Old Fritz (1928)

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Movie
Original title The old Fritz 1st part: Peace,
the old Fritz 2nd part: The end
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 1928
length 320 minutes
Rod
Director Gerhard Lamprecht
script Hanns Torius
production Gerhard Lamprecht-Film-Produktion GmbH
music Artur Guttmann
camera Karl Hasselmann
occupation

The old Fritz is a German, two-part history silent film from 1927/28, which shows the last years of Friedrich II's life . It is the last silent film of the Fridericus Rex films , which were very popular between 1920 and 1942 .

1st part - peace

The Seven Years War is over. Frederick II is now determined to restore his country, which has been badly damaged by the war. But many other things come up to him. He catches the Crown Prince Friedrich inflagranti and learns that he has become a womanizer. To prevent this, he married the Crown Prince to Elisabeth von Braunschweig. However, he found little pleasure in his wife and began a relationship with Wilhelmine Enke. The king introduces new taxes on alcohol, spices and coffee. He now only cares about the invalids of the war and about compulsory Prussian schooling. When he learns that the Crown Prince has a relationship with Wilhelmine Enke, he has her expelled from the country. Friedrich's friends are appalled that he is treating the Crown Prince as his father once did him. Wilhelmine Enke is angry that she has been expelled and draws attention to her rights as she is expecting a child from the Crown Prince. This was divorced from his wife at the same time, as she, like him, had countless affairs. The Prussian king now married his nephew to Friederike Luise von Hessen-Darmstadt.

2nd part - conclusion

1777: The young Emperor Joseph II wants to annex Ansbach-Bayreuth because he is of the opinion that the Prussian king is too old and too sick to wage another campaign. Angry about this, Friedrich goes into the field. But there is no battle. The war is waged and ended by treaties. From now on, the king only has to deal with odds and ends. He helps the miller Arnold to his rights, because the court should take the mill from him, and dismisses all current chamber judges. Friedrich is now despised by many because of his severity, but also loved because of his care for his subjects. Lovingly and mockingly at the same time, they now call him "Old Fritz". He died on August 16, 1786, seriously ill and embittered. Hardly anyone mourns him.

literature

  • Erwin Leiser : “Germany, awake!” Propaganda in the film of the Third Reich (= rororo 783 rororo aktuell ). Original edition, expanded new edition. Rowohlt, Reinbek near Hamburg 1978, ISBN 3-499-10783-X .
  • Axel Marquardt , Heinz Rathsack (Hrsg.): Prussia in the film. A retrospective of the Deutsche Kinemathek Foundation (= Prussia. An attempt at a balance sheet. Vol. 5). Rowohlt, Reinbek near Hamburg 1981, ISBN 3-499-34005-4 .
  • Eberhard Mertens (Ed.): Film programs. Volume 6: The great Prussian films. II: Production 1932–1945. Olms-Presse, Hildesheim et al. 1981, ISBN 3-487-08230-6 .

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