Harry Piel

Harry Piel was born on July 12, 1892 in Düsseldorf, Germany as Heinrich Piel. He was a director and writer, known for Menschen und Masken, 1.

Harry Piel had several jobs before he joined the movies in Paris in 1911. He soon worked in front of as well as behind the camera.

Served for fourteen years on a sailing school ship. Worked as a painter, and, for a while, joined a circus. Started acting in Paris from 1912, soon writing his own screenplays and directing from 1923. From 1929, released through his own company, Ariel Film. Specialised in popular outdoor and adventure films, invariably doing his own stunts, and often partnered by his wife Dary Holm.

In 1915, Piel became too bored with just standing behind the camera and he started to act. The first film with him as a leading actor, The Large Bet (Die Grosse Wette), was a Science Fiction adventure, where he had to deal with robots. Into Under Hot Zone (Unter heißer Zone, 1916) included for the first time scenes with wild animals, which were used by him afterwards in other films, and partly trained by him.

With his appearances in front of the camera was also born the sensation-actor Piel who liked to give to understand, that he carried out all his stunts himself. The fact is that the most dangerous stunts were carried out by Hermann Stetza between 1919 and 1924.

Harry Piel was struck by the political confusions. His production company "Harry Piel Film Co." - founded in 1921 - was liquidated through the nationalization and after the war he was sentenced to prison for six months by the English court and they also imposed a working prohibition on him till 1949. His delict: hanger-on of the NSDAP where he was a member since 1933.

Teil - Der falsche Emir (1924), Der Herr der Welt (1934) and Die Geheimnisse des Zirkus Barré (1920). He was married to Dary Holm and Johanna Präder.

1927 he cast himself in a double role with Marlene Dietrich together in the film His Greatest Bluff.

Joined the Nazi Party in 1933. Was convicted as a 'fellow traveller' to a six-months prison term in 1945. Attempted with little success to resurrect his film career in the early 1950's.

In 1935 he had already made 100 movies, but most of his silent movies were lost during the war.

Piel managed the transition to the sound film easily. He directed successful movies until 1939.

After the war he was in prison for half a year and he wasn't allowed to work until 1949. He hardly got any movie parts afterwards.

Harry Piel succeeded in 1950 once more to found a production company, but he couldn't achieve the same success. Early in 1960 he gave up his company and retired from the movie business.

The German actor Ralph Morgenstern (born in 1956) is related to him, Harry Piel was his great uncle.

In 1962, in a Berlin newspaper, he was looking for "a life-mate middle-aged, respectable and well off" and found it in Lilli Stromereder, who was his last companion.

He was buried beside his second wife Dary Holm at the Waldfriedhof in Munich. Lilli Stromereder-Piel, his new partner after the death of Dary Holm was buried in the same grave in 1984.

In 2004 Gerald Koll made a short movie with the title "Harry Piel - Der Entfesselte".