Frida Richard Movies

Just before setting up shop at Hollywood's Universal studios, German-born director Henry Koster helmed a lavish Austrian-Italian historical romance titled Das Tagebush Die Geleten. Two years after its original 1936 release, the film was distributed in the U.S. under the title The Affairs of Maupassant. Based on the diaries of Marie Bashkirtseff, the film stars Lila Darvas as Marie, an artist studying in Paris at the turn of the century. Marie's teacher Bassieux (Attila Hoerbiger) has been carrying on a lengthy feud with essayist-art critic Guy de Maupassant (Han Jaray), so naturally our heroine is not too politely inclined towards Bassieux' foe. Things change somewhat when Maupassant rescues Marie from a gang of street hooligans. A romance blossoms, but before it can reach the serious stage Marie suddenly and mysteriously disappears from Maupassant's life. A few days later, on her deathbed, she explains why. Affairs of Maupassant was filmed in three different versions: German, Italian and French. It was the German version that was fitted out with English subtitles for American consumption. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Telegraph operator Hans Albers wins a fortune at the racetrack, immediately shooting his wad on a new wardrobe. It is Albers' hope to impress Kaethe Von Nagy, the daughter of a wealthy American banker. Even when he's lost all his money, our hero contrives to stay near the girl by hiring himself out as a gigolo in the hotel where she is staying. He ends up back where he started, manning the telegraph board -- and in this capacity he wins the girl by saving her father from financial ruin. Is it any surprise that the film's title translates as The Winner? (Incidentally, the film was ultimately released as Liebe ist Liebe). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Das Brennende Herz (The Burning Heart) is motivated by the romance between young composer Georg Wittig (Gustav Froelich) and aspiring singer Dorothy Claudius (Mady Christians). Before their first meeting, hero and heroine have their own individual crosses to bear: Georg is saddled with an alcoholic mother, while Dorothy's father is a helpless invalid. On the eve of Dorothy's first singing job, her father dies, and in her grief she turns to Georg for comfort. Their chance meeting blossoms into love, but the drunken rages of Georg's mother put a nearly impossible strain upon the relationship. And just when it seems that things can't get any worse, Dorothy is seriously injured in a traffic accident. Amazingly, there's a happy ending, but by that time the audience has gone through as much of an emotional wringer as the characters on screen. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Originally titled Der Heilige Berg, Peaks of Destiny is another of the legendary and very well-received "mountain films" of German director/geologist Dr. Arnold Fanck. It also represented the screen debut of Fanck's most celebrated protegee, future director Leni Riefenstahl. The actress is cast as a vampish dancer who comes between best friends and fellow mountaineers Luis Trenker (who likewise became a director of note) and Ernest Peterson. Much of the action takes place on skis, with the outstanding exception of the finale when all three protagonists are stranded on a perilous mountain peak after one of the men tries to kill the other. Though it made hardly a ripple in the U.S., Peaks of Destiny was a huge moneymaker in Europe. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Previously filmed in 1914, the Abbe Antoine-Françoise Prevost novel Manon Lescaut was brought to the screen for a second time in 1926. Lya de Putti stars as the title character, a glamorous prostitute who caters only to the rich and famous. Even after she falls in love with Robert Des Grieux (Vladimir Gladarow), she continues servicing customers to support herself in the manner to which she is accustomed. Though the ending is predictably tragic, reviewers in 1926 were cynical in their assessment, pointing out that hero and heroine had a lot of fun while it lasted. Manon Lescaut has since been remade several times, both officially and otherwise; one of the stranger versions was filmed by Henri Georges-Clouzot in 1950, in which Manon is a WWII-era hooker who runs off to Arabia with her resistance-fighter lover! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This lushly produced UFA production from Fritz Lang was adapted from the Norse sagas, and also from the Wagner operas Siegfried, Gotterdaemmerung, and Lohengrin. There is also a sequel -- Kremhilde's Revenge (Kriemhild's Rache). Siegfried (Paul Richter), son of King Siegmund, masters the art of forging a sword at the shop of Mime (George John). On his journey home, he hears tales of Kriemhild, the princess of Burgundy (Margarete Schoen). En route to Burgundy, Siegfried slays the dragon Fafnir, and bathes in his blood. This mades him invulnerable to attack -- except for one spot on his shoulder blade which he has missed. After finding the treasure of the dwarfs, Siegfried arrives in Bergundy. He meets the beautiful Kriemhild and accompanies King Gunther (Theodor Loos) to Iceland. The king wins the powerful Brunhilde (Hanna Ralph) as his wife, and Siegfried weds Kriemhild. Brunhilde plots to have Siegfried killed and makes up lies about him to the King. Gunther's uncle, Hagen Tronje (Hans Schlettow), finds Siegfried's weak spot and pierces it with a spear. After confessing that she made up stories about Siegfried, Brunhilde kills herself. An interesting side note: Adolf Hitler and Josef Goebbels both claimed this film as one of their favorites. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi

Alfred Abel plays a store clerk who is nearly driven to insanity when he sees an apparition of a girl driving a team of white horses. He is sentenced to 20 years in jail when he is convicted of stealing to raise money for a prostitute who looks life the ghost girl. Lil Dagover, Aud Egede Nissen, and Lya de Putti star in this feature directed by legendary filmmaker F.W. Murnau. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi