Otto Wernicke Movies

This drama was the first film made in post-WW II West Germany. It tells the story of a young man who is separated from his Jewish parents after the Germans invaded Poland. As they are sent to concentration camps, the young man joins the Polish partisans. In the camp, his father is deemed 'unfit' and killed. His poor mother is shuffled between labor camps until at last the war ends and she is reunited with her son. Together they begin searching for a new homeland. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Believed to be the costliest German film ever made, this propaganda film chronicles the determination and courage of Kolberg, a little Prussian town, to deflect the oncoming French troops during the Napoleonic Wars. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This dramatic recounting of the disastrous maiden voyage of H.M.S. Titanic was produced in Germany during WWII and features an undertow of anti-British propaganda absent from other versions of the story. The building of the luxurious ocean liner Titantic proves to be a hugely expensive proposition, and Sir Bruce Ismay (Ernst Fritz Furbringer), president of White Star Lines, wants to make sure that the ship's first crossing is big news. It is at his urging that Capt. Edward J. Smith (Otto Wernicke) pushes for a record speed in their voyage to New York, sowing the seeds for later disaster. This Titanic features a number of rich, decadent British passengers and a handful noble German peasants. While the film was produced with the participation of the Nazi government, its portrait of a disaster at sea proved to be more depressing than inspiring, and it was pulled from theaters shortly after its initial release, though it has since appeared on television and on home video in Europe. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Ratsel um Beate (Beate's Mystery) was adapted from a play by Alfred Moller and Hanz Lorenz, which originally starred Dorothy Wieck. The film version features Lil Dagover in the leading role of Beate Kaiserling, an impressionable young woman who gets involved in a village scandal. Despite her protestations of innocence, poor Beate cannot stem the steady stream of misinformation from her gossiping neighbors. Critics in 1938, liked the film, noting that it was a distinct departure from the usual bombastic German drama of the period. The film was Lil Dagover's first effort since being appointed State Actress of Germany in 1937. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Stimme des Blutes (Blood Bonds) bears faint traces of the silent German classic Variety. Albert Matterstock and Attila Horberger play Robert and Thomas Arlen, a fraternal team of trapeze artists. Though the two brothers have despised one another since Thomas stole Robert's wife, they are compelled to professionally remain co-workers. When a killing occurs and it seems as though Robert is responsible, Thomas takes the blame, hoping thereby to atone for his sin against his brother. The film was directed by Karl Julis Fritzche, future manager of Germany's Tobis Studios. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Paul Kemp plays the ironically named title character in the German comedy Der Mutige Seefahrer (The Brave Seaman). The joke, of course, is that Berthold Jebe (Paul Kemp) is anything but brave, especially on the ocean. Thus, he refuses to board a luxury liner in order to collect a huge inheritance in America, losing not only his legacy but also whatever money he happens to have at present. Somehow, Jebe emerges from these setbacks as a happier man and even wins the girl (Grete Englisch). Most of the comedy is conveyed in pantomime, enabling Der Mutige Seefahrer to rake in bucks in non-German communities. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The story opens as Hans (Gustav Froelich), a Berlin subway guard, saves department-store mannequin Gerda (Heli Finkenzeller) from committing suicide. Taking pity on Gerda, who had elected to end it all because her brother was in jail, Hans offers to marry her, which proposal earns him a sock on the jaw from his class-conscious father (Otto Wernicke). Feeling that she's responsible for the rift between father and son (which, frankly, she is), Gerda tries to patch things up between the two stubborn men. Her good intentions are nearly dashed when her no-good brother (Paul Hoffmann) shows up with blackmail on his mind. One thing leads to another, and by film's end Hans is obliged to rescue Gerda from self-destruction again. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The "Castle in Flanders" of the title is where six aristocratic British officers are billeted during WWI. To pass the time, they play a scratchy old record on a ramshackle gramophone, eventually falling in love with the female voice heard on the recording. Meanwhile, the selfsame girl, a Parisian revue artiste named Gloria Delamare (Marta Eggarth) must fend off the attentions of her many ardent suitors. When she finally falls in love, it is of course with one of those six British officers, a man who has gone broke and is now a "suitable" beau for the low-born Gloria. The lucky swain is played by Paul Hartmann, one of Germany's most popular leading men of the 1930s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Considering how much Adolf Hitler relied upon his scientists during WWII, the anti-technology stance of Der Herr Der Welt (Ruler of the World) is amazing. After a long absence, Dr. Heller (Walter Janssen) returns to his laboratory, where he learns that his demented chief assistant (Arlbert Waeschler) has developed a robot. Dr. Heller approves of this, but he's less happy with the fact that the robot is equipped with a death ray. His objections don't carry too much weight, however, inasmuch as Heller is quickly dispatched by the homicidal robot. The story briefly goes off on another tangent as Heller's widow Vilma (Sybille Schmitz, of Vampyr fame) falls in love with handsome mining engineer Baumann (Sigfried Schuerenberg). Ultimately, both Vilma and Baumann must contend with thousands upon thousands of killer robots, who've been programmed to take over all jobs -- and, eventually, the world. Die Herr der Welt was the last of director Harry Piel's quartet of science fiction films, which began in 1915 with Die Gross Wette. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Fritz Lang directed this sequel to his nearly four-hour Dr. Mabuse silent of 1922 (often shown in two parts, Dr. Mabuse: Der Spieler/The Gambler and Dr. Mabuse: King of Crime). The film opens with Detective Hofmeister (Karl Meixner) spying on the activities of a criminal syndicate. Not realizing he has been seen, Hofmeister is attacked by the thugs and later turns up out of his mind. He is placed in the institution of Professor Baum (Oscar Beregi), who becomes increasingly obsessed with another patient -- the master criminal and hypnotist Dr. Mabuse (Rudolf Klein-Rogge). Baum's assistant, Dr. Kramm (Theodor Loos), connects Mabuse's writings to a series of the syndicate's recent criminal activities, and is murdered for his knowledge by crime lord Hardy (Rudolf Schündler) who takes orders from a hidden Mabuse. Putting all these pieces together is chief investigator Lohmann (Otto Wernicke), whose story plays out simultaneously with that of ex-cop Thomas Kent (Gustav Diessl), a member of the gang who is torn between his need for money and his love for a young woman named Lilli (Wera Liessem). Various clues lead Lohmann to suspect Mabuse's involvement, but when he arrives at the asylum, Baum reveals that Mabuse has died. Meanwhile, Kent's decision to confess to the cops lands himself and Lilli in a room with a hidden bomb. Lohmann traps the gang in a moll's house, leading to a wild shootout. Kent and Lilli escape and race to Lohmann to tell him that Mabuse is behind the crimes. They all race back to the asylum where they discover that Mabuse has taken control of Baum, who sets a monstrous fire at a chemical factory. The mad doctor then leads Lohmann and Kent on a wild car chase back to the asylum where the mystery behind the Baum-Mabuse-Hofmeister connection takes a disturbing turn. ~ Patrick Legare, Rovi

Also known as Tempest and Storm of Passion, Stuerme der Leidenschaft was the first of Robert Siodmak's two directorial efforts of 1932. Emil Jannings stars as a tough but basically gentle gangster who, while serving a prison term, is betrayed by his sweetheart Anna Sten. Released from prison, the disgruntled Jannings murders Sten's seducer, forcing him to hide out from the police. Meanwhile, Sten, who has sworn total fidelity to her fugitive lover, again betrays him at the first opportunity. Wearily, Jannings gives himself up to the authorities, declaring that he'd rather be in jail than at the mercy of a faithless woman. Siodmak also supervised the French-language version, Tumultes, which starred Yves Mirande. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi