PAGU

The Projektions-AG Union (generally shortened to PAGU) was a

Universum Film AG

, and was eventually merged into it entirely.

The company was founded by Paul Davidson, a leading cinema-owner who branched out into production. Initially it was based in Frankfurt, but quickly moved its headquarters to Berlin as it was clear that this had become the centre of the German film industry.^[1]

At the time, the majority of films being shown in Germany were foreign-produced, a situation which Davidson attempted to change. One of his first major coups was signing up the Danish film star

playwrights, who were refusing to allow their works to be adapted for the screen.^[3] Davidson was even able to persuade the leading German stage director Max Reinhardt to make two films, shot in Italy

, for the company.

The company's position was boosted when the

The Yellow Passport (1918).^[5]

Following the end of the war, Davidson grew increasingly unhappy with his subordinate position at UFA, and he resigned from the company in 1922. Germany's film industry boomed after 1918 and was increasingly artistically respected, partly due to the films produced by Davidson's PAGU production unit featuring

Hollywood studios who wished to gain a foothold in the German market.^[6] Soon afterwards, PAGU's existence as a notionally separate company was brought to an end.^{[citation needed}

]

References

^ Prawer p.2
^ Prawer p.2-3
^ Prawer p.4
^ Prawer p.3
^ Prawer p.5
^ Prawer p.6

Bibliography

Prawer, S.S. Between Two Worlds: The Jewish Presence in German and Austrian Film, 1910-1933. Berghahn Books, 2005.

[1] Prawer p.2

[2] Prawer p.2-3

[3] Prawer p.4

[4] Prawer p.3

[5] Prawer p.5

[6] Prawer p.6

[1]

[3]

[5]

[6]