Hildegarde Neff Movies
German actress Hildegarde Neff was enrolled right out of high school with UFA Studios' Training Program in preparation for a film career. After a brief period as an artist in an animation firm, she commenced her movie acting with 1945's Fahrt ins Gluck. One year later, Hildegarde attained fame beyond the boundaries of Germany for her role in Murderers Among Us (1946). An actress first and star second, Ms. Neff divided her time between films and stage work for the Deutsches Theatre. A potential 1948 contract with American producer David O. Selznick (prompted by the actress' appearance on a Life magazine cover) came to nothing, but the publicity attending her nude scene in the 1950 German film The Sinner won the actress a pact with 20th Century-Fox. In 1951, Hildegarde appeared in Decision Before Dawn, a Fox picture shot primarily in Germany. The studio changed the spelling of her name for marquee purposes - it had been "Knef" on her birth certificate and in her German appearances - and cast her in such "alluring European" roles as the depraved Countess Liz in Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952). Disturbed that she was perceived as a mere foreign "type" by American producers, Hildegarde returned to Europe in 1952. Her next significant success was back in the USA in the 1955 Broadway musical Silk Stockings, which made her a favorite in New York but failed to convince Hollywood that she was anything more than a pretty commodity. As "Hildegarde Knef" again, the actress spent the '60s performing in her nightclub act both in the US and the Continent, and acting occasionally in second-rate films; these were years blighted by poverty and the loss of fair-weather friends. She made a major dramatic comeback in 1970 with a European TV production of Jean Cocteau's La Voix Humaine, and the next year published her best-selling autobiography, The Gift Horse. Hildegarde Neff/Knef's second book came out in 1975: The Verdict was a no-nonsense account of her ongoing struggles with cancer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1962
In his Ballade Pour un Voyou, first-time director Jean-Claude Bonnardot has put together an uneven, occasionally suspenseful crime drama that involves a mysterious suitcase -- and an unknown crime. The drama begins when an ex-convict agrees to deliver a suitcase according to the instructions that will be given him, step by step. As he is shunted from pillar to post trying to get the suitcase to its final, as yet unknown, destination, he notices that he is being followed by a gunman. His assignment becomes too much, and he attacks the gunman and runs off with the suitcase, only to find that both sides of the law are hot on his trail. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurent Terzieff, Hildegarde Neff, (more)
- 1962
This costume drama chronicles the tumultuous rise of Catherine the Great in Russia. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1963
This overdone German film relies on a repetitive plot centered around bedroom antics worthy of daytime dramas. A call girl (Hildegard Knef) teaches the "ways of love" to a boy (Thomas Fritsch). The boy uses the knowledge to seduce the young wife (Alexandra Stewart) of his professor (Martin Held). Meanwhile, the professor carries on with his secretary (Daliah Lavi). The story continues in like fashion, with little else to give it strength. ~ Lucinda Ramsey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lilli Palmer, Nadja Tiller, (more)
With the Third Reich disintegrating, several members of the German army are defecting to the Americans and offering their services as spies. US officer Gary Merrill trusts none of these last-minute "converts", but German prisoner Oskar Werner seems to be sincere. Werner insists that by helping the Americans, he is saving Germany from destruction. Merrill sends Werner behind enemy lines for counter-espionage with an American officer (Richard Basehart), who still isn't convinced that the German expatriate means what he says. At several critical junctures, it seems as though Werner had been lying about his mission, but at the last moment he saves Basehart's life at the cost of his own...but was this act of bravery intentional? A thoughtful World War II drama, Decision Before Dawn was filmed on location in Europe. Watch for a young and sickly-looking Klaus Kinski as an overeager defector. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Basehart, Gary Merrill, (more)
- 1959
Meant to be a diatribe against yellow journalism and current social ills, this weakly limned drama by Josef von Baky features a reporter who works for one of the tabloid papers. The reporter digs up dirt on the past life of a local hotel owner, and wanting to take full advantage of the muck, he strings out his revelations in a series of perjorative, damning articles on the man. The result of this campaign turns out to be much worse than simply ruining the hotel owner's reputation. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hildegarde Neff, Hansjörg Felmy, (more)
- 1962
