# Julius von Borsody

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Julius_von_Borsody
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Julius_von_Borsody.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_von_Borsody
> Source revision: 1347541800
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Austrian art director (1892–1960)

**Julius von Borsody** (8 April 1892 in [Vienna](/source/Vienna) – 18 January 1960, also in Vienna) was an [Austrian](/source/Austria) film architect and one of the most employed [set designers](/source/Set_designer) in the [Austrian](/source/Cinema_of_Austria) and [German cinemas](/source/Cinema_of_Germany) of the late [silent](/source/Silent_film) and early [sound film](/source/Sound_film) periods.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] His younger brother, [Eduard von Borsody](/source/Eduard_von_Borsody), was a [film director](/source/Film_director) in [Austria](/source/Austria) and [Germany](/source/Nazi_Germany). He is also the great-uncle of German actress [Suzanne von Borsody](/source/Suzanne_von_Borsody).

## Life

Julius von Borsody attended the [Munich](/source/Munich) Art Academy before he started in the film industry in 1917. He began his career with [Sascha-Film](/source/Sascha-Film) in Vienna, but up to 1924 also worked with other film production companies. In 1920 he was the [set designer](/source/Set_designer) for [Paul Czinner](/source/Paul_Czinner)'s highly significant pre-[Expressionist](/source/Expressionist) work, *Inferno*.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Together with [Emil Stepanek](/source/Emil_Stepanek) and [Artur Berger](/source/Artur_Berger) he was also responsible in Vienna, on the [epics](/source/Epic_film) of [Michael Curtiz](/source/Michael_Curtiz) and [Alexander Korda](/source/Alexander_Korda), for the most spectacular sets ever constructed for an Austrian film, in particular the gigantic Temple of Sodom in *[Sodom und Gomorrha](/source/Sodom_und_Gomorrha)* (1922), which because of its sheer size had to be built in the open air, on the [Laaer Berg](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Laaer_Berg&action=edit&redlink=1). Other Sascha-Film epics on which he worked were *Der junge Medardus* (1923) and *Harun al-Rashid* (1924).

In 1925 Borsody moved to [Berlin](/source/Berlin). There, for films about the history of [Prussia](/source/Kingdom_of_Prussia), he was able to design more ambitious structures than in Vienna. He worked on [Hans Behrendt](/source/Hans_Behrendt)'s *Potsdam, das Schicksal einer Residenz* (1927) and [Phil Jutzi](/source/Phil_Jutzi)' s *[Berlin-Alexanderplatz](/source/Berlin-Alexanderplatz_(1931_film))* (1931), based on [Alfred Döblin](/source/Alfred_D%C3%B6blin)'s [book of the same name](/source/Berlin_Alexanderplatz). Besides buildings he also created the façades and decorations of other productions with historical and costumed backgrounds, such as *Danton* (1931) and the [Schubert](/source/Franz_Schubert) biography *[Leise flehen meine Lieder](/source/Leise_flehen_meine_Lieder)* (1933).

Shortly before the [National Socialists](/source/National_Socialist_German_Workers_Party) took power in Germany, Borsody returned to Vienna, where for the next few years he worked on a number of films in the *[Wiener Film](/source/Wiener_Film)* genre, light romantic musical comedies, the action of which was generally set in the late [imperial](/source/Austro-Hungarian_Empire) period of about 1900: *[Hohe Schule](/source/Hohe_Schule_(film))* (1934), *[Tales from the Vienna Woods](/source/Tales_from_the_Vienna_Woods_(1934_film))* (1934), *[The White Horse Inn](/source/The_White_Horse_Inn_(1935_film))* (1935) and others.

After the [Anschluss](/source/Anschluss) (the annexation of Austria to Germany in 1938) Borsody became principal architect of the [Nazi](/source/Nazi)-owned [Wien-Film](/source/Wien-Film), but also occasionally worked on buildings for productions of [Bavaria Film](/source/Bavaria_Film) in Munich. He was employed on one of the last large-scale productions of the Third Reich - *[Shiva und die Galgenblume](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shiva_und_die_Galgenblume&action=edit&redlink=1)*, filmed in early January 1945 with [Hans Albers](/source/Hans_Albers) in the [Barrandov Studios](/source/Barrandov_Studios) in [Prague](/source/Prague) – and also on one of the first post-war Austrian films - *Der weite Weg* (1946).

