Fritz Lang filmography Fritz Lang filmography Fritz Lang (1890–1976) was an Austrian film director, producer and screenwriter. In Lang's early career he worked primarily as a screenwriter, finishing film scripts in four to five days. Lang went on to direct popular films of the silent era including "Metropolis" and one of the first important German sound films, "M". Lang went on to direct some of the most important crime and film noir film of the American studio era, such as "The Big Heat". Lang's final film work was an acting role as himself in Jean-Luc Godard's "Contempt". Lang returned to America to live
The Big Heat published as a novel in 1953. Initially, McGivern's novel was to be produced by Jerry Wald, who wanted either Paul Muni, George Raft or Edward G. Robinson (who worked with director Fritz Lang in "Woman in the Window" and "Scarlet Street") for the role of Dave Bannion. Columbia Pictures paid $40,000 for McGivern's novel. Lang directed the film while Sydney Boehm wrote it. Boehm made many changes from the novel such as name changes. Commissioner Higgins is not in the novel and Lieutenant Wilks is the corrupt policeman. An honest policeman called Cranston, who was in the novel, was also