# Max Colpet

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{{short description|American screenwriter (1905–1998)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}

'''Max Colpet''' (also known as ''Max Kolpe'', real name ''Max Kolpenitzky'', 19 July 1905 – 2 January 1998) was an American writer, scriptwriter and lyricist of [Russia](/source/Russia)n-[German](/source/Germany) descent.

==Life==
He was born to a Russian [Jew](/source/Jew)ish family in [Königsberg](/source/K%C3%B6nigsberg), then in [East Prussia](/source/East_Prussia). Due to the political situation at the time, he was [stateless](/source/Statelessness) when born. In 1914 at the start of the war his family fled to the West. In 1928, with [Erik Ode](/source/Erik_Ode), he founded the cabaret Anti in [Berlin](/source/Berlin). In the 1930s he fled again, this time to Paris. His parents died during [World War II](/source/World_War_II) in concentration camps.

On 14 August 1953 he became an American citizen,<ref>Max Kolpenitzky in U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791–1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project)</ref> but in 1958 he moved to [Munich](/source/Munich) where he lived for the rest of his life. Among other writings, he wrote for the [Münchner Lach- und Schießgesellschaft](/source/M%C3%BCnchner_Lach-_und_Schie%C3%9Fgesellschaft), a cabaret theatre founded by [Sammy Drechsel](/source/Sammy_Drechsel) and [Dieter Hildebrandt](/source/Dieter_Hildebrandt). He had a lifelong friendship with [Billy Wilder](/source/Billy_Wilder) for whom he wrote five screenplays.<ref>Max Colpet: ''Sag mir, wo die Jahre sind. Erinnerungen eines unverbesserlichen Optimisten.'' (''Where Have All the Years Gone? The Memoir of an Incorrigible Optimist'') Ullstein, Frankfurt am Main and Berlin 1991, {{ISBN|3-548-22011-8}}. (in German)</ref> In Los Angeles, Colpet lived in the guest house behind Wilder's Beverly Hills house, 704 North Beverly Drive, until Wilder sold the house to Dr. [Harry Lehrer](/source/Harry_Lehrer) and fashion designer [Anne T. Hill](/source/Anne_T._Hill) in 1957 and moved to [Century City](/source/Century_City).<ref>Maurice Zolotow. Billy Wilder in Hollywood. Limelight Editions (1 August 2004) p 100</ref><ref>Max Kolpenitzky in U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791–1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project)</ref>

==Selection of German lyrics==
* "Allein in einer großen Stadt" (Music: [Franz Wachsmann](/source/Franz_Waxman); Singers: [Lale Andersen](/source/Lale_Andersen), [Marlene Dietrich](/source/Marlene_Dietrich))
* "Bitte geh nicht fort" – "Ne me quitte pas", (Music: [Jacques Brel](/source/Jacques_Brel); Singer: [Marlene Dietrich](/source/Marlene_Dietrich))
* "Der Boss ist nicht hier" (Music: [Lotar Olias](/source/Lotar_Olias); Singer: [Freddy Quinn](/source/Freddy_Quinn))
* "Hoppla, jetzt komm ich" (Music: [Werner Richard Heymann](/source/Werner_Richard_Heymann); Singer: [Hans Albers](/source/Hans_Albers))
* "Kleine treue Nachtigall" – "[Message to Martha/Michael](/source/Message_to_Michael)" (Music: [Burt Bacharach](/source/Burt_Bacharach); Singer: [Marlene Dietrich](/source/Marlene_Dietrich))
* "Sag mir, wo die Blumen sind" – "[Where Have All the Flowers Gone?](/source/Where_Have_All_the_Flowers_Gone%3F)" (Music: Pete Seeger; Singer: [Marlene Dietrich](/source/Marlene_Dietrich))
* "Der ewige Soldat" – [Donovan](/source/Donovan): "Universal Soldier"; (Music and Original lyrics: [Buffy Sainte-Marie](/source/Buffy_Sainte-Marie); Singer: Dominique, [Juliane Werding](/source/Juliane_Werding))
* ''Charley’s Tante'' (Musical, based on ''[Charley's Aunt](/source/Charley's_Aunt)'' by Brandon Thomas; Music: {{Ill|Ralph Maria Siegel|de}})
* ''[West Side Story](/source/West_Side_Story)'' (German lyrics of the musical by [Leonard Bernstein](/source/Leonard_Bernstein) [Music] and [Stephen Sondheim](/source/Stephen_Sondheim) [lyrics])

==Selected filmography==
* ''[All Is at Stake](/source/All_Is_at_Stake)'' (dir. [Max Nosseck](/source/Max_Nosseck), German-language film, 1932) <!--7 June 1932-->
* ''[Scampolo](/source/Scampolo_(1932_film))'' (dir. [Hans Steinhoff](/source/Hans_Steinhoff), German-language film, 1932) <!--26 October 1932-->
* ''[The Blue of Heaven](/source/The_Blue_of_Heaven)'' (dir. [Victor Janson](/source/Victor_Janson), German-language film, 1932) <!--20 December 1932-->
* ''[Madame Wants No Children](/source/Madame_Wants_No_Children_(1933_film))'' (dir. [Hans Steinhoff](/source/Hans_Steinhoff), German-language film, 1933) <!--16 January 1933-->
* ''[Mauvaise Graine](/source/Mauvaise_Graine)'' (dir. [Billy Wilder](/source/Billy_Wilder) and [Alexander Esway](/source/Alexander_Esway), French-language film, 1934) <!--5 juillet 1934-->
* ''[The Crisis is Over](/source/The_Crisis_is_Over)'' (dir. [Robert Siodmak](/source/Robert_Siodmak), French-language film, 1934) <!--5 October 1934-->
* ''[Behind the Facade](/source/Behind_the_Facade)'' (dir. [Georges Lacombe](/source/Georges_Lacombe_(director)) and [Yves Mirande](/source/Yves_Mirande), French-language film, 1939) <!--14 March 1939-->
* ''[Beating Heart](/source/Beating_Heart_(film))'' (dir. [Henri Decoin](/source/Henri_Decoin), French-language film, 1940) <!--February 3, 1940-->
* ''[Premier rendez-vous](/source/Premier_rendez-vous)'' (dir. [Henri Decoin](/source/Henri_Decoin), French-language film, 1941) – (uncredited, as a Jewish writer in Nazi-occupied France)<!--14 August 1941-->
* ''[Heartbeat](/source/Heartbeat_(1946_film))'' (dir. [Sam Wood](/source/Sam_Wood), English-language film, 1946) – Remake of ''Beating Heart'' (1940)<!--May 10, 1946-->
* ''[Germany, Year Zero](/source/Germany%2C_Year_Zero)'' (dir. [Roberto Rossellini](/source/Roberto_Rossellini), 1948) <!--1 December 1948-->
* ''[Once a Thief](/source/Once_a_Thief_(1950_film))'' (dir. [W. Lee Wilder](/source/W._Lee_Wilder), English-language film, 1950) <!--July 7, 1950-->
* ''[Love Without Illusions](/source/Love_Without_Illusions)'' (dir. [Erich Engel](/source/Erich_Engel), German-language film, 1955)
* ''[Her First Date](/source/Her_First_Date)'' (dir. [Axel von Ambesser](/source/Axel_von_Ambesser), German-language film, 1955) – Remake of ''Premier rendez-vous'' (1941)
* ''[The Man Who Couldn't Say No](/source/The_Man_Who_Couldn't_Say_No_(1958_film))'' (dir. {{Ill|Kurt Früh|de}}, German-language film, 1958)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{DNB-Portal|118521632}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0464378|name=Max Colpet}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colpet, Max}}
Category:1905 births
Category:1998 deaths
Category:Emigrants from the German Empire to the United States
Category:American people of Russian descent
Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent
Category:Mass media people from Königsberg
Category:American male screenwriters
Category:American lyricists
Category:20th-century American male writers
Category:20th-century American screenwriters

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