Gustav Knuth

Sissi

The young Bavarian princess Elisabeth, who all call Sissi, goes with her mother and older sister Néné to Austria where Néné will be wed to an emperor named Franz Joseph, Yet unexpectedly Franz runs into Sissi while out fishing and they fall in love.

Sissi: The Young Empress

Sissi is now the empress of Austria and attempts to learn etiquette. While she is busy being empress she also has to deal with her difficult new mother-in-law, while the arch-duchess Sophie is trying to tell the emperor how to rule and also Sissi how to be a mother.

Sissi: The Fateful Years of an Empress

After a wonderful time in Hungary Sissi falls extremely ill and must retreat to a Mediterranean climate to rest. The young empress’ mother takes her from Austria to recover in Madeira.

Port of Freedom

Singing sailor Hannes, who now entertains the crowd at St. Pauli's Hippodrome after years at sea, promises his dying brother that he will take care of his ex-girlfriend Gisa. Taking Gisa to Hamburg to live with him, Hannes quickly falls in love with her, but soon has to face Gisa's affection for another man, Willem.

Shadows over St. Pauli

Old John Carstens sells his marine‐equipment firm to Lafrenz, unaware it’s now a fuel‐smuggling front. Living above the showroom with daughter Hanna and son Jochen, he resists Lafrenz’s pressure. When Hanna falls for bargeman Oschi Rasmus, Lafrenz demands John either give up Hanna or settle his debts. John defies him and dies. Oschi clears John’s debts, but Lafrenz soon plots against the young couple.

Pepe, der Paukerschreck

Mommsen Gymnasium director Taft secretly places his nephew as a spy with the difficult class of Pepe Nietnagel. During the celebration for the 100th anniversary, a simulated fire forces the school to shut down for a week. The director's attempt to get a tough teacher assigned by the department of education results in the exact opposite because of Nietnagel's intervention.

I Often Think of Piroschka

Andreas, a young German student comes to Hungary on an exchange programme. In the Hungarian village he falls in love with the stationmaster's daughter Piroschka and spends much of his time with her. They have an enchanting summer until Andreas gets an invitation to join another young woman at a nearby resort. Piroschka is jealous and follows him there, causing trouble. It takes a long time for Andreas and Piroschka to even talk to each other again. When Andreas has to leave Hungary at the end of his holiday, he is determined to return some day.

Between Hamburg and Haiti

A successful German overseas merchant with a plantation in Haiti is looking for a suitable wife in Hamburg and comes across a barmaid from the Reeperbahn with an illegitimate child. He wants to marry her, but she does not follow him out of nobility. In search of her, he finds her in Mexico as the secretary of his former lover, a writer.

Charleys Onkel

Driving instructor Carola "Charley" can no longer stand the constant advances of her pupils and quits her job without further ado. To gain some distance, she takes the opportunity to look after her friend Lilo's dog, the two parrots and her apartment while Lilo is on vacation. But even here she has to fend off unloved admirers, as Lilo earns her living as a playgirl. However, "Charley" has received a good tip from her friend: As soon as a man becomes too pushy, janitor Pinkus pretends to be "Captain Tressblekken" on cue and quickly chases the visitors away. But when the real Uncle Tressblekken turns up at "Charley's" house, chaos can no longer be averted...

Sisi... und ich erzähle euch die Wahrheit

September 11, 1898: The imperial family’s personal physician, Dr. Herman Widerhofer, is deeply shocked by the news that an anarchist has assassinated Empress Elisabeth in Geneva. He then shuts himself up in his private rooms and recalls the empress’ fateful life. We learn the truth about Elisabeth, as the doctor knew more about her than anyone else.

08/15 at Home

The third part of Paul May′s "08/15" trilogy based on the novel by Hans Hellmut Kirst takes place shortly before the end of World War II: In the spring of 1945, the German troops are practically defeated, and the battalion of Kowalski, major general von Plönnies and Asch who had risen to the rank of lieutenant in the meantime is left to its own devices to a large extent. They hope to be able to wait for the end of the war without having to encounter any combat operations. At the same time, Asch tries to prevent high-level Nazi officers from disappearing unnoticed and from cashing in on the chaotic circumstances.

On the Reeperbahn at Half Past Midnight

After many years on the oceans, sailor Hannes Wedderkamp has finally returned to Hamburg. On St. Pauli, Hannes sings songs from the sea in the hippodrome of his best friend Pitter Breuer on the Reeperbahn with the "Quetschkommode" songs and cares for the audience.

Sissi - Forever My Love

The beautiful account of the powerful drama of love and courage of Austrian Archduke Franz Joseph and Princess Elizabeth of Bavaria. This is a condensed version of the original German language 3-part "Sissi" series.

Tante Frieda - Neue Lausbubengeschichten

The 13-year-old Ludwig is to have for every joke. At boarding school he cuts his stern teacher, Captain a. D. Semmelmaier, during the nap from the beard. The angry pedagogue then sends the spoiled flail back to his beloved Bavarian village. The long-suffering mother persuades the rector to resume her reforming boy at the Latin school. Everything seems to be working out for the better, but the upcoming marriage of his sister Ännchen with the Berlin beer brewer Karl Schultheiss presents Ludwig with new challenges.

Heidi

After her mother's death, the five year old orphan Heidi is brought by her aunt to her grumpy grandfather Alp, who leads a hermit life in the beautiful Swiss mountains. Heidi's natural cheerfulness quickly brings renewed joy in grandfather Alps life. Heidi becomes friends with the goatherd Peter who is about the same age as her and spent two beautiful years in the pasture. But then she is sent by her aunt to Frankfurt in the house of Consul Sesemann where Heidi should get a proper education and upbringing. After some initial difficulties Heidi eventually adjusts to her new situation and makes friends with Clara, the paralyzed daughter of the consul. Only with the strict governess Miss Rottingmeier she keeps getting in trouble. Miss Rottingmeier clearly can not cope with the free and outdoors spirit of Heidi. But Heidi lets a fresh wind blow through the Sesemann house and even causes Clara to overcome her illness.

Sacred Waters

Water is a scarce and sometimes dangerous resource in the Swiss Mountain Village. Anytime the wooden pipe is damaged and the supply breaks, one man from the village is determined by "unlucky" draw to take on the life-threatening repairs.

Under the Bridges

Two barge skippers fall in love with the same woman.

The Rats

Soon after World War II, a pregnant Polish refugee, Pauline, wanders Berlin looking for the boyfriend who abandoned her. She has no option but to sell her child to another woman, Anna. After the birth, Pauline decides she wants the baby back.

Heute heiratet mein Mann

The talkative dentist Dr. Agartz lets the drill whir and tries to entertain his patient Thesi Petersen with the latest society gossip: the famous Hamburg architect Robert Petersen is about to remarry. The new girl's name is Karin Nielsen and she comes "from the best family".

Rote Lippen soll man küssen

Evelyn, the daughter of American travel agent John P. Hoover and great-grandniece of the famous Viennese dancer Fanny Elßler, is herself a professional dancer. However, unbeknownst to her, her wealthy father is bribing critics and audiences—some with free tickets, others with money. When Evelyn overhears a conversation about her supposedly mediocre talent, she discovers her father's manipulation. She then escapes to Vienna with a tour group organized by her father's company. She hopes to pursue a career as a dancer there—like her famous relative once did.

Castle in Tyrol

A comedy directed by Géza von Radványi.

The House of the Three Girls

Vienna, 1826. The penniless composer Franz Schubert lives with friends in the house of court glazier Tschöll and his wife. Because of their three beautiful daughters, Hederl, Haiderl, and Hannerl, the property is called the "Three Girls' House." Hederl and Haiderl celebrate a double wedding with the gentlemen, master saddler Bruneder and postmaster Binder. Due to an intrigue by soprano Lucia Grisi, Hannerl, with whom Schubert is in love but dares not reveal herself, turns away from him and marries singer Franz von Schober. Schubert is left with nothing but music.

Sky Without Stars

Anna is a factory worker in East Germany, but her five-year-old son Jochen lives with his grandparents in the West. Anna wants him to live with her, so she abducts him. Along the way she meets Carl, who helps her cross the border, and they fall in love.

Buddenbrooks - 1. Teil

First part of two of the saga of the troubled Buddenbrook family and their business in mid 19th century Germany.

I Learned It from Father

Clemens Andermann, once a celebrated stage and film star, now an equally successful industrialist, is firmly convinced that his son Andreas is studying chemistry in the idyllic university town of Freylangen. But he is completely mistaken. In reality, his offspring has secretly been hired by theater director Löwe to play Romeo. He would also love to play the role to his stage Juliet, the charming guest star Monika Holl. Then the telegram announcing his father's visit hits like a bombshell. Together with his friend Oskar, Andreas tries to keep the deception going by impersonating his father's doppelganger – an undertaking that initially descends into utter chaos and ultimately leads to a happy ending.

Kein Engel ist so rein

Dr. Zilinsky and his cunning gang want to rob a bank. But they haven't reckoned with Konrad Stroloff, the bank manager's son, and the pretty singer Therese.

Es kommt ein Tag

Melodrama set during wartime.

Congress of Love

Vienna 1965. While visiting the Wax Museum a group of tourists stop in front of the figure of Prince Metternich. All of a sudden they find themselves brought back 150 years earlier during the Vienna Congress of 1814-1815. Before their eyes wide open, history is in the making. Gathered around the Tsar of Russia, Alexander I, the Kings of Bavaria, Würtemberg, Prussia and Denmark, are persuaded they are building the future Europe whereas they are being manipulated by foxy Chancellor Metternich, he himself under the thumb of cynical Count Talleyrand, the French representative. All those considerations come second though to partying and social life, which is all these aristocrats really want out of this congress.

Freddy unter fremden Sternen

Freddy can hardly believe his good fortune: His uncle has left him some land in the Rocky Mountains, and, together with orphan Stefan, he's taking off for Canada. However, the great inheritance turns out to be a decrepit, old log cabin in the middle of nowhere. Nevertheless, an unusual number of people seem to be way too interested in the rundown ranch.

Friedemann Bach

During a house concert, the Bach family gets a visit by their son Wilhelm Friedemann, who has just given up his position in Dresden because he no longer could endure the reprisals of his superiors.

The Liar

When the wife of Sebastian Schumann left her family, he told his little daughter that her mother has died, because he thought that this was the easiest way for her to accept that her mother is now gone. But this was only the beginning of a lot of lies he tells her continuously, mostly about himself and his job. This way he also tries to hide away from her the fact that he had to quit his job as a traveler and is now paid much less than before.

Legend of a Gunfighter

After his parents are killed in a stagecoach holdup, a young man learns to be an expert gunman and with his dog Shorty, sets out to avenge their deaths.

Nylon Noose

A company's stockholders hold their meeting at a lonely mansion. A mad doctor conducting experiments in the mansion starts to strangle them one at a time with a nylon noose. The survivors must figure out a way to stop him.

Der schwarze Blitz

Michael Kirchner, nicknamed "The Black Lightning", is a passionate alpine skier. Now he must eliminate the tough opponent Herbert Tanner to be the representative of the national team.

Der Ammenkönig

Rather coarse, pre-War comedy about a Markgraf -- Heinrich XXVI -- who bathes in the springs of the Ammendorf to strengthen his potency. The town and its springs are especially well known for the many couples with lots of children, who, for tax reasons, live there unmarried. The town smithy and bully provides his vitality to ensure the countess has an heir for the throne.

Hoch klingt der Radetzkymarsch

In the Vienna of the Biedermeier era, the young Carl makes a delicate wager with two officers: If he does not succeed in presenting a new romantic adventure by the next day, he has to treat the soldiers to ten bottles of sparkling wine. Albeit he tries in vain to seduce the pretty maid Franzi, Carl brags about his alleged conquest the next day in his favourite pub. When the senior lieutenant Stephan, who is head over heels in love with Franzi, hears about Carl’s putative success, he writes, out of his lovelornness, a catchy song about the carefree maids of Vienna. The song becomes the talk of the town — but the Viennese maids are so disgruntled about the earworm that they go on strike in protest at the grand Radetzky ball…

The High Life

Doris Putzke is fond of dating men in her quest to find the perfect one. In her brief relationships, she goes from one disillusionment to another, constantly deluding herself about the intentions of her lovers.

The Venus of Tivoli

Unemployed and homeless actors following the dream of finding the future in South America. The manager Osvaldo Curtis tricks the group of colorful and failed artists to apply for a special visa overseas.

Professor Sound und die Pille

Great excitement in the Principality of Allegretto. Professor Sound, owner of a sanatorium for musical instruments, has come up with a sensational invention: the music pill. Once swallowed, it transforms the worst sourpuss into a cheerful singing and dancing contemporary. The success is astounding, as is the response in the international media. The pill produces satisfied tax officials, happy drivers, cheerful police officers and smiling burglars. Tourism flourishes, as a trip to Allegretto soon becomes more popular than a vacation in Hawaii. But dark clouds gather over the dwarf state when Field Marshal Heinz mobilizes his troops in neighbouring Moderato.

The Devil May Well Laugh

Three bums get played by the devil.

Palace Hotel

The paths of guests and employees cross at the Palace Hotel in St. Moritz: A chambermaid experiences financial difficulties. A guest has been robbed. A thief is caught. An assistant cook is promoted to waiter. And there’s no shortage of love in this small world of the great Hotel Palace. Keeping an orderly eye over proceedings is the hotel’s beautiful patron, whose heart is in the right place.

Not Afraid of Big Animals

Emil, a technical draftsman, is hardworking, always helpful, and somewhat shy. Because of these traits, he is often taken advantage of by those around him. Now Emil is set to inherit a supposedly large fortune. His landlady's brother wants to marry him off to one of his relatives. But soon panic and confusion set in. The inheritance consists of three full-grown lions.

Muss man sich gleich scheiden lassen?

Everything seems perfect in the lives of Andreas and Garda. They have a happy marriage and up-and-coming talent Andreas is constantly striving to reach the top of his sport. But their happiness is suddenly clouded when the racing driver suffers a serious accident at the Nürburgring. He is sent to Switzerland to recover. There, however, a second shadow looms over the couple's idyll, this time in the form of the beautiful, rich Argentinian widow Joan de Portago. When Garda finds out about her husband's flirtations, she becomes jealous and begins to fake an affair of her own in return. When Joan's old admirer Dr. Albys joins the triangle, the web of love becomes increasingly tangled.

Geliebte Feindin

The wife of the English consul in British-occupied Egypt at the turn of the century falls in love with a French foreign legionnaire, and her husband takes advantage of this to spy on secret plans for an uprising instigated by the French. An action by the French in the desert is then bloodily suppressed by the English. The legionnaire survives, but he cannot forgive the woman who loves him for the fact that many of his comrades have died as a result of her betrayal.

Spy for Germany

The true story of a German agent sent to the USA in 1944 in order to stop the development of the atomic bomb.

The Journey to Tilsit

A villager is tempted by a sophisticated city woman and almost kills his wife in a boating accident.

Shots in 3/4 Time

B 501, a newly developed controller for missiles, has disappeared despite the strict surveillance. Phillippe Tissout is sent by his boss to Paris to take over the case.

The Big Game

A player on a soccer team, where everyone matches together just perfectly, has fallen out of a championship tournament due to illness; which leads to a big problem: who would be the perfect man to replace him? Werner Fehling appears to be the perfect replacement for the sick man. The problem is, he's a bitter rival of the goalkeeper, Jupp Jaeger. Both men love the same girl, Grete Gabler. Grete is the daughter of a senior member of the sports club, which is why she feels doubly under pressure not to do anything to jeopardize the success of the team.

The Desert Song

When the famous singer Grace Collins got off the plane that had flown her a remote place in Northen Africa little did she know she would meet love and adventure there. If she came there, it was to visit Sir Collins, her stepfather. Falling in love was not on the agenda but how could she resist the charm of Nic Brenten, an alluring and idealistic Dutch engineer? Butcan devotion and generosity really compete with the greed of someone like Sir Collins, a cynical financier who wants to dispossess the locals of the copper mine Brenten helps them to develop ?...

Der Herr mit der schwarzen Melone

Hugo Wiederkehr, as a dutiful bank employee, has to deal with all kinds of customers. Among other things, with the industrialist Meissen and his pretty daughter Christine, with whom he falls in love. However, it remains unmatched because it belongs to a different social class. He also works as a hobbyist and inventor, which also requires a lot of money. When his employer refuses to give him a loan because his father is in prison for fraud, he quits disappointed.

