Articles & Texticles

Continuing a series about Art Directors in the British film industry up to 1948, when the book containing these articles was published.

This chapter deals with Alfred Junge (1886 - 1964)

‘Asked by friends or relations: “What will you be when you grow up?” my answer was invariably: “I’ll be an artist or a Kaiser.” When the time came there was no great future or demand for
Kaisers and I had to stick to becoming an artist. How wise I must have been in those early days!’

Jew Seuss 1934 (Click the small pictures to enlarge them, please)
On IMDB, simonstudios from London, England said: This is actually a very sympathetic adaptation of the original novel by Leon Feuchtwanger (who was himself Jewish), and should not be confused with the Nazi travesty of 1940, which was a crude, anti-semitic propaganda vehicle.

Jew Seuss 1934

Life & Death of Colonel Blimp 1942

Contraband 1940

A Matter of Life And Death

A Matter of Life And Death

Here’s the full text of the entry for Alfred Junge:

ALTHOUGH Alfred Junge was born in Germany, he has done more to acquire credit for British films than any other designer.

He has always been a staunch fighter for the rights of the artists as opposed to those of the technician in directing the making of a film. Using his own words:
`The future of films lies entirely in the hands of the creators of films; the writers, the directors, the art directors or designers, the cameramen, and so on. It is for them to make films of good taste and to give pleasant and exciting entertainment, which can be enjoyed equally all over the world. All that counts is the idea and conception of the film as a whole, and the spirit and intelligence behind these. All the abundance of technical possibilities are there ready to be used by the creators. I believe in the evolution of films towards higher cultural and artistic standards in the future.’

Speaking of his youth Alfred Junge tells me that ‘Asked by friends or relations: “What will you be when you grow up?” my answer was invariably: “I’ll be an artist or a Kaiser.” When the time came there was no great future or demand for Kaisers and I had to stick to becoming an artist. How wise I must have been in those early days!’

`At eleven I lost my dear father and life was very hard for mother to carry on. At fourteen I left school and started my apprenticeship with a man who could paint in oil, real flowers, or landscapes with cows in the meadows.

Every day from eight o’clock in the morning (seven o’clock in ‘the summer), until seven at night I wanted to paint; but the day was too short as there was too much other and more important work, cleaning the workshop, delivering parcels, fetching breakfast or tea in the afternoon, cleaning brushes and so on.

Thus it was that most of my studies were carried out in evening classes which I attended four times a week from 7 to 9 and Sundays from 8 to 12. At sixteen my teacher recommended me to an Art Club, where I could study life drawing with other grown-up students.

`A series of circumstances brought me into contact with the stage in my home town of Gorlitz. At eighteen I was “kissed by the Muse”—I acted, I painted scenery, I designed costumes for Christmas shows, I arranged ballets for children, I did all the special effects on the stage, such as smoke, lightning, and everything to do with stage lighting.

I attended a six months’ course in order to acquaint myself with everything there was to know about electricity. For although all the lighting at the Gorlitz Stadttheater was gas, electricity was used for all special stage effects!

And how proud I was to go on to the stage in full armour, lance in hand, to say just a few lines. My feeble voice I often tried to compensate by a terrific makeup with a large beard!’

The following list of films on which he has worked as a designer is proof of the prodigious output of this artist. It is particularly interesting to note that Junge led the way as an artistic adviser on all
points in the development of the film—selecting the camera positions, advising on lighting, and, as is shown by so many of his sketches,deciding on the composition of the figures within the frame.

For U.F.A. and other German Companies, 1920-1932:
`Die grune Manuela’, ‘Der Falsche Dimitre’, ‘Das alte Gesetz”, Mensch gegen Mensch’, ‘Die Kleine aus der K onfektion’, Ath-leten, Sundenbabel , ‘Die vertauschte Braut’, Lebenskunstler’,,”Spitzen’, ‘Brennende Grenze’,’ `Liebeshander, `MataHari’, `Regine’, ‘Da halt die Welt den Atem an’, ‘Die Carmen von St Pauli’, `Ich lebe nur fur Dich’, ‘Der Ring der Kaiserin’, ‘Der Gunstling von Schonbrunn’, ‘Die Drei urn Edith’, `Ariane’, ‘Salto Mortale’, ‘Jonathan’, `Teilnehmer antwortet nicht’, `Acht Madels im Boot’.

For British International Pictures Ltd :
`Moulin Rouge’, ‘Piccadilly’, ‘Two Worlds’, ‘Cape Forlorn’.

For Paramount (Paris), 1931:
`Marius’, ‘Die Nachte von Port Said’.

For Gaumont-British, 1932-1938:
`After the Ball’, ‘The Midshipmaid’, ‘The Good Companions’, `Sleeping Car’, ‘Britannia of Billingsgate’, ‘I Was a Spy’, ‘Orders are Orders’, ‘Waltz Time’, ‘The Ghoul’, ‘The Constant Nymph’, `Just Smith’, ‘Channel Crossing’, ‘The Cuckoo in the Nest’, ‘Jack Ahoy’, ‘Evergreen’, ‘My Song for You’, ‘The Night of the Party’, `Red Ensign’, Wild Boy’, ‘Turkey Time’, ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’, .`Lady in Danger’, ‘Little Friend’, ‘The Mind of Mr Reeder’, ‘Brown on Resolution’, ‘Roadhouse’, ‘A Cup of Kindness’, `Evensong’, ‘Dirty Work’, ‘The Iron Duke’, ‘Jew Suss’, ‘The Clairvoyant’, `Me and Marlborough’, ‘Bulldog Jack’, ‘Car of Dreams’, `The Guv’nor’, ‘Everything is Thunder’, ‘It’s Love Again’, ‘His Lordship’, ‘Head over Heels’, ‘King Solomon’s Mines’, ‘Sailing Along’ ‘Young and Innocent’, ‘Climbing High’.

For Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1938-1940:
`The Citadel’, ‘Good-Bye Mr Chips’, ‘Busman’s Honeymoon’.

For British National Films Ltd, 1940:
`Contraband’, and supervision of ‘Gaslight’.

For J. Corfield Productions, 1941:
`He found a Star’.

For The Archers Film Productions Ltd, 1942-1946:
`The Silver Fleet’, ‘The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp’, ‘The Volunteer’, ‘A Canterbury Tale’, ‘I Know Where I’m Going’, ‘A Matter of Life and Death’, ‘Black Narcissus’.

When one looks through the list of films on which Junge has worked and realizes that he has made careful designs for nearly every set-up on each film, one can appreciate the extraordinary powers of this artist and begin to realize what a great contribution he has made to British film production.
Junge is now Art Director and head of the Art Department at
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios at Elstree.

(Excerpted from: “Art & Design In The British Film” A Pictorial Directory of British Art Directors and their work. Compiled by Edward Carrick, 1947 )

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