Johannes Riemann Movies
- 1936
I Am Longing for You is the English-language title of this lugubrious German musical drama. Real-life concert singer Louis Grauvere stars as famed tenor Fritz Brockman. At the height of his success, Fritz leaves wife Katahrina (Adele Sandrock) in favor of a younger bride, Yvonne (Camilla Horn). Quickly tiring of married life, Yvonne eventually breaks Fritz's heart -- but the show must go on! In addition to Grauvere's splendid vocalizations, there are a couple of lively dance solos by Mary Tamara, cast as a mousy secretary with a great set of stems. The American release print of Ich Sehne Mich Nach Die is rather choppily edited, suggesting that originally there was more to this than meets the eye. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adele Sandrock, Camilla Horn, (more)
- 1936
Ave Maria was the second film-starring vehicle for legendary operatic tenor Beniamino Gigli. Mourning the loss of the only woman he ever loved, concert singer Tino Dossi (Gigli) is temporarily shaken from his doldrums by vivacious Montmartre entertainer Claudette (Kaethe Von Nagy). Dossi doesn't realize that Claudette is merely using him to advance her own singing career. Ultimately won over by Dossi's sincerity and courtesy, Claudette falls in love with him for real, only to suffer the pangs of conscience as a result. About to kill herself, she decides instead to return to Dossi's arms, vowing never to confess her original mercenary intentions. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Beniamino Gigli, Kaethe von Nagy, (more)
- 1936
Baby Doctor Engel is the English-language title of this German comedy-drama. The titular Engel (Paul Horbinger) not only brings babies into the world, but he also puts the lives of the parents in order. He takes special interest in the plight of unwed orchestra violinist Maria Winkler (Viktoria von Belasko), who gives birth to a sickly infant. Things turn out well in the end, but it's touch and go in the last few moments. Halfway through Kinderarzt Dr. Engel, the story stops cold in favor of an amateur musical review staged by the hospital staff; it's hardly necessary, but it's fun. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1932
The pressbook for Kadetten (Cadets) claims that the film was written by Dr. Alfred Schirokauer, "after motives of a novel from Peter Muir." Whatever that means. The hero, played by newcomer Franz Fiedler, is a young cadet in a Prussian military school. Upon learning that his superior officer has tried to seduce his pretty young stepmother, Fiedler heads to the officer's home for a confrontation. Upon arriving, he discovers that the officer has been killed. Accused of the crime, Fiedler refuses to offer details to the police for fear of exposing his stepmother to scandal. This leads to tension-laden courtroom climax, dominated by that grand old trouper Albert Basserman. Incidentally, the "Peter Muir" who wrote the novel on whose "motives" Kadetten was based was a pseudonym for journalist Sven von Muller, the husband of actress Mady Christians. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Basserman, Trude von Molo, (more)
- 1932
Hasenklein was based on a stage play by Hans Mahner-Mons. Arriving in the big city to visit his daughter, provincial dressmaker Jacob Tiedke finds himself attending a political meeting. Through a series of hilarious misunderstandings, our hero is elected a member of Parliament then is promoted to the Presidency. Tiedke wants nothing to do with all this, but the more he tries to disqualify himself, the more his followers are convinced that he's a legislative genius. After using his political clout to smooth the romantic path for his daughter and her sweetheart, Tiedke blissfully returns to the small-town dress shop whence he came. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacob Tiedtke, Lien Deyers, (more)
- 1931
Liebe auf Befehl is the German-language version of the American film The Boudoir Diplomat, with Johannes Riemann (who also co-directed) replacing the original film's star Ian Keith. The story concerns the carnal escapades of Baron Valmi, who literally sleeps his way to the top of the social ladder. After wooing, winning and abandoning several influential ladies, the Baron has convinced himself that he can never truly fall in love. It is then that he meets the beautiful Helene. Liebe auf Befehl translates as Command to Love, which was the title of the play upon which the film was based. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johannes Riemann, Arnold Korff, (more)
- 1931
The title tells all in the German comedy Die Falsche Ehemann (The Wrong Husband). As can be gathered, it's a mistaken-identity affair, with a married man being constantly mistaken for his unmarried twin brother. Star Johannes Riemann spends most of the picture running about in his underwear, which should give a good idea of the sort of subtle wit than can be expected here. The film was co-written by Billy Wilder, whose American comedies tended to avoid such obvious bedroom-farce cliches. As with most of his early screenwriting efforts, Wilder worked in collaboration with Paul Frank. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johannes Riemann, Maria Paudler, (more)
- 1931
The comic tenor of this German slapsticker can be assessed by its English-language title, His Grounds for Divorce. The protagonists, a long-married couple, wish to divorce, but they lack the grounds to do so. It is arranged for the husband to be accused of infidelity with a beautiful professional co-respondent. Thanks to the capriciousness of the German legal system, the husband never meets the woman with whom he is supposed to have "fooled around" until after the divorce is granted, by which time the girl is several hundred Deutschmarks richer. Unaware of each other's true identities, the ex-husband and the co-respondent fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after -- maybe! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johannes Riemann, Blandine Ebinger, (more)
- 1928
Released in America in 1928 as Armored Vault, this Lupu Pick production was originally distributed in 1926 under the title Das Panzergewolbe. A typical Pick exercise in minimalist expressionism, the entire story is played out in "real time." Heinrich George plays Stuart Webbs, a brilliant detective who is so feared by the underworld that he is approached with bribes and threats even before they commit their crimes. On this occasion, Webbs must figure out when a gang of particularly clever robbers are going to knock over the armored vault of the title. The villains' "motivation" is sublimely silly: they hope to steal all the real money in the bank so that they can flood the city with counterfeit bills. Former MGM leading lady Mary Nolan plays the heroine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Heinrich George