Geliebter Lügner

The young fashion illustrator Jeanette meets the chief engineer Rudolf Siebert at an artists' festival in Schwabing, but thinks he is the talented but poor painter Braubach, whom she admires and would like to support. The spoiled Siebert is happy to put up with this. This is a completely new life for him. He wants to continue playing this role, and so Braubach has to play the chief engineer in his place. But then the unsuspecting Jeanette learns the truth. She feels betrayed and is deeply hurt. Now Rudolf Siebert has to convince them that he started the game with the best of intentions and that he wants to bring it to a happy end with their help. Will she believe him?

That Can Happen to Anyone

Hugo Brinkmeyer, a tax consultant, takes his wife Gerda out to the cabaret one evening. There he encounters a potential client, the wealthy businessman Schwidders. A series of mix-ups lead to Hugo being suspected of both incompetence at his job and being unfaithful to his wife.

The Blue Straw Hat

Pretty hat-saleswoman Lola wants nothing more than to become an operetta singer. Unfortunately, it isn't so easy to make it in the music business. Operetta diva Isabella, on the other hand, is sick and tired of performing and leaves the stage, despite the fact that her partner begs her to stay, because without her he can't premiere his latest work on the stage.

The Mosquito

A female spy accepts a bid by an arms dealer in order to find out if wife is unfaithful to him.

Musik ist Trumpf

The young musician Ralph Osterwalder, born in Bern in 1922, is tired of working in a big band. He dreams of a small, flexible ensemble. In 1944, he founded his own combo in a hotel room. In 1949, fierce disputes arose. The newly founded Hazy Osterwald Sextet, featuring Sunny Lang, Dennis Armitage, Curti Prina, Werner Dies, and Johnny Ward, soon made international music history. Fast-paced, catchy music, interspersed with humorous show interludes, became the band's unmistakable trademark.

Regine

Martin Lundt, heir to his family's industrial business, falls for and, against his family's wishes, weds the family maid, Régine. Soon thereafter, rumors begin to circulate about Régine's faithfulness and being to haunt Martin.

Chikita

Brothel-owner Chikita Hausmann is forced to flee a South American revolution and sets up a new “house of pleasure” in a sleepy Swiss town, where the local bigwigs queue up so enthusiastically that she placates scandalized wives by dubbing it the “Circle for Expanding Cultural Relations” and wins the naive estate-manager Philip Sprüngli’s heart. When a nearby jazz club run by local youths threatens to expose her clientele, Chikita cleverly sells her establishment to the municipality—transforming it into a youth center—then whisks Sprüngli off on another adventure to a revolution-torn South America.

The Brazen Women of Balzac

A Count and Countess, their lovelife losing luster, invite some people over ...

The Butcher

A politically naive Viennese butcher manages to survive the Nazi occupation of Austria and the second world war.

Der 10. Mai

Der 10. Mai (The Tenth of May) was the date in 1940 that Hitler invaded the Low Countries: Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. Neutral Switzerland, which hadn't experienced a war since the 14th century, hurriedly fortified its borders with battalions of inexperienced soldiers. The panic, confusion and isolated acts of courage which occurred on that fateful day are re-created in this Swiss docudrama. The story is "personalized" by concentrating on a fugitive German soldier (Heinz Reincke) who falls in love with the Swiss girl (Linda Geiser) who shelters him. Produced on a bare-minimum budget, Der 10. Mai is impressive more for its sincerity and raw energy than for its actual cinematic merits.

Land der Sehnsucht

Since the envisaged tour guide for a tourist crowd on the way to Italy is allegedly suddenly prevented, the secretary of the travel agency must unexpectedly step in and accompany the group on the bus.

S'Waisechind vo Engelberg

The sculptor Andreas promised his seriously ill childhood friend before her death that he would take care of her daughter Heidemarie. While his application for custody is going through the authorities, the young girl comes to her uncle and his wife. Both treat Heidemarie badly so she spends most of the time with Andreas and the hunchback beggar boy Peter. Finally, the time has come: Andreas is granted custody and also takes Peter in with him.