Biografia

He always wore white gloves on the set.

Took over direction of Duello al sole (1946) after director King Vidor walked off the production, tired of the constant meddling by producer David O. Selznick. Although he went uncredited, Dieterle attempted to appeal to the Directors Guild Of America, but they turned down his claim.

His last name is pronounced "Dee-ter-leh".

Directed five different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Paul Muni, Joseph Schildkraut, Brian Aherne, Walter Huston and Jennifer Jones. Muni and Schildkraut won for their performances in one of Dieterle's movies.

His career declined in the 1950s during the time of the McCarthy "Red Scare" era. Although he was never blacklisted directly, his libertarian film Marco il ribelle (1938)--in addition to people he had worked with--was thought to be "suspect". Also, in the 1930s he and his wife had worked to help get people out of Nazi Germany and given aid to many left-wing friends, including Bertolt Brecht. Of this period Dieterle said, "Although I was never to my knowledge on any blacklist, I must have been on some kind of gray list because I couldn't get any work".