Gustav Fröhlich

Metropolis

In a futuristic city sharply divided between the rich and the poor, the son of the city's mastermind meets a prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.

Die Sünderin

Going from a dysfunctional family into a life of prostitution, Marina finally finds happiness and comfort with unsuccessful artist Alexander. However, a brain tumor threatens to make him blind and only an expensive operation can save him.

Two Souls

Gustav Froehlich and Charlotte Susa play Rochus and Judith, the zwei menschen (two humans) of the title. Rochus' domineering mother insists that he enter the priesthood, but he is reluctant to break up his blissful romance with the fair Judith. A religious fanatic of the first order, the mother swears before God and her Church that Rochus will indeed take his vows. When this does not come about, she dies of grief, whereupon the guilt-stricken Rochus abandons Judith to become a priest. The girl subsequently commits suicide -- and it is Rochus who must officiate over her body during the funeral. This final scene was excised from the print of Zwei Menschen released in New York, leaving audiences hanging in regard to Judith's ultimate fate.

What Women Dream

In this pre-WWII German mystery-comedy, a lovely kleptomaniac with a taste for fine jewelry is unable to resist temptation. Strangely, every time she steals something, a mysterious man pays for it. A clumsy detective begins investigating and finds a crucial clue: a strongly scented woman's glove. The perfume is an expensive scent and the detective's pal realizes that it belongs to a popular nightclub singer. The friend quickly becomes enamored of the girl, but then so does her mystery man, a notorious international criminal. Eventually he gets arrested, leaving the detective's pal to move in on the singer.

The Lost Face

A clearly confused girl is found wandering around Stuttgart and can't be understood, because she's speaking in a foreign language. The police take her to some doctors, who eventually believe they're dealing with a Tibetan. Doctor von Aldenhoff takes the stranger in and begins to educate her according to western European standards. In her new home, the girl, Luscha, gets to know Robert Lorm, a rather well-travelled man, and falls in love with him. Eventually, she decides quite unilaterally that they're going to build a new home and life together. A plaster of paris mask of the girl's face is made for the doctors to keep as a remembrance of Luscha. But as soon as the mold is removed from her face, she suddenly seems to become an entirely different woman.

Asphalt

Starring Betty Amann in her most famous leading role, Joe May's Asphalt is a luxuriously produced German Expressionist classic where tragic liaisons and fatal encounters are shaped alongside the constant roar of Berlin traffic.

The Woman Who Did

A young woman doesn't want to get married, but simply live together with the man she loves. This leads to problems when the man dies and she's left with a child.

Ray of Sunshine

Hans, living in Vienna during the Great Depression, intends to drown himself in the river after losing his livelihood. While there he meets a girl named Anna after pulling her from the river.

The Little Town will go to Sleep

In a small town a bag with delicate letters disappears. Many of the residents are worried about their written messages. A clever sculptor uses the opportunity to play a prank.

Gloria

This is the German version of Gloria with Gustav Fröhlich & Brigitte Helm in the leads. A French version was filmed simultaneously with André Luguet & Brigitte Helm in the leads.

The Great King

King Frederick II (aka "Frederick the Great") of Prussia is engaged in a major battle against the Austrian army at Kunersdorf, and things aren't going well. The Austrians are inflicting major casualties, and his army is beginning to crumble. Defeat seems inevitable when a combination of events gives him hope that he may pull victory from the jaws of defeat after all.

Barcarole

A young reckless womaniser is trapped one night at his club into a bet with a Mexican that he will win his wife before morning. There will be a duel in any case: if he loses his bet the Mexican will fire first.

Homecoming

Following World War I, after a long imprisonment, two German prisoner-of-war soldiers escape from a Siberian lead-mine. Karl manages to reach Germany before Richard, and is sheltered by Anna, wife of Richard. While Richard is still on his homeward trek, Karl and Anna fall in love. And then Richard comes home.

Tell the Truth

Peter's fiancee Maria is chronically lying and hides her little affairs. To change this, Peter bets that he is going to tell everyone the truth for 24 hours. The consequences are catastrophic.

The Buchholz Family

Based on an 1884 novel by Julius Stinde, it is a family chronicle set in late nineteenth century Berlin.

