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.
In this classic German thriller, Hans Beckert, a serial killer who preys on children, becomes the focus of a massive Berlin police manhunt. Beckert's heinous crimes are so repellant and disruptive to city life that he is even targeted by others in the seedy underworld network. With both cops and criminals in pursuit, the murderer soon realizes that people are on his trail, sending him into a tense, panicked attempt to escape justice.
Part of the artificial-creature series encompassing Der Golem (1914 and 1920), Alraune (1918, 1928, 1930) and Metropolis (1926), 'Homunculus' was the most popular serial in Germany during World War I even influencing the dress of fashionable Berlin. Foenss, a Danish star, is the perfect creature manufactured in a laboratory by Kuehne. Having discovered his origins, that he has no 'soul' and is incapable of love, he revenges himself on mankind, instigating revolutions and becoming a monstrous but beautiful tyrant, relentlessly pursued by his creator-father who seeks to rectify his mistake.
Richard Ortmann the artificial man (Homunculus) has become the head of the corporation that represents the capital and power of the country, but he has stopped believing in human love. All the more clear is his goal now: the annihilation of mankind.
For a long time the homunculus had to hide from his pursuers. But now he mingles with humanity again and sows discord, strife and murder. One day, when he meets an orphaned girl, he takes her to the shepherd Rudolf's parents. His goal is to pair the two together in order to breed a new human race from them. To this end, he kidnaps her to a deserted island. But the plan fails because Rudolf tries to kill the homunculus after learning his true identity. In revenge, the homunculus destroys the entire island, including the young couple. His hitherto loyal companion Edgar Rodin is so horrified by this deed that he renounces the homunculus and threatens him with death.
The homunculus and his companion Edgar Rodin make an invention that would allow the hateful homunculus to destroy the world. But first he wants to find out about love. When he observes how young Anna is rejected by her parents, he takes care of her and asks her parents for forgiveness - without success. He brings her to her seducer, who also rejects the girl. The homunculus then takes revenge by ruining the man financially and throwing Anna at his feet. But she still loves the villain and asks Homunculus for mercy. The homunculus cannot understand this feeling of love - he wants to try it out on himself. He puts a young woman who loves him to the hardest test, but she will do anything for him, sacrificing her fiancé and her parents. Only when he reveals his artificial nature to her, she leaves him. This experience confirms the homunculus in his intention to destroy mankind.
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.
Hans, a young journeyman violin maker, meets and falls in love with Christel. But he has to go to Milan for a year. Before he leaves, the two get engaged. Christel's mother, who is against the union, intercepts Hans' letters from Italy.
A French adventurer fights to save a woman in the life of prostitution.
Siegfried, son of King Siegmund of Xanten, travels to Worms, capital of the Burgundian kingdom, to ask King Gunther for the hand of his sister, the beautiful Kriemhild.
Weimar era screwball comedy about a floor model who is required to go out evenings to escort VIPs while her boyfriend has to wait at home.
Wunder der Schöpfung is an extraordinary, fascinating Kulturfilm trying to explain the whole human knowledge of the 1920s about the world and the universe. 15 special effects experts and 9 cameramen were involved in the production of this film which combines documentary scenes, historical documents, fiction elements, animation scenes and educational impact. It its beautifully colored, using tinting and toning in a very elaborated way. Some visual ideas in the sequences with a space shuttle visiting different planets in the universe seem to have to be the inspiration for Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.
German chancellor Otto von Bismarck promises the dying emperor Wilhelm I. to be loyal to his grandson. But the gap between young Kaiser Wilhelm II. and old Bismarck is rapidly widening. It soon appears that an era is coming to an end.
A farm boy betrothed to a socialite falls in love with his maid - an impoverished girl from the marsh.
Martin Hollmann, a young gardener meets his significantly older wife's daughter from her first marriage. Liesbeth Kröger is from his generation and they both get along well straight away. Shortly after his wife's death, Martin brings Liesbeth into his house as a housekeeper, and they both fall in love. The couple live together and soon decide to get married when Liesbeth becomes pregnant by Martin. But now the tragedy begins, because when registering at the registry office, Martin and Liesbeth, in the form of a strict bailiff, are officially declared that they have committed incest in accordance with Section 173 of the Criminal Code.
This 1936 film tells the story of the doings of foreign agents in Germany and their allies among the German population. Having placed an ad in a local paper looking for "contact with bigwigs in German industry", enemy agents Morris and Geyer end up making contact with an engineer named Brockau. Brockau has developed an improvement in turning oil into gasoline and that's just what these enemy agents are looking for. Brockau, for his part, needs money, because his girlfriend is a selfish cow who demands more and more toys and trinkets, which has put our naive little nerd deep into debt. Brockau, however, is not the only unwitting maroon to fall into the clutches of the evil agents: the former bank agent Hans Klemm, now doing his service in the Wehrmacht, ends up being contacted by an agent from the other side and ends up getting blackmailed into working for them.
