Alarm in the circus
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Alarm in the circus |
| Country of production | GDR |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1954 |
| length | 83 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Gerhard Klein |
| script |
Wolfgang Kohlhaase , Hans Kubisch |
| production | DEFA |
| music | Günter Klück |
| camera | Werner Bergmann |
| cut | Ursula Kahlbaum |
| occupation | |
| |
Alarm in the Circus is a German crime film of the DEFA of Gerhard Klein from the year 1954th
action
The friends Max and Klaus who live in West Berlin have a secret dream of pursuing a career as boxers . You practice on the sandbag on the carpet beating bar in the back yard of the “Kleines Ballhaus Klott” restaurant and save every penny on boxing gloves. Her second passion is the circus: They both often stay at the East Berlin Circus Barlay , where they meet Helli, who later wants to study and earn her living as a vet.
The dream of a boxing career soon bursts for both boys: The families are poor and when Klaus' mother falls behind with the rent, both boys give the money they saved for boxing gloves to pay off the debts. The chances of taking up a job are slim, both boys do not even have the prospect of an apprenticeship. They are looking for new sources of income and come across the seedy bar owner Klott, who promises them a lot of money for a simple job. By chance, Klaus learns what the job is about: he and Max are supposed to smuggle the horses of Circus Barlay from East Berlin to the West. Before he can sound the alarm, however, he is discovered and locked up by Klott, whose conversation he overheard.
The kidnapping of the horses is now supposed to begin with Max's help, but he quickly realizes the injustice of the act. Meanwhile, Klaus manages to escape from his prison. He notifies the staff of Circus Barlay and the People's Police , who, with Max's help, thwart the kidnapping. The criminals are arrested and Max and Klaus receive the boxing gloves they have long wanted as a reward from the circus.
production
The alarm in the circus is based on true events, for example a raid on the circus was thwarted in 1953. Inspired by the press reports on the case, Wolfgang Kohlhaase and Hans Kubisch wrote the script within almost half a year. In addition to the Babelsberg studio, the film was shot on original locations in Berlin, including in northern Friedrichstrasse , Monbijoubrücke , Koppenplatz and the old garrison cemetery . Willy Schiller created the buildings, Paul Ramacher was production manager.
Alarm im Circus had its premiere on August 27, 1954 in Berlin's Babylon . With 3.6 million moviegoers, the alarm in the circus became “the box office hit of 1954” in the GDR.
criticism
Contemporary critics praised the film for “that well-dosed mixture of emotion, serenity and serious background that a real film success needs. It is by no means incontestable in all points - but in all points it is such that it pleases the audience. ”As a crime film, Alarm in the circus offers “ everything […] that a complete crime film needs. There is even a crack - who would have thought that from the serious DEFA? - proper chin hooks, and the large-scale deployment of the People's Police culminates in a breathtaking chase in a radio car through the wet city streets and ruins at night. "
Frank-Burkhard Habel wrote in 2000 that "the adventurous youth thriller [...] is clearly located on the frontline of the Cold War , without ostensible propaganda, and [it] thrives heavily on its social sharpness."
The lexicon of the international film found: "Exciting, well-staged crime entertainment, which atmospherically brings the authentic background of the divided Berlin exactly."
Award
Gerhard Klein and Wolfgang Kohlhaase were awarded the National Prize III in 1954 for Alarm in the Circus . Class excellent.
literature
- F.-B. Habel : The great lexicon of DEFA feature films . Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-89602-349-7 , pp. 21-22 .
- Alarm in the circus . In: Ingelore König, Dieter Wiedemann, Lothar Wolf (eds.): Between Marx and Muck. DEFA films for children . Henschel, Berlin 1996, ISBN 3-89487-234-9 , pp. 86-88.
Web links
- Alarm in the Circus in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Alarm in the circus at filmportal.de
- Alarm in the circus at the DEFA Foundation
Individual evidence
- ↑ Alarm in the circus . In: Ingelore König, Dieter Wiedemann, Lothar Wolf (eds.): Between Marx and Muck. DEFA films for children . Henschel, Berlin 1996, p. 87.
- ^ Alfred Bauer: German feature film Almanach. Volume 2: 1946-1955 , p. 393
- ↑ Cf. progress-film.de ( Memento from July 25, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ HUE in: Berliner Zeitung , August 31, 1954th
- ^ Lothar Creutz in: Die Weltbühne , September 8, 1954.
- ↑ F.-B. Habel : The great lexicon of DEFA feature films . Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-89602-349-7 , pp. 22 .
- ↑ Alarm in the circus. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed July 21, 2018 .
- ↑ See film-zeit.de ( Memento of the original from May 24, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
