Biographical data
Horst Wendlandt
* 15.03.1922 † 30.08.2002
| March 15th 1922 | Horst Otto Grigori Gubanow is born in Criewen near Schwedt/Oder as son to the Russian farm worker Gregor Gubanow and his wife Auguste, née Klempnow. Horst Gubanow has an older brother and sister -Otto and Gertraud Gubanow. Since his father is unable to earn a living for three children, Horst soon leaves Criewen to live with his uncle Fritz Wendlandt and his aunt Minna, the sister of his mother. The Wendlandt's have no children of their own. Together they move to Berlin. |
| 1937 | Horst Gubanow graduates from the "Höhere Handelsschule" for young men in Berlin. |
| 1937 - 1939 | he completes an apprenticeship at TOBIS FILMKUNST in Johannisthal and graduates as "Filmkaufman" - film merchant. |
| 1939 - 1944 | he works as accountant and payroll cashier at TOBIS FILMKUNST in the Johannisthal film studios. |
| 1944 | he is adopted by Fritz Wendlandt and his wife. From now on he will carry the name Horst Otto Grigori Wendlandt. |
| 1944 - 1945 | he fulfils his military service at the "Fliegererstatz-Bataillons" in Fürth and in |
| 1945 | he is detained by the American Army in Merlebach / France and thus becomes a prisoner of war. For the next 2 years he has to work underground in a coalmining shaft while constantly standing in knee deep waters. Through this hard labour both his knees develop a lifelong form of arthritis. |
| 1947 | On Christmas eve in the year 1947 he is released from the prisoner camp. |
| December 9th 1950 | he marries Ilsegard, née Winter. |
| 1950 | Starting 1950 he works as accountant and payroll cashier for the film productions of Professor Carl Froelich and from |
| 1951 - 1954 | he works for Waldemar Frank and his Central-Europa-Film. First as an accountant and then as managing director. Eventually he becomes producer of numerous Prisma Films such as: Ball im Savoy", "Der Vetter aus Dingsda", "Rose von Stambul", "Music im Blut", Viktor und Viktoria" an many more. |
| June 2nd 1952 | his son Matthias is born in Berlin. |
| 1954 - 1958 | he works for CCC-Film, Berlin, Artur Brauner, as Production Manager. Later as Head of Production he is responsible for over 60 CCC feature films. |
| June 1st 1956 | his daughter Susan is born in Berlin. |
| 1958 - 1972 | he works for Rialto Film Preben Philipsen, first in Hamburg as Head of Production (Edgar Wallace-Series), then in |
| 1961 | the Danish film merchant Preben Philipsen makes him a partner in the company. |
| 1971 | Horst Wendlandt eCrewlishes the distribution company TOBIS FILMKUNST. First as a tool to release a number of films by the British film genius Charles Chaplin. Later TOBIS will release major European and international motion pictures. |
| 1972 | Wendlandt takes over as sole owner Rialto Film and subsequently produces over 120 motion pictures. He becomes a world wide respected business partner, as he works with all the greats of the business: As a producer with distinguished directors such as Ingmar Bergman, Sergio Leone, Milos Forman, Volker Schlöndorf and Rainer Werner Fassbinder, as distributor with Francis Ford Coppola, Jean-Luc Goddar, Philippe de Brocaa, Lina Wertmüller, Dino de Laurentiis and Saul Zaentz, to name only a few. |
| 1985 | he produces the most successful German post war film. "Otto -The Movie" sells a combined 14,5 Million tickets at the box office in West and East Germany. |
| August 30th 2002 | Horst Wendlandt dies in Berlin. |
| Awards: | Throughout his career as a producer and distributor Horst Wendlandt had received over 40 Golden Screens awards (for films that generate at least 3 Million ticket sales). Two Filmscreens in Gold, 6 Bambie awards, 6 Golden Ticket awards (Austria) one "Bundesfilmpreis" for the Rainer Werner Fassbinder Film "Lola" another one as lifetime achievement award. The Golden Director of Photography for lifetime achievement, BZ Kulturpreis 2001 and a Berlinale Director of Photography for lifetime achievement in 2002.
In Italia he is awarded the renown Order of Cavalliere della Repubblica. In France he is honoured with the Chevalier de l 'ordre des arts des Letters. Horst Wendlandt is maybe best described as one of the true last tycoons in the motion picture industry. He was also nicknamed: "Man with the Midas touch." |