Marriage of Affection

A continuation of the film "Familie Buchholz": To Wilhelmine Buchholz, the concept of a marriage based on love is somewhat scary, although she hears again and again that this is the "modern" method to a happy marriage. Her daughter Betti seems to agree, as she shows no interest in her middle class companions; she only loves the painter Holle. To once again restore family harmony, Mr. Buchholz sends his wife and daughters to Helgoland. But Wilhelmine has to return early to Berlin to look after things while Betti and Holle continue onward. On Helgoland, they secretly marry.

Stadt Anatol

Based on a 1932 novel City of Anatol by Bernhard Kellermann. The film is set in a small city in the Balkans, where the discovery of oil leads to a major boom.

Inquest

When a prostitute is murdered in a cheap Berlin boarding house, an investigating judge suspects that the killer is her boyfriend, unaware that his own son and daughter are also mixed up in the case.

The Fugitive from Chicago

Werner Dux, heir of the big car company "Dux-Werke", is a gambler who has just been arrested in Chicago for shooting a cardsharper. While in jail, he learns from his friend Michael Nissen that his father has died recently. That means that the Dux-Werke are without a leader at the moment, for Werner's cousin Steffie, who is his co-heiress, is still too young to run the firm. In this situation, Werner convinces his friend Michael, who is an engineer by profession, to take over the firm as long as he is in jail and to pose as him. Michael agrees and is able to bring the firm up again. He even arranges a reliability test for motorcycles via Istanbul, Rome and Barcelona, which creates a big Turkish order for the company. When the real Werner escapes from jail and arrives in Germany, it looks as if the whole story is up to bust. But Werner needs money, so he convinces Michael to go on as before and hand over all profits of the firm to him.

The Immortal Vagabond

Prevented from wedding a postman's daughter (her father prefers she marry a farmer) a Tyrol schoolteacher succeeds instead in having an opera of his acceptance in Vienna. But this isn't the happiness he wanted, he becomes a hobo.

Love's Command

During the Austro Hungarian empire, a girl substitutes for her brother in a military academy.

Alles Schwindel

After living in the tropics for five years, Peter Asfeld returns to Amsterdam and wants to marry his childhood friend Julia Vermehren. However, his future father-in-law has read in the horoscope that Peter will one day commit a theft and demands that he do so before the wedding. Peter can't get the thought out of his head, and even in his dreams he commits all kinds of crimes. Inspired by so much imagination, he kidnaps Julia, his future wife, the next day. But the horoscope was wrong.

I Do Not Want to Know Who You Are

An impoverished count has to work as a chauffeur but because of his good looks attracts women, one of them wealthy enough to solve his problem.

Alarm at Station III

During the Prohibition the US government has been just as successful at stopping drinking as they have been in the War on Drugs. Customs Officer Arne Kolk is determined to stop the alcohol smugglers at any price.

The Company's in Love

The story follows a movie crew who is filming a musical in a small and idyllic alpine village. After their temperamental leading lady drops out of the film, they decide to replace her with the village's young post office clerk Gretl, who returns to Berlin with them. There she has to struggle with the movie's all-male crew, who all try to woo and win her.

Adventures in Vienna

Taking place over 12 hours on New Years Eve, a concert pianist murders his wife's lover, then frames an innocent man.

Frau Sixta

The story of the upright Mrs. Sixta, who in 1861 ran the post office in a village in the Otztaler Alps right on the Italian border. When her husband dies, she must also take care of the farm. The mayor, Forcher, hopes to make her his wife. But then a stranger arrives with the stagecoach, the mayor must contend with a rival .

A Song, A Kiss, A Girl

Peter Franke owns Supraphon record company, which has one main competitor in Lyraphon. As a commercial strategy Peter gets engaged to her counter partner Asta, to his assistant Münzer's approval. Then he meets Wally Sommer, singing saleswoman at one of his shops, and all his plans are turned upside down while they both fall in love in this light musical comedy filled with Robert Stolz music.

Love Whispers

To escape dreary country life, a count travels to Italy with a friend every year. Instead of the alleged purchase of horses, the reason he gives to his mother as to why he needs to travel to Italy, he spends his time chasing after the ladies.

The Night of the Great Love

The story, set in Constantinople, of a young man who falls in love with a woman much older than he is, and her daughter falls in love with him also. An American critic was vastly impressed by the day-and-night locale shots, and wrote that the film-maker had discarded and soft-pedaled the soft and sentimental in favor of the realistic and logical.

A Man With a Heart

A story about a series of confusions, in which Paul Ritter, a bank employee, is unaware that the girl he's fallen in love with is the daughter of his boss. No one bothers to tell him and he gets jealous of the boss, who seems to have a very good relationship with the girl.

Stradivari

In 1914 a Hungarian officer inherits a Stradivarius which is believed to bring back luck to its owner. He and his Italian fiancée are separated by the First World War, and he is badly wounded.

Incognito

The bored heir to a soap factory is able through pure chance to work incognito in the 153rd branch of the business. While doing so, he falls in love with a beautiful customer, gets into a rivalry with a jealous worker and helps to expose a dishonest boss.

Das Konzert

A concert pianist, the romantic idol of many women, is seduced away from his wife. The seductress's husband takes in the pianist's wife, and all four pretend to be happy with the new arrangement.

Gleisdreieck

Dark love story.

Clarissa

Clarissa is promoted to department head of Feerenbach's bank. He and bank clerk Lutz both love her. When she falls for Lutz she soon is led to believe that he only uses her to cover up his own illegal speculations with the bank's funds.

Renata in the Quartet

When a female violinist joins an otherwise all-male musical quartet, the other members struggle to cope.

Top Sergeant Schwenke

A pretty girl helps a popular Berlin policeman solve the murders of a woman he knew and the crooked banker the victim worked for.

A Devil of a Fellow

An Austrian officer traveling to London to meet his newly married sister at a fancy costume party cannot find her but finds another woman instead.

Gabriele eins, zwei, drei

Gabriele Bordersen, a woman from a good home, wants to see what real life is like among the common folk. With her stewardess Fanny Flint and the tour guide Simikry, she goes off to visit a sailors' bar. Fanny and Gabriele change clothes, which allows the stewardess to introduce herself as a fine lady. When Gabriele asks Fanny to leave with her, Fanny begs her to give her an hour more out of fear of embarrassment. Gabriele, however, is thrown out of the bar by the owner without money and papers; is picked up by the cops; and suffers a nervous breakdown, leading to her being sent to a hospital. No one believes in the slightest that she's really Gabriele Brodersen.

Her Private Secretary

When a charming young man arrives to serve as a private secretary for the eccentric Helene Kiepergass a, he quickly becomes entangled in a series of mysterious events in her house. Amidst the arrival of a suspicious "nephew" from Mexico and a house full of peculiar guests, a romance blossoms between the secretary and the lovely companion Mary. He eventually is able to unmask two confidence tricksters amidst the residents.

The Hour of Temptation

Irene is unhappy because her lawyer husband Dr. Leuttern never has time for her. Womanizer Mac Norris slyly benefits from her depression and lures her to his apartment. As she struggles to fend him off a shot is fired and Mac collapses.

A Night of Change

Nacht der Verwandlung (A Night of Change) stars Gustav Froelich as a globe-circling aviator, a character clearly based on America's Wiley Post. While basking in his celebrity at a nighttime carnival, Froelich romances Rose Stradner, the unhappy wife of brutish Heinrich George. When George refuses to give Stradner her freedom, she takes it anyway, but her fling with Froelich is doomed to disappointment. Our hero learns the hard way that one can be in a teeming crowd, yet still be all alone. Leading lady Stradner later resettled in Hollywood, where she appeared in such films as The Last Gangster and Keys to the Kingdom.

Love and Alarum

An Austrian officer falls in love with a Polish girl at a Saint Petersburg New Year's Party in 191, but war soon breaks out.

With the Eyes of a Woman

A typical woman's fate at the turn of the century, from the first love mistake to the arranged marriage and further disappointments.

Liebesleute

Baron von Goret is an impoverished landowner, whose estate is about to go into receivership. And so, for that reason, he wishes to marry off his son Hermann with his well-off girlfriend Helga. But Hermann is in love with the farmer’s daughter Dorothea. He leaves his father’s estate with her and makes his way to Berlin to make a name for himself. He’s not successful in this and, so as not to stand in his way, Dorothea leaves him. Hermann’s aunt brings him back to his father’s estate, where, depressed over losing Dorothea, works tirelessly to clear the estate of all its debts.

