Richard Oswald Movies
Launching his career as an actor on the Viennese stage, Richard Oswald made his film directorial debut at age 24 with Das eisener Kreuz (1914). In 1916, Oswald set up his own production company, writing and directing most of the films himself. His pre-1920 efforts include such literary adaptations as The Picture of Dorian Gray (1917), Peer Gynt (1918), and Around the World in 80 Days (1919). Some critics have suggested that Oswald was more prolific than talented, but such films as his 1932 horror omnibus Unholy Tales would seem to refute this statement. During his days of prominence, Oswald discovered and developed the talents of such luminaries as director William Dieterle and actor Conrad Veidt. His Jewish heritage forced him out of Hitler's Germany in 1933 and occupied France in 1940. Emigrating to America, Oswald had trouble lining up anything other than B-pictures. His last production was The Lovable Cheat (1949), an inexpensive but worthwhile adaptation of a Balzac story which boasted an impressive cast (Charles Ruggles, Alan Mowbray, Buster Keaton, et al.). Richard Oswald was the father of director Gerd Oswald. An excellent source for details on his life and work is the 1990 biography Richard Oswald, written by Hans-Michael Beck, Wolfgang Jacobsen, and Jorg Schoening. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi- 1949
Adapted from a play by Honore de Balzac, Lovable Cheat offers a veritable smorgasbord of Hollywood's top character actors. The title character, one Claude Mercadet, is played by Charlie Ruggles. Posing as a wealthy Parisian, Mercadet fleeces friends and casual acquaintances alike. He is forced into this life of crime to keep up appearances, so that his daughter Julie (Peggy Ann Garner) can land herself a rich husband. Iris Adrian enjoys one of her largest film roles as Ruggles' wife; Alan Mowbray is right in his element as an elegant butler; and future financial advisor Richard Ney is ironically cast as an impoverished bank clerk. Also on hand is Buster Keaton, as a nonplused creditor who spends his screen time waiting in vain for his missing business associate Godot (could playwright Samuel Beckett have seen this film?) Not entirely successful, Lovable Cheat is nonetheless a courageous exercise in the offbeat. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charlie Ruggles, Peggy Ann Garner, (more)
- 1942
By Monogram standards, the cast of Isle of Missing Men was Academy Award calibre. John Howard and Gilbert Roland head a group of prisoners who try to escape from an island prison colony. Leading lady Helen Gilbert is willing to wait for her beloved Howard, but looks askance when he participates in the breakout. As was customary in such films, several of the more contentious prisoners are redeemed by sacrificing their lives for the sake of others. Alan Mobray, Bradley Page and George Chandler co-star in this adaptation of Gina Kaus and Ladislas Fodor's White Lady, while the direction is in the hands of German pioneer filmmaker Richard Oswald. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1940
In this German drama, a French military officer finds himself discriminated against during a trial because he is Jewish. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1938
Though its title translates as Storm over Asia, this French melodrama bears no relation to the Pudovkin film of the same name. Conrad Veidt stars as a soldier of fortune who spearheads an expedition in Mongolia in hopes of finding hitherto untapped oil reserves. Veidt heads deep into uncharted territory, with his mistress Madeline Robinson by his side and 200 hired hands at his beck and call. As the only woman on the expedition, Robinson has quite a time fending off the lecherous advances of the other oil prospectors. When Veidt manages to offend tribal chieftan Sessue Hayakawa, a native uprising is the inevitable result. Nearly everyone gets killed except the plucky Robinson and the expedition's doctor, Roger Duchesne, who has loved her all along. Tempete sur L'Asie bears a striking resemblance to the 1965 Ursula Andress vehicle Once Before I Die. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Madeleine Robinson, Conrad Veidt, (more)
- 1933
Filmed in German and English back in 1932, this Pagliacci-like musical drama serves as a superb showcase for internationally famous tenor Josef Schmidt. The story is motivated by beautiful young Nina (Charlotte Ander) who falls in love, sight unseen, with radio star Ricardo (Schmidt). When she finally meets her idol, all is bliss -- until she realizes that she's really in love with his much-younger stage partner Rico (Victor de Kova). Jealously, Ricardo breaks up the act, only to save his old pal from public embarrassment in the final reel. The English-language translation of the film's title is My Song Goes Around the World, which later served as the title for a Josef Schmidt biography. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charlotte Ander
- 1933
Because of his Jewish heritage, fabled German singing star Joseph Schmidt was forced out of his native country in the 1930s by Hitler's minions. He moved to France, where he was likewise banished when the Nazis marched into Paris in 1940. Two years later, Schmidt died in a Swiss internment camp. Thus, the "new" 1951 release The Joseph Schmidt Story, wherein the star played himself, was not new at all but a reissue of the 1933 film Ein Leid Geht Um Die Welt (filmed simultaneously in German and English versions). The storyline is the old one about the immensely popular showbiz celeb who is unable to find lasting romantic happiness. Unlucky in love, Joseph Schmidt is incredibly fortunate in his chosen profession, and the film ends as Schmidt achieves lasting fame as a radio and recording star. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Josef Schmidt, Viktor de Kowa, (more)
- 1932
