Melnitz, William W.

William Melnitz was born in Germany in 1900 and was a theater director there, before emigrating to the U.S. in 1941. In early 1945 he succeeded Albrecht Joseph as Franz Werfel's secretary. After Werfel's death, later in 1945, Melnitz worked in conjunction with Adolf Klarmann to sort and take stock of Werfel's unpublished and/or unfinished manuscripts, including the first draft of Werfel's last novel, Stern der Ungeborenen, and the fragment Cella. Melnitz, who had begun a doctoral degree in Germanic languages at UCLA in 1942, subsequently completed his doctorate and embarked upon an academic career, concentrating in the theater arts. Ruth Melnitz was William's wife. Heimo Kellner was the consulate general at the Austrian embassy in Los Angeles.

William Wolf Melnitz was born in Cologne, Germany on April 14, 1900; he studied Theater Arts at the universities of Cologne and Berlin (1920-23); was director in various German theaters (Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Frankfurt/Main, Kassel, Münster) from ca. 1923 to 1935; then became director in Vienna, Austria (1935-38) and later, director in St. Gallen, Switzerland (1938-39). He emigrated to New York City and married Ruth Alice Beyer Nathanson in 1939, then moved to Los Angeles to work with Max Reinhardt (1941). He started at UCLA as a teaching assistant and lecturer in the Dept. of Germanic Languages (1942-ca. 1947), then received his MA (1943) and Ph. D. (1947) in German from UCLA. He became instructor, professor and Chair of new Theater Arts Department at UCLA, where he taught courses in theater history, German Expressionism, Brecht, Reinhardt; worked with Kenneth Macgowan to add Film to the Department (1947-61); during this period, he co-authored two plays with Kenneth Macgowan, The living stage (1956) and Golden ages of the theater (1959). He was Acting Dean of the new College of Fine Arts at UCLA in 1960/61 and started the Theatre Group with John Houseman around 1960 as well. From 1961 to 1967 he was the first Dean of the College of Fine Arts, UCLA, where expanded the College to include the Dance Department; in 1967/68 he was Professor of Communications and Director of Performing Arts, The Annenberg School, Univ. of Pennsylvania; was Professor Emeritus of UCLA in 1968/69 and was Professor of Theater and Director of the Max Reinhardt Archive at SUNY Binghamton from 1969 to 1973. Melnitz died on Jan. 12, 1989.

Biography

William Wolf Melnitz was born in Cologne, Germany on April 14, 1900; he studied Theater Arts at the universities of Cologne and Berlin (1920-23); was director in various German theaters (Berlin, Bremen, Cologne, Frankfurt/Main, Kassel, Münster) from ca. 1923 to 1935; then became director in Vienna, Austria (1935-38) and later, director in St. Gallen, Switzerland (1938-39). He emigrated to New York City and married Ruth Alice Beyer Nathanson in 1939, then moved to Los Angeles to work with Max Reinhardt (1941). He started at UCLA as a teaching assistant and lecturer in the Department of Germanic Languages (1942-ca. 1947), then received his MA (1943) and Ph.D. (1947) in German from UCLA. He became instructor, professor and Chair of new Theater Arts Department at UCLA, where he taught courses in theater history, German Expressionism, Brecht, Reinhardt; worked with Kenneth Macgowan to add Film to the Department (1947-61); during this period, he co-authored two plays with Kenneth Macgowan, The living stage (1956) and Golden ages of the theater (1959). He was Acting Dean of the new College of Fine Arts at UCLA in 1960/61 and started the Theatre Group with John Houseman around 1960 as well. From 1961 to 1967 he was the first Dean of the College of Fine Arts, UCLA, which was expanded to include the Dance Department; in 1967/68 he was Professor of Communications and Director of Performing Arts, The Annenberg School, University of Pennsylvania; was Professor Emeritus of UCLA in 1968/69 and was Professor of Theater and Director of the Max Reinhardt Archive at SUNY Binghamton from 1969 to 1973. Melnitz died on January 12, 1989.