Rudolf Rittner Movies
- 1929
When Duty Calls was based on a story by busy German scriveners Broun and Braut. After 20 years on the job, an elderly fireman sprains his leg and reluctantly goes on pension. He spends his days at home brooding bitterly over how younger, less-experienced men have "stolen" his job. Taking pity on the old guy, the new fire inspector gives him an aptitude test to see if he is qualified for a desk job. To put it bluntly, he isn't. But things turn out well for all concerned when the "washed-up" old smoke eater rescues the inspector and the inspector's sweetheart (who happens to be the protagonist's daughter) from a roaring blaze. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rudolf Rittner, Olga Tschechowa, (more)
- 1924
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
- Starring:
- Paul Richter, Margarete Schoen, (more)
- 1924
The second portion of German director Fritz Lang's two-part silent epic Die Nibelungen (part one was 1924's Siegfried), Kriemhild's Revenge opens with mythical heroine Kriemhild (Margarethe Schoen) vowing to avenge the murder of her husband Siegfried. Realizing that her brother, King Gunther (Theodor Loos), is too weak-willed to bring the culprit--her villainous half-brother Hagen Tronje (Hans Adalbert Von Schlettow)--to justice, Kriemhild plots her own private vengeance. Later, Kriemhild is obliged to participate in a "marriage of state" to Burgundian King Etzel (Rudolph Klein-Rogge, who later played Rottwang in Lang's Metropolis). At the wedding festival, she takes the Burgundian revellers hostage, promising to free them if they'll kill Hagen Tronje, who is one of the guests. Their refusal leads to the film's climactic bloodfest, during which Kriemhild metes out justice with Siegfried's magic sword. An astonishingly elaborate and expensive effort (much more so than any American film of 1924), Kriemhild's Revenge is admittedly rough sledding until its lively finale, especially when shown in its original 140 minute length (cartoon director Chuck Jones managed to compact the same basic story into his 6-minute masterpiece What's Opera, Doc?) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Margarete Schoen, Rudolf Rittner, (more)
- 1923
At the Grey House was the English-language title of the 1925 German drama Zur Chronik von Greishuus. Advertised as "A Romance of the Moors," the film stars Lil Dagover as Barbara, a servant's daughter. Wealthy young Viscount Heinrich (Paul Hartman) is in love with Barbara, but their marriage is opposed by the boy's guardian Old Greishaus (Arthur Krausmack), who threatens to cut off Heinrich's inheritance. There are many heartbreaks and disappointments ahead for the two lovers, but in the end Right prevails. Variety's critic not only panned At the Grey House but also skewered the introductory comments made by the manager of the New York theater which ran the film. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul Hartmann, Rudolf Forster, (more)
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