Oscar Blumenthal

Oscar Blumenthal
Oscar Blumenthal in 1905
Born(1852-03-13)13 March 1852
Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia
Died24 April 1917(1917-04-24) (aged 65)
Berlin, German Empire
OccupationPlaywright, drama critic
LanguageGerman
Alma materLeipzig University
GenreTheatre, theatre criticism

Oscar Blumenthal (or Oskar Blumenthal; 13 March 1852 – 24 April 1917) was a German playwright and drama critic.[1]

Biography

Blumenthal was educated at the gymnasium and the university of his native town in Berlin, and at Leipzig University, where he received a Doctor of Philosophy in 1872. After having been editor of the Deutsche Dichterhalle in Leipzig, in 1873 he founded the Neue Monatshefte für Dichtkunst und Kritik. In 1875, Blumenthal moved to Berlin, where he became theatrical critic of the Berliner Tageblatt, holding this position until 1887, when he opened the Lessing Theater, of which he was director till 1898.[2] From 1894 to 1895 he was also director of the Berliner Theater. From 1898 he was engaged exclusively in literary work.[3][4]

Blumenthal was well known as a critic and playwright. His critiques in the feuilletons of the newspapers sparkle with humour, at the same time doing justice to authors and actors. Because of their sharpness he was sometimes called "bloody Oscar". His plays were successful, and many of them were well received at the leading German theatres. Together with Gustav Kadelburg he wrote several comedies like the famous The White Horse Inn. As a researcher in literature, he became famous for editing and annotating works of Christian Dietrich Grabbe. He also was successful as a theatrical manager.

Blumenthal is also known for his humorous aphorisms, for example:

Das ist ein hässliches Gebrechen,
Wenn Menschen wie die Bücher sprechen.
Doch reich und fruchtbar sind für jeden
Die Bücher, die wie Menschen reden.

(It is a terrible flaw
When people speak like books,
But good and useful for everyone
Are books that speak like people).

Works

Blumenthal was the author of many plays and novels, among which may be mentioned:

  • Allerhand Ungezogenheiten, Leipzig, 1874, 5th ed., 1877;
  • Für alle Wagen- und Menschenklassen, ib. 1875;
  • Bummelbriefe, Danzig, 1880;
  • Merkzettel, 1898;
  • Verbotene Stücke, 1900;
  • Gesammelte Epigramme, 1890
  • He also, in 1874, edited and annotated Christ. Dietr. Grabbe's Sämmtliche Werke und handschriftlicher Nachlaß [Christian Dietrich Grabbe's Complete Works and Manuscript Literary Estate] (4 Vols.; Erste kritische Gesamtausgabe [1st critical complete ed.]). See: Christian Dietrich Grabbe (1801–1836) (in German). Detmold: Meyersche Hofbuchhandlung [Meyer's Court Bookshop] – via HathiTrust. LCCN 03-19713, LCCN 17-23391; OCLC 1553623854 (all editions).

Plays

  • Der Probepfeil (1883)
  • Frau Venus (with Ernst Pasqué, 1883)
  • Die grosse Glocke (1884)
  • Ein Tropfen Gift (1885)
  • Der schwarze Schleier (1886)
  • Anton Antony (1887)
  • Der Zaungast (1889)
  • Das zweite Gesicht (1890)
  • Die Großstadtluft (with Gustav Kadelburg, 1891) (produced in English by Augustin Daly as A Test Case: Or, Grass Versus Granite; modern title: A Marriage Contract)
  • Heute und Gestern (1891)
  • Die Orientreise (with Gustav Kadelburg, 1892) (produced in English by Augustin Daly as The Orient Express, translated by F. C. Burnand)
  • Mauerblümchen (with Gustav Kadelburg, 1893)
  • Paulas Geheimnis (1893)
  • Zwei Wappen (with Gustav Kadelburg, 1894) (English adaption: The Two Escutcheons, by Sydney Rosenfeld)
  • Gräfin Fritzi (1895)
  • Das Einmaleins (1896)
  • Hans Huckebein (with Gustav Kadelburg, 1897) (English adaption: Number 9 – The Lady of Ostend, by F. C. Burnand)[5]
  • Matthias Gollinger (with Max Bernstein, 1898)
  • The White Horse Inn (with Gustav Kadelburg, 1898) (First English adaption: At the White Horse Tavern, by Sydney Rosenfeld)
  • Auf der Sonnenseite (with Gustav Kadelburg, 1898)
  • Als ich wiederkam (with Gustav Kadelburg, 1899, sequel to The White Horse Inn) (English adaption: Twelve Months Later)
  • Die strengen Herren (with Gustav Kadelburg, 1900)
  • Die Fee Caprice (1901)
  • Das Theaterdorf (with Gustav Kadelburg, 1902)
  • Der blinde Passagier (with Gustav Kadelburg, 1902)
  • Der letzte Funke (with Gustav Kadelburg, 1906)
  • Die Tür ins Freie (with Gustav Kadelburg, 1908) (English adaption: Is Matrimony a Failure?, 1909, by Leo Ditrichstein)
  • Die große Pause (with Max Bernstein, 1915)
  • Die Schöne vom Strand (with Gustav Kadelburg, 1915, musical version of Hans Huckebein, music by Victor Hollaender)