Hampered by over-orchestrated music, smeary color photography and (in the English version at least) poor dubbing, this 1963 French/German adaptation of the Kurt Weill-Bertolt Brecht piece The Three Penny Opera nonetheless has its attractions. Not least of these is the central performance of Curt Jurgens as robber captain MacHeath, whose romance with Polly Peachum (June Ritchie), daughter of beggar king J. J. Peachum (Gert Frobe), puts his life in jeopardy. Hildegarde Neff has an effective cameo as whore-ish Pirate Jenny. For the film's American release, distributor Joseph E. Levine hired Sammy Davis Jr. to play the Ballad Singer, who narrates the story, introduces the scenes, and sings the opera's most famous song "Moritat (The Ballad of Mack the Knife)." Unlike the music in the rest of the film, Davis' rendition of "Mack the Knife" is rearranged in Bobby Darin "pop" fashion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sammy Davis, Jr., Curd Jürgens, (more)
- 1951
The Sinner was heralded by a storm of publicity regarding its director Willi Forst and its star Hildergarde Neff. The film was Forst's first effort since 1942, and as such it was highly anticipated. The film was also Neff's last German production before her "new" career in Hollywood. According to most contemporary reviews, The Sinner was considered unworthy of Forst's and Neff's talents, though this may have been a negative reaction to the publicity blitz. The film casts its star as a young girl who is no better than she ought to be, but whose good intentions outweigh her bad impulses. Believing she has finally found true love in the form of an artist (Gustav Frolich), the girl is in for a major disappointment when her lover begins behaving erratically due to a brain tumor. The spectacularly tragic ending to this sorry little tale, coupled with a handful of highly censurable love scenes, seriously impaired any chances for The Sinner to achieve box-office success in the U.S. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hildegarde Neff, Gustav Fröhlich, (more)
- 1952
When undercover secret agent Tyrone Power is thwarted in his efforts to obtain a vital document with details of the Russian invasion of Yugoslavia by the death of the courier at the hands of two Russian agents, played by Mario Siletti and Charles Buchinski (aka Charles Bronson), it becomes his duty to go after the murderers and retrieve the papers. With more loops and turnabouts than a snake, the plot has surprises with agents, double agents, mistaken information and is, all in all, a surprisingly exciting spy vehicle. Michael Ansara and Lee Marvin also make brief appearances in this early cold war story. A script with a lot of holes in it is pulled off by the fine performances and tight direction given in this film. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tyrone Power, Patricia Neal, (more)
- 1951
The ever-popular Viennese operetta star Willi Forst serves as producer, director, co-writer and star of Es Geschehen Noch Wunder (Miracles Still Happen). The whimsically old-fashioned plotline concerns a pair of young lovers who are haunted by a strange melody. Only the lovers can hear the music, leading to several comically dicey complications. Forst's leading lady this time out is the lovely Hildegarde Neff, who is clearly much, much younger than the star, making certain passages of the storyline a bit hard to swallow. At 125 minutes, Es Geschehen Noch Wunder wears out its welcome long before fadeout time, though Willi Forst's legions of fans never complained. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Willi Forst, Hildegarde Neff, (more)
- 1978
- PG
In Fedora, Billy Wilder approaches Hollywood stardom in the same fashion as he did in Sunset Boulevard--with cynicism, regret, understanding, and awe. Fedora (Marthe Keller) is film's most intriguing movie queen. Rumored to be well into her sixties, the actress has remained a starlet for over four decades--retaining youth and radiance despite her advancing years. The mystery behind her numinous persona has never ceased to captivate audiences. Even now, as she lives in seclusion on the beautiful Greek island of Corfu, the public buzzes for her to return to the screen. When producer Barry Detweiler (William Holden) travels to Corfu, staking his faltering career on Fedora's return, he discovers the actress's tragic secret. Fedora's eternal loveliness may not be the result of defying her age, but of concealing her youth. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Holden, Hildegarde Neff, (more)
- 1950
The reminiscences of a maid provide the basis for this German drama. The story is told via flashback. The maid recalls the affair between she and the employer who fell in love with her. They are separated, but then they come back together. All of this is from the imagination of the screenwriter who while sauntering about looking for inspiration, sees a couple walking on the street. His resulting story is interspliced with an actor who interprets the story. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hildegarde Neff, Willy Fritsch, (more)
- 1966
Hypnosis is a psychological thriller reminiscent of themes found in Magic and Dead of Night. Erik (Jean Sorel) is the assistant in a ventriloquist/hypnotist act starring Magda (Elenora Rossi-Drago) and her fiancé Georg (Massimo Serato) Because of his secret love for Magna, Erik kills off anyone who gets in the way of his obsession. He becomes increasing unbalanced and frightened as he is tormented by the sound of the ventriloquist's dummy laughing at him. This Italian-German production, directed by Eugenio Martin, has an interesting premise, but the acting and production values of the are poor and the plot remains cliche-ridden and implausible. Hypnosis will disappoint even the most hardcore fans of the genre. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- 1952
