Theodor Loos Movies
This dramatic recounting of the disastrous maiden voyage of H.M.S. Titanic was produced in Germany during WWII and features an undertow of anti-British propaganda absent from other versions of the story. The building of the luxurious ocean liner Titantic proves to be a hugely expensive proposition, and Sir Bruce Ismay (Ernst Fritz Furbringer), president of White Star Lines, wants to make sure that the ship's first crossing is big news. It is at his urging that Capt. Edward J. Smith (Otto Wernicke) pushes for a record speed in their voyage to New York, sowing the seeds for later disaster. This Titanic features a number of rich, decadent British passengers and a handful noble German peasants. While the film was produced with the participation of the Nazi government, its portrait of a disaster at sea proved to be more depressing than inspiring, and it was pulled from theaters shortly after its initial release, though it has since appeared on television and on home video in Europe. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1940
Leon Feuchtwangler's novel Jud Süss was originally about a powerful ghetto businessman who believes himself to be a Jew. Süss' ruthless business practices result in the betrayal of an innocent girl, for which he is arrested and sentenced to be hanged under the anti-Jewish laws of the 18th century. While he waits to be executed, Süss discovers he is not Jewish. Rather than turn his back on the people of the ghetto with whom he'd grown up, Süss courageously refuses to declare his "Aryan" status, even though it means he will die on the gallows. The Feuchtwangler book was designed in roundabout fashion to strike a blow against anti-Semitism. But when Jud Süss was filmed in Germany at the behest of Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels in 1940, its original message was twisted and perverted into an argument in favor of "ethnic cleansing." As played by Werner Krauss, Süss is not only genuinely Jewish, but also an amalgam of every vicious caricature ever concocted by the anti-Semitic propagandists of the past two centuries. With hooked nose and greasy beard, Krauss portrays Süss as a whining, wheedling, hand-wringing subhuman rapist; small wonder that Krauss was proclaimed an Actor of the State by the Nazis. The final scene of Jud Süss shows a screaming, protesting Süss being hanged in the public square; the scene is directed to cast Süss' tormenters in an utterly sympathetic light, and perhaps even to invoke cheers from an impressionable audience. Though disgusting beyond belief, Jud Süss should be seen at least once, if only to show what a dangerous weapon film can be in the hands of hate merchants. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ferdinand Marian, Werner Krauss, (more)
- 1937
Die Sporkc'schen Jaeger (The Sporck Batallion) is where Lt. von Naugaard (Fritz Genschow) calls his home during WWI. A courageous soldier, the lieutenant unfortunately suffers from a mental aberration which compels him to poach on game preserves. Lt. von Naugaard's reckless slaughter of the local deer population casts shame upon his fellow soldiers, but with the help of the poor man's superior officer, all is set right. To non-German eyes, the central conflict in Die Sporkc'schen Jaeger may seem like much ado about nothing. Of far more interest is the romance between von Naugaard and the apple-cheeked heroine (Reva Holsey). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Theodor Loos, Fritz Alberti, (more)
- 1937
The "gipfelsturmer" ("mountain conqueror") of the title is Franzl, played by Olympic mountain-climbing champion Franz Schmid. Since Schmid's climbing prowess is the film's sole raison d'etre, there isn't very much of a plot. This hardly mattered, since audiences were enthralled by the seemingly authentic footage of Schmid performing his high-and-dizzy specialty somewhere in the Alps. Only on second and third viewings is one aware that some of the close shots were re-created within the safe environs of a film studio. Oddly, Der Gipfelsturmer ends with Schmid reaching the top of the mountain, leaving the audience to scratch its collective head in wonderment as to how he's going to get down. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1936
In this drama, a poor mother gives her child up for adoption and travels to America with her spouse. The child is taken in by an orchestra conductor and his wife. When the lad's biological father kills himself, his real mother comes back and gets a job as his nurse. Meanwhile, the conductor's wife, feeling great remorse over her frequent affairs, takes her life. The nurse and the conductor are initially accused of murder, but they are acquitted. At the story's end, the marry. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1936
Verraeter (Traitors) is set for the most part in a German aircraft factory. Using forged passports, a group of enemy spies infiltrate the factory for the purpose of appropriating secret plans. One of the spies is sent on a test flight of a revolutionary new bomber, which he plans to steal for his own country. When he's found out, the spy is pursued by a squadron of planes, all well-stocked with machine guns -- while his comrades continue to go about their dirty work on the ground. The film's suspense lies in its variety of incident; no sooner has one spy been disposed of, than another one pops up for more skullduggery. And in true New World Order fashion, Verraeter illustrates the dangers of human frailties by offering several otherwise decent characters who allow themselves to be hoodwinked or manipulated by the spies. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Willy Birgel, Herbert A.E. Boehme, (more)
- 1936
Schlussakkord (released in the U.S. as Final Accord) is the melancholy tale of a young mother who leaves her child behind in Germany to join her no-good husband in America. Hubby eventually kills himself, rendering the heroine all alone in the world. Meanwhile, her son is adopted by a kindly orchestra conductor and grows up in an atmosphere of luxury and love. In the tradition of East Lynne, the conscience-stricken mother contrives to get a job as a governess in the orchestra leader's home, hoping to be nearer her son -- but never intending to reveal her true identity. The story takes a startling turn when the woman falls in love with the conductor, whereupon both are implicated in a nasty murder case. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lil Dagover, Willy Birgel, (more)
- 1935
In this Swedish romance, a strapping farm boy is betrothed to a pretty socialite. Unfortunately, he really loves a simple girl from the marsh. His engagement to the wealthy lass is broken after he gets into a barroom brawl. He is then able to marry the woman he really loves. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1935
