Willy Grunwald dedicated devoted to his work and he was soon confronted with the reproach to devote too much to the modernist art. The working conditions became so bad that he asked for his release in 1924.
His appointment was taken critical from some persons, so the famous writer Vicky Baum described him as an elder actor endowed with attributes like jealousy, vanity, envy and megalomania.
He always directed his attention to the theater where he impersonated many roles. When he was unexpected appointed as the director of the Städtisches Schauspiel- und Opernhaus in Hannover he faced a complete new challenge.
The new medium film attracted his attention and he directed first movies from the middle of the 10's.
The director and actor Willy Grunwald grew up in Hannover where he also made his first acting experiences. Later he went to Berlin - among others at the Lessingtheater - and during World War I he directed first plays for the front theater.
As an actor he took part in the movies "Opfer der Gesellschaft" (1918), "Der Fluch des Spiels" (1918) and "Schinderhannes" (1928) among others.