He had no problem with the transition to the sound film and he continued his film career successfully till to the end of World War II.
His film Eight Girls in a boat (1932) won the Gold Medal at the Venice Film Festival.
He dedicated to the director and he realised many movies as a director from 1925. For some of them he was also responsible as a screenwriter and producer.
Erich Waschneck was not able to continue his former success after the war.
He came in contact with the film industry in 1907 when he began to paint posters for films.
Erich Waschneck was married with the actress Karin Hardt.
The director Erich Waschneck first studied painting at the art academy in Leipzig before he entered the film business as a poster artist at the age of 20. Later followed engagements as a still photographer before he stepped into the active process of creating a movie as a cinematographer assistant of Fritz Arno Wagner.
His last cinematical works came as a screenwriter into being with "Jenny" (1958).
He became a cinematographer himself in 1921 and he was regularly active behind the camera.
Erich was the son of Karl Hermann Waschneck, a blacksmith, and his wife Therese Emilie, née Schneider.