This German operetta is one of several of the period utilizing events (both actual and imagined) in the life of composer Franz Schubert. Carl Joeken is cast as Schubert, who though homely and impoverished manages to find time for romance -- when he isn't writing songs, that is. Though loved by pretty innkeeper Therese (Lucie Englisch), Schubert is enamored of the glamorous Countess Maria Esterhazy (Gretl Theimer). In desperation, Therese has a heart-to-heart talk with the Countess, who magnanimously agrees to bring the heroine and Schubert together. Alas, Therese misunderstands the Countess' motives, and as a result Schubert loses both ladies. In the depths of despair, the great composer manages to write some of his most enduring tunes, including the title song. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gretl Theimer
- 1932
Also known as Unholy Tales, the German-made Tales of the Uncanny is a talking-picture homage to the impressionistic "nightmare" films of the German silent cinema. In the manner of the later British Dead of Night, several horror stories are linked together with a central set of characters. Paul Wegener stars as a mad doctor who murders his wife and walls her up in the basement, a la Poe's The Black Cat. He runs from the authorities with a reporter in pursuit; their flight leads them to a brace of additional gory episodes. A brief sojourn in a mental institution develops into an update of Poe's The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Feather, as Wegener locks up the real doctors and permits the lunatics to run wild. After this escapade, the reporter catches up with Wegener at a curious club where the members murder one another--a variation on Robert Louis Stevenson's The Suicide Club. Tales of the Uncanny was released in the US eight years after its completion, then sliced and diced into an inferior version titled The Living Dead (what living dead?). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1932
Viktoria (Friedl Schuster) is the wife of the American Ambassador of Peking. The Hussar (Michael Bohnen) is a Hungarian military officer, and Viktoria's former sweetheart. Captured by the Russians, the hero escapes to Peking, where he is given shelter by Viktoria. Their love is soon rekindled, whereupon Viktoria divorces her incredibly understanding husband and accompanies her Hussar to Vienna. This hackneyed storyline was not what attracted German audiences to this lavish operetta: Rather, it was the rich singing voice of Friedl Schuster, whose enthusiastic performance helps keep the soggier plot developments afloat. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Bohnen, Else Elster, (more)
- 1931
In this drama, set in Germany during the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm, a practical joker cons a town. It is based upon the true tale of a daring shoemaker who dons a captain's uniform and leads a troop of soldiers into a small town of Koepenick. He immediately places the mayor and the treasurer under arrest and absconds with the town coffer. When the townfolk learn that they have been the butt of a joke that criticized their blind acceptance of anyone in uniform they are angry. The cobbler confesses his action and is sent to prison. The Kaiser, a man with a sense of humor, gives him a pardon. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Max Adalbert, Willi Schur, (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, Rovi
- Starring:
- Albert Basserman
- 1930
H.H. Evers' best-selling science fiction novel Alraune was the source for this chilling German fantasy. The story is set in motion by a misguided scientist (Albert Basserman) who artificially inseminates a prostitute (Agnes Straub) with the sperm of a convicted murderer. The baby grows up to be a beautiful young woman (Brigitte Helm) with absolutely no sense of right or wrong. Dancing sensuously for the benefit of her admirers, the sociopathic "heroine" leads several otherwise decent men to their ruin. Alraune was remade in 1952 with Erich Von Stroheim and Hildegarde Knef; this version was released to the U.S. as Unnatural. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Albert Basserman, Brigitte Helm, (more)
- 1930
In this drama, an experimental researcher plays with gene splicing. In one experiment, he artificially inseminates a prostitute with the semen of a hanged killer. A beautiful daughter is produced. The trouble is that the daughter is devoid of moral character. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1930
Filmed on location in Vienna, this German operetta was originally titled Wien, Du Stadt Die Lieber. Popular tenor Max Hansen carries most of the plot (what there is of it), singing his heart out to the delight of such delectable leading ladies as Charlotte Ander, Irene Ambrus and Grete Natzler (who, as Della Lynd, would later co-star with Laurel and Hardy in Swiss Miss). For some reason, it was decided to surround the nominal hero with seven top German comic actors, all of whom mugged and glowered outrageously. The worst offender (and the funniest of the batch) is Paul Graetz, who seemed to be having a great deal of fun letting loose. Evidently City of Songs was quite successful, inasmuch as it remained in distribution well into the late 1930s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Max Hansen, Charlotte Ander, (more)
- 1928
Graf Cagliostro was the official title of this far-from-accurate biopic. According to the official records, 17th-century Italian mesmerist Cagliostro was a charlatan and a thief -- and, indeed, was interpreted in this fashion by Orson Welles in the 1949 film Black Magic. According to this film, however, the title character (played by Hans Stuewe) was a basically decent fellow who endeavored to escape from his life of crime. This he does with the help of the virtuous heroine Lorenza (Renee Heribel), but not before he has nearly fallen victim to the headman's axe. Cagliostro is listed in some sources as a Swedish-German-French co-production. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Renee Heribel, Suzanne Bianchetti, (more)
- 1924
This historical costume drama recalls the story of Carlos (Conrad Veidt) the crown prince of Spain and his love for Elisabeth Valois. Eugen Kloepfer plays Philip, with Egede Nissen as Eboil. No name is available for the actress who played Elisabeth. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
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