Karl Heinz Böhm Movies
The son of famed conductor Karl Böhm, German actor Karl Heinz Böhm began his performing career on stage. He appeared in his first film in 1952 and went on to play romantic leads in films throughout Europe. He also occasionally appeared in American films. He is best known for working in the "Sissi" series of films. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1955
Romy Schneider makes an impressive starring debut in the delightful Austrian comedy Sissi. The titular heroine is a preteen 19th century lass of noble birth, who charms everyone she meets. Especially impressed is young Franz Joseph, emperor the Hapsburg Empire. When Sissi comes of age, the emperor pursues the girl romantically, with fascinating results. Filmed in 1955, Sissi was the first of a popular series of films showcasing Romy Schneider as the young Empress Elizabeth. The actress' mother, Magda Schneider, also appears prominently in the proceedings. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Romy Schneider, Magda Schneider, (more)
- 1955
At the end of World War II, US soldier Desny comes back to his German girlfriend and has problems with her brother, who owns an amusement park and dabbles in the black market. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ivan Desny, Gertrud Kückelmann, (more)
- 1954
Swiss actress Signe Hasso, who'd previously toted up several respectable Hollywood credits, improved the international marketability of Die Sonne von St. Moritz (The Sun of St. Moritz). Hasso plays Gertie Selle, the wife of a seriously ill older man. Tending to the husband's needs is Dr. Robert Frank (Karlheinz Boehm, later billed as Karl Boehm), who falls in love with Gertie. When the wife administers a fatal overdose of medicine to her husband, Dr. Frank -- correctly suspecting that she has committed murder -- elects not to report the particulars of the death. This turns out to be a big mistake later on, when Gertie attempts to blackmail the doctor. The crisis seems to end with the death of one of the principals, but in fact it's only the beginning. Die Sonne von St. Moritz is based on a novel by P. O. Hoecker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karl Heinz Böhm, Signe Hasso, (more)
- 1952
Aka House of Life, this German film takes place in a busy maternity hospital. The multicharactered, multistoried narrative is somewhat reminiscent of the 1930s Hollywood production Life Begins. The expectant mothers run the usual stereotypical gamut, from the unwed mom worthy of love and motherhood to the selfish socialite who really shouldn't be permitted to procreate. Linking the stories together are Dr. Haidt (Gustav Froelich) and his female assistant (Cornell Borchers), who has her own deeply personal reasons for her choice of profession. Not unexpectedly, romance blooms between hero and heroine. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gustav Froehlich, Cornell Borchers, (more)
- 1952
Also known as Alraune and Mandrake, The Unnatural is a kinky science fiction film, elevated by the bravura performance of Erich Von Stroheim. Playing a mad scientist (again?), Von Stroheim artificially inseminates an addled prostitute with the sperm of a vicious murderer. The result of this unholy union grows up to be Hildegarde Neff, who is none too stable herself. Combining the worst traits of both her parents, Neff lures unsuspecting males to premature deaths. Just when Neff is about to consummate her first genuine romance with Karl Bohm, she is killed by Von Stroheim, who has long harbored incestuous feelings for his "foster daughter." Officially, The Unnatural was adapted by Fritz Rotter from a novel by H. H. Ewers, but one has the impression that Von Stroheim might have dropped a few suggestions of his own here and there. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hildegarde Neff, Erich Von Stroheim, (more)