After her husband dies, a German woman who gave up her infant for adoption to emigrate to America returns to Germany, discovering that her child is being raised by a married orchestra conductor.
Historical drama portraying the life of German baroque architect Andreas Schlüter.
Ariane was Hungarian director Paul Czinner's first talking picture. Starring in the title role is Czinner's charming wife, Elizabeth Bergner, likewise making her talkie debut. Young, naive Ariane sets herself for an emotional fall when she falls in love with Konstantin (Rudolf Forster), a much older and very married businessman. For his part, Konstantin regards the girl as just another harmless fling -- until he realizes a shade too late that he's really in love with her after all. Filmed in German, Ariane was simultaneously lensed in an English-language version, The Loves of Ariane.
Already a famous painter, Rembrandt van Rijn is commissioned to paint the Amsterdam Archers' Guild. But upon completion of the picture, the men of the guild feel duped, because they don't consider themselves flatteringly depicted in the painting. They therefore decline to pay for the work. During this dispute, the painter finds out his wife is close to death. He finds himself terribly lonely after her passing and suffers from depression until he decides once more to marry.
Country Dr. Robert Koch is desperate: a tuberculosis epidemic is decimating the children in his district and no one is able to do anything about it. Every fourth child is already sick and the parents must helplessly watch as their young ones die. Now Koch is undertaking to find the cause of the tuberculosis --- something he has already been working on for years --- which has been causing this plague of illness. His work is made more difficult by envy; for example, that of his teacher, who was wounded defending his honor. But his greatest obstacle is the famous Berliner scientist and Reichstag deputy, Privy Councilor Rudolf Virchow: He is extraordinarily skeptical of Koch's theory, that the cause for tuberculosis is a bacteria.
Prague in the 1860s: Balduin is a popular, handsome student, the best fencer in town, in amicable rivalry with his friend Dahl for the affections of Lydia, the innkeeper's niece. While the students are celebrating Lydia's birthday, the opera singer Julia Stella arrives at the inn - and Balduin's life begins to unravel. He is immediately infatuated with the glamorous singer - but she is already kept by an admirer, the wealthy and foppish Baron Waldis. How can a poor student hope to compete? The mysterious Dr. Carpis, who also has ties to Julia and is jealous of the Baron, intervenes. But the price will be higher than Balduin can ever imagine. He risks his sanity and his life - perhaps his very soul - haunted by his own reflection.
In the year 1810, the Tyrol is suffering under French occupation. A servant, who believes himself oppressed and disenfranchised by the peasants, dreams of being allowed to play Christ in the yearly Passion Play. Instead, he is forced to play Judas and soon the lines of reality blur: he betrays the location of Andreas Hofer, hidden by the farmers, breaks under the weight of his guilt and suffers Judas' fate.
The story of General Yorck von Wartenburg, a commander in the army of Prussian King Wilhelm, who defied the king's orders for the Prussian army to join Napoleon in his invason of Russia.
In 1756, a masked ball was officially celebrated in the Dresden Palais of the Saxon Minister Heinrich von Brühl. Unofficially, however, talks are taking place with the envoys of Austria, Russia and France with the aim of conspiring against the Prussian King Frederick II. The Prussian envoy, Major von Lindeneck, succeeded in bringing a copy of the concluded secret treaty to the Prussian king. Friedrich consults with his generals, who urge caution. Friedrich is stunned by the reaction and now develops a counter-plan. To do this, he sends von Lindeneck back to Dresden. However, the latter is not very enthusiastic about this, as he thinks he has reason to doubt his wife Blanche's marital fidelity, and he now has to leave her alone.
A Berlin policeman tracks down a group of diamond thieves in the outskirts by posing as a gang member.
A renowned actress rescues a small theater, which is on the verge of bankruptcy.
During WWI a German agent receives an order to find out when the Russian army will carry out its expected attack against the German lines.
A forest ranger, after spending years tracking down a poacher, is taken aback to learn the man is the father of his beloved.
Russia, 1917. Revolution is in the air. The Sevastopol anchors In Saint Petersburg. The sailors are thirsty for women and celebration. The ship becomes a dancehall. Bloodbath, pillage and kidnapping follows. A Nazi/Germany propaganda film.
Just for fun and to prove to the daughter of the castle lord how courageous they are, three young men agree to each spend one night in the "blue room“ of the castle. Years ago two people lost their lives in this room under most mysterious circumstances. Ever since, the door to the room has been locked. The youngest of the three men insists upon spending the first night in the blue room. At exact 1 a.m. a shot rings out...
Nazi historical drama about Duke Karl Alexander of Württemberg and his treasurer Süß Oppenheimer.
1936: Fahnrich Peter serves on a torpedo boat. Peter loves Carmita, the pretty sister of a fellow seaman. But then his superior officer falls in love with her, too, who offers to marry Carmita and who accepts. Disappointed, Peter's relationship to his superior turns sour, but eventually improves after recognition of his heroic behaviour handling a fire on board his ship. Later on, his unit is sent off to fight in Spain against the Reds. In those same waters, Carmita and her father are taken prisoner by the Communists when they commandeer their cruise ship. Peter's commander receives the order not to take action against the Spanish communist pirates, but Peter and his buddies take it upon themselves to take the situation in hand. However, Peter and his buddies find themselves prisoners of the Commies, too and now his superior must decide what to do about it.
A celebration of strong Prussian leadership during the reign of Frederick the Great.
When Bartos, the director of the Odeon variety theater, cancels an artist at short notice, he hires the Terrys out of necessity, whose parents were successful variety artists, but who had not yet received an engagement themselves. Both are supported by Tobs, a friend of their parents. While blonde Mara Terry arrives punctually for the first rehearsal, her dark-haired sister Kora is late like a diva and acts aloof and snippy. At their first performance together the next day, Kora is overtired from partying the night before. During a dangerous act in which she has to balance her upside-down sister on her head, she becomes careless...
This is a real curiosity; at best a reasonable film, but also a charming little gem. There is a story (in the line of "A Star is Born"), but this merely serves as an excuse, as it is more importantly a kind of moving encyclopedia of about 35 stars making their debut in a talkie (although some of them had already made one talkie), of the technical sound possibilities and of film making. Besides all that, it is entertaining and sometimes hilarious and it has fine one-liners that split my side. The film is also remarkable for making mock of typical German film genres (like the overly sweet romances involving the military), of too heavy acting and of film making in general. I have to mention this one: a short, hysterically funny parody of "Der blaue Engel". What this film in fact says is: do not take any film too seriously. (J. Steed)
In the last years of his life, Bavarian king Ludwig II (1845 – 1886) devotes himself to ambitious architectural projects, which strain the state coffers to the extreme. The monarch, who is afraid of people, also withdraws more and more into a dream world at his various castles. His brother is already in a psychiatric institute and Ludwig is also eventually put under the care of psychiatrist Bernhard von Gudden. The king attempts to get out from under this guardianship at Starnberg lake…
About a gypsy who earns a living as a dancer in cheap barracks. Homeless, her performance is documented by a young and talented but largely unsuccessful composer. Before he dies, he leaves the gypsy dancer his artistic legacy, a previously unpublished composition. A little later, she becomes the wife of the orchestra leader, who completes the unfinished composition and wants to gain the sole glory for it.
The film focuses on the leadership of the Great Powers of Europe in the days leading up to the outbreak of the First World War.
With her daughter Anita, a young singer, the widow Marianne von der Halden undertakes a journey into the past. She wants to see her former admirers again. One of them is the chamber singer Paul Schneider, who only remembers his childhood sweetheart with irony. They meet the former student Werner Birkner at his wedding, where Anita meets the teacher Michael Brantner. But the encounters make no impression on Marianne. Until she meets her former great love again at a concert given by her daughter, the general director Elmers. The concert is a resounding success and Marianne reconnects with Elmers, who is still unaware that Anita is his daughter.
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.
The beautiful Evelyne Schratt, who has many admirerers, and whose two husbands both died under mysterious circumstances, is giving a reception. When one of her admirers is found stabbed to death in a room upstairs, the police detains everyone in the house and begins an interrogation (oh goody: does dinner come with this mystery theatre, too?). Evelyne admits, that the murdered man tried to blackmail about some information he had about the death of the two husbands.
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.
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.
Drama about street walker Elena who marries shop keeper Albert. When her former pimp Peter shows up, her life is ruined. She shoots him and poisons herself.