This minor 1952 drama resurfaced during the 1989 Berlin Film Festival, and was found to have previously unsuspected historical and artistic merit. At the time it was made, Sybille Schmitz, one of the great movie stars and beauties of the Nazi era, was fading into her final dissipation and scandal-ridden suicide in 1955 (the subject of a later film by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Veronika Voss). At the same time, two of her costars in this film, Hardy Kruger and Hildegard Knef, were just beginning to make their presence known. The story in this black and white film in some ways parallels the actor's actual circumstances at the time, and gains resonance from that fact. In the film, Schmitz is a wealthy widow who has grown romantically attached to a band leader who is at least as well known for his seductions as for his music. When her son, Kruger, becomes aware of her impending marriage to this cad, he enlists the help of his tragically ill fiancee (Knef) to unmask this man for the villain he really is. Alas, when the widow's illusions are shattered, her dreams are also, and by the end of the film she is alone and miserable, watching the two young lovers head off "into the sunset." ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hardy Kruger
- 1958
Yves Allegret's 3DLa Fille de Hambourg3D (literally 3DThe Girl of Hambourg3D) was released stateside as 3DPort of Desire3D. The film focuses on a former French POW named Pierre (Daniel Gelin) who returns to Germany after the war to seek out a fraulein named Maria (Hildegarde Knef), who extended the hand of kindness to him during his incarceration. Despite the fact that he is married, Pierre hopes to inagurate a romance with Maria, who now works in a seedy Hamburg nightclub. When Pierre is killed by a two-bit thief, Maria brokenheartedly assumes she's been deserted, a misapprehension that leads to tragedy. As was his wont, Allegret piles symbolism upon symbolism throughout 3DLa Fille de Hambourg3D. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Gélin, Hildegarde Neff, (more)
- 1952
Holiday for Henrietta (originally released in 1952 as La Fete a Henriette) is a Pirandellian comedy about the art of moviemaking. Louis Seigner and Henri Cremieux play a team of screenwriters whose latest project is stuck in a mire of indecision. Should fictional heroine Henriette (Dany Robin) be permitted a happy ending as the romantic Seigner insists, or suffer an unhappy one as "film noir" specialist Cremieux demands? While the screenwriters hash out their contrasting points of view, we see a film-within-a-film, dramatizing the formulating screenplay and its abrupt changes of mood and direction. Finally reaching a compromise, the writers are interrupted by one of the actors in their imaginary movie, who informs them that their "original" plot has already been filmed! When Hollywood got hold of Holiday for Henrietta, it pumped up this modest project into a bloated star vehicle for Audrey Hepburn and William Holden, titled Paris When It Sizzles (63). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Auclair, Dany Robin, (more)
- 1963
This black comedy is based on the dastardly deeds of French serial killer Henri-Desire Landru, who wined, dined, scammed, and dismembered over 10 women during WW I. He obtained his victims by placing ads in the Personals section of the paper. He then chose wealthy dowagers in their fifties. First he would woo them to his villa. Then he would con them into forking over their fortunes. Finally he would kill them, chop them up, and immolate the pieces. He is finally captured after he is recognized by the sister of one of the victims. Landru swears that he is not a psychotic killer, that he only did it so he could continue to support his family in the bourgeoisie style that they were accustomed to. During his trial, Landru refused to plead for himself one way or the other; he showed no remorse at all. He was guillotined on February 25, 1922. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Denner, Danielle Darrieux, (more)
- 1962
This drama is a remake of Pabst's famed 1929 film Die Buechse Der Pandora/Pandora's Box. It tells the story of a 14 year-old girl who is caught while trying to pick a doctor's pocket. The doctor ends up taking her in and turning her into a sophisticated lady whom he marries off to a wealthy man. Her new husband really likes to watch her dancing naked. Later, when he catches her 'dancing' with a young artist, the husband drops dead of a heart attack. She then marries the artist, but he soon commits suicide. After that she marries her doctor, but when they get into a fight over a pistol, she accidentally shoots him. She is sent to prison, but is later freed by the doctor's son, and his lesbian pal. The threesome head for gay Paris. In the end, she ends up a streetwalker in London where she becomes a victim of Jack the Ripper. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nadja Tiller, O.E. Hasse, (more)
- 1966
An unemployed, cynical Yankee pilot begins working for a strange colonel flying between Lisbon and Mozambique. He is in one of the wealthy officer's clubs when he meets a promising young singer. From there he finds himself entangled in murder, narcotics smuggling and the white slave trade. The film was shot on location in Mozambique and at Victoria Falls. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
