Hilde Krahl Movies

This documentary explores the mystery of an inexplicable episode in the life of the otherwise highly esteemed Austrian film director G.W. Pabst (1885-1967). He was well known as a supporter of worker's causes and leftist movements up until 1939 and had directed any number of socially responsible films such as the 1931 Kameradschaft about the hard lot of mine workers. In 1933, at the beginning of the Nazi era in Germany, he left Germany and Austria and spent the next six years in France, the U.S., and Switzerland. In 1939, after announcing that he was on the verge of seeking American citizenship, he returned to Austria and made films under the Nazi regime for reasons which are unclear even to this day. The confusion prompted by this move was amplified by his 1948 film The Trial, which denounced anti-Semitism and won that year's Venice Film Festival "Best Director" honors. Among those interviewed in this attempt to unravel this mystery are film scholars, the director's son Michael, and various wartime actors and directors. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Based on a play by Eugene Scribe, this witty comedy by director Richter-Helmut Kautner departs from the usual fare of 1950s and early '60s German films. Set at the beginning of the 18th century when Queen Anne (Liselotte Pulver) was on the throne as the British monarch, the story tells of the rivalry and animosity between Lady Churchill (Hilde Krahl), the Duchess of Marlborough and Sir Henry St. John (Gustaf Grundgens), the Viscount of Bolingbroke. While the Queen is depicted as naive and vacillating, the Duchess and Viscount have a great deal to say about the affairs of state. (The Duke of Marlborough was in charge of the armed forces in Queen Anne's war on the continent.) Other affairs are also examined, such as that of the lovers Arthur Masham (Horst Janson) and Abigail (Sabine Sinjen). Flashbacks are shot in black and white, and the skillful use of color in costuming and decor adds a touch of symbolism to the story. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Directed by Harald Braun and told from the perspective of Bertha von Suttner, the first female to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, The Alfred Nobel Story - No Greater Love chronicles the life of scientist, inventor, and businessman Alfred Nobel. Nobel built a massive fortune throughout his life, and while much if it was amassed by his inventions--dynamite being perhaps the most notable--he was also revered for his discoveries within the fields of science and economics. Upon his death, Nobel decided that his fortune was simply too great to continue in the form of an inheritance or single charitable donation, opting instead to use the money as reward for the greatest contributors to physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and, of course, peace. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

At the end of World War II, Austria was divided into four sectors, each governed by a separate world power. The Austrian citizenry chafed against foreign rule, and dreamed of the day that their country would again be an independent, self-governing nation. This is the premise of 1 April 2000 which prophesizes that independence will arrive on the titular date. To add a bit of spice to the proceedings, the scriptwriters contrive to have Austria's fate in the hands of a woman (Hilde Krahl) who is susceptible to romance. 1 April 2000 concludes with the imaginary "World Security Council" quelling a disastrous revolution armed with little more than good intentions. Financed by the Austrian government, 1 April 2000 is a mediocre effort even by the questionable standards of nationalistic propaganda. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although she is known as a patron of the arts, a graceful duchess nevertheless refuses her nephew to marry an enterprising actress in this German melodrama starring Kathe Dorsch and silent screen legend Henny Porten. When Philine (Hilde Krahl), the troupe's ingénue, is rejected as proper marital material by the Duchess of Weissenfels (Porten), Karoline Neuber (Dorsch) creates such a furor that she is banished from the country. A performance at the court at St. Petersburg also ends in disaster for the unhappy actress and abandoned by all, Karoline dies a suicide. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Maedchenpensionat (Girl's Dormitory) was adapted from Princess Dagmar, a play by Hugo Brettschneider. Angela Sallokar stars as Princess Dagmar, sheltered from her "common" subjects since infancy by her overprotective uncle, the King (Raoul Aslan). She finally comes in contact with "the people" when she is enrolled in an exclusive but fairly progressive girl's school. Here she falls in love with her poverty-stricken teacher, Dr. Ruppli (Attila Hornberger). Realizing that such a union can never be, Ruppli suppresses his own feelings and sends Dagmar back to her palace and her own kind. The princess-commoner romance in Maedchenpensionat achieved a special timeliness in late 1936, when England's King Edward renounced his throne for "the woman I love." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide