Third Reich Cinema

  • Veit Harlan – Verwehte Spuren AKA Covered Tracks (1938)

    1931-1940GermanyMysteryThird Reich CinemaVeit Harlan

    Séraphine and her mother arrive in Paris to visit the 1867 World Exhibition. In an overcrowded city they must be accommodated in separate hotels. During the night the mother, who wasn’t feeling very well, gets suddenly worse. When next morning Séraphine goes to meet her every trace of her presence has disappeared and everybody denies having ever met her. The bewildered young woman must find someone who believes her.Read More »

  • Douglas Sirk – Das Hofkonzert AKA The Court Concert (1936)

    1931-1940Douglas SirkGermanyMusicalThird Reich Cinema

    From All Move Guide:
    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 GuideRead More »

  • Helmut Käutner – Wir machen Musik (1942)

    1941-1950ComedyGermanyHelmut KäutnerMusicalThird Reich Cinema

    Quote:
    Karl Zimmermann plays piano at the Café Rigoletto because he needs the money, but actually his whole passion is classical music, and work on his own opera is in progress. Then he meets the pop singer and song writer Anni Pichler, whom he wants to convert to “serious” music, but even the private lessons at his bachelor pad cannot convince her. Despite everything, the two find each other appealing, and they marry after a short time.
    Professionally now everyone goes his/her own way, but at home things don’t go well. Money’s always scarce, and Anni complains he could earn more if he’d write music people like. And when Karl’s opera bombs, he hits rock bottom and they break up.Read More »

  • Veit Harlan – Opfergang AKA The Great Sacrifice (1944)

    1941-1950DramaGermanyThird Reich CinemaVeit Harlan

    Quote:
    Albrecht Froben, though married to Octavia, falls in love with his neighbor, Äls Flodéen. She, however, is slowly dying from a debilitating disease. During an epidemic, Albrecht goes to bring her daughter to safety but he catches typhoid and is quarantined in hospital. Octavia, realising the love match, and hearing that Als is now bedridden and dying, dresses up as him and rides by her gates every day to keep her spirits up – her bed is next to the window. Albrecht returns. Äls has a dream in which she talks to her projection of Albrecht and concludes that she does not wish to take part in this union and accepts death. Albrecht is reconciled with his wife.Read More »

  • Reinhold Schünzel & Albert Valentin – Les Dieux s’amusent AKA Amphitryon (1935)

    1931-1940Albert ValentinComedyFantasyGermanyReinhold SchünzelThird Reich Cinema

    Synopsis
    Jupiter comes down from Mount Olympus and disguises himself as a mortal to romance a woman…Read More »

  • Hans H. Zerlett – Zwei Frauen (1938)

    1931-1940DramaGermanyHans H. ZerlettThird Reich Cinema



    Here’s a film so rare and forgotten, it isn’t even listed the German Lexikon des Internationalen Films, so it’s unlikely that it ran anywhere after the war. The overly bright but quite good copy of unknown provenience has Dutch and French subtitles burned in.
    The story is about a theater star (Olga Tschechowa) who finds herself suddenly a mother again after her daughter (Irene von Meyendorff) who lived with her father for 16 years got thrown out by him because she wants also to become an actress. Naturally the mother isn’t too pleased because she fears to be recognized as a mother losing some star appeal, so they present themselves as aunt and niece. However the young girl soon proves to be a competitor in love and career …Read More »

  • Richard Eichberg – Der Tiger von Eschnapur AKA The Tiger of Eschnapur (1938)

    Drama1931-1940AdventureGermanyRichard EichbergThird Reich Cinema

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    Synopsis:
    First part of two-film adaptation of Thea von Harbous novel “The Indian Tomb.” The focus of the elaborate adventure film is a dramatic love triangle: Chandra, the Maharajah of Eschnapur, lives happily with his wife Sitha. But Sithas former lovers Sascha from Germany in the palace arises, the revival of passion between the two
    grounds for malicious intrigue. Prince Ramagani of secretly planning a coup d’etat, uses the occasion to the Maharajah of Sascha and Sitha raise. Both flee around
    the world to Berlin, constantly haunted by Chandra and his entourage.Read More »

  • Richard Eichberg – Das indische Grabmal AKA The Indian Tomb (1938)

    Drama1931-1940AdventureGermanyRichard EichbergThird Reich Cinema

    29f7c043f76a2bde437fd0d52a185152

    Synopsis:
    Second and last part of the filming of Thea von Harbous Roman: After their daring escape from the jealous and the Maharajah Chandra intriguing Prince Ramagani reach Sitah the Maharani and her German lover Sascha back to India.
    In the Palace of Eschnapur is the decisive confrontation between the main actors: Ramaganis coup attempt by Sascha and Sitah – given their lives for Chandra sacrifices – frustrated. Sascha Ramagani finally kills and is reconciled with the Maharajah.Read More »

  • H.A. Lettow & Ernst Schäfer – Geheimnis Tibet – The Enigma of Tibet (1943)

    1941-1950DocumentaryGermanyH.A. Lettow and Ernst SchäferPoliticsThird Reich Cinema

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    In 1938 Nazi leader Heinrich Himmler sponsored an expedition to Tibet lead by several Nazi SS scientists to study the regions flora and fauna, and to take scientific measurements of the Earths magnetic fields. The expedition was also sent to find traces of the orgins of the “Aryan” race in Tibet which was where Himmler thought evidence of could be found. This film is a Nazi era documentary of that expedition.Read More »

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