Originally Gruene Ist Die Heide, this German romantic drama was based on a novel by Hermann Loens. The story centers upon a romance between a handsome young forest ranger and his lady friend. Having spent several years trying to track down a mysterious poacher, our hero is taken aback when he discovers that the man he's looking for is the heroine's father. Rather than run off to parts unknown, the poacher elects to make amends to those he's wronged. Ironically, the old man is killed while trying to prevent another poacher from stealing a prize doe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Camilla Spira, Theodor Loos, (more)
Fritz Lang directed this sequel to his nearly four-hour Dr. Mabuse silent of 1922 (often shown in two parts, Dr. Mabuse: Der Spieler/The Gambler and Dr. Mabuse: King of Crime). The film opens with Detective Hofmeister (Karl Meixner) spying on the activities of a criminal syndicate. Not realizing he has been seen, Hofmeister is attacked by the thugs and later turns up out of his mind. He is placed in the institution of Professor Baum (Oscar Beregi), who becomes increasingly obsessed with another patient -- the master criminal and hypnotist Dr. Mabuse (Rudolf Klein-Rogge). Baum's assistant, Dr. Kramm (Theodor Loos), connects Mabuse's writings to a series of the syndicate's recent criminal activities, and is murdered for his knowledge by crime lord Hardy (Rudolf Schündler) who takes orders from a hidden Mabuse. Putting all these pieces together is chief investigator Lohmann (Otto Wernicke), whose story plays out simultaneously with that of ex-cop Thomas Kent (Gustav Diessl), a member of the gang who is torn between his need for money and his love for a young woman named Lilli (Wera Liessem). Various clues lead Lohmann to suspect Mabuse's involvement, but when he arrives at the asylum, Baum reveals that Mabuse has died. Meanwhile, Kent's decision to confess to the cops lands himself and Lilli in a room with a hidden bomb. Lohmann traps the gang in a moll's house, leading to a wild shootout. Kent and Lilli escape and race to Lohmann to tell him that Mabuse is behind the crimes. They all race back to the asylum where they discover that Mabuse has taken control of Baum, who sets a monstrous fire at a chemical factory. The mad doctor then leads Lohmann and Kent on a wild car chase back to the asylum where the mystery behind the Baum-Mabuse-Hofmeister connection takes a disturbing turn. ~ Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Otto Wernicke, (more)
- 1932
This German flag-waver recounts the life and career of famed 19th-century Prussian military leader General Yorck. Werner Krauss, who 13 years earlier had starred in Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, plays the title role. The film's dramatic high-water mark is the moment in 1812 that Yorck refuses to obey his wrong-minded King, whereupon he is branded a rebel. Within a few years, the German film industry would be nationalized by the Nazi party, whereupon any film in which a courageous general dared to stand up to his country's leader would be rejected out of hand. Ironically, by that time the fervently patriotic Werner Krauss would be designated an "Actor of the State." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Werner Krauss, Grete Mosheim, (more)
- 1932
A robbery and a betrayal begin this convoluted crime drama. Following a robbery, jewel thieves Dr. Sandegg and Klotz demand that the corrupt jeweler behind their latest heist give them a bigger cut of the take, but he cannot as he has already spent the loot. Instead, he gives them the key to his ex-wife's hotel room so they can steal her large diamond ring. Sandegg does the dirty work. Unfortunately another crook, Diehl, steals the ring from him. Diehl is involved with the ex-wife and after teaming up with Sandegg and Klotz, informs them that the ring they took was a fake. Diehl devises a complex plan to get the real stone. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Heinz Salfner, Karl Ludwig Diehl, (more)
- 1932
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
- Starring:
- Conrad Veidt, Paul Otto, (more)
- 1932
Teenage pregnancy is the focus of this semi-musical drama set in an authoritarian girls' school. When one of the students becomes pregnant, her fellow students help her until she can return to her family. Songs include "A Day Without You Is a Day Without Happiness". ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Theodor Loos, Karin Hardt, (more)
Fritz Lang's classic early talkie crime melodrama is set in 1931 Berlin. The police are anxious to capture an elusive child murderer (Peter Lorre), and they begin rounding up every criminal in town. The underworld leaders decide to take the heat off their activities by catching the child killer themselves. Once the killer is fingered, he is marked with the letter "M" chalked on his back. He is tracked down and captured by the combined forces of the Berlin criminal community, who put him on trial for his life in a kangaroo court. The killer pleads for mercy, whining that he can't control his homicidal instincts. The police close in and rescue the killer from the underworld so that he can stand trial again in "respectable" circumstances. Some prints of the film end with a caution to the audience to watch after their children more carefully. Filmed in Germany, M was the film that solidified Fritz Lang's reputation with American audiences, and it also made a star out of Peter Lorre (previously a specialist in comedy roles!). M was remade by Hollywood in 1951, with David Wayne giving a serviceable performance as the killer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, (more)
- 1931
Based on the best-selling book by Egon Erwin Kisch, this Czechoslovakian production tells the true story of one of the most flagrant turncoats in European history. A officer on the pre-WWI Austrian military staff, Colonel Redl has no qualms about accepting bribes from and passing secrets to the hated Russians. Playing both sides of the fence, Redl also accepts gratuities from his fellow Austrians to get the goods on "undesirables" from within. His justification? As a member of the "lower orders," Redl feels that he could never have cracked the aristocratic upper circles of the European military without resorting to treachery. The real Redl's homosexuality is not an issue in this film, though it certainly would be in Istvan Szabo's 1985 production Colonel Redl (not a remake of the 1931 film, but instead adapted from John Osborne's A Patriot for Me). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Theodor Loos, Lil Dagover, (more)
