FILM DIRECTOR
F. W. Murnau
1888 - 1931

F. W. Murnau
Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (from 1910; born Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe; December 28, 1888 – March 11, 1931) was a German film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is regarded as one of cinema's most influential filmmakers for his work in the silent era. An erudite child with an early interest in film, Murnau eventually studied philology and art before director Max Reinhardt recruited him to his acting school. During World War I, he served in the Imperial German Army, initially as an infantry company commander and communications officer and later with the German Army's Flying Corps as an observer/gunner. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. F. W. Murnau is the 76th most popular film director (up from 84th in 2019), the 519th most popular biography from Germany (up from 523rd in 2019) and the 6th most popular German Film Director.
F. W. Murnau is most famous for his 1922 film Nosferatu, which is an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula.
Memorability Metrics
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Among FILM DIRECTORS
Among film directors, F. W. Murnau ranks 76 out of 2,041. Before him are Claude Chabrol, Chuck Jones, Luc Besson, David Cronenberg, Elia Kazan, and John Waters. After him are Tony Scott, Agnès Varda, Dziga Vertov, Alain Resnais, Franco Zeffirelli, and Alan Parker.
Most Popular Film Directors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsClaude Chabrol
1930 - 2010
HPI: 72.57
Rank: 70
Chuck Jones
1912 - 2002
HPI: 72.44
Rank: 71
Luc Besson
1959 - Present
HPI: 72.41
Rank: 72
David Cronenberg
1943 - Present
HPI: 72.38
Rank: 73
Elia Kazan
1909 - 2003
HPI: 72.33
Rank: 74
John Waters
1946 - Present
HPI: 72.23
Rank: 75
F. W. Murnau
1888 - 1931
HPI: 72.18
Rank: 76
Tony Scott
1944 - 2012
HPI: 72.09
Rank: 77
Agnès Varda
1928 - 2019
HPI: 72.08
Rank: 78
Dziga Vertov
1896 - 1954
HPI: 72.03
Rank: 79
Alain Resnais
1922 - 2014
HPI: 72.02
Rank: 80
Franco Zeffirelli
1923 - 2019
HPI: 72.02
Rank: 81
Alan Parker
1944 - 2020
HPI: 71.91
Rank: 82
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1888, F. W. Murnau ranks 27. Before him are Frits Zernike, Raymond Chandler, Eugene O'Neill, Selman Waksman, Friedrich Fromm, and Inge Lehmann. After him are Johannes Itten, Friedrich Olbricht, Andrei Tupolev, Gerrit Rietveld, Maurice Chevalier, and Anton Makarenko. Among people deceased in 1931, F. W. Murnau ranks 20. Before him are Carl Nielsen, Joseph Joffre, Theo van Doesburg, Arnold Bennett, Geli Raubal, and George Herbert Mead. After him are Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Armand Fallières, Nathan Söderblom, Peter Kürten, Carin Göring, and Eugène Ysaÿe.
Others Born in 1888
Go to all RankingsFrits Zernike
PHYSICIST
1888 - 1966
HPI: 73.57
Rank: 21
Raymond Chandler
WRITER
1888 - 1959
HPI: 73.39
Rank: 22
Eugene O'Neill
WRITER
1888 - 1953
HPI: 73.26
Rank: 23
Selman Waksman
PHYSICIAN
1888 - 1973
HPI: 72.94
Rank: 24
Friedrich Fromm
POLITICIAN
1888 - 1945
HPI: 72.62
Rank: 25
Inge Lehmann
GEOLOGIST
1888 - 1993
HPI: 72.21
Rank: 26
F. W. Murnau
FILM DIRECTOR
1888 - 1931
HPI: 72.18
Rank: 27
Johannes Itten
PAINTER
1888 - 1967
HPI: 71.94
Rank: 28
Friedrich Olbricht
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1888 - 1944
HPI: 71.85
Rank: 29
Andrei Tupolev
ENGINEER
1888 - 1972
HPI: 71.70
Rank: 30
Gerrit Rietveld
DESIGNER
1888 - 1964
