[1] He was one of the most influential film directors of German post-war cinema and became known for his sophisticated literary adaptations.

Käutner started out as a director in the Nazi era, but his films remained largely free of National Socialist propaganda.

[2] One of his early successes was Romanze in Moll (1943), an adaptation of Guy du Maupassant's short story "Les Bijoux".

Käutner made two films for Universal Pictures in Hollywood: The Restless Years (1958) and A Stranger in My Arms (1959).

However, neither of them received critical success and Käutner was unhappy with the lack of creative freedom he had, so he returned to Germany.