Films based on his works

Bibliography

Notes

  1. ^ Gilman, Peck, Colby, Vol. 3, 1902, p. 206.
  2. ^ Encyclopedia Americana, Vol. 4, 1918, p. 132.
  3. ^ Jewish Encyclopedia. Vol. 1, 1902, p. 275.
  4. ^ Meyer.
  5. ^ Theatre, Dec. 1, 1897, pp. 324–325.

Inline references

    1. Vol. 4 ["Birds of Paradise" – "Bulfinch"]. "Blumenthal, blo͞o' mĕn-täl, Oskar". 1918. p. 132.
      1. Via Internet Archive (Harvard).
    2. Vol. 4 ["Birds of Paradise" – "Bulfinch"]. "Blumenthal, blo͞o' mĕn-täl, Oskar". 1922. p. 132.
      1. Via Internet Archive (Library of Congress).
      2. Via Google Books (Iowa).
      3. Via Wikisource.
      4. Via Wikimedia Commons (Library of Congress).


    1. Vol. 3 ["Bes'sus–Cairns"]. "Blumenthal, Oskar". 1906 [1905, 1902]. p. 206.
      1. Via HathiTrust (NYPL). 1905.
      2. Via Internet Archive (Ontario Council of University Libraries – OCUL). 1902.
      3. Via Internet Archive (UC San Diego). 1906.
      4. Via Wikisource. 1905.
      5. Via Wikimedia Commons (UC San Diego). 1906.
    1. Hannemann, Frederick (Fritz) Theodore, M.D. (later surname Haneman; 1863–1950) (1902). Vol. 3: "Blumenthal, Oskar". p. 275.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
      1. Via Internet Archive (Kahle/Austin Foundation; Concordia College, withdrawn).
      2. Via Wikimedia Commons (page-view from Pdf; digital image 310) (Internet Archive; Cornell).
      3. Via blog reproduction (Kopelman Foundation). Retrieved 31 July 2006.
    1. Vol. 3 – "Biot bis Chemikalien": 2) "Oskar". 1893. p. 112.
      1. Via Google Books (UC Library).
    1. Vol. 1 – "A bis Golther". "Blumenthal": 2) "Oskar". 1899. p. 307.
      1. Via Google Books (Cal Berkeley).
    1. Vol. 7: Ergänzungen und Nachträge [Additions and Supplements]. "Blumenthal, Oskar". 1914. p. 84.
      1. Via Internet Archive (UC Riverside).
      2. Via Google Books (UC Riverside).
    1. "At the Play": "In Berlin" (re: Hans Huckebein). Vol. 30 (July–December 1897). 1 December 1897. pp. 324–325.
      1. Via Internet Archive.

General references

    1. Vol. 3: "Bill – Catulus". 1898. p. 154.
      1. Entry: "Blumenthal, Oskar" – via Internet Archive (University of Wisconsin).
    2. Vol. 3: "Biserta – Cesnola". (reprint of 14th ed.). 1901. p. 114.
      1. Entry: "Blumenthal, Oskar" – via Internet Archive (Harvard).


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