The Battle of Donald Westhof
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The Battle of Donald Westhof |
| Country of production | German Empire |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1927 |
| length | 122, 113 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Fritz Wendhausen |
| script | Fritz Wendhausen |
| production | UFA |
| music | Artur Guttmann |
| camera |
Günther Rittau Curt Courant |
| occupation | |
| |
The fight of Donald Westhof is a German silent film judicial drama from 1927 by Fritz Wendhausen with Imre Ráday , Karin Evans and Oskar Homolka in the leading roles. The film was based on a novel by Felix Hollaender .
action
The young Donald Westhof, whose father, a professor, has always treated him coldly and at a distance, decides to go to Berlin after the death of his mother and the realization that his father is not his father. Here he finds shelter with his aunt Thea Lessing, who is married to a councilor. The heavily indebted man turns out to be a gambler and despot who oppresses his wife and practices illegal gambling within his own four walls. Donald only realizes where he's gotten during a raid. Donald can't stay here for long and he decides to become the secretary of a slugger, a certain Kussmaul. Lessing owes Kussmaul a lot of money, and he turns out to be a loan shark. Soon he falls in love with the innkeeper daughter Bertha Spieß, who in turn has her eye on Donald. Westhof gets involved in an affair with Bertha and forgets his childhood sweetheart Olga Wolgast.
Olga also went to Berlin and found a job as a stenographer there. She does not want to lose her Donald, but he has now completely let himself into the seductive Bertha. According to the wishes of Bertha’s parents, a couple of innkeepers, Bertha Kussmaul should marry because he is well off and can look after the girl in the future. Bertha agrees willy-nilly. Meanwhile, just before the wedding day, Donald tries for the last time to stop his lover from taking this ultimate step. He desperately wants to prevent the wedding without being violent towards Kussmaul. But on the day of the wedding, a fight can no longer be avoided. Here Donald Westhof knocks down his rival Kussmaul hard, so that the young Westhof has to assume that he killed Kussmaul. Thereupon there is a court hearing, because Kussmaul was found strangled.
Westhof behaves in court like a lamb led to the slaughter. He does not revoke his confession, he does not defend himself. Suddenly Olga Wolgast enters the courtroom and wants to make a statement: on the day of the alleged murder from Kussmaul's house, she had seen a stranger rush past her. The man is even in the courtroom and Olga points her finger at him: it is Donald's uncle, Counselor Lessing, who came here to testify. The brawny lawyer confesses immediately. He had found Kussmaul, who had been knocked out by Donald, lying on the floor, thought he was dead and then wanted to pull the promissory note out of his wallet. But Kussmaul woke up and was then strangled by Lessing. Donald Westhof did it: thanks to Olga's help, he was acquitted. Both leave the courthouse hand in hand and decide to begin their future together here and now.
Production notes
The fight of Donald Westhof was created in February and August 1927 in the UFA film studios and passed the film censorship on September 23, 1927. The film was 3079 meters long, divided into six acts. A youth ban was issued. The premiere took place on September 29, 1927 in Berlin's UFA-Palast am Zoo .
Robert Neppach designed the film structures. The then 20-year-old Karin Evans made her film debut here with the female lead role of the lovely Olga.
criticism
In the Austrian Film-Zeitung it was said: “Wendhausen has directed a direction that is absolutely exemplary. Each scene has excellent images, the tension constantly increasing the pace and characterizing each figure in a flash. The cast is excellent ... Taken as a whole, the film is a top product in German film. "
Individual evidence
- ↑ "The Battle of Donald Westhof". In: Österreichische Film-Zeitung , October 15, 1927, p. 13 (online at ANNO ).
Web links
- The battle of Donald Westhof in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The fight of Donald Westhof at filmportal.de