Difference between revisions of "Louis Wiesner"

From ESAT
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Line 6: Line 6:
 
Louis Ferdinand Wiesner was the son of Ds. Jan Frederik Wiesner and his wife, Louisa Bertha Gerber.  After completing his studies at the University of Stellenbosch he became a translator in the House of Assembly and was then one of the first announcer/producers of the Afrikaans service of the [[South African Broadcasting Corporation]] when it was established in 1936.  However, in December 1939 a Radio Inquiry Committee appointed by the Smuts government found that some members of the staff were “animated by an anti-Government spirit” – i.e. they were suspected of being pro-German at a time shortly after World War II had broken out.  The following January, Louis Wiesner was arrested at the offices of the SABC and was briefly interned.  During that time, Sir Theodore Truter, the Chief Control Officer, interviewed him and decided that he would not pose a danger to the state “provided he kept the promise he made to be more careful in his conduct and utterances.”  However, he was not reinstated.
 
Louis Ferdinand Wiesner was the son of Ds. Jan Frederik Wiesner and his wife, Louisa Bertha Gerber.  After completing his studies at the University of Stellenbosch he became a translator in the House of Assembly and was then one of the first announcer/producers of the Afrikaans service of the [[South African Broadcasting Corporation]] when it was established in 1936.  However, in December 1939 a Radio Inquiry Committee appointed by the Smuts government found that some members of the staff were “animated by an anti-Government spirit” – i.e. they were suspected of being pro-German at a time shortly after World War II had broken out.  The following January, Louis Wiesner was arrested at the offices of the SABC and was briefly interned.  During that time, Sir Theodore Truter, the Chief Control Officer, interviewed him and decided that he would not pose a danger to the state “provided he kept the promise he made to be more careful in his conduct and utterances.”  However, he was not reinstated.
  
It was at this stage that he become involved in the film industry, albeit on a small scale.  In 1942 he was one of six managers of [[UTOLO]] and dubbed a 1936 action-adventure called ''Tundra'', made by Norman Dawn and Fred R. Feitshans Jr., into Afrikaans.  In 1944 he was the editor and production manager on ''[[Donker Spore]]'', directed by [[Thomas Blok]] and [[J.F. Marais]] (the latter had been with him at the [[SABC]]) and the following year he acted as production manager on ''[[Pinkie se Erfenis]]'' ([[Pierre de Wet]]/1945).  By 1950 he was back at the [[SABC]] and in 1957 he was transferred to Pretoria to become Head of the Agricultural Radio Department. In 1967 he released his only feature as director, entitled ''[[In die Lente van Ons Liefde]]'', which had been some five years in the making and probbaly had its start as far back as 1939, when he was reported to be working on an operette by that name.
+
It was at this stage that he become involved in the film industry, albeit on a small scale.  In 1942 he was one of six managers of [[UTOLO]] and dubbed a 1936 action-adventure called ''Tundra'', made by Norman Dawn and Fred R. Feitshans Jr., into Afrikaans.  In 1944 he was the editor and production manager on ''[[Donker Spore]]'', directed by [[Thomas Blok]] and [[J.F. Marais]] (the latter had been with him at the [[SABC]]) and the following year he acted as production manager on ''[[Pinkie se Erfenis]]'' ([[Pierre de Wet]]/1945).  By 1950 he was back at the [[SABC]] and in 1957 he was transferred to Pretoria to become Head of the Agricultural Radio Section. In 1967 he released his only feature as director, entitled ''[[In die Lente van Ons Liefde]]'', which had been some five years in the making and probably had its start as far back as 1939, when he was reported to be working on an operette by that name.
  
