Curt Johannes Braun Movies
- 1958
Starring the peripatetic Eddie Constantine as Eddie Petersen ("Hoppla Eddie"), this amusing crime parody pokes at the foibles of gangster movies. Eddie is a seaman working out of Hamburg who has been given the enviable job of watching over a group of pretty South American women. While this seems like a better assignment than putting out to sea for six months, he soon finds himself in more limited, but very hot water. One of the women may hold the key to a secret uncovered by her famous scientist-father, now deceased. He apparently discovered something cheap to power the automobile and a notorious international gang is after his invention. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Constantine, Maria Sebaldt, (more)
- 1957
Nachts im Gruenen Kakadu translates roughly to At Green Cockatoo at Night. The titular bird isn't a "who" but a "what": the Green Cockatoo is a fancy nightclub, inherited by a "Miss Manners" type named Irene Wagner (Marika Roekk). Unfortunately, Irene has also inherited the nightclub's mounting debts. Unable to hire entertainment, our heroine is obliged to do all the singing and dancing herself. All of which was just fine for the many fans of veteran German-Hungarian musical comedy star Marika Roekk, for whom Nachts im Gruenen Kakadu was a long-awaited comeback. The film was directed by Frau Roekk's husband, George Jacoby. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marika Rökk, Dieter Borsche, (more)
- 1955
One of several films helmed by internationally renowned actor-director Fritz Kortner after his return to Germany in 1947, Die Stadt ist Voller Geheimnisse was released in English-speaking countries as Secrets of the City, City of Secrets and This Town is Full of Secrets. Adapted from a stage play by Curt J. Braun, the film takes place in a mid-sized German industrial town. When the local factory closes its doors, the townsfolk are thrown into confusion and dismay. The story concentrates on a dozen laid-off workers, relating their individual life stories and detailing their hopes, aspiration and fears. Though the ensemble acting is excellent, Die Stadt ist Voller Geheimnisse might have been more effective had it dealt with fewer characters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karl Ludwig Diehl, Werner Fuetterer, (more)
- 1954
Swiss actress Signe Hasso, who'd previously toted up several respectable Hollywood credits, improved the international marketability of Die Sonne von St. Moritz (The Sun of St. Moritz). Hasso plays Gertie Selle, the wife of a seriously ill older man. Tending to the husband's needs is Dr. Robert Frank (Karlheinz Boehm, later billed as Karl Boehm), who falls in love with Gertie. When the wife administers a fatal overdose of medicine to her husband, Dr. Frank -- correctly suspecting that she has committed murder -- elects not to report the particulars of the death. This turns out to be a big mistake later on, when Gertie attempts to blackmail the doctor. The crisis seems to end with the death of one of the principals, but in fact it's only the beginning. Die Sonne von St. Moritz is based on a novel by P. O. Hoecker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karl Heinz Böhm, Signe Hasso, (more)
- 1938
Stimme des Blutes (Blood Bonds) bears faint traces of the silent German classic Variety. Albert Matterstock and Attila Horberger play Robert and Thomas Arlen, a fraternal team of trapeze artists. Though the two brothers have despised one another since Thomas stole Robert's wife, they are compelled to professionally remain co-workers. When a killing occurs and it seems as though Robert is responsible, Thomas takes the blame, hoping thereby to atone for his sin against his brother. The film was directed by Karl Julis Fritzche, future manager of Germany's Tobis Studios. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Matterstock
- 1936
The title of this German murder mystery translates literally as Stronger Than Paragraphs. Paul Hartmann stars as criminal attorney Dr. Birk, at present defending an accused killer. In the course of the trial, another person is arrested for the crime on circumstantial evidence and subsequently sentenced to death. It is at this point that Birk discovers the surprising truth and is forced into a most difficult dilemma. Should Birk betray his attorney-client confidence in order to save an innocent man from execution? Staerker als Paragraphen was based on a novel by Curt I. Braun. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Hartmann, Karl Hellmer, (more)
- 1934
This musical centers around a Rurutanian ballerina, wanting to inspire jealousy in her friends, fakes an engagement to a diplomat. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1933
There was nothing sly or subtle about the German S.A.-Mann Brand: The film set out to "glorify" the Third Reich, and succeeded spectacularly so far as pro-Hitlerites were concerned. S. A. stands for "Sturm-Abeling," or "Storm Troopers," the Nazi elite who are depicted as gods on earth in this 85-minute political tract. Opposing the heroic, clean-limned storm troopers are a band of scurrilous communists, every one of them a rat or a louse or both. The film's climax finds a 14-year-old Hitler Jugend nobly taking a bullet to save a comrade, thereby providing the story with a "Horst Wessel"-style martyr. For American consumption, the more virulent anti-Semitic sequences in S.A.-Mann Brand were removed, but the bitter taste still remained. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Otto Wernicke, Elise Aulinger, (more)
- 1932
Though "blessed" with a complex title, which translates as Marriage with Limited Liability, this German comedy was adapted from the more simply titled stage play Causa Kaiser. Composer Georg Kaiser is unable to secure a divorce from his wife, so he "lives in sin" with his singer-sweetheart Causa. The girl's wealthy uncle dies, leaving her millions -- provided she is married to Georg Kaiser. Hoping to take advantage of a legal loophole, Georg seeks out another man named George Kaiser, intending to marry him off to Causa so that she can collect her legacy. Georg Kaiser # 2 is a middle-aged naif who can't understand why his new bride is so cold to him. When he finds out he's been duped by Kaiser #1, Kaiser #2 finds solace in the arms of another woman closer to his own age, which somehow leads to a happy ending for all concerned. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlotte Susa, Hans Moser, (more)
- 1932
Max Hansen stars as the title character in Der Frauendiplomat (The Ladies' Diplomat). The hero is an Austrian duke with a roving eye who treats the various embassies of Europe as his own personal dating services. His galavanting days come to an end when he meets Marthe Eggerth, with whom he genuinely falls in love -- and who, of course, wants nothing to do with him. Famed Austrian opera singer Leo Slezak (father of Walter Slezak) makes his screen debut herein. Der Frauendiplomat was the first Paramount picture produced exclusively for the domestic German audience. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Max Hansen, Anton Pointner, (more)
- 1930
Das Land des Lachelins (The Land of Smiles) exists solely as a showcase for that splendid Austrian tenor Richard Tauber. The plot is so minimal as to be nonexistent: Tauber essays his usual role as carefree interlocutor and last-minute problem-solver, singing merrily at the drop of a hat (and carrying his own hat). Though his heart is periodically broken, our hero goes on singing, which is really all his fans could ever ask for. The film was based on a stage operetta by Curt I. Braun, Leo Lasko and Anton Kuh. Richard Tauber also served as producer of this, his third starring vehicle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Tauber
- 1929
Latin Quarter (Quartier Latin) was director Augusto Genina's sole cinematic contribution for 1928. Ivan Petrovitch is cast as Ralph, a wealthy young man who is invited to the artists' ball in Paris' Latin Quarter. Here he meets lovely aspiring painter Louise (Carmen Boni), with whom he instantly falls in love. Pretending to be an artist himself, Ralph leads Louise to believe that he is as poor as she, hoping that she'll love him for himself rather than his money. The truth comes out when Ralph is briefly distracted by a vampish young model (Gina Manes). Convinced that Ralph has gone off to Italy with his new "conquest," Louise falls seriously ill but immediately recovers when her sweetheart rushes back to her bedside. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carmen Boni, Gina Manès, (more)
