Gert Fröbe Movies

This is a remake of the award-winning 1932 classic Grand Hotel with Michele Morgan in the role of Grusinskaya (originally portrayed by Greta Garbo). Based on a book by Vicki Baum, all of the action takes place in the course of one day in a luxury hotel in Berlin. Grusinkaya is a ballerina staying at the hotel, other guests include Baron von Gaigern (O.W. Fischer) a sophisticated thief, Otto Klingelein (Heinz Ruehmann) a dying man, Preysing (Gert Froebe) a businessman, and a stenographer (Sonja Ziemann). Events intertwine the lives of these strangers, bringing them together for some dramatic moments but not quite as effectively as in the 1932 film which boasted the Barrymores (John and Lionel), as well as Wallace Beery and Joan Crawford in its cast -- a hard combination to beat in any era. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Beginning with the declassé premise of this ostensible, unconvincing slice-of-life comedy -- that the heroine's overriding objective in life is to find THE man for her -- French director Julien Duvivier already has problems. Doris (Giulietta Masina) is a woman not prone to deep thinking, whose quest for the perfect mate leads her to break apart friends' relationships while trying out "their" men. She also goes in and out of dependent relationships with men in which she essentially lives off their largesse. Neither of these types of sexual-romantic adventures are very commendable, and that among other factors, takes away much of the comic sheen meant to liven these exploits. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Echec au Porteur (Not Delivered) is a nail-biting suspense tale in the Hitchcock manner. The disgruntled protagonist decides to kill an old enemy with a bomb concealed in a football. The bomb is misdelivered, ending up in the hands of a young boy. The rest of the picture is a race against time as the boy innocently plays with his pigskin booby trap. Co-adapted by Noel Calaf from his own novel, Echec au Porteur boasts excellent performances from Jeanne Moreau, Serge Reggiani, Paul Meurisse and Gert Froebe; incredibly, Variety felt that the cast lacked "name value." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally Das Madchen Rosemarie, this German "musical tragedy" has a lot in common with the Bertold Brecht/Kurt Weill theatrical pieces The Threepenny Opera and The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahoganny; in fact, the music heard throughout was taken from Weill's backlog. Austrian beauty contest winner Nadja Tiller plays the prostitute heroine, based on a real-life call girl whose predilection for blackmailing her high-profile customers ended with her mysterious death in 1957. The film was advertised as a "satire," with the satirical level exemplified by a chorus of capitalist businessmen rhythmically opening and closing their briefcases. The "frivolity" of Rosemary is punctuated by moments of chilling horror, including the film's bleak denouement. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The best thing going for this period piece set during the time of the last Russian Czar is its visual atmosphere, defined by gorgeous sets, costumes, and scenery. Alexey (John Derek) is a soldier in the Czar's army whose fiancée is raped by a general. In retaliation, Alexey attacks the general and is sentenced to prison in Siberia. Thanks to the heroics of his bride-to-be he escapes, but she is killed in helping him. Alexey ends up with some boatman plying their trade on the Volga, and he bides his time as he plots to bring justice to the general. Meanwhile, an attractive gypsy woman (Elsa Martinelli) enters his life. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

When a made-up story crafted to meet a rapidly approaching deadline spirals out of control, a young reporter takes it upon himself to warn the public and his journalistic peers of the dangers of sensationalism in this long-lost film noir directed by Frank Wisbar and starring Horst Buchholz. Aspiring journalist Greg Bachmann (Buchholz) has just been released from prison and is looking for some honest work. Soon hired as assistant to influential yellow journalist Cesar Boyd (Martin Held), Bachmann is shocked to discover that his new employer has concocted the story of a blind Nazi soldier discovered in a bunker years after the end of World War II in order to meet a looming deadline. When other reporters latch on to the story and run a phony picture of the long-lost soldier, a peaceful protest aimed at pressuring authorities to release the man quickly elevate into a full-scale riot. Now, with all of Europe in chaos, Bachmann must race to expose the fraudulent scoop and spread the word about the dangers of tabloid reporting. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

This Franco-Japanese production made the American TV rounds as Typhoon Over Nagasaki. Jean Marais heads the cast as Pierre, a French engineer working in the titular Japanese metropolis. Ignoring social and racial conventions, Pierre falls in love with local girl Noriko (Kishi Keiko). The fly in the ointment is Pierre's ex-flame Francoise (Danielle Darrieux), who launches an aggressive campaign to win him back. The plot is resolved by a climactic typhoon (surprise!), forcing the engineer to make a fateful--and not altogether emotionally satisfying--decision. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Filmed on the island of Crete and set in the early 1920's, when Greece was occupied by the Turks, Jules Dassin's Celu Qui Doit Mourir (He Who Must Die) tells the story of a small village's efforts to stage their Passion Play, an event that occurs once every seven years. The leading citizens, including the wealthy Patriarcheos (Gert Frobe) and the priest Grigoris (Fernand Ledoux), have managed to keep the local Turkish military ruler (Carl Mohner) satisfied with their quiet subservience, each protecting his status and authority within the community in the process. But when Grigoris makes his selections for the roles in the Passion Play, there are unintended consequences, particularly for Manolios (Pierre Vaneck), a tongue-tied, stammering young shepherd who is chosen to play Jesus. On the eve of the celebration and the play, a large group of refugees, survivors of a town burned by the Turks, led by the priest Photis (Jean Servais), arrives seeking help. Grigoris and the other town leaders turn them away, at first spreading the lie that the refugees carry cholera to make the townspeople fearful of them. But Manolios and two others are troubled by the seeming contradiction between the priest's behavior and the teachings of Jesus -- which Manolios is starting to take very seriously. Confronted by the starvation deaths of children and old men among the refugees, Manolios soon finds himself facing an array of unpleasant truths about the failings of the men he has always respected. The village is soon divided, friend against friend and father against son, as Manolios appeals to the better nature of his neighbors -- his closest allies include Patriarcheos's son and Katerina (Melina Mercouri), the village prostitute. These events further enflame Grigoris's anger over what he perceives a open rebellion and the threat of disorder, which the Church will not condone -- and he soon must appeal to the Turkish occupiers, to stop Manolios and all that he represents. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

Vom Himmel Gefallen is better known by its American title, Special Delivery. Joseph Cotten plays John Adams, a functionary at the U.S. embassy in a fictional Iron Curtain country. A baby is left on the doorstep of the embassy, sparking an international incident when a high-ranking communist official demands that the child be turned over to him. Much of the humor arises from the efforts of the male embassy staff to care for the scene-stealing youngster. Fortunately for the kid (and, as it turns out, for John Adams), pretty refugee nurse Sonja (Eva Bartok) arrives on the scene. Directed by Hollywood veteran John Brahm, Von Himmel Gefallen was filmed simultaneously in an English and German language version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Director Paul Verhoeven manages to cut through the sentimental strudel in this biopic of "waltz king" Johann Strauss. Future filmmaker Bernhard Wicki plays Strauss, conveying the charisma and genius of the man without digging too deeply into what made the composer tick. The highlights of Strauss' life are handled sketchily, albeit played out before some of the most gorgeous Viennese locations ever committed to film. The picture's strong suit is its musical score, drawn in toto from Strauss' works. Filmed in 1954, Eternal Waltz was released to the U.S. via television five years later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Das Zweite Leben (Double Destiny) is based on Siegfried, a short story and play by Jean Girardoux. Michel Auclair stars as a young French xpert ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide