Helmut Käutner Movies
A student of art history, philology, design and theater at the Munich Art School and Munich University, actor/writer/director Helmut Kaeutner (usually spelled Kautner) launched his career with the Munich Student Cabaret, also known as "Die vier Nachrichter," in 1931. The following year, Kauetner entered films as an actor in Kreuzer Emden. After four years with the Cabaret, he worked as a theatrical actor and director in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He made his film directorial bow with the frothy musical Kitty and the World Conference (1939). His sympathetic portrayal of an English minister and his lightly satirical comments on the relationship between Italy and Germany angered Nazi minister of propaganda Josef Goebbels. As a result, Kauetner was careful to avoid any sort of political commentary in his wartime films, which had the salutary effect of keeping him out of trouble after Germany lost the war. Having previously specialized in Lubitsch-like escapist fare, Kauetner quietly switched gears after 1945, gradually accruing a reputation as a serious "prestige" director. This stylistic change would earn him international acclaim, even while his devotees bemoaned the loss of the director's light touch. In 1954, his The Last Bridge, a stark, realistic war drama, won the International Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. On the strength of Last Bridge, Kaeutner was brought to Hollywood by Universal Pictures; the resulting films were The Restless Years (1958) and Stranger in My Arms (1959). He then returned to Germany, turning out such intriguing films as The Rest is Silence (a 1960 update of Hamlet) before moving into television in 1969. On occasion, Kaeutner would return to acting, most memorably as the title character in Karl May (1974). Helmut Kaeutner was married to actress/director Erica Balque. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Karl May chronicles the life of the extremely popular 19th-century German novelist who lived from 1842 to 1912. Karl May's copious output included dozens of adventure novels set in the American Wild West; they are distinguished by their sympathetic portrayal of Native Americans, and many feature the beloved Native American character Winnetou. May was among the most popular novelists ever to have written in the German language, and the idyllic simplicity of the rustic life portrayed in his works is thought to have inspired the early Nazis, who would probably have horrified May. In the last 12 years of his life, he was involved in a series of lawsuits to clear his name from a number of libelous assaults. These charges came after he had achieved prominence as a cultural figure and his prior conviction and imprisonment for petty theft was discovered. The movie catches up with him in the midst of his fight against these slanders. This film is the second in director Hans-Jurgen Syberberg's German Trilogy, consisting of Ludwig, Karl May and Hitler - Ein Film Aus Deutschland. In order to highlight the continuity between May's vision and the Hitler regime, all the actors in the film were either prominent during the Nazi era, or began their careers then. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristina Soderbaum
- 1973
This German sex comedy deals with the comeuppance of a young girl's philandering surgeon father who assigns his three best friends to chaperon her while he travels the Mediterranean on a business trip. Each of the best friends has at least one liaison with the girl before the film ends; on his business trip, the father is amorously engaged with a number of handsome women. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1970
This sentimental story is taken from the novel by Heinrich Spoerl but strays from the original. Teachers and students are the focus of the plot, with Hans (Walter Giller) in love with Marion (Nadja Tiller). Uschi Glass and Hans Richter also star in this remake of the 1944 classic by Helmut Weiss. Richter plays a teacher in this production after starring as a student in the earlier version. The student-teacher theme seems to be an inexhaustible vehicle for Teutonic filmmakers. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Giller, Uschi Glas, (more)
- 1970
David McCallum stars in Hauser's Memory as scientist Hillel Mondoro. At the behest of the CIA, Mondoro willingly has himself injected with the brain fluid from a dying fellow scientist named Hauser. The purpose of this experiment is to preserve the missile secrets lodged in Hauser's memory banks. The result is a deadly liason between Mondoro and Hauser's pro-Nazi wife Anna (Lilli Palmer). Susan Strasberg costars as Mondoro's nonplussed wife Karen, while German film director Helmut Kautner alsos plays an important featured role. Made for television, Hauser's Memory premiered November 24, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Ludwig (Hansi Kraus) is a mischievous moppet who causes plenty of good-natured fun in this uneven children's comedy taken from the popular book by Ludwig Thoma. He lets loose white mice in the sleeping room of an elderly couple, blows up toys, and replaces his aging Aunt Frieda's (Elisabeth Flickenschildt) beloved parrot with a black cat. Ludwig's mother (Kaethe Braun) and sister (Renate Kasche) must also contend with his hilarious hijinx. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hansi Kraus, Kaethe Braun, (more)
- 1963
Professor Traugott Naegler (Heinz Ruehmann) is a small-town teacher with 12 children in this remake of the 1951 feature of the same name. He once had chased his sister away for living an amoral life. When the sister dies, she promises to leave her fortune to the first family member who has a child out of wedlock. Naegler writes off the money as a lost cause until he learns that his own marriage is not valid and he will soon have another child, all of whom are deemed illegitimate. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ruth Leuwerik, Ilse Page, (more)
