Roger Steinmann

Still in his teens, Steinmann aimed to execute larger scale feature-projects based on his original screenplays. In 1978/79, he developed the conception Krebs! (Cancer!) about the life-threatening virus in a woman's organism, visualized by a simultaneous life-threat of the organism of an entire city by a Godzilla-like monster-crab. In German language the title "Krebs!" bears the double meaning of Cancer and Crab.[10]

Steinmann turned to theater as well; notable are:

1982: Beschti Referenze (aka Buchhalter Noetzli / Bookkeeper Noetzli), Steinmann in his function as producer and director was the first to bring this play by Hans Schubert to the Swiss stage. Four years later, the same play served the popular Swiss folk actor Walter Roderer as was his probably greatest success, on stage as well as in film.[14][15]

1986: Achtung-Fertig-Los! (aka Nume Theater mit em Sunntigsbsuech / Ready-Steady-Go!), Steinmann producing and writing this unique farce-comedy concepting disguised actors among the real audience. His friend Markus Imthurn was directing, becoming Steinmann's closest artistic collaborator to date.[16][17]

1988: Schelmereie (Sweet Cheating) at the theater in Oberentfelden, Switzerland: Steinmann directing.[18]

From 1991, Steinmann lived alternatively in Los Angeles. There, he wrote several screenplays on spec, alone but mostly in association, e.g. 'Bum and the Kid' with Scott Steindorff,[19][20] outlines, e.g. ‘Love of my Life’ with Don Mankiewicz, rewrites, e.g. ‘Project: Metalbeast’.[21][22]

Roger Steinmann (right) directs Mickey Rooney in Illusion Infinity, Los Angeles, November 2002

Among Steinmann´s several projects, Illusion Infinity (aka Paradise, 2004) caught the eye of casting director Gerald I. Wolff. He was able to engage seven well known Hollywood actors: Dee Wallace, Mickey Rooney,[2] Timothy Bottoms, Barbara Carrera, Martin Kove, Theresa Saldana,[3] and Lilyan Chauvin.

Illusion Infinity was labeled as biopic; however, it was an original screenplay by Steinmann about the supposed real Las Vegas singer Patricia Paradise (played by Dee Wallace) and her life-long search for a genuine soul-mate, and a home she calls ‘Shangri-La’.[2][23][24]

In 2014, Thai film star Mike Angelo became interested to star in ‘The PartyKillers’,[25] a screwball-comedy about a humble inventor of a magical teddy-bear crashing the engagement party of a toy manufacturer. This screenplay Steinmann wrote back in 1995/98 in collaboration with Rodney Heeringa.[26]

But another concept of a screwball comedy fit Angelo's talent even better: A male singer gaining success only when performing as a woman, attracting both a father and his daughter. After Angelo agreed to star in this dual role, Steinmann originated the 2015-screenplay ‘Ladies First’. Swiss actors Beat Schlatter and Pascal Ulli confirmed their interest to participate, the latter also as co-produce.[27][28][29][30]

Roger Steinmann (left) on the set of 'PhonY' in Phuket/Thailand

Our world caught up with constant (ab-)use of cell-phones: What would happen if all cells and computers became unusable? This topic led to the 2016/2018-screenplay 'PhonY' with the unique interactivity between segments in Los Angeles, Switzerland, Australia, Thailand and Canada.[31][32][33]

In spring 2018, the filming commenced in Switzerland with Pascal Ulli and Gilles Tschudi; it was followed by the Thai segment. The remaining segments with Burt Reynolds and Barbara Carrera were scheduled in Los Angeles for October 2018.[6][34] Though, a mere month before, Burt Reynolds untimely passed away, and the production stalled temporarily.[6][33] It is scheduled for a 2020 delivery. As the fatal Covid-19 situation affects the worldwide filmmaking, PhonY's finishing is postponed.

Due to the cinematic inactivity in spring 2020, Steinmann turned once again to the theater. Between April and September 2020, he created WIN=WIN, a two-person-farce about social distancing.  He adapted the original of German as well to English.  Since November 2020, the world-premiere is in preparation, with Steinmann as producer and director.[8] Renowned actors are interested in the lead-roles, among others, Timothy Bottoms and Karl Dall.[9]

In response to demand in the amateur theater sector, Steinmann modernized  his 1986-farce Achtung-Fertig-Los! as Nume Theater with em Sunntigsbsuech (to date only in German) in the fall of 2020. It's a complete adaption with an entirely new second act.

• Beschti Referenze (aka ‘Buchhalter Noetzli’, 1982), directed and produced[14][15]
• Achtung-Fertig-Los! (aka 'Nume Theater mit em Sunntigsbsuech', 1985), written and produced[17][16]
• Schelmereie (1988), directed[18]
• Nume Theater with em Sunntigsbsuech (aka 'Nur Theater mit dem Sonntagsbesuch', 2020) new adaptation of the 1986-play
• WIN=WIN (2020), written in German and adapted in English; production as co/producer and director in preparation[8]

• Krebs! (1978)[10]
• Serendipity (1991), co-written with/by James Valentine
• Bum and the Kid (1992), co-written with/by Robert Scott Steindorff, story by Steindorff[19]
• Love of my Life (1993), co-written with/by Don Mankiewicz, story by Steinmann/Mario Gmür[49]
• The PartyKillers (1995/2014), story with/by Rodney Heeringa, Markus Imthurn and Sidonia Held (in development)[25][26]
• Ladies First (2015) (in development)[27][28][29][30]