Wissenswertes

Emo's only expressly propagandist film was Wien 1910 (1943), which was made with the intention, through its distorted representation of the politics of Vienna around the anti-Semitic Karl Lueger and the German nationalist Georg Ritter von Schönerer, of legitimizing the Anschluss of Austria by Germany. The attempt failed, however, as the film was still too "Austrian" for the National Socialists and was forbidden to be shown in the Ostmark, as Austria was known under National Socialist rule; in Germany it attracted little interest.

Father of actress Maria Emo.

Leading Austrian film director. notably with Wien Film in the 1930's and 40's. Emo began as an actor, then worked his way up to production manager and assistant director. From 1928, he directed numerous mainstream entertainments, often operettas or comedies which featured Austria's most popular stars of that genre, Paul Hörbiger and Hans Moser. His post-war career was less distinguished, his last hit comedy being the Theo Lingen/Hans Moser vehicle Der Theodor im Fußballtor (1950).

He often worked together with the actors Paul Hörbiger, Theo Lingen and especially Hans Moser and he was essentially involved in the growing popularity of them. Other regular casted actors were Heinz Rühmann and Wolf Albach-Retty.

Before he gained a foothold in the film business he served as a young man for the army during World War I. After the war he first worked as an extra and he made first cinematical experiences in different positions behind the camera.

His film career came slowly to the end after the war.

Together with Karl Künzel and Paul Hörbiger he founded the production company Algefa-Film. In the same year he officially changed his name to his business name, Emerich Walter Emo. He later ran the film company Emo-Film.

E. W. Emo was married with the actress Anita Dorris. His daughter Maria Emo (1936)became an actress as well.

He made his way to a director assistant and to his movies in this function belong "Der Balletterzherzog" (1926), "Der König der Mittelstürmer" (1927) und "Die 3 Niemandskinder" (1927).

E. W. Emo became one of the most successful Austrian movie directors of the 30s and he shot many popular entertainment movies.

When he realised his first movie as a director in 1928 with "Flitterwochen"(1928) he had a huge success straightaway and he underlined his ambition to become a successful director.

During the time of National Socialist government, he was reckoned one the principal directors of Wien-Film, where he continued to make light comedies, often with Hans Moser, to whom he allowed a great deal of latitude for improvisation. In many of his films Emo also criticized the clichés of the Wiener Film (the standard popular, sentimental and nostalgic "Viennese film"), for example in Anton der letzte ("Anton the Last") (1939), where he exaggerated Hans Moser's usual screen persona into petulance and querulence, and in Liebe ist zollfrei ("Love is Duty-free") (1941), where he represented the high society of Vienna not as vulgar, but as snobbish and malicious.