- 1962
This routine fantasy-drama that centers on a woman's dream is directed by Helmut Kaeutner and begins when Lieschen Mueller (Sonja Ziemann) gets an unbelievable job offer. As her name suggests to a German audience, she is one of those women -- a bank teller in this case -- who want their romantic fantasies satisfied at the movie theater. So when a wealthy man offers her the position of personal secretary with extensive travel, new clothes, and all the perks, she has to sleep on it. When she does, she dreams that she is a super-wealthy woman already. The question is, will the dream state whether at night or on the silver screen be preferable to the reality? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sonja Ziemann, Martin Held, (more)
- 1962
The friendship between two rival soldiers provides the basis of this comedy. The tale is set during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. The soldiers meet while swimming in the same place. They become friends. When they get out of the water, they accidentally trade uniforms. Together they go to a farmhouse. There they meet an old farmer and his pretty granddaughter. They engage in friendly rivalry for the girl, go for another swim and get their proper uniforms back. They then bid each other adieu and return to their troops. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Redhead, originally released in Germany as Die Rote, is adapted from a novel by Alfred Andersch. Ruth Leuwerik is the carrot-topped protagonist, at wit's end over her disappointing marriage and disillusioning secondary romance. She drops both husband and lover to head to Venice, hoping there to land a job and to enjoy a more fulfilling life. Each person with whom Leuwerik comes in contact is also running away from himself or herself; so much for Venice. After being victimized by deceivers and exploited by self-absorbed martyrs, Leuwerik wearily returns home. Rosanno Brazzi, Giorgio Albertazzi and Gert Froebe costar in Redhead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ruth Leuwerik, Rossano Brazzi, (more)
- 1961
This is a hard-hitting, realistic drama by Helmut Kaeutner that covers perhaps too much territory as it looks at the failing morality of a small German village, caught in the fever of material gain. The U.S. is building a military base nearby in cooperation with the Germans, a base for launching rockets. Along with the copious and rapid flow of dollars into the economy come nightclubs and bars, prostitution, and black-market deals for those who would get rich quick. Among the latter are some Germans making a good profit illicitly selling the gravel that is destined for the construction of the military base to other buyers. The story focuses on a truckdriver, Robert Neidhardt (Helmut Wildt), who is connected to the wheeling part of the dealing. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ingmar Zeisberg
- 1960
Based on a play by Eugene Scribe, this witty comedy by director Richter-Helmut Kautner departs from the usual fare of 1950s and early '60s German films. Set at the beginning of the 18th century when Queen Anne (Liselotte Pulver) was on the throne as the British monarch, the story tells of the rivalry and animosity between Lady Churchill (Hilde Krahl), the Duchess of Marlborough and Sir Henry St. John (Gustaf Grundgens), the Viscount of Bolingbroke. While the Queen is depicted as naive and vacillating, the Duchess and Viscount have a great deal to say about the affairs of state. (The Duke of Marlborough was in charge of the armed forces in Queen Anne's war on the continent.) Other affairs are also examined, such as that of the lovers Arthur Masham (Horst Janson) and Abigail (Sabine Sinjen). Flashbacks are shot in black and white, and the skillful use of color in costuming and decor adds a touch of symbolism to the story. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liselotte Pulver, Hilde Krahl, (more)
- 1959
The Rest Is Silence, a German-made attempt to update Shakespeare, is one of the best and least self-conscious of this minor genre. As indicated by the title, the film's script is a "mufti" version of Hamlet, with young Hardy Kruger trying to prove that his uncle (Peter van Eyck) has killed his father. Direct references to the Shakespeare original abound, right down to the re-enactment of the crime for the benefit of the Uncle and the periodic appearances of the ghost of the hero's father. Interestingly, this 1960 film was released at the same time as a "straight" German version of Hamlet, made for television and starring Maximillian Schell. The original title of Rest Is Silence was Der Rest Ist Schweigen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hardy Kruger, Peter Van Eyck, (more)
- 1959
Though billed fifth, Mary Astor is the one to watch in the Ross Hunter-produced soapera Stranger in My Arms. Astor portrays a neurotically possessive mother who'll stop at nothing to win a posthumous medal of honor for her son. But air force major Jeff Chandler knows that the dead boy was a coward who actually despised his mother. June Allyson, the boy's widow, suspects the truth, but would rather not hear it. Called to testify on behalf of the boy, Chandler is bribed by Ms. Astor to lie on the stand. The painful truth is eventually revealed, but there's some compensation for Ms. Allyson, who falls in love with Chandler. Stranger in My Arms was adapted from Robert Wilder's novel And Ride a Tiger. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- June Allyson, Jeff Chandler, (more)
- 1959
Schinderhannes is the legendary Robin Hood of Germany, a thief who did not focus on robbing from the rich but on defeating them, and battling Napoleon at the same time. This routine but dressed-up drama interprets his story. Popular German star Curt Juergens plays the title role with a certain amount of reserve and as in Robin Hood, he also has a Maid Marion, Julchen (Maria Schell). Schinderhannes' mission is to convert others to his cause, which introduces not only a humble shoemaker (Joseph Offenbach) and a blacksmith (Paul Esser), but also Carl von Cleve-Boost (Christian Wolff), an aristocratic nobleman who turns tail on his class and joins the rebels. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maria Schell, Christian Wolff, (more)
- 1959
Effective in its message that war itself is idiotic, this slowly, slowly evolving, conventional comedy drama by director Helmut Kautner takes place during the Franco-Prussian hostilities of 1870. Jumping into its main point early on, the story has two soldiers, one French and one German, accidentally changing uniforms when one of them is swimming. Now that they are for all exterior appearances on the opposite side of the fence, they meet up at a farmhouse where a friendship starts between them. They share a few adventures as they help out some people who need it -- and then a potential disaster strikes when some Prussian forces intrude on their private hiatus from war. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Richard, Hardy Kruger, (more)
- 1958
Small-minded small town 1950's mores threaten a youthful romance in this sudsy melodrama based on the play Teach Me How to Cry by Patricia Joudry and reminiscent of the previous year's Peyton Place (1957). Sandra Dee stars as Melinda Grant, an illegitimate girl facing the stigma of being a fatherless child in the rigidly judgmental atmosphere of her hometown. Melinda's problems are further compounded by the fact that her mother Elizabeth (Teresa Wright) is a neurotic woman slowly losing her mental grip. Then Melinda meets Will Henderson (John Saxon), the new boy in town, and the two fall in love. Will is from the wrong side of the tracks, however, and his down-on-his-luck father Ed (James Whitmore) doesn't do much to improve the family's reputation. Local tongues are soon wagging over the Melinda-Will romance, casting its future in doubt. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Saxon, Sandra Dee, (more)
- 1958
In this romantic comedy, a cocquette playfully pursues any man she can find. She is most enamored of a handsome playboy whom she pursues through some of Europe's most scenic sights including St. Moritz, Switzerland, Berlin, and Hamburg. After many adventures, the young flirt finally settles down with a less glamorous but true-blue fellow who has been there to pick her up everytime one of her romantic schemes fails. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1957
Monpti is better known by its English-language title Love From Paris. Romy Schneider stars as Anne Claire, a seamstress who pretends to be wealthy in order to crash society. In this guise, she meets and falls in love with starving artist Monpti (Horst Buchholz), who has no time for women of wealth. Sensing a challenge, Anne pursues Monpti, keeping her true identity a secret. What starts as a light-hearted romp unexpectedly deepens into tragedy. The film is narrated by a wry, all-knowing Parisian who, at closer inspection, turns out to be director Helmut Kautner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Romy Schneider, Horst Buchholz, (more)
- 1956
1956's Captain from Koepenick was the second film version of Der Hauptmann von Koepenick, a play by Carl Zuckmayer (the first was directed by Richard Oswald in 1931). This fact-based seriocomedy stars Heinz Reuhmann as Berlin shoemaker Wilhelm Vogt, who in 1906 finds himself in possession of a Prussian military officer's uniform. Donning the outfit, Vogt struts about posing as a Captain, going so far as to declare martial law on the town of Koepenick, arresting the mayor in the process. Then he commandeers the town's cashbox and heads for the hills--as newspapers all over Germany celebrate his "scam". Helmut Kautner, director of The Captain from Koepenick, appears in a bit part as an organ grinder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hannelore Schroth, Martin Held, (more)
- 1955
The Devil's General (Des Teufels General) stars Curt Jurgens as a courageous Luftwaffe officer. Jurgens loves the service, even though he barely tolerates the Hitler regime. Sickened by wartime Nazi atrocities, Jurgens renounces his government, and is imprisoned and tortured as a result. Once released, the general takes pity on a downtrodden Jewish family. This isolated act of kindness is a point in his favor when Jurgens stands before Satan himself for his final judgment. The Devil's General was based on an immensely successful postwar play by German author Carl Zuckmeyer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Curd Jürgens, Viktor de Kowa, (more)
- 1955
O. W. Fischer stars as Ludwig II, the "mad king" of Bavaria. The film downplays some of Ludwig's most outrageous eccentricities, concentrating instead on his fascination with the Arts. The King's particular favorite in this realm is composer Richard Wagner, played by Paul Bildt. Ludwig's obsession with Wagner bordered on the psychotic, a fact that the film only slightly modifies. Ruth Leuwerik costars as Kaiserin Elizabeth, the wife of Austrian emperor Franz Joseph, with whom Ludwig carried on an ill-advised affair. Also appearing is Friedrich Domin as the great German political leader Bismarck, the man who set the stage for Ludwig's ultimate downfall. Ludwig II was filmed on location in and around the Mad King's opulent castle, which now stands as a popular tourist attraction. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- O.W. Fischer, Ruth Leuwerik, (more)