France in the 15th Century: The country is marked by the wars with England and internal power struggles. King Charles sees himself powerless against the state. As emerges from the people suddenly a young woman named Johanna, who claimed that the Archangel Gabriel to be appointed, to save France. First of all doubt the king in their words, but he remembers that the people through this "help of God" is gaining new courage. With the slogan "God and the Virgin!" pulls the revivified victorious army into battle against the English-Burgundian alliance. After Johanna King Charles is crowned at Reims, there breaks the plague over the country in. Now Johanna all the blame on the disaster: God would punish believe in the country for that a heretic; if Johanna were actual a holy, she would deal also with the plague. The waning faith weakens France, England is again on the rise. But Johanna is executed as a witch. Only years later annulled the verdict of the Holy and Johanna explained.
Napoleon at Saint Helena (German: Napoleon auf Sankt Helena) is a 1929 German silent historical film directed by Lupu Pick and starring Werner Krauss, Hanna Ralph and Albert Bassermann. The film depicts the final years of Napoleon between 1815 and 1821 during his period of exile on the British Atlantic island of Saint Helena following his defeat at Waterloo.
A film about the pupils of a posh Berlin gymnasium in their final term, and their class teacher teaching them about humanism and tolerance, a lesson that would be badly needed three years later.
The demonic Rasputin is poisoned but survives to continue seducing in evil ways, in this historical thriller.
Elisabeth is subject of a girl's boarding school run by the nuns. The village idiot Michele adores her and is particularly drawn to her organ playing. In his madness, he kills the girl's father and tries to lay the blame on the organist.
The Viennese seamstress Gabi Berghofer wants to marry an innkeeper. But he marries someone else. Gabi then becomes a model for a painter, who falls in love with her. She spends some wonderful time with him, but he, too, leaves Gabi to return to his family. Desperate and deserted, Gabi stands before the gravestone of the young artist Gabriele Dambrone, who took her life due to heartache. Then she decides to once more take her life in her own hands and to make her old dream of becoming an actress come true.
The First World War. The young, English Lieutenant Raleigh is sent to the company of a disillusioned Captain Stanhope. Stanhope is secretly engaged to Raleigh's sister and is intent on protecting his image of an exemplary officer. An attack on the German lines, in which Raleigh also takes part, has turned into a bloody fiasco. Now Raleigh, too, knows the horrors of war, which have already taken their toll on Stanhope.
After a detective is assaulted by thugs and placed in an asylum run by Professor Baum, he observes the professor's preoccupation with another patient, the criminal genius Dr. Mabuse the hypnotist. When Mabuse's notes are found to be connected with a rash of recent crimes, Commissioner Lohmann must determine how Mabuse is communicating with the criminals, despite conflicting reports on the doctor's whereabouts, and capture him for good.
a silent movie by Robert Wiene
An ambitious wife spends all of her husband's hard-earned money and then commits suicide out of remorse.
Based on Shakespeare's play: The treacherous Iago plans to ruin the life of Othello by provoking him to jealousy.
In his film version, Curt Goetz shifts the focus away from the poetic output towards the young Friedrich Schiller himself: on the misery of his soul whilst a pupil of the ducal military academy, his opposition to the strict physical drill and the narrow intellectual confines of the "Karlsschule", his juvenile passion for the works of Shakespeare, Klopstock and Lessing, his anger at unjust authorities, his devotion to women, and finally his inability to cope with financial matters
German silent film about the life of Martin Luther
In 1912, the Titanic embarks on its inevitable collision course with history. In the wake of the over-spending required to build the largest luxury ship in the world, White Star Line executive Sir Bruce Ismay schemes to reverse the direction of his company's plummeting stock value. Onboard the Titanic, brave German 1st Officer Petersen struggles to convince his self-important British superiors not to overexert the ship's engines.
Maharaj Gowan is in love with the blonde circus rider Yrida. However, the son of the Maharaj also have strong feelings for her.
The Devil decides to go and visit Kurfürstendamm, where all his clients seem to come from. He settles at "Pension Elvira", where everybody cheats and deceives him. He comes to the conclusion, that Hell is a much better place.
"Night people". Thomas Bezug, the richest man in the world, is a solitary, domineering and cruel cripple, who hardly can move on his crutches. He dwells a fanatical love for his son, whom he holds like a monkey in a cage. His servants are defaced dwarfs. His secretary is trying to steal Bezugs assets. These are the night people.
After the death of his parents, Anton pursues a career at the Schröter trading house in Breslau. He meets Sabine, the boss's sister, befriends Fritz, a rich merchant's son who is working as an intern, and associates with Baron von Rothsattel and his daughter Lenore, who are in financial difficulties and are further distressed by Anton's former schoolmate Veitel, who wants to get rich quick and joins forces with the unscrupulous lawyer Hippus. Fink decides to go to America, and Anton helps the Rothsattels, who retreat to an old estate in Poland and have to defend themselves against rebels there. Fink appears as a savior in distress and frees those who are trapped. Finally, Fink becomes engaged to Lenore, and Anton becomes a partner in the Schröter company and marries Sabine.
Film by Trotz.
Film by Wenzler.
Adaptation of Goethe's historical play "Götz von Berlichingen and the Iron Hand", set in the Holy Roman Empire.
Adventure film in an exotic setting based on the “Indian Tomb”: While visiting a circus in Germany, the Indian maharajah Gowan sees the rider Yrida, who comes from Swedish nobility. The maharajah falls in love with the circus rider and quickly sends the entire circus to Ceylon, where he courts Yrida. But Yrida loves someone else: the student Gowaran, who she does not know is the maharajah's son. In order to get Yrida completely under his control, the maharaja has her drugged and abducted to his castle in India.
Film by Randolf and Loos.
1938 German film.
Anastasia's supposed escape and possible survival was one of the most popular historical mysteries of the 20th century, provoking many books and films. At least ten women claimed to be her, offering varying stories as to how she had survived. Anna Anderson, was maybe the best known Anastasia impostor.
It is purely coincidental that an assassination attempt against the Minister of Defense is thwarted. The attempt on his life was made by a group of anarchists. There's an investigation of the clues, which will doubtless lead to the perpetrators; but the investigating commissioner has to proceed carefully, for it is likely there is a traitor in his ranks.
Die Weber (1927), a rousing German tale of the 1844 weavers’ revolution.
The married Lady Emma Hamilton has an ill fated romance with Admiral Horatio Nelson.
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.
A young woman is abused or abandoned by the men in her life.
Weltbrand is the first part of the two-part silent movie Christian Wahnschaffe.
Escape from the Golden Dungeon is the second part of the two-part silent movie Christian Wahnschaffe.
German war film. This film is considered lost.
Eight Girls concerns an all-female rowing team with its own club-house. One of the team announces she pregnant and finds herself torn between men (father and fiancé) who want the child aborted and the women who want her to keep it and bring it up at the club. The men win but it's the women you remember, especially the magnificent Hanna, team leader and determined adversary of the world of fathers.
An Italian engineer who had made a strategically important invention to ward off enemy aircraft is killed in a robbery. As the plans have presumably fallen into the hands of spies, secret service captain Bergall is given the task of recovering the papers. Bergall initially adopts a false name and appears as Mr. Gran, whom nobody knows. Under this name, he rents a room in the Hotel Danieli in Venice and makes the acquaintance of the shipowner's daughter Viola Dolleen. With her help, he is able to eliminate Captain Gordon, who is also interested in the plans. When Gran learns that the plans are now in the possession of the art dealer Tschernikoff, who wants to sell them to Gordon, he immediately travels to Rome, visits the art dealer Titian and pretends to be Gordon. In the art dealer's remote villa, events come thick and fast...
A doctor who believes that only the immoral catch syphilis reconsiders his stance.
When Kriemhild, thirsty for revenge, marries to Etzel, king of the Huns, she invites King Gunther and his court to visit them, intending to finally take the life of the man responsible of her disgrace.
A sculptor obsessed with a pianist will stop at nothing to rid himself of any competition for her affections.
An unemployed man who plays a concertina gets involved with a band of crooks and tries to frustrate a kidnapping, in this farcical caper.
A group of scientists, led by a Professor Ortmann, produce a living human child using scientific processes - a "homunculus." This creature is human in every way, except that he cannot experience love.
A mysterious man saves the son of a wealthy couple so they allow him to stay at their place for one night but soon a murder happens.
The idealistic journalist Sonja Waler is making every effort to provide financial assistance for the young doctor Albert Holm’s new invention, which is predicted to be able to save thousands of lives. She comes into contact with a cynical loan shark who ends up falling victim to Sonja’s altruistic plan.
In 17th century Sweden, as is tradition, a magistrate's widow will take over her husband's job for a year after his death. This causes great difficulty when someone she cares for must be sentenced for the crime of murder.
German-language version. "Atlantic" is a drama film based on the sinking of the RMS "Titanic" and set aboard a fictional ship, called the "Atlantic". The main plotline revolves around a man who has a shipboard affair with a fellow passenger, which is eventually discovered by his wife. The ship also has aboard an elderly couple, Heinrich and Anna Thomas, who are on their anniversary cruise. Midway across the Atlantic Ocean, the "Atlantic" strikes an iceberg and is damaged to the point where it is sinking into the Atlantic. The German version was filmed at the same time as the British version, with each scene first being filmed in English for the British version, then the same scene being filmed in German by a German cast, using the same sets.