Moshe "Mauritz" Stiller, a renowned Finnish-born director, writer, and actor, was born on July 17, 1883, in Helsinki, Finland. He began his artistic journey in the theatre at the tender age of 16, taking on 87 roles from 1899 to 1916, and directing 16 productions from 1911 to 1928.
Mauritz Stiller's impressive career in the Swedish film industry, which was initiated by Charles Magnusson at AB Svenska Biografteatern in 1912, saw him collaborate with fellow director and actor Viktor Sjöström. During his first year in the industry, Stiller directed an astonishing six feature films, which were met with instant success.
Some of his most notable works include "Herr Arnes pengar" (1919),"Erotikon" (1920),and "Gösta Berlings saga" (1923),which are considered cornerstones of Swedish film production. In "Gösta Berlings saga", a young Greta Garbo made her first major role, and Stiller and Garbo would go on to develop a lifelong friendship and professional partnership.
Stiller introduced Garbo to the German audience in 1925, and the two later sailed to the USA to work on "The Temptress" for Paramount and Irving Thalberg in 1926. Throughout his career, Mauritz Stiller directed an impressive 51 feature films and appeared as an actor in seven productions from 1912 to 1927.
Sadly, Stiller's life was cut short when he passed away at 1:05 am on November 8, 1928, in Stockholm, after undergoing numerous surgeries to treat an abscess in his lung. Despite his untimely death, Mauritz Stiller left behind a lasting legacy in the world of cinema, and his collaborations with Greta Garbo remain some of the most iconic and enduring in film history.