Henry Koster

Henry Koster (born Hermann Kosterlitz; May 1, 1905 – September 21, 1988) was a German-born American film director of Jewish descent who helmed over 40 feature films, spanning comedies, musicals, and biblical epics, after emigrating from Nazi Germany.

Koster commenced his career in the German film industry during the silent era as a screenwriter and critic before directing his debut feature, Drei Tage Mittelarrest, in 1932; the following year, as a Jew, he fled the Nazi regime, initially working in France and then relocating to Hollywood in 1936. At Universal Studios, his early successes included the Deanna Durbin musical Three Smart Girls (1936), which grossed significantly and aided the studio's financial recovery, launching a series of profitable vehicles for the young star. Transitioning to 20th Century Fox, Koster directed acclaimed works such as the Christmas fantasy The Bishop's Wife (1947), earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director; the James Stewart comedy Harvey (1950); and The Robe (1953), Fox's inaugural CinemaScope production that advanced widescreen filmmaking technology. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 for his contributions to motion pictures. Koster retired in the late 1960s after directing The Singing Nun (1966), passing away in Camarillo, California, from complications following surgery.