Karl Ludwig Diehl Movies

Der Greifer translates as The Copper -- and, yes, this is a detective yarn. Hero Hans Albers, representing Scotland Yard, mingles with the cream of British society to bring a murderer to justice. Greeting everyone, friend and foe alike, with the same off-handed cheerfulness, Albers is able to put the culprit "at ease" long enough to tighten the noose. And, of course, he wins the girl, fetchingly played by Charlotte Susa. As often happened in German films of this period, the depiction of British aristocrats in Der Greifer is too broad and stereotyped to be believable -- though to be fair, German characters were treated in much the same manner in British films. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Die Koenigen einer Nacht was based on a novel by Alfred Machard. The title translates as Queen of a Night, which is the lofty status thrust upon heroine Friedl Haerlin. Despite the fact that she is not in the least bit queenly, Haerlin manages to convince her fans that she is indeed a beautiful regent, forced into a marriage of convenience which unexpectedly blossoms into love. That superlative singer Walter Janssen shows up in a supporting role designed to allow him full scope to display his remarkable vocal skills. The best acting performance in Die Koenigen einer Nacht is rendered by Carl Ludwig Diehl as the queen's adjutant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This version of the notorious Russian monk/charlatan's life, presents Rasputin, not as an evil manipulator of the czar's family, but as more of a victim. The story begins in a tiny village where he miraculously healed peasants. He is then taken to court to treat the czarina's hemophiliac son, but because Rasputin was a wild drunk and womanizer, he is sent back to his home. When war breaks out, he goes back to St. Petersburg to con the czar into taking over the high command. En route, Rasputin meets a duke and the soldier whose fiancee with whom he had once dallied. In the end, they lure him to a palace and shoot him. The script has an added touch of historical accuracy in that an actual acquaintance of Rasputin, Ossip Dymow, assisted with the script. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this Austrian romantic comedy, set in old Vienna, a young girl attempts to support herself and her elderly mother. She meets a kindly art dealer who offers to help her, but unfortunately, she questions his motives. She then meets the tutor of the dealer's two sons, an ex-officer. Confusion ensues until the dealer's wife straightens out the whole affair. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Set during the Napoleonic era, Der Hoehre Befehl (Higher Command) nonetheless manages to accommodate huge heaping helpings of pro-Nazi propaganda. The story concerns the breakup of the alliance between France and Prussia, galvanized by the imprisonment of an English envoy. The prisoner is set free by a young German officer who despises Napoleon and realizes that the only hope for Prussia's future lies in independence -- and if that independence is won through a betrayal of trust, so be it. Box-office favorite Lil Dagover adds a touch of glamour as a slinky French spy. Director Gerard Lamprecht, one of Germany's most conventional and least adventuresome filmmakers, does his usual perfunctory job with Der Hoehre Befehl. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

With a plot that twists like a plumber's snake, this is more a story of family secrets than anything else, in which the British commander of a West African garrison has to prevent the exposure of an ugly scandal involving his daughter. The story was based on a novel by Lewis Robinson entitled The General Goes Too Far. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide

According to the English-language translation of the film's title, "The Ways of Love are Strange." Presumably this proverb refers to Captain Costali (Carl Ludwig Diehl) and the beautiful Antonia Delvarez (Olga Tschechowa). After a revolution in a South American banana republic, Costali is condemned to death, forcing him to take refuge in the home of his sweetheart Antonia. Posing as the family butler, Costali is safe until he is betrayed by the chauffeur of police-chief Montefranca (Edwin Jurgensen). Arriving at Antonia's home ostensibly to arrest Costali, Montefranca proves to be an ally of the Captain, determined to join forces with him to organize a counter-revolution. So what does all this have to do with the ways of love being strange?? Well? -- if Montefranca hadn't suspected that Costali was hiding in Antonia's home, the whole story, and its twist ending, might never have taken place. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide