Ellen Widmann Movies
- 1972
The bleaker side of life in Zurich emerges in this Swiss-made detective drama. When the police refuse to investigate a corruption charge against his higher-ups, the protagonist of the story (Kurt Frueh), embittered, leaves the force and becomes a private investigator. Some time later he stumbles onto a case involving blackmail and an oversexed, under-aged girl. He finds the girl, and, tragically, becomes involved with her. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Der 10. Mai (The Tenth of May) was the date in 1940 that Hitler invaded the Low Countries: Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. Neutral Switzerland, which hadn't experienced a war since the 14th century, hurriedly fortified its borders with battalions of inexperienced soldiers. The panic, confusion and isolated acts of courage which occurred on that fateful day are re-created in this Swiss docudrama. The story is "personalized" by concentrating on a fugitive German soldier (Heinz Reincke) who falls in love with the Swiss girl (Linda Geiser) who shelters him. Produced on a bare-minimum budget, Der 10. Mai is impressive more for its sincerity and raw energy than for its actual cinematic merits. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Geiser, Heinz Reincke, (more)
- 1952
Filmed in Switzerland, White Hell of Pitz-Palu is a remake of the 1929 G. W. Pabst/Dr. Arnold Fauck production of the same name. The original had been one of the foremost examples of the German "mountain film" genre; it also served to enhance the star appeal of actress Leni Reifenstahl, who later became the Third Reich's most prominent propaganda filmmakers. The remake stars Liselotte (later Lilo) Pulver in the Reifenstahl role as one of several participants in a mountain-climbing expedition. The film's dramatic conflict concerns the personal hell of Dr. John Jensen (Hans Albers), who holds himself responsible for the death of his wife during a similar expedition some 20 years earlier. The superb exterior photography of Richard Angst is the main attribute of White Hell of Pitz-Palu, though Angst's work isn't quite in the same league as the lenswork in the earlier film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hans Albers, Liselotte Pulver, (more)
Fritz Lang's classic early talkie crime melodrama is set in 1931 Berlin. The police are anxious to capture an elusive child murderer (Peter Lorre), and they begin rounding up every criminal in town. The underworld leaders decide to take the heat off their activities by catching the child killer themselves. Once the killer is fingered, he is marked with the letter "M" chalked on his back. He is tracked down and captured by the combined forces of the Berlin criminal community, who put him on trial for his life in a kangaroo court. The killer pleads for mercy, whining that he can't control his homicidal instincts. The police close in and rescue the killer from the underworld so that he can stand trial again in "respectable" circumstances. Some prints of the film end with a caution to the audience to watch after their children more carefully. Filmed in Germany, M was the film that solidified Fritz Lang's reputation with American audiences, and it also made a star out of Peter Lorre (previously a specialist in comedy roles!). M was remade by Hollywood in 1951, with David Wayne giving a serviceable performance as the killer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, (more)
