The first actor to receive an Academy Award for Best Actor, Emil Jannings earned the honor in 1929 for his performances in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh. Born in 1884 in Rorschach, he remains the only German performer to win in this category, establishing his reputation during the silent film era in Hollywood.
Early Stage Career
Born Theodor Friedrich Emil Janenz, he spent his youth in Leipzig and Görlitz following the death of his father, an American businessman. After a period at sea, he began a theatre traineeship. By 1901, he was performing with various companies in Nuremberg, Bremen, Königsberg, Glogau, and Leipzig. He eventually joined Max Reinhardt’s Deutsches Theater ensemble in Berlin, where he achieved a significant professional breakthrough in 1918 playing Judge Adam in Kleist's Broken Jug.
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Jannings transitioned into cinema while working with UFA, starring in films such as The Eyes of the Mummy and Madame Dubarry opposite Pola Negri. He collaborated frequently with director F. W. Murnau, including roles in The Last Laugh, Tartuffe, and Faust. His popularity in Europe led to a contract with Paramount Pictures, moving his career to the United States during the 1920s.
Transition to Sound and Nazi Germany
His American film career faltered with the advent of sound due to his heavy German accent. After returning to Europe, he starred alongside Marlene Dietrich in The Blue Angel, filmed in both English and German. Following the 1933 Nazi seizure of power, he remained in Germany. He appeared in State Films including The Old and the Young King, The Ruler, Robert Koch, and Ohm Krüger. Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels designated him a Staatsschauspieler in 1936, and he received the Goethe Medal for Art and Science in 1939.
Final Years
After the conclusion of the Second World War in 1945, his association with the state film industry led to denazification proceedings, and he never acted again. In 1947, he acquired Austrian citizenship and retired to Strobl near Salzburg. He died of liver cancer in 1950 and was buried in the Sankt Wolfgang im Salzkammergut cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1884, Rorschach
- Died: 1950, Strobl
- Citizenship: Austria, Germany, German Reich
- Academy Award for Best Actor: 1929
- Staatsschauspieler title awarded: 1936
- Volpi Cup for Best Actor: 1937
- Goethe Medal for Art and Science: 1939
- Buried: Sankt Wolfgang im Salzkammergut
Questions readers ask
Did Emil Jannings win the first Best Actor Oscar?
Yes, he was the first recipient of the award in 1929 for his roles in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh.
What happened to his film career after 1945?
Following the entry of Allied troops into Germany, his career ended due to his involvement in Nazi-era state propaganda films.
Achievements
- Academy Award for Best Actor — 1929
- Worked as actor, film director and theatre manager
