The Cowboy (1918)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The cowboy |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1918 |
| length | approx. 77 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Alwin Neuss |
| script | Max Jungk |
| production | Erich Pommer for Decla |
| camera | Carl Hoffmann |
| occupation | |
| |
The cowboy is a very early German silent film - Western in 1918 by and with Alwin Neuss in a double role.
action
Fred Hagenow, a German gentleman, runs a large farm on Java . One day he travels to New York City to visit Gerd von Rauenstein, the son of an old friend. From him the landlord learns that Gerd recently made an ominous acquaintance with a certain Baroness von Wartenberg, a man-murdering, deceitful adventurer. When Gerd, who had long since been rejected by his father through this improper acquaintance, caught her red-handed with a rival, he drew a weapon to shoot the competitor. Obviously he stayed away from the murder and then fled to America to make a fresh start as a cowboy. Fred invites Gerd to follow him to his farm, where he could be useful. That's how it happens. Behind Gerd's back, Fred makes contact with old Rauenstein's lawyer in order to find out whether a reconciliation between father and son is possible. The lawyer asks Fred to send Gerd home as soon as possible, since the old man is dying and Gerd von Rauenstein has made his sole heir. The Filius then swings into the saddle and wants to ride to the next port. But a darkling stretches him down from ambush. His name is Hollmann, is a cousin of Gerd and wants to take advantage of the amazing resemblance to his cousin in order to benefit from the inheritance himself. Hollmann stole the documents that could prove his identity from the wounded Gerd and ran away.
While Gerd, who promptly lost his memory when he was grazed on his head, is being nursed back to health on the farm, Hollmann goes to Rauenstein Castle to deceive the old man as a false son and take over the inheritance. Hollmann quickly swings himself up to become the new master on Rauenstein and has also thrown an eye on the neighboring landowner daughter Eulalia, who had previously been adored by Gerd. Gerd's memory comes back in fragments, only he suddenly believes that he is Hollmann and that he should take over the small inheritance of the windy villainous cousin whose mother has died. Only when he has regained all his senses does it occur to him that cousin Hollmann must be a very bad finger and that he has obviously ousted him as the legitimate heir at Rauenstein Castle. It doesn't work that way, he thinks, and seeks a confrontation with the usurper. He comes across Eulalia, who admits that she too had long since figured out the wrong Gerd alias Hollmann. They both forge a plan to expose and get rid of the villain. At a lavish castle festival, Hollmann dresses up as a cowboy to give truth to his past life. A second man appears in cowboy disguise and with a mask. He unmasked and reveals himself as a true Gerd von Rauenstein. Hollmann is revealed as a legacy sneak, flees into a neighboring room and gives himself the bullet.
Production notes
The Cowboy is considered to be one of the first German Wild West films in cinema history to be influenced by American models such as William S. Hart or Tom Mix . The film was made in the Eiko-Film-Atelier in Berlin-Marienfelde , had four acts and was 1585 meters long. After being examined by the film censors in June 1918, the film was premiered in Berlin's Mozart Hall before the end of the year.
criticism
“Alwin Neuss presents both roles very credibly, even the viewer cannot tell, the characters are so well carved. Technically, all good spirits have been on the move that fully meet modern requirements. "