Von Liebe reden wir später

The beautician Angela Bell, a well-off middle-aged lady, and the respected fashion doctor Prof. Christian Hollmann would like to get married, but there is a catch: Hollmann is still married to his somewhat annoying wife Margot. Angela, however, has to get married as soon as possible because as a foreigner she will lose her work permit if she does not become a German citizen soon. The couple then come up with the idea of ​​​​marrying Angela to the German bachelor Jonny Pitter, a writer - a sham marriage with no dishonorable consequences, of course. What neither Angela nor Prof. Hollmann suspect is that Jonny has been in love with Angela for some time

Alarm in Peking

Set against the backdrop of the 1900 Boxer Rebellion...

The Grand Prix

The moral is simple: keep your mouth shut, especially when you're working during the wartime in a factory, which produces racing cars only, or someone can (or even must) get murdered. Not a good movie, not a bad either. The ending is abrupt and artificial, which seems to be a common plague of Third Reich's crime movies. Gustav Fröhlich could never get rid of his silent era mannerisms and overacting. But on the other side, this film is not boring and has to offer some decent plot turns and acting.

Gitta Discovers Her Heart

In a small Hungarian village, a priest discovers a girl named Gitta who can sing beautifully. He takes Gitta with him and turns her into a celebrated revue star. After a quarrel with the priest, she runs away and meets a young composer named Peter, who does not know that she is a successful singer.

A Waltz by Strauss

Musical extravaganza, also filmed in a French language version, based on the life of Johann Strauss.

Paths in Twilight

Three homeless youths commit petty crimes to get by in the difficult time just after the end of WW2 in Germany. When they become suspects in a murder case, a witness of the events comes forward with evidence that they are innocent of the crime. He offers them a chance to break with their ways and make a new beginning in his village, not knowing what this will ultimately cost him.

Der große Fall

When a significant quantity of valuable gemstones is to be transported to South America by plane, those responsible are naturally extremely nervous. Everything must be perfectly planned, every possible risk averted.

This Man Belongs to Me

Country doctor Wilhelm Löhnefink has had enough of being a bachelor and goes looking for a wife.

Tolle Nacht

The niece of a wealthy manufacturing aunt has secretly married. Her husband has lost his way during the night in his pajamas at a spa and ended up on the balcony of an attractive singer.

Rakoczi March

Hungary, 1925. A young lieutenant of the Hungarian army Fröhlich falls in love with his captain's sister, Vilma Horn. While his superior agrees to the marriage, the girl's father has other plans, as the family estate is essentially bankrupt and can only be saved by Vilma's marriage to a rich American of Hungarian origin. So the father asks the young lieutenant to break off the engagement, which the young man dutifully does. But Vilma's brother has no idea about the state of affairs and challenges the young lieutenant to a duel for seemingly betraying his sister...

The Eleven Devils

Die elf Teufel / The Eleven Devils was made in Berlin in the summer of 1927, in the last throes of the silent movie era. But Die elf Teufel strikes one today as a prophetic film. One of its early captions is "Football, the sport of the century ". We are shown a ball bathed in light like some sacred relic, and observe how, even in those early days, fans on the terraces wouldn't shy away from using their fists.

We’re Switching to Hollywood

A German reporter visits Hollywood and is escorted through the MGM Studio by a German nobleman, who is working there as an extra. They meet and speak to several actors, primarily Buster Keaton, John Gilbert, Joan Crawford and Heinrich George. Then they meet Adolphe Menjou, who rehearses a long scene in German. A final scene shows stars arriving at a film premiere, including Jean Harlow, Norma Shearer and Wallace Beery.

The Stars Shine

German all-star musical from 1938 that was a big commercial success.

The Green Alley

An ill-fated love affair between a brothel waitress and a doctor's son.

Secret Mission

The good-natured helmsman Jan Jenssen somehow ends up being a part of some international intrigue, when he agrees to take a briefcase to Genoa on behalf of a certain Mr. Branting. It is there, that he gets to know the attractive Ruth Martens, who asserts, that Branting was a confidant of her father, who has in the meantime died, and that there’s a very important contract in the briefcase concerning Beryllium and a South American country known as Santona. But then, Branting was murdered and the contract stolen. The unscrupulous grand industrialist Morrow, who holds the monopoly to Beryllium extraction in the world, wants the contract, so he can do business with Santona himself.

Angst - Die schwache Stunde einer Frau

"The Fear of an Unfaithful Woman" - Inge Duhan lives with her husband, the lawyer Erich Duhan, and her little daughter Susi in Berlin. Inge is a very attractive woman. She loves her husband and has always been faithful to him. On a holiday trip to the French Riviera Inge meet the charming painter Francard. A brief affair begins that turns into blackmail.

Kismet

Hajj, a rascally beggar on the periphery of the court of Baghdad, schemes to marry his daughter to royalty and to win the heart of the queen of the castle himself. This is a German-language version made in Hollywood along side the 1930 production directed by John Francis Dillon.

Eva and the Grasshopper

Mary and Eva are best friends, although they couldn't be more different. Armand, Mary's fiancee, falls in love with the seductive Eva, who is busy becoming a revue star. When Eva fails and loses her money, Armand tries to help her out.

The Holy Flames

Former soldier Maurice Tabret returns home unhurt to marry his wife, Stella. Shortly after, he is paralyzed from the waist down in a tragic airplane crash. As the years pass, Stella becomes emotionally and romantically involved with Maurice's healthy brother. Maurice is suddenly discovered dead. While initially appearing to be a tragic or natural death, it is eventually revealed to be an intentional act of mercy. The investigation into his death forces a sweeping confrontation that reveals hidden truths, passionate devotion, and profound sacrifice within the family. German-language version of 1929's "The Sacred Flame", from the W. Somerset Maugham play, shot by Warner Bros. in Hollywood with a German-speaking cast.

Fire in the Opera House

It begins with a Tannhäuser performance and ends with the premiere of The Tales of Hoffmann. In between a young ingénue cast in her first big role, the Hoffmann rehearsals, the theatre director and his stage director exchanging cynicisms, a budding love affair. Gründgens at his most repulsive, trying to woo both lovers. And a hair-raising finale. Add to this some snappy dialogue and "pre-code" scenes that make you sit up and stare.

Die Pflicht zu schweigen

The Duty to Remain Silent (German: Die Pflicht zu schweigen) is a 1928 German silent drama film directed by Carl Wilhelm and starring Marcella Albani, Vivian Gibson, Angelo Ferrari. It was based on a novel by Friedrich Werner van Oestéren. The film's art direction was by Max Heilbronner.

The Master of Nuremberg

The clerk of Nuremberg wants to use his position to marry the young Evchen, but she does not love him and to avoid this marriage she asks the village shoemaker to ask for her hand in marriage. But everything becomes complicated when a nobleman of noble birth appears who has fled from his family castle.

Torreani

Acrobat assumes identity of jailed fellow-artist to take over a theatre which had been bequeathed to him. He is suspected of murdering the acrobat but is cleared in the end.

The Burning Heart

A young composer and inventor meets a poverty stricken singer.

Paganini

Historical film about Italian musician Niccolo Paganini.

Money Governs the World

In this French set comedy, five million francs change hands one weekend between a man pretending to be a millionaire and a woman pretending to be a Russian countess.

Hurrah! I'm Alive!

Pieter Kruis runs a grocer's shop in a small Dutch town, with which he and his wife Johanne can hardly feed themselves. Nonetheless, he is satisfied with his life, although he suspects that he will probably never win the jackpot. Suddenly Pieter receives a telegram from America: his old school friend Joe, who has made a fortune in the “new world”, asks whether Pieter would like to visit him. As “compensation” for expenses incurred, Pieter will also receive $ 50,000! Of course, Pieter doesn't hesitate for long - the suitcase is quickly packed and a ship ticket reserved. But the little “world traveler” has no idea what kind of adventures await him! Fearing that his insidious brother might speculate on his life insurance and stage a small “accident” on board the ship, Pieter disembarked in Rotterdam, where his entire travel budget was by a few crooks. Then he learns that his ship has actually sunk and suspects that his brother is already worried about the sum insured...

Agitated Woman

The aging singer Clarina receives a new engagement from a cabaret called the Maison Mouche and must evade the advances of several overbearing men. This film is considered lost.

Pommi Stern

A young singer wants to make it big.