Motion Picture Director, Producer, Studio Executive. He entered show business instead of following in his father's footsteps by being a tailor. By 1911, he had become a member of Max Reinhardt's Deutsches Theatre, and the next year made his acting debut in the film 'Das Mirakel.' He continued acting in German films throughout the Teens, though by the end of the decade he had retired from acting to concentrate solely on directing, which he had been doing since 1914. The film that established his reputation as a director was 'Die Augen der Mumie Ma' ('The Eyes of the Mummy Ma'), which starred Pola Negri, one of his most famous stars during this period, and Emil Jannings. In 1922, he left Germany for Hollywood to make 'Rosita,' starring Mary Pickford, who signed him to Warner Bros. Pictures. Gradually, he stopped making historical pictures and dramas to concentrate solely on the genre that became his trademark, the lightweight sophisticated romantic comedy. His films were also known for subtle snubs at the current social mores and conveying sexuality in such a way that got by the censors and forced the audience to use their own imaginations. This special ingredient common to all of his films was known as "The Lubitsch Touch." Among his Hollywood films were: 'The Marriage Circle' (1924), 'Lady Windermere's Fan' (1925), 'The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg' (1927), 'Monte Carlo' (1930), 'The Merry Widow' (1934), 'Bluebeard's Eighth Wife' (1938), 'Ninotchka' (1939), 'The Shop Around the Corner' (1940) and 'To Be or Not to Be' (1942). He was made Head of Production at Paramount Pictures in 1935, the same year that the Nazis took away his German citizenship because he was Jewish. In 1936, he left the field of production, however, and returned to directing. By the early Forties, he was working at 20th Century-Fox, though a heart condition cut down on the amount of time he could spend in the director's chair. In March 1946, he received an Honorary Academy Award for his pioneering work in the film industry. For his contributions to motion pictures, he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 7042 Hollywood Blvd.