William Dieterle (July 15, 1893, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany – December 9, 1972, Ottobrunn, Bavaria) was a German actor and film director, who worked in Hollywood for much of his career.

Career

He was born Wilhelm Dieterle, the youngest child of nine, to Jewish parents Jacob and Berthe Dieterle.May, Larry. The Big Tomorrow: Hollywood and the Politics of the American Way, Univ. of Chicago Press (2000) p. 64 As a child, he lived in considerable poverty and earned money by various means including carpentry and as a scrap dealer. He became interested in theater early and by the age of sixteen, he had joined a travelling theater company. His striking good looks and ambition soon paved the way as a leading romantic actor in theater productions. In 1919, he attracted the attention of Max Reinhardt in Berlin who hired him as an actor for his productions. He started acting in German films in 1921 to make more money and quickly became a popular character actor. He tired of acting quickly and wanted to direct.