Albert Steinruck Movies
- 1930
Previously filmed in 1915 and 1922, The Crimson Circle was based on a novel by Edgar Wallace. The story concentrates on the exploits of Derek Yale, the elusive young head of a blackmailing operation. Dogging Yale's trail at every turn is relentless Scotland Yard inspector Parr. In hopes of escaping detection, Yale poses as a private detective who offers his assistance in his own capture! It is Yale's love for Parr's pretty daughter that leads to his downfall. Completed as a 75-minute silent film by director Frederick Zelnik, Crimson Circle was extensively reshot by Sinclair Hill and finally released as a 60-minute "sound" picture. The property was filmed for a fourth time in 1936. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stewart Rome
Starring American expatriate Betty Amann, this still extant German silent film features a young citizen of Berlin, who, driven into poverty, steals a valuable piece of jewelry. Caught by a handsome policeman (Gustav Froehlich), the girl attempts to seduce him into letting her go. She succeeds beyond all expectation and they marry. Born in Germany to American parents, Betty Amann went on to appear in several Hollywood films, including Nancy Drew, Reporter (1938). ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gustav Froehlich, Else Heller, (more)
- 1929
Eleven Who Were Loyal is set in 1808, during the Prussian uprising against Emperor Napoleon. King Wilhelm III (Gustav Semmler) of Prussia is opposed to the rebellion, but his orders are defied by patriotic Major Von Schill (played by Rudolph Meinert, the film's director). Leading ten equally fervent followers into battle, the Major fights a valiant but futile battle, securing himself a place in the hearts of his countrymen for all time. A romantic subplot involves the wife of a Schill disciple, played by American actress Mary Nolan. The film's 60-minute running time suggested that Eleven Who Were Loyal! was severely trimmed before its American release. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Nolan
- 1928
Am Rande der Welt (At the Edge of the World) was a German antiwar film that had the bad luck to be released in the U.S. at the same time as several other antiwar efforts. Even so, the picture was successful in London and Paris, a fact that the critics attributed as much to the direction by Karl Grune as to the subject matter. Brigitte Helm, who'd scored a sensation a year earlier in Metropolis, was the biggest "name" in the picture. The story was easy enough to follow in the film's original form: alas, the producers decided to severely curtail the film's running time, and as a result several important scenes were lost. The Variety reviewer complained that the characters were "abstractions" rather than people, but this was hardly unusual in German films from this period. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Steinruck, William Dieterle, (more)
- 1927
After the Great War, much of Europe was in chaos, and this German-made film uses that historical backdrop as a starting point. It takes place in a fictional country by the name of Rupolosia, which has been taken over by a band of guerrillas. At the head of this group is the dashing, charismatic Zeremski (Hans Adalbert von Schlettow). Olga Tschechowa plays his mistress Nadja, the only person who has any power over Zeremski whatsoever. Zeremski and his bandits terrorize the countryside until a new Governor arrives. While a well-intentioned effort, this was not a great example of German filmmaking, and the mixed reviews it got in the U.S. reflect that. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Olga Tschechowa, Jenny Hasselquist, (more)
- 1924
During the 1920s, it was a common occurrence for British filmmakers to lense their productions in Germany, and vice versa. Thus it was that Herbert Wilcox travelled to Deutschland to film his lavish Decameron Nights. The film was based on a play by McLoughlin and Lawrence, which in turn was adapted from the spicy tales of Giovanni Boccaccio. Hollywood's Lionel Barrymore plays a sultan whose son falls hopelessly in love with a Moslem princess. Also in the cast is Werner Krauss, of Cabinet of Dr. Caligari fame. Decameron Nights was more or less remade in 1953, with Louis Jourdan and Joan Fontaine in the leads. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Werner Krauss, Lionel Barrymore, (more)
- 1923
The Treasure (Der Schatz), G. W. Pabst's first film, wasn't released in the U.S. until 1929, six years after its completion. On the surface a straightforward tale of the search for a buried treasure, the film is a textbook example of German expressionism, with the passions of the protagonists conveyed as much through symbolism as action. Werner Krauss steals the first scene as a retarded assistant bellmaker who skulks through the proceedings as if weighed down by a multitude of horrible secrets. In fact, only the character played by Hans Brausewetter, that of a "journeyman artisan," is in any way likeable. Evidently Pabst got all of his expressionistic tendencies out of his system with The Treasure, opting for gritty realism in his subsequent efforts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Steinruck, Lucie Mannheim, (more)
- 1923
This overblown, German-made historical epic was based on the play by Maurice Maeterlinck. It takes place during the times of the Italian Renaissance, when the cities of Pisa and Florence were at war. Guido Gurlino, head of the Pisan armies (Paul Wegener) lusts after Monna Vanna, a peasant girl (blonde German star Lee Parry). He takes her and weds her. Vitellozo Vitelli, the Florentine army leader (Olaf Fjord) is wounded in a duel with Gurlino and Monna nurses him back to health. He doesn't realize it, but she falls in love with him. After he regains his health, Vitelli lays siege to the city, and when the inhabitants beg for food, he promises to feed them if they give him Gurlino's bride. When she is delivered and he sees it is Monna, he is ashamed. Together they escape to Pisa, and the jealous Gurlino has Vitelli tried and sentenced to death. Vitelli manages to escape and he leads the Pisan army to victory. Gurlino is killed in battle, so Vitelli and Monna are able to marry. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Parry, Paul Wegener, (more)
Actor-director Paul Wegener made three films built around the mythical creature of Jewish legend: Golem was released in 1914, and a sequel of sorts, Der Golem und die Tänzerin, came out in 1917. This is the one film which has survived and is regarded among the landmarks of early German expressionism. In medieval Prague, Rabbi Loew (Albert Steinruck) observes the stars and concludes that trouble is brewing for his people. When the emperor issues a decree threatening the expulsion of Jews from the city, the rabbi, a master of magic, activates the Golem, a monstrous clay figure, to help save his congregation. The rabbi's daughter, Miriam (Lyda Salmonova, who also played this role in the 1914 film) is courted by two men, Famulus (Ernst Deutsch), the rabbi's assistant, and Knight Florian (Lathar Menthel), a messenger for the emperor. Famulus re-activates the Golem to vanquish his rival, and the monster goes berserk. Stylized sets and moody cinematography elevated Der Golem above the standard features of its time, its central figure has been the focus of a number of films produced in various countries, and the name has become a generic descriptor for any lumbering creature which can't be easily controlled. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide
