Albert Basserman Movies
In Knute Rockne, All American, chemistry professor Albert Basserman was the all-wise mentor and severest critic of teacher-cum-coach Rockne (Pat O'Brien). In real life, Basserman had himself studied chemistry, but abandoned that science early on to work with Vienesse stage impresario Max Reinhardt. A prominent and popular stage and film actor in his native Germany, Basserman emigrated to Switzerland in 1933 rather than endure the incoming Hitler regime. He worked briefly in the French film industry before coming to America in 1939. Basserman spent the next eight years portraying sagacious elderly Europeans, usually scientists and music teachers. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his dual role in Foreign Correspondent (1940). Basserman's heartfelt, well-defined screen characterizations are all the more impressive when one realizes that he could not speak English, and had to learn his lines phonetically. Albert Basserman journeyed to England in 1948 for his final film assignment, The Red Shoes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1935
Letzte Liebe (Last Love) is a vehicle for Japanese-born singing favorite Mitchiko Meini, whose marriage to a wealthy Austrian coffee importer secured her a place in the European film industry. Meini is cast as a Japanese music student, taking lessons in Vienna. An elderly, dissipated composer (Albert Basserman), now down on his luck, takes a fancy to the girl and composes an opera for her. The old man hopes that her gratitude will eventually blossom into love, but she falls instead for his younger, handsomer nephew (Hans Jaray). The tear-stained conclusion finds the heroine ascending to stardom overnight, but just as quickly retiring from the limelight, saddened beyond words by the tragic and unnecessary death of her aged mentor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Basserman, Hans Jaray, (more)
- 1933
A Certain Mr. Gran is the English-language title of this fast-paced espionage drama. Things literally start with a bang when a car is forced off an Alpine road and the driver is killed in a fiery crash. The assailant grabs a suitcase stuffed with secret papers from the wreckage, and the chase is on. The head villain, international spy Tschernikoff (Albert Basserman), manages to cover his tracks by posing as a harmless antiques dealer. But Tschernikoff ultimately proves to be no match for "a certain Mr. Gran" (Hans Albers), an undercover secret-service agent. Albers' portrayal of Mr. Gran as a wisecracking fashion plate with an eye for the ladies is a fascinating precursor to the James Bond school of spydom. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Germaine Aussey, Olga Tschechowa, (more)
- 1932
Zum Goldnen Anker (The Golden Anchor) was the German-language version of the Marcel Pagnol masterpiece Marius. Jakob Tiedtke steps into the central role of Marseilles tavernkeeper Cesare, the character immortalized in the French-language version by the great Raimu. Cesare's irresponsible son Marius (Karl Ettinger) seduces the lovely Fanny (Lucie Hoeflich), who hopes that this indiscretion will lead to marriage. Alas, Marius begins to show signs of restlessness, whereupon Fanny magnanimously offers to give him his freedom, even though there's a baby on the way. Despite Cesare's insistence that Marius make an honest woman of Fanny, the girl makes certain that Marius will be able to follow his heart and set off to sea. Albert Bassermann co-stars as wealthy middle-ager Panisse, who it is inferred will become Fanny's husband once Marius is out of the picture. While the original Marius was followed by a brace of sequels, Zum Goldnen Anker was not. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Basserman, Jacob Tiedtke, (more)
- 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)
- 1931
The directorial career of Robert Siodmak continue to gain momentum with his third solo effort, Voruntersuchung (Inquest) When a prostitute is murdered, suspicion falls on Gustav Froelich, the son of a magistrate. A victim of circumstantial evidence, Froelich must endure the hell of a preliminary hearing, where he is subjected to the gloves-off approach of the deceptively avuncular prosecuting attorney Albert Basserman. Voruntersuchung was based on a novel by real-life Berlin lawyer Dr. Max Alsberg. It was filmed simultaneously by director Henri Chanotte (under Siodmak's supervision) in a French-language version, Auteur d'une Etiquette. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Basserman, Hans Brausewetter, (more)
- 1931
This film was also released as Die Letzten Tag von dem Welt-brand (The Last Days Before the War). Director Richard Oswald and screenwriters Heinz Goldberg and Frtiz Wendhausen tackle the near-impossible task of establishing who exactly was responsible for the outbreak of WWI. The answer seems to be "everyone and no one," though the Russians are taken to task for their war-mongering instincts. The huge and stellar cast (including Albert Basserman, Reinhold Schunzel, Alfred Abel and Oskar Homolka) seem awe-struck by the famous characters they're called upon to play; as a result, they come off more as wax effigies than human beings. The American release version of 1914 was outfitted with a prologue and epilogue spoken in English by a renowned military historian. Coincidentally, the incredibly prolific Richard Oswald began his directorial career in 1914. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Basserman
- 1930
H.H. Evers' best-selling science fiction novel Alraune was the source for this chilling German fantasy. The story is set in motion by a misguided scientist (Albert Basserman) who artificially inseminates a prostitute (Agnes Straub) with the sperm of a convicted murderer. The baby grows up to be a beautiful young woman (Brigitte Helm) with absolutely no sense of right or wrong. Dancing sensuously for the benefit of her admirers, the sociopathic "heroine" leads several otherwise decent men to their ruin. Alraune was remade in 1952 with Erich Von Stroheim and Hildegarde Knef; this version was released to the U.S. as Unnatural. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Basserman, Brigitte Helm, (more)
- 1930
In this drama, an experimental researcher plays with gene splicing. In one experiment, he artificially inseminates a prostitute with the semen of a hanged killer. A beautiful daughter is produced. The trouble is that the daughter is devoid of moral character. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1929
Napoleon auf St. Helena was the next-to-last film of director Lupu-Pick, who died by his own hand in 1931. Werner Krauss is a physically inappropriate choice for the role of Napoleon, though he plays the part with his usual consummate skill. This study of Napoleon's last days in exile doesn't offer much in the way of action, but is more interesting as a "chamber piece." Especially well handled is the curious relationship between the Little Corporal and his "host," the British governor of St. Helena (played by Albert Basserman). The screenplay was by Abel Gance, whose own 1927 filmization of the life of Napoleon remains one of the unchallenged masterpieces of the silent cinema. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Werner Krauss, Albert Basserman, (more)
- 1922
While he was working in his native Germany, Ernst Lubitsch directed a number of historical pictures -- although this one is not that well-known today, it was one of the most spectacular. Emil Jannings stars in the title role of the Egyptian Pharaoh. Samlak, the king of the Ethiopians (Paul Wegener) plans to give his daughter Makeda (Lyda Salmonova) in marriage to Pharoah Amenes (Jannings), thus joining the two countries in friendly relations. However, the Pharaoh has fallen in love with Theonis, a slave girl (Dagny Servaes), who has run away from Samlak with the help of Ramphis (Harry Liedtke), the son of Egypt's main architect (Albert Bassermann). The Pharoah separates Theonis from Ramphis and forces her to marry him. Because of the rejection of their princess the Ethiopians declare war on Egypt. But Theonis does not love the Pharoah and he locks her away. Ramphis finds her, then when the Pharoah has been wounded in battle, he leads the Egyptians to victory. Ramphis now becomes ruler of Egypt and he takes Theonis as his bride. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emil Jannings, Harry Liedtke, (more)