HPI: 71.38
Rank: 31
Maurice Chevalier
ACTOR
1888 - 1972
HPI: 71.20
Rank: 32
Anton Makarenko
WRITER
1888 - 1939
HPI: 71.13
Rank: 33
Others Deceased in 1931
Go to all RankingsCarl Nielsen
COMPOSER
1865 - 1931
HPI: 73.51
Rank: 14
Joseph Joffre
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1852 - 1931
HPI: 73.35
Rank: 15
Theo van Doesburg
ARTIST
1883 - 1931
HPI: 73.00
Rank: 16
Arnold Bennett
WRITER
1867 - 1931
HPI: 72.87
Rank: 17
Geli Raubal
CELEBRITY
1908 - 1931
HPI: 72.57
Rank: 18
George Herbert Mead
PHILOSOPHER
1863 - 1931
HPI: 72.41
Rank: 19
F. W. Murnau
FILM DIRECTOR
1888 - 1931
HPI: 72.18
Rank: 20
Akseli Gallen-Kallela
PAINTER
1865 - 1931
HPI: 71.34
Rank: 21
Armand Fallières
POLITICIAN
1841 - 1931
HPI: 71.05
Rank: 22
Nathan Söderblom
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1866 - 1931
HPI: 70.37
Rank: 23
Peter Kürten
EXTREMIST
1883 - 1931
HPI: 69.46
Rank: 24
Carin Göring
POLITICIAN
1888 - 1931
HPI: 69.34
Rank: 25
Eugène Ysaÿe
COMPOSER
1858 - 1931
HPI: 69.23
Rank: 26
In Germany
Among people born in Germany, F. W. Murnau ranks 519 out of 7,253. Before him are Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi (1804), Jost Gippert (1956), Jean Paul (1763), Robert Ley (1890), Wilhelm Schickard (1592), and Hans Geiger (1882). After him are Maria Anna of Bavaria (1574), Bernhard von Bülow (1849), Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria (1801), Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve (1793), Caroline of Baden (1776), and Walter Schellenberg (1910).
Others born in Germany
Go to all RankingsCarl Gustav Jacob Jacobi
MATHEMATICIAN
1804 - 1851
HPI: 72.22
Rank: 513
Jost Gippert
LINGUIST
1956 - Present
HPI: 72.21
Rank: 514
Jean Paul
WRITER
1763 - 1825
HPI: 72.21
Rank: 515
Robert Ley
POLITICIAN
1890 - 1945
HPI: 72.18
Rank: 516
Wilhelm Schickard
ASTRONOMER
1592 - 1635
HPI: 72.18
Rank: 517
Hans Geiger
PHYSICIST
1882 - 1945
HPI: 72.18
Rank: 518
F. W. Murnau
FILM DIRECTOR
1888 - 1931
HPI: 72.18
Rank: 519
Maria Anna of Bavaria
NOBLEMAN
1574 - 1616
HPI: 72.17
Rank: 520
Bernhard von Bülow
POLITICIAN
1849 - 1929
HPI: 72.17
Rank: 521
Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria
POLITICIAN
1801 - 1873
HPI: 72.16
Rank: 522
Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve
ASTRONOMER
1793 - 1864
HPI: 72.16
Rank: 523
Caroline of Baden
COMPANION
1776 - 1841
HPI: 72.14
Rank: 524
Walter Schellenberg
POLITICIAN
1910 - 1952
HPI: 72.14
Rank: 525
Among FILM DIRECTORS In Germany
Among film directors born in Germany, F. W. Murnau ranks 6. Before him are Leni Riefenstahl (1902), Wim Wenders (1945), Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1945), Michael Haneke (1942), and Werner Herzog (1942). After him are Ernst Lubitsch (1892), Wolfgang Petersen (1941), Volker Schlöndorff (1939), Max Ophüls (1902), Roland Emmerich (1955), and Margarethe von Trotta (1942).
Leni Riefenstahl
1902 - 2003
HPI: 78.74
Rank: 1
Wim Wenders
1945 - Present
HPI: 76.64
Rank: 2
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
1945 - 1982
HPI: 74.27
Rank: 3
Michael Haneke
1942 - Present
HPI: 73.07
Rank: 4
Werner Herzog
1942 - Present
HPI: 72.82
Rank: 5
F. W. Murnau
1888 - 1931
HPI: 72.18
Rank: 6
Ernst Lubitsch
1892 - 1947
HPI: 71.56
Rank: 7
Wolfgang Petersen
1941 - 2022
HPI: 71.17
Rank: 8
Volker Schlöndorff
1939 - Present
HPI: 68.98
Rank: 9
Max Ophüls
1902 - 1957
HPI: 68.15
Rank: 10
Roland Emmerich
1955 - Present
HPI: 68.07
Rank: 11
Margarethe von Trotta
1942 - Present
HPI: 67.54
Rank: 12