    Eins + Eins = Drei

    Eins + Eins = Drei

    1 1927 HD

    img
  • 1931
    imgMovies

    His girlfriend Annette

    His girlfriend Annette

    1 1931 HD

    img
  • 1930
    imgMovies

    The Last Company

    The Last Company

    6 1930 HD

    img
  • 1930
    imgMovies

    Une femme a menti

    Une femme a menti

    1 1930 HD

    img