The legacy
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The legacy |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1917 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Max Mack |
| script | Margarete Lindau-Schulz |
| production | Max Maschke for Luna-Film, Berlin |
| occupation | |
| |
Das Legat is a silent German detective film comedy directed by Max Mack from 1917.
action
Master detective Harry Holk is given the task of observing the allegedly unstable painter Nielsen, because Holk was leaked a letter in which Nielsen's alleged suicidal intent is pointed out. Holk shows Nielsen this letter, and the handwriting immediately recognizes that of the windy, old moneylender Rosen. He had made a deal with Nielsen that turned out to be a real usury. Rosen had loaned Nielsen 50,000 kroner, on the condition that Nielsen would give him, Rosen, 10,000 kroner every month as a kind of annuity . This legacy , according to Holk calculates, Rosen should already have brought in around 200,000 crowns. Rosen now fears that this bubbling source of money could dry up should Nielsen decide to put an end to his life.
The indignant Holk would like to put his client Rosen the greed-driven craft. He briefly informs the usurer that he will be traveling for three days and that he must therefore watch out for Nielsen himself. Holk and Nielsen plan to make Rosen sweat blood and water during these three days. First the painter bought a racehorse, whereupon Rosen now had to organize a fast horse with which he could take care of Nielsen while riding. Soon he will have to save his incarnate source of money from drowning and then again from poisoning. When the moneylender continues to refuse to repay the prepayments of the annuity, Rosen even has to take part in a breakneck flight through the air and watch with horror as Nielsen finally tries his hand at a dressage act with wild bears in the circus. That's too much for him, and Rosen leaves the scene sickly.
At last the painter has “softened” the moneylender, and Rosen is prepared to forego the continuation of the legacy in exchange for a further 50,000 kroner, if only to spare his nerves. Said and done. The old usurer, however, gets the shock of his life when the alleged painter Nielsen pulls off his beard and Harry Holk appears behind this masquerade, who has proven himself to be a thoroughly sporty, daring and daring detective through his daring activities of the past few days.
Production notes
The legacy was probably created at the turn of the year 1916/17 and was censored in February 1917. The following month the four-act act was premiered in Berlin's marble house.
criticism
“A tragic comedy as part of an exciting detective play that shows us the struggle of a usurer for a dishonestly earned annuity. All punch lines offered by the detective's subject were fully exploited by the author of the original plot, Lindau-Schultz. We see a dressage act in the circus, and follow the dives of an airplane. Bruno Kastner is a reckless painter with great naturalness, while the role of detective with Rolf Ziegler ... is in very good hands. Rudolf Lettinger's drastic play as moneylender Rosen also deserves mention. The play of these three main actors comes into its own thanks to the excellent photographic images. "