From that time on, in the declining Austrian film industry, he only worked on unpretentious romances and comedies. His last set designs were for the undistinguished *[Skandal um Dodo](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Skandal_um_Dodo&action=edit&redlink=1) [[de](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandal_um_Dodo)]* (1958), directed by his brother [Eduard](/source/Eduard_von_Borsody).

## Selected filmography

The following is a list of selected films on which Julius von Borsody worked as film architect or set designer (director's name in brackets):

- *Inferno* (Austria 1920, dir. [Paul Czinner](/source/Paul_Czinner))

- *Lucifer* (Austria 1921, dir. [Ernest Juhn](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ernest_Juhn&action=edit&redlink=1))

- *[The Dead Wedding Guest](/source/The_Dead_Wedding_Guest)* (Austria 1921, dir. [Max Neufeld](/source/Max_Neufeld))

- *[The Marquis of Bolibar](/source/The_Marquis_of_Bolibar)* (Austria 1922, dir. [Friedrich Porges](/source/Friedrich_Porges))

- *[Sodom and Gomorrah](/source/Sodom_and_Gomorrah_(1922_film))* (Austria 1922, dir. [Michael Curtiz](/source/Michael_Curtiz); film architecture together with [Emil Stepanek](/source/Emil_Stepanek))

- *Die Maske der Schuld* (Austria 1922, directed himself)

- *[Young Medardus](/source/Young_Medardus)* (Austria 1923, dir. Michael Curtiz)

- *[Avalanche](/source/Avalanche_(1923_film))* (Austria 1923, dir. Michael Curtiz)

- *[Harun al Raschid](/source/Harun_al_Raschid_(film))* (Austria 1924, dir. Michael Curtiz)

- *[The City Without Jews](/source/The_City_Without_Jews)* (Austria 1924, dir. [Hans Karl Breslauer](/source/Hans_Karl_Breslauer))

- *[Countess Maritza](/source/Countess_Maritza_(1925_film))* (1925)

- *[A Waltz by Strauss](/source/A_Waltz_by_Strauss_(1925_film))* (1925)

- *[If You Have an Aunt](/source/If_You_Have_an_Aunt)* (1925)

- *[The Girl on a Swing](/source/The_Girl_on_a_Swing_(1926_film))* (1926)

- *[Potsdam](/source/Potsdam_(film))* (Germany 1927, dir. [Hans Behrendt](/source/Hans_Behrendt))

- *[Erotikon](/source/Erotikon_(1929_film))* (Czechoslovakia 1929, dir. [Gustav Machatý](/source/Gustav_Machat%C3%BD))

- *Die kleine Veronika* (Germany 1929, dir. [Robert Land](/source/Robert_Land))

- *Der Tanz ins Glück* (Germany 1930, dir. [Max Nosseck](/source/Max_Nosseck); Borsody's first sound film)

- *[A Girl from the Reeperbahn](/source/A_Girl_from_the_Reeperbahn)* (1930)

- *[Rendezvous](/source/Rendezvous_(1930_film))* (1930)

- *[Love Songs](/source/Love_Songs_(1930_film))* (1930)

- *[Danton](/source/Danton_(1931_film))* (Germany 1931, dir. [Hans Behrendt](/source/Hans_Behrendt))

- *[My Cousin from Warsaw](/source/My_Cousin_from_Warsaw_(1931_French_film))* (1931)

- *[Berlin-Alexanderplatz](/source/Berlin-Alexanderplatz_(1931_film))* (Germany 1931, dir. [Phil Jutzi](/source/Phil_Jutzi))

- *[A Mad Idea](/source/A_Mad_Idea)* (1932)

- *[Things Are Getting Better Already](/source/Things_Are_Getting_Better_Already)* (1932)

- *[Today Is the Day](/source/Today_Is_the_Day_(film))* (1933)

- *[Gently My Songs Entreat](/source/Gently_My_Songs_Entreat)* (Austria 1933, dir. [Willi Forst](/source/Willi_Forst))

- *[A Precocious Girl](/source/A_Precocious_Girl)* (Austria 1934, dir. [Max Neufeld](/source/Max_Neufeld) and [Richard Eichberg](/source/Richard_Eichberg))

- *[The Secret of Cavelli](/source/The_Secret_of_Cavelli)* (Austria 1934, dir. [Erich Engel](/source/Erich_Engel))

- *[Frasquita](/source/Frasquita)* (Austria 1934, dir. [Carl Lamac](/source/Carl_Lamac))

- *[Tales from the Vienna Woods](/source/Tales_from_the_Vienna_Woods_(1934_film))* (Austria 1934, dir. [Georg Jacoby](/source/Georg_Jacoby))

- *[The Gentleman Without a Residence](/source/The_Gentleman_Without_a_Residence_(1934_film))* (Austria 1934, dir. [E. W. Emo](/source/E._W._Emo))

- *[… nur ein Komödiant](/source/%E2%80%A6_nur_ein_Kom%C3%B6diant)* (Austria 1935, dir. Erich Engel)

- *Die Pompadour* (Austria 1935, dir. [Willy Schmidt-Gentner](/source/Willy_Schmidt-Gentner))

- *[Circus Saran](/source/Circus_Saran)* (1935)

- *[Eva](/source/Eva_(1935_film))* (1935)

- *[The World's in Love](/source/The_World's_in_Love)* (1935)

- *[Heaven on Earth](/source/Heaven_on_Earth_(1935_film))* (1935)

- *[The White Horse Inn](/source/The_White_Horse_Inn_(1935_film))* (Austria 1935, dir. Carl Lamac)

- *[Romance](/source/Romance_(1936_film))* (1936)

- *[Confetti](/source/Confetti_(1936_film))* (1936)

- *[The Fairy Doll](/source/The_Fairy_Doll)* (1936)

- *[Rendezvous in Vienna](/source/Rendezvous_in_Vienna_(1936_film))* (1936)

- *Opernring / Im Sonnenschein* (Austria 1936, dir. [Carmine Gallone](/source/Carmine_Gallone))

- *Ernte / Die Julika* (Austria 1936, dir. [Géza von Bolváry](/source/G%C3%A9za_von_Bolv%C3%A1ry))

- *[The Missing Wife](/source/The_Missing_Wife_(1937_film))* (1937)

- *Prater / Der Weg des Herzens* (Austria 1937, dir. Willy Schmidt-Gentner)

- *Unsterblicher Walzer* (Germany/Austria 1939, dir. E. W. Emo)

- *[Ursula Under Suspicion](/source/Ursula_Under_Suspicion)* (1939)

- *Brüderlein fein* (Germany/Austria 1941, dir. [Hans Thimig](/source/Hans_Thimig))

- *Frauen sind keine Engel* (Germany/Austria 1943, dir. Willi Forst)

- *[Dog Days](/source/Dog_Days_(1944_film))* (1944)

- *[Shiva und die Galgenblume](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shiva_und_die_Galgenblume&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Germany 1945, dir. [Hans Steinhoff](/source/Hans_Steinhoff); unfinished film)

- *Der weite Weg / Schicksal in Ketten* (Austria 1946, dir. [Eduard Hoesch](/source/Eduard_Hoesch))

- *[Der Herr Kanzleirat](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Der_Herr_Kanzleirat&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Austria 1948, dir. [Hubert Marischka](/source/Hubert_Marischka))

- *[Arlberg Express](/source/Arlberg_Express)* (Austria 1948, dir. [Eduard von Borsody](/source/Eduard_von_Borsody))

- *[The Singing House](/source/The_Singing_House)* (Austria 1948, dir. [Franz Antel](/source/Franz_Antel))

- *[Maresi](/source/Maresi)* (Austria 1948, dir. [Hans Thimig](/source/Hans_Thimig))

- *[Vagabonds](/source/Vagabonds_(film))* (1949)

- *[Child of the Danube](/source/Child_of_the_Danube)* (Austria 1950, dir. [Georg Jacoby](/source/Georg_Jacoby))

- *[Vanished Melody](/source/Vanished_Melody)* (1952)

- *[If I Only Have Your Love](/source/If_I_Only_Have_Your_Love)* (1953)

- *Kaisermanöver* (Austria 1954, dir. [Franz Antel](/source/Franz_Antel))

- *[Her First Date](/source/Her_First_Date)* (1955)

- *[Skandal um Dodo](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Skandal_um_Dodo&action=edit&redlink=1) [[de](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandal_um_Dodo)]* (Austria 1958, dir. Eduard von Borsody; Julius von Borsody's last film)

## External links

- [Julius von Borsody](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0097477/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

- [Julius von Borsody](https://austria-forum.org/af/AEIOU/Borsody%2C_Julius_von) in *[Austria-Forum](/source/Austria-Forum)* (in German) (at AEIOU)

Authority control databases International VIAF GND WorldCat Artists FID People Deutsche Biographie

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Julius von Borsody](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_von_Borsody) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_von_Borsody?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.