Heinrich Gärtner

Biography

Heinrich Gärtner (1895–1962) was an Austrian cinematographer who worked on over 180 films during his career. He is often credited as Enrique Guerner in his later films. Gärtner was born in Radautz which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but later became Rădăuți in Romania. He entered the German film industry in 1915, and worked prolifically during the silent era. As Gärtner was of Jewish descent, he was forced to flee Germany once the Nazis gained power in 1933. He settled in Spain, where he continued to work following Franco's victory in the Spanish Civil War. Gärtner was an influential figure in Spanish cinema, introducing elements of expressionism and training rising filmmakers such as Alfredo Fraile, José F. Aguayo and Cecilio Paniagua. He is best known for his work in collaboration with the director Ladislao Vajda on 'Marcelino pan y vino', 'Mi tío Jacinto' y 'It Happened in Broad Daylight'.