Background
He was born to a Russian Jewish family in Königsberg, then in East Prussia.
He was born to a Russian Jewish family in Königsberg, then in East Prussia.
Due to the political situation at the time, he was stateless when born. In 1914 at the start of the war his family fled to the West. In 1928, with Erik Ode, he founded the cabaret Anti in Berlin.
In the 1930s he fled again, this time to Paris.
On 14 August 1953 he became an American citizen, but in 1958 he moved to Munich where he lived for the rest of his life. Among other writings, he wrote for the Münchner Lachund Schießgesellschaft, a cabaret theatre founded by Sammy Drechsel and Dieter Hildebrandt.
In Los Angeles, Colpet lived in the guest house behind Wilder"s Beverly Hills house, 704 North Beverly Drive, until Wilder sold the house to Doctor Harry Lehrer in 1957 and moved to Century City. "Allein in einer großen Stadt" (Music: Franz Wachsmann.
Singers: Lale Andersen, Marlene Dietrich) "Bitte geh nicht fort" – "Ne me quitte pas", (Music: Jacques Brel) "Der Boss ist nicht hier" (Music: Lotar Olias.
Singer: Freddy Quinn) "Hoppla, jetzt komm ich" (Music: Werner Richard Heymann. Singer: Hans Albers) "Kleine Treue Nachtigall" – "Message to Martha/Michael" (Music: Burt Bacharach. Singer: Marlene Dietrich) "Sag mir, wo die Blumen sind" – "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" (Music: Pete Seeger.
Singer: Marlene Dietrich) "Der ewige Soldat" – Donovan: "Universal Soldier".
(Music and Original lyrics: Buffy Sainte-Marie. Singer: Dominique, Juliane Werding) "Charley’s Tante" (Musical, based on Charley"s Aunt by Brandon Thomas.
Music: Ralph Maria Siegel) West Side Story (German lyrics of the musical by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim ).