Alfred Abel Movies
Before becoming a distinguished German actor, Alfred Abel worked a wide variety of jobs, ranging from forester to bank clerk to designer. In 1913, he caught the eye of Asta Nielsen, who helped him break into show business. Abel went on to be one of the best actors in early German films such as Dr. Mabuse der Spieler (1922) and Metropolis (1927). Abel became a director in the early '30s and made three films before he died in 1937. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 1984
Giorgio Moroder re-edited Fritz Lang's 1926 science fiction classic, tinted it and added his own score. The soundtrack also features musicians Pat Benatar, Bonnie Tyler, Billy Squier and Freddie Mercury. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1937
The title of this German musical translates as Seven Boxes on the Ear, referring to the painful punishment doled out to financier Anton Terbanks (Alfred Abel). Thanks to a run on Wall Street caused by Terbanks' financial finagling, Scotsman MacFab (Willy Fritsch) loses his life savings of seven pounds. Running directly to the newspapers, MacFab spreads the word that Terbanks is the enemy of the "little man." Hoping to avoid further embarrassment, Terbanks agrees to allow MacFab to box his ears in public every day for seven days -- then tries to figure a way to wriggle out of his agreement. The dilemma is resolved when MacFab falls in love with Terbanks' daughter Daisy (Lillian Harvey), but not before she herself is clobbered on the ear at least once. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alfred Abel, Lilian Harvey, (more)
- 1937
By accident or design, two pre-Hitler efforts from German filmmaker Carl Boese were distributed to the U.S. during the same week of 1937, roughly five years after both were completed. The first was The Gentleman from Maxims; the second was Die Klein Schiwindlerin -- or, as it was known in the U.S., The Little Schemer. Pixieish Dolly Haas plays the title character, a flirtatious cutie named Annette. Our heroine causes all sorts of mischief for handsome young man-about-town Bob (Harald Paulsen), ultimately winning his love. She also saves him from the machinations of a group of con artists. Though Dolly Haas was unable to sustain her acting career in Hollywood, she remained in close contact with the Performing Arts through her long and lasting marriage to caricature artist Al Hirschfield. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dolly Haas, Harald Paulsen, (more)
- 1936
Everything For the Woman is the English-language title of this convoluted German romantic drama. Former German flying ace Heinrich Droop (Paul Hartmann) is given a postwar boost in the business world by Englishman Fred Keyne (Gustav Diesel) whose life Droop once saved. Appointed head engineer at Keyne's airplane factory, Droop seems destined for unlimited success. But things go horribly awry when our hero falls in love with Keyne's ex-chorine wife Blanche (Charlotte). Things look bleak when Blanche's former dancing partner blackmails the illicit couple, but all works out for the best in the film's gloriously unbelievable finale. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Hartmann, Charlotte Susa, (more)
- 1936
Ein Seltsamer Gast (A Strange Guest) was based on a novel by Kurt Heuser. The story concerns the theft of a valuable necklace, which leads to a baffling murder. Alfred Abel heads the all-star cast as Bruneaux, a mysterious art dealer whose connection with the robbery and murder are made clear only in the final reels. Most of the action takes place in a "respectable" Parisian hotel room, which by film's end has more traffic than the Champs Elysses. Given the methodical nature of mid-1930s German films, it's no surprise that the country turned out so many above-average murder mysteries. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alfred Abel
- 1936
Maria (Hilda Koerber) is the personal maid of opera star Alice (Hilde Hildebrandt). Much too busy to look after her 6-year-old son, Alice leaves the kid in Maria's care. The maid takes a shine to the boy, devoting as much attention to him as if he were her real son. The girl is so devoted to the youngster that she keeps postponing her marriage to poor Franz (Hans Schlenck). Her obsessiveness comes to an end when Alice decides to at long last assume her proper maternal responsibilities. Maria is fired, but she has little time to grieve since faithful Franz is still waiting for her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hilda Koerber, Hilde Hildebrand, (more)
- 1936
Before he became cult director Douglas Sirk, Detlef Sierck cut his teeth on such lavish European star vehicles as Hofkonzert (Court Concert). Marta Eggerth is cast as Christine, a young singer who aspires to find out who her father was. Her odyssey brings her to the court of a mythical kingdom, where she is romanced by handsome lieutenant Walter (Johannes Heesters). He is warned not to lose his heart to a "commoner," but all turns out all right when King Serenissimus (Otto Tressler) turns out to be Christine's long-lost daddy. Hofkonzert was designed as a comeback for Marta Eggerth, whose star had eclipsed by the mid-1930s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Otto Tressler
- 1932
The "office manager" of the title is Joachim Reinsnagel, played by Felix Bressart. Employed by lawyer Fritz Barke (Herman Thimig), Joachim takes a special interest in one of his boss' clients, the beautiful Katrin (Margot Walter). In his efforts to put Katrin's finances in order, our hero inadvertently sets the stage for a compromising situation between the girl and the innocent Herr Barke. Mrs. Barke (Julia Serda) very nearly files for divorce, but Joachim pulls off a miraculous bit of chicanery and saves the day. Der Herr Buerovorsteher was based on a play by R. Bernauer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Felix Bressart, Hermann Thimig, (more)
- 1932
Writer Emeric Pressburger is best known for his 1940s British film collaborations with producer/director Michael Powell. In a previous life, however, Pressburger toiled away in the German film industry. Beautiful Adventure was adapted by Pressburger and director Reinhold Schuenzel from a French stage play by Etienne Rey and Robert DeFlers. Ida Wuest stars as a lovely fraulein engaged to a corpulent man of wealth. She runs off on the day of her wedding with the man she really loves, sparking a merry chase throughout Europe. This was the sort of frothily foolish fare that German film fans ate up both before and after the advent of Hitler. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alfred Abel, Kurt Vespermann, (more)
- 1932
The irrepressible Harry Piel is both star and director of Jonny Stiehlt Europa (Johnny Steals Europa). Europa is the name of a prize mare, owned by hero Jonny (Piel). Slated to run in the Grand Prix in Nice, Europa is suddenly claimed by Jonny's creditors. Our hero is forced to steal back the nag before the Big Race, which is ultimately won by Guess Who? Darry Holm co-stars as an American heiress with whom Jonny falls head over heels in love. While it's true that Harry Piel tended to limit himself to territory previously mapped out by Douglas Fairbanks Sr., all of his films were hugely successful, so who could argue with his strict adherence to formula? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry Piel, Alfred Abel, (more)
- 1932
A sedentary little German town is thrown into a tizzy when several trunks show up from Cairo, Egypt, all marked "O.F." This is followed by a telegram announcing that "O.F." is arriving soon and will expect accommodations. A newspaper reporter tells everyone that the mystery man is a millionaire. In preparation for his arrival, the town goes into a frenzy of construction, building a cinema, an opera house, a casino and several other moneymaking enterprises. It turns out that the reporter has no more idea of who "O.F." is than anyone else; he was simply tired of the village's backward attitude and wanted to improve its economy. Coda: An actress named Ola Fallon vents her anger upon discovering that her staff has inadvertently sent her luggage to the wrong town. A warmhearted German satire, Trunks of Mr. O.F. was fortunately completed just before the burgeoning Nazi movement declared such films as "inessential." The film served to introduce a young ingenue by the name of Hedi Keisler, who went on to Hollywood fame and fortune as Hedy Lamarr, and was also the third film of a wide-eyed stage comedian who was born Laszlo Lowenstein, but who billed himself as Peter Lorre. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1932
Popular German film star Hans Albers plays the brother of drug-addicted opera star Gerda Maurus. When Albers takes Gerda to a sanitarium, they both become targets of slimy dope peddler Peter Lorre, who fears that Gerda will blow the whistle on him. Lorre kidnaps the woman, leading Albers on a frantic chase. With the help of another opera singer (Trude von Molo), Albers discovers the secret behind Lorre's drug-smuggling operation, rescues his sister, and exposes the respectable "Mr. Big" behind the whole narcotics racket. Filmed in Germany, White Demon (Der Weisse Damon) was also lensed in a French-language version, which also costarred Peter Lorre. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hans Albers, Gerda Maurus, (more)
- 1931
Mein Frau, Die Hochstaplerin (My Wife, the Swindler) has something in common with the much-later Barbra Streisand comedy For Pete's Sake. The hero, played by Heinz Ruehmann, is a bank employee whose wife, Kaethe von Nagy, will do anything to help her hubby get ahead in business. Hocking all of their valuables, Von Nagy then indulges in a bit of swindling, all for the purpose of seeking out a sure-fire financial opportunity for Ruehmann. Amazingly, she succeeds, and by film's end Ruehmann is manager of a profitable sausage factory (it is a German film, after all). The script manages to wedge in a few musical numbers for the pleasure of Kaethe von Nagy's most fervent fans. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kaethe von Nagy
- 1931
During the 1814 Congress in Vienna, the crowned heads of Europe gather together to decide the shape (and fate) of the continent (which would hold -- with some serious cracks -- for exactly 100 years) and devise a strategy for dealing with Napoleon. The ordinary Austrians chafe at the cost of hosting these dignitaries, while the dignitaries find some of the efforts at entertaining them well-intentioned but absurd; the Russian czar Alexander (Willy Fritsch), for instance, doesn't understand why anyone would think he came all the way to Vienna to watch a Russian ballet. Meanwhile, the Austrian prince chancellor Metternich (Conrad Veidt) hopes to keep the Czar away from the congressional table by diverting him with a bevy of beautiful women. But Alexander is one step ahead of Metternich; the Russian leader has engaged the services of an exact double, Oralski (also played by Fritsch), to fulfill his least important social obligations. Into this game of political deception comes glove-maker Christel Weinzinger (Lilian Harvey), whose efforts at greeting the dignitaries (and promoting her shop) leave her mistaken for an anarchist, until the Czar -- advised of her beauty -- intercedes on her behalf. She ends up being romanced by both the Russian ruler and his double, until Metternich's intrigues and Napoleon's distant machinations combine to bring the focus back to official events. Filmed in German, French, and English-language versions, Der Kongress Tanzt was a worldwide success, and one of Harvey's most popular films. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lilian Harvey, Willy Fritsch, (more)
- 1931
This film was also released as Die Letzten Tag von dem Welt-brand (The Last Days Before the War). Director Richard Oswald and screenwriters Heinz Goldberg and Frtiz Wendhausen tackle the near-impossible task of establishing who exactly was responsible for the outbreak of WWI. The answer seems to be "everyone and no one," though the Russians are taken to task for their war-mongering instincts. The huge and stellar cast (including Albert Basserman, Reinhold Schunzel, Alfred Abel and Oskar Homolka) seem awe-struck by the famous characters they're called upon to play; as a result, they come off more as wax effigies than human beings. The American release version of 1914 was outfitted with a prologue and epilogue spoken in English by a renowned military historian. Coincidentally, the incredibly prolific Richard Oswald began his directorial career in 1914. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Basserman
- 1931
Das Ekel translates as The Grouch; in any language, it's an apt description of curmudgeonly protagonist Adalbert Bulcke (Max Adelbert). A small-town bureaucrat, Bulcke carries his officious, obstreperous manner into his own home. His dictatorial edicts are subtly challenged by Quitt (Heinz Koenecke), the sweetheart of Bulcke's daughter Katherine (Evelyn Holt). Before even he is aware of what's happening, "The Grouch" is completely transformed into "The Pussycat." Of course, it does take a term in jail before the metamorphosis is complete. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Max Adalbert, Emilia Unda, (more)
- 1930
(Dolly Macht Karrier) Dolly's Career top-bills the delightful Dolly Haas in the title role. It's a harmless little story about a starry-eyed chorus girl who hopes to become a big star and also keep her virtue, and of the various antagonists who try to prevent her from doing either. The film is highlighted by a number of elaborate dance sequences, gracefully performed by Haas and cleverly choreographed by Ernst Matray. In the largest male role, Alfred Abel does his usual overrated overacting, though audiences were satisfied to the point of applauding Abel upon his first entrance. Star Dolly Haas later emigrated to America, where she eventually forsook show business to marry New York Times caricaturist Al Hirschfield. Dolly Macht Karriere marked the directorial debut of Anatole Litwak (Litvak), who likewise relocated to the U.S., there to enjoy a long and rewarding Hollywood career. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dolly Haas, Alfred Abel, (more)
- 1929
This French production was based on a novel by Emile Zola, of the same title. Pierre Alcover stars as Saccard, a ruthless and untrustworthy banker who is all but ruined by speculating on the European stock market. Exulting in Saccard's imminent destruction are two old enemies, rival businessman Gunderman (Alfred Abel) and cast-off mistress Countess Sandorf (Brigitte Helm). Briefly rescued from poverty when he aligns himself with Hamelin (Henry Victor) a war hero-turned-petroleum profiteer, Soccard once more faces ruination when Hamelin is reported missing and presumed dead. Upon being assured that Hamelin is safe, Saccard cold-bloodedly sets about to stab his new partner in the back and assume control of his petroleum holdings. But Saccard is foiled by the last-minute manipulations of Gunderman, who ends up inviting Hamelin to join his operation. L'Argent was adapted for the screen by Marcel L'Herbier. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pierre Alcover, Brigitte Helm, (more)
