Wanger, Walter, 1894-1968

Biography

Walter Wanger was born Walter Feuschtwanger on July 11, 1894 in San Francisco. He attended Dartmouth College where he developed an interest in amateur theatre. After leaving Dartmouth, Wanger became a professional theatrical producer in New York City. During World War I, Wanger served in the US Army in Italy. It It was during this period that Wanger first came into contact with filmmaking. In April 1918 Wanger was transferred to the Committee on Public Information, and joined an effort to combat anti-war or pro-German sentiment in Allied Italy. This was partly accomplished through a series of short propaganda films screened in Italian cinemas promoting democracy and Allied war aims. After the War he continued in filmmaking where he began in the 1920s at Paramount Pictures, eventually working at virtually every major studio as either a contract producer or an independent. He also served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1939 to October 1941 and from December 1941 to 1945. Strongly influenced by European films, Wanger developed a reputation as an intellectual and a socially conscious movie executive who produced provocative message movies and glittering romantic melodramas. His last production was "Cleopatra" in 1963. Wanger died on November 18, 1968.

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