 
Throughout his life he filmed notable events of interest to Afrikaner traditionalists, including colour footage of the Van Riebeeck celebrations in 1952 and a volkspele tour of Europe in 1953.  For the [[SABC]] he produced a 14-part long-playing record series entitled ''Sibasa Minister Verwoerd'' (1954) and it is thought that some of the surviving film footage of the Ossewabrandwag was shot by him.  He also produced a television documentary on [[C. Louis Leipoldt]] entitled '''n Handvol Gruis uit die Hamtam'', but this was never transmitted.  His right-wing views kept him in the public eye and in 1970 he stood for Parliament in the Germiston constituency of Primrose for Albert Hertzog’s Herstigte Nasionale Party.  (He received 333 votes against 6,320 for Dr. Piet Koornhof of the National Party.)  He had married Margaretha Elizabeth Webb (1913-2003) in 1946 and the couple had two children.  (FO)
 
Throughout his life he filmed notable events of interest to Afrikaner traditionalists, including colour footage of the Van Riebeeck celebrations in 1952 and a volkspele tour of Europe in 1953.  For the [[SABC]] he produced a 14-part long-playing record series entitled ''Sibasa Minister Verwoerd'' (1954) and it is thought that some of the surviving film footage of the Ossewabrandwag was shot by him.  He also produced a television documentary on [[C. Louis Leipoldt]] entitled '''n Handvol Gruis uit die Hamtam'', but this was never transmitted.  His right-wing views kept him in the public eye and in 1970 he stood for Parliament in the Germiston constituency of Primrose for Albert Hertzog’s Herstigte Nasionale Party.  (He received 333 votes against 6,320 for Dr. Piet Koornhof of the National Party.)  He had married Margaretha Elizabeth Webb (1913-2003) in 1946 and the couple had two children.  (FO)

Revision as of 09:53, 20 October 2018

Louis Wiesner (b. Jansenville, Eastern Cape, 08/12/1913 – d. Alberton, Gauteng, 13/07/1990) was a radio announcer, producer and filmmaker.

Biography

Louis Ferdinand Wiesner was the son of Ds. Jan Frederik Wiesner and his wife, Louisa Bertha Gerber. After completing his studies at the University of Stellenbosch he became a translator in the House of Assembly and was then one of the first announcer/producers of the Afrikaans service of the South African Broadcasting Corporation when it was established in 1936. However, in December 1939 a Radio Inquiry Committee appointed by the Smuts government found that some members of the staff were “animated by an anti-Government spirit” – i.e. they were suspected of being pro-German at a time shortly after World War II had broken out. The following January, Louis Wiesner was arrested at the offices of the SABC and was briefly interned. During that time, Sir Theodore Truter, the Chief Control Officer, interviewed him and decided that he would not pose a danger to the state “provided he kept the promise he made to be more careful in his conduct and utterances.” However, he was not reinstated.

It was at this stage that he become involved in the film industry, albeit on a small scale. In 1942 he was one of six managers of UTOLO and dubbed a 1936 action-adventure called Tundra, made by Norman Dawn and Fred R. Feitshans Jr., into Afrikaans. In 1944 he was the editor and production manager on Donker Spore, directed by Thomas Blok and J.F. Marais (the latter had been with him at the SABC) and the following year he acted as production manager on Pinkie se Erfenis (Pierre de Wet/1945). By 1950 he was back at the SABC and in 1957 he was transferred to Pretoria to become Head of the Agricultural Radio Section. In 1967 he released his only feature as director, entitled In die Lente van Ons Liefde, which had been some five years in the making and probably had its start as far back as 1939, when he was reported to be working on an operette by that name.

Throughout his life he filmed notable events of interest to Afrikaner traditionalists, including colour footage of the Van Riebeeck celebrations in 1952 and a volkspele tour of Europe in 1953. For the SABC he produced a 14-part long-playing record series entitled Sibasa Minister Verwoerd (1954) and it is thought that some of the surviving film footage of the Ossewabrandwag was shot by him. He also produced a television documentary on C. Louis Leipoldt entitled 'n Handvol Gruis uit die Hamtam, but this was never transmitted. His right-wing views kept him in the public eye and in 1970 he stood for Parliament in the Germiston constituency of Primrose for Albert Hertzog’s Herstigte Nasionale Party. (He received 333 votes against 6,320 for Dr. Piet Koornhof of the National Party.) He had married Margaretha Elizabeth Webb (1913-2003) in 1946 and the couple had two children. (FO)

Sources

Rand Daily Mail, 29 April 1939

Rand Daily Mail, 7 February 1940

Beeld, 16 July 1990

Le Roux, André I. & Fourie, Lilla – Filmverlede: geskiedenis van die Suid-Afrikaanse speelfilm (1982)

https://www.yumpu.com/nl/document/view/13918099/maart-sagenealogie/929

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities W

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page