Fritz Rasp Movies
Prominent German character actor Fritz Rasp was best known for playing boorish, lascivious fellows. Rasp began his career on-stage as a member of Max Reinhardt's theater in Berlin. He began playing minor roles in German films in 1915; by the 1920s, he had become a leading character actor in the films of Fritz Lang and other major German directors. Rasp continued appearing in films through the mid-'60s. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi- 1974
Many people may not know that apartment leases in Germany are a lifetime affair, which is one reason apartments there are so difficult to find. Thus, it comes as something of a surprise to 82 year-old Lina Braake (Lina Carstens) when her bank kicks her out of the apartment she has been living in and forces her into a retirement home which, like its U.S. counterparts, treats its residents as if they were infants. There she meets a retired bank manager who delights in the idea of getting even with the men who wronged her. Together, they cook up a scheme so tight that the bank can do nothing when it figures out what has been going on. The title of the film, translated into English, tells the whole story in a nutshell: Lina Braake -- the Bank's Interests Can't Be the Interests Lina Braake Has. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lina Carstens, Fritz Rasp, (more)
- 1965
Dr. Praetorius (Heinz Ruehmann) is a successful physician and philanthropist in this routine drama, a remake of the 1949 film of the same title by the late playwright and actor Curt Goetz. A jealous colleague tries to discredit the good doctor by attempting to uncover anything in his past that may be considered sordid or questionable. Lisolette Pulver plays the doctor's love interest. A 1951 version entitled People Will Talk starred Cary Grant and Jeanne Crain. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Liselotte Pulver, Fritz Rasp, (more)
- 1965
This comedy is taken from the popular stage play by Curt Goetz. Circumstantial evidence implicates Agda Liselotte Pulver in the drowning death of her artist husband . Even her own attorney doubts he can win the case. Another lawyer is hired, but he is discredited when it is revealed that he is also her lover. Soon it is revealed Agda is involved in a plot that is designed to capitalize on the paintings of her murdered husband. There are plenty of surprises, twists, and turns in this offbeat entry. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Liselotte Pulver
- 1963
The German The Squeaker is the third film version of the Edgar Wallace mystery novel of the same name. The title character is an omnipotent "fence" who has cornered the diamond-smuggling racket. The fence travels in polite society under the guise of a wealthy philanthropist. A Scotland Yard detective pretends to be an ex-convict in order to infiltrate the Squeaker's gang and to track down the stolen gems. The Squeaker was one of several German Edgar Wallace adaptations of the 1960s, ground out simultaneously with Britain's long-running Wallace B-picture series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Heinz Drache, Barbara Rutting, (more)
- 1961
Even while a series of British second features based on the works of Edgar Wallace was flourishing in the 1960s, Germany was grinding out its own Wallace series. Secret of the Red Orchid top-bills British actor Christopher Lee in a story of a joint effort between the FBI and Scotland Yard. The target of these combined forces is a far-reaching crime syndicate. The stellar international cast includes Klaus Kinski (a semi-regular in the Wallace series), Marissa Mell, and silent film veteran Fritz Rasp. Secret of the Red Orchid was originally titled Puzzle of the Red Orchid. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1961
In this mystery, a young countess almost loses her life. Investigators soon discover that the attempt is linked to a murder that occurred 20-years ago. The plot is based on an Edgar Wallace story. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1960
In this horror movie, a bank robber is condemned to die. Later he returns from the dead to torment his prosecutors. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1960
In this murder mystery, Scotland Yard looks into a series of murders that have one thing in common: each of the victims has a strange circular mark upon his neck. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1959
That cornucopia of crime fiction Edgar Wallace is plundered once more in The Fellowship of the Frog. The villain is a mysterious master criminal known only as "the Frog," whose henchmen border on the fanatic in their devotion to their leader. A Scotland Yard inspector (Siegfried Lowitz) makes it his life's mission to bring the Frog to justice. Confounding the inspector at every turn is an amateur detective (Joachim Fuchsberger), who may not be all that he seems. Also known as Face of the Frog, this German mystery melodrama was originally released as Der Frosch mit der Maske. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1956
Filmed in Germany (where it was released in 1954), Republic's Magic Fire is the life story of controversial 19th century composer Richard Wagner. Alan Badel comes off more as villain than hero as Wagner, which though historically accurate makes it hard for the audience to pull for the central character. Wagner's bizarre relationship with Ludwig II (Gerhard Riedmann), the "mad king" of Bavaria, is downplayed, while the composer's vitriolic anti-semitism is ignored altogther. The women in Wagner's life are played by Yvonne de Carlo, Valentine Cortese and Rita Gam, while Carlos Thompson does the "best friend/severist critic" bit as fellow composer Franz Liszt. Dramatically uneven, Magic Fire is rescued by Erich Wolfgang Korngold's orchestrations of Wagner's most famous operatic and symphonic works. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Yvonne De Carlo, Rita Gam, (more)
- 1952
Aka House of Life, this German film takes place in a busy maternity hospital. The multicharactered, multistoried narrative is somewhat reminiscent of the 1930s Hollywood production Life Begins. The expectant mothers run the usual stereotypical gamut, from the unwed mom worthy of love and motherhood to the selfish socialite who really shouldn't be permitted to procreate. Linking the stories together are Dr. Haidt (Gustav Froelich) and his female assistant (Cornell Borchers), who has her own deeply personal reasons for her choice of profession. Not unexpectedly, romance blooms between hero and heroine. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gustav Froehlich, Cornell Borchers, (more)
- 1949
Filmed on location in the bombed-out titular city, Somewhere in Berlin details the horrendous plight of postwar German citizens, who were as much victims of Hitler's Third Reich as any conquered nation. The film concentrates on a gang of street kids who stumble across a cache of black-market fireworks. As the homeless children play soldier, the rest of the populace suffers from malnutrition, poverty and severe shortages. A few rays of hope emanate from the reunion of a returning soldier and his family. Director Gerhard Lamorecht manages to evoke sympathy for his characters, though the film might have been more effective had not some of the leading actors appeared so healthy and well-fed. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1943
This German only video tells the story of Paracelsus nefarious activities after quarantining the city of Basel from the plague and using unusual means of healing, saves a man. ~ Rovi
- 1932
Der Hexer was based on The Sorcerer, a detective story by workhorse British author Edgar Wallace. The original story was a thrilling, intricately plotted murder mystery involving a master criminal and a wily detective. According to contemporary reviews, however, the film version threw out much of the suspense and excitement in favor of dull dialogue passages. This is surprising, in that its director was the usually reliable Karl Lamac. Of the actors, only Karl Ettlinger, playing what amounted to the comedy-relief character, was singled out for any praise. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Maria Solveig, Vera Engels, (more)
- 1932
Die Grausame Freundin was one of the last cinematic collaborations between director Carl Lamac and his actress-wife Anny Ondra. The title translates as The Cruel Girl Friend, a description that really doesn't fit the winsome heroine. But to keep her boyfriend in line, Ondra pretends to be a shrewish shrike, and the strategy works beautifully. By 1932, films like Die Grausame Freundin were a dime a dozen, but German audiences continued to eat them up. Within a few years, the "cruel girlfriend" would be the "cruel ex-wife" when Anny Ondra left Carl Lamac and married heavyweight boxing champion Max Schmeling. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Anny Ondra, Fritz Rasp, (more)
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