Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Monday, September 7, 2009

A SHORT SYNOPSIS ON THE LIFE & ACHIEVEMENTS
OF
JOSEF WIRSCHING
(1903 – 1967)


  • 22.03.1903: Born in Mϋnich, Germany
  • 28.01.1929: Married Charlotte Mϋhlberger in Germany
  • 26.02.1939: Their only son; Wolfgang Peter Wirsching was born in Bombay, India
  • 11.06.1967: Died in Bombay after a massive cardiac arrest

After his schooling he joined ‘Blau Weiβ Films’ in Mϋnich as an apprentice photographer; he studied photography theory in the state run ‘Gewerbe Schule’ in Mϋnich.
In 1923 he joined ‘Emelka Film Studios’ (present day ‘Bavaria Films’) as an assistant cameraman cum laboratory assistant and was later promoted to Film Cameraman in a short span of time and was involved as an assistant/cameraman for the following films:

1. Die Leuchte Asiens (The Light of Asia). 1926
2. Das Grabmal einer Groβen Liebe. 1926
3. Unsere Emden. 1926
4. Die Kleine Inge und Ihre drei Väter. 1926
5. Mein Heidelberg ich kann Dich nie vergessen. 1926
6. Travelogue of overland trip from Mϋnich to Benares. 1927/28
7. Travelogue of overland trip from Calcutta to Rangoon. 1928
8. Waterloo. 1928
9. Spuren im Schnee. 1928
10. Kreuzer Emden. 1932
11. Stoβtrupp 1917. 1933/34
12. Im Lande des Silbernen Löwen. 1933
13. Das verliebte Hotel. 1933

After which he joined ‘Bombay Talkies’ in Bombay, India, as a director of Photography in 1935.

• ‘Bombay Talkies’ pre-WW II productions were:

1. Jawani-ki-Hawa. 1935
2. Mother-Always tell your wife. 1936
3. Achhut Kanya. 1936
4. Janma Bhoomi. 1936
5. Jeevan Naiya. 1936
6. Izzat. 1937
7. Prem Kahani. 1937
8. Miyan Biwi. 1937
9. Savitri. 1937
10. Jeevan Prabhat. 1937
11. Nirmala. 1937/38
12. Vacchan. 1938
13. Mamta. 1938
14. Nav Jeevan. 1939
15. Kangan. 1939
16. Durga. 1939

• As he was a German national living in the erstwhile British colony of India, in 1939 he was interned for the period of World War II in an internment camp for foreign nationals, firstly in Ahmednagar, then Dehra-Dun and finally Satara. In the Satara internment camp; he along with others started a small Toy factory known as SAT Toys, manufacturing wooden toys for children. He was ultimately released from internment in 1947 after which he returned to ‘Bombay Talkies’ which by now had changed ownership.

• ‘Bombay Talkies’ post-WW II productions were:

1. Ziddi. 1949
2. Mahal. 1950
3. Sangram. 1951
4. Maa. 1952
5. Samsheer. 1953
6. Baad-Baan. (This was a ‘Bombay Talkies’ workers cooperative effort to keep the studio alive). 1954

Before ‘Bombay Talkies’ closed down in 1954; he joined ‘AMA Limited’ in their documentary & ad-film division in 1954, where he photographed, co-photographed and partially directed a few of their productions in both color and black n white:

Black N White

1. Young Farmers Club
2. River Valley Projects, (Documentary on the Bakra Nangal Dam)
3. Fishing for Food
4. Malaria Control
5. One Thousand hands
6. How to grow more Paddy pest control
7. Education for Life
8. First Furrow
9. The Mould Board Plough
10. Practical seed drills
11. The Row cultivator
12. Time is Money
13. Improved Seed
14. Our Indian Earth
15. Care of the Eyes
16. Kora Kendra
17. How to have a healthy home(Northern region)
18. How to have a healthy home(Southern region)
19. How to have a healthy home(Eastern region)
20. Village Black Smith-ing
21. Village Carpentry
22. Black Smith-ing in small towns
23. Rehabilitation in Polio Mellitus (16 mm)

Color

1. Fertilizer Applications
2. Fertilizer for Abundance
3. Life of the soil
4. The story of Trombay, (A Documentary on the TATA Thermal power project in Trombay)

After this he joined ‘Mahal Films / Kamal Pictures’ as director of Photography in 1959 and did a few films:

1. Dil apna aur Preet Parai. 1960
2. Pakeezha. (Color), (This film was completed in part after his demise in 1967 and was later released in 1972. Unfortunately the remaining scenes which were shot after his demise are clearly noticeable for their lack of technical skill in the final released version of the movie)

During his Professional career Josef Wirsching predominantly used ‘Arriflex’ cameras when available for many of the movies he cinematographed and during that time he made a lot of practical suggestions about innovative changes for these cameras to the manufacturers; Arnold and Richter, who were good friends of his, these changes were adopted in later models of their cameras.

In the early 1930’s he planned to branch out on his own but soon gave up the idea and instead dabbled in the emerging 3D and color technologies of the time; of which, unfortunately there is no photographic evidence, due to an air-bombing raid during World War II that completely destroyed the house, and with it, all of Josef Wirsching’s records and possessions in Germany.

Friday, September 4, 2009


Emelka, 'Light of Asia Tour', Few members of the cast and crew between shots at Jaipur palace 1926

Emelka, 'Light of Asia Tour', Scene with Palace elephant in streets of Jaipur, 1926

Emelka, 'Light of Asia Tour', Team outside Jaipur palace posing with the Palace Elephant, 1926

Emelka, 'Light of Asia Tour', Gateway of India, Bombay, 1926

Emelka, 'Munich-Benares Overland Travelouge', Encounter at Mittenwald, 1927

Emelka, 'Munich-Benares Overland Travelouge', Genoa harbour, Italy, 1927

Emelka, 'Munich-Benares Overland Travelouge', Interior of an Arab tent, Syrian Desert, 1927

Emelka, 'Munich-Benares Overland Travelouge', Thieves market Quetta, 1927

Emelka, 'Munich-Benares Overland Travelouge', Bathing pool within the Ajmer palace, 1927

Emelka, 'Calcutta-Rangoon Overland Travelogue', Victory wall in a Naga Village, 1928

Emelka, 'Calcutta-Rangoon Overland Travelogue', Traditional dance recital with girls and musicians in a park, Mandalay, 1928

Emelka, 'Calcutta-Rangoon Overland Travelogue', Queens palace, Mandalay, 1928

Emelka, 'Calcutta-Rangoon Overland Travelogue', Abo Village Tribal leader's wife, 1928

Emelka, 'Calcutta-Rangoon Overland Travelogue', 700 Pagodas complex, Mandalay, 1928

Bombay Talkies, 'Vacchan', Production still showing forest set inside the studio, 1938

Bombay Talkies, 'Vacchan', Devika Rani playing with a Pigeon, 1938

Bombay Talkies, 'Vacchan', Devika Rani showing Ashok Kumar's portrait to a friend, 1938

Bombay Talkies, 'Vacchan', Devika Rani & a friend playing around, 1938

Bombay Talkies, 'Vacchan', Ashok Kumar on horseback in the forest, 1938

Bombay Talkies, 'Savitri', Production still of a heavenly sequence, 1937

Bombay Talkies, 'Savitri', Devika Rani with friends in front of a waterfall, 1937

Bombay Talkies, 'Savitri', Devika Rani waiting in the rain at a holy fire, 1937

Bombay Talkies, 'Savitri', Ashok Kumar talking to Devika Rani's friends beside a waterfall, 1937

Bombay Talkies, 'Savitri', Ashok Kumar painting his Horse' portrait, 1937

Bombay Talkies, 'Nirmala', Devika Rani Smoking a Ciggarette, 1937

Bombay Talkies, 'Nirmala', Devika Rani hiding behind a tree, 1937

Bombay Talkies, 'Nirmala', Ashok Kumar in a marriage procession sequence, 1937

Bombay Talkies, 'Miyan Biwi', Devika Rani reading a letter, 1937

Bombay Talkies, 'Jeevan Naiya', Open air night time party scene, 1936

Bombay Talkies, 'Jeevan Naiya', Devika Rani with a bottle of Poison, 1936

Bombay Talkies, 'Jeevan Naiya', Ashok Kumar & Devika Rani balcony scene, 1936

Bombay Talkies, 'Jawani-ki-hawa', Devika Rani with ladies in waiting, 1935

Bombay Talkies, 'Jawani-ki-hawa', Close up of Devika Rani with an ornate head dress, 1935

Bombay Talkies, 'Izzat', Production still of Franz Osten & Josef Wirsching with camera setup, 1937

Bombay Talkies, 'Izzat', Dramatic village scene with Ashok Kumar, Devika Rani & others, 1937

Bombay Talkies, 'Izzat', Devika Rani outside a straw hut, 1937

Thursday, September 3, 2009


Bombay Talkies, 'Izzat', Devika Rani nursing injured Ashok Kumar, 1937

Bombay Talkies 'Always tell your wife' dance sequence on a boat 1936

Bombay Talkies 'Always tell your wife' dance sequence on a boat 1936

Bombay Talkies, 'Achhut Kanya', Railway track scene with oncoming train, 1936

Bombay Talkies, 'Achhut Kanya', Railway track scene production still, 1936

Bombay Talkies, 'Achhut Kanya', Railway track scene production still with a 2 camera setup, 1936

Bombay Talkies 'Achhut Kanya' inside train camera setup from exterior of train 1936

Bombay Talkies 'Achhut Kanya' Devika Rani being chastised by her father 1937

Bombay Talkies, 'Achhut Kanya', Ashok Kumar inside his shop, 1937

Bombay Talkies, 'Achhut Kanya', Ashok Kumar & Devika Rani outside a village shop, 1937