The ghost hour
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The ghost hour |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1917 |
| length | 56 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Urban Gad |
| script | Urban Gad |
| production | Saturn film, Berlin |
| occupation | |
| |
The Ghost Hour is a 1916 German silent film family drama with horror elements by Urban Gad .
action
first act
Count de la Porte resides at Medan Castle. His second-born son Johann is married to Luise-Marie. Both have a toddler a few months old and a four-year-old son who is physically misshapen and is described by the family doctor as mentally weak. Under these circumstances, Luise-Marie's omnipresent mother, Countess Herm, worries that her daughter will soon be ousted under inheritance law, especially since Johann's older brother August, as the first-born, has the power of majority. When August shows up at the castle after a long absence, he is greeted by his father very coldly. Countess Herm wants to get rid of her daughter's bearded brother-in-law as quickly as possible and comes up with a plan. Meanwhile, the two brothers, who have been separated for a long time, come closer to each other during a hunt together. Meanwhile, Johann's mother-in-law puts the flea in his ear that brother August is flirting too violently with Luise-Marie. He can hardly believe it and reacts upset. In the salon, the manipulative Luise-Marie August falls into her arms, knowing full well that Johann could snow in at any moment. He is still armed with the hunting rifle and sees how Luise-Marie allegedly frees herself from August's clutches in disgust.
Angry, she accuses August of having approached her immorally. The two men begin to wrestle with each other, a shot goes off and Johann falls to the ground, fatally hit. August protests his innocence, the Countess Herm who joins August says to August: “You have only one way out: disappear forever!” This clears the way for one of Johann's two children. Before August escapes, he hides the documents that secure his first-born right to family property in the knight's hall of the uninhabited wing of the palace. Since one does not want to accept any de la Porte scion who is disregarded as a "cripple" as a majorate, it is decided that little Gert, Johann's second-born, will one day take over the inheritance. The four-year-old is to be given good care, but hidden from the public. Servant Tobias is entrusted with the care by the old count. One day a family trip is taken to a small lake. While the wet nurse and servants are leaving with two of the three children, Countess Herm throws the stroller into a small lake and calls for help, a child has drowned. Two men rush to help and fish the stroller out of the water. The child cannot be found. Now the crippled firstborn can be officially declared dead, and the way is free for the small, healthy device.
Second act
Years have passed since the events at Medan Castle. August de la Porte lives in Chicago under the American name Howdon and is now terminally ill. He has had a daughter named Agga, who knows nothing of his dark past in Germany. On her deathbed, he reveals his true identity to her and makes it clear to her that she has the right to the de la Porte and the castle. Then he reads from a letter from Luise-Marie, who has since passed away, in which she confesses that she had a part in the plot against him. In his last letter, August announced to the devious Countess Herm the arrival of an Agga Howdon at the castle, whom the old woman should take care of in return for his disappearance at the time. Agga learns from the departing father that the legitimation papers for her property claim are in a secret compartment in the old knight's hall. August warns his daughter about the intrigues of Countess Herm. Then Agga's father dies.
Gert de la Porte has now become a young adult. His circle of friends includes Magnus Berten, the son of the neighboring estate owner, and his sister Margit, who is considered to be Gert's future. With some horror and a premonition, Countess Herm reads August's last letter, in which Agga's arrival is announced. Agga is taken into the castle, Countess Herm, however, wants to take precautions so that there are no nasty surprises. The old woman makes it clear to Gert that he should give up Margit for the time being and instead turn to Agga, knowing full well that she could possibly lay claim to the de la Porte family property. While Gert approaches Agga on behalf of the grandmother, she in turn tries to gain access to the rear, uninhabited part of the castle in order to look for the secret compartment in the knight's hall. But Countess Herm categorically blocks Agga's request to visit this part of the building as well. In addition, it should be haunted there, as the countess claims.
By the way, Agga meets Magnus Berten. The two have something in common: he too was in Chicago for some time when he was studying there. The young people become friends, and Agga tries to find an ally in him. The Countess attempts to couple her grandson Gert with Agga, however, already fail in the beginning. As the last trump card, the old woman plans to let go of the crippled eldest of her grandchildren, who is tied to a chain in the tower room like a wild animal and only moves on all fours, on Agga. The Countess hopes that the American will not recover from this shock anytime soon.
Third act
Agga now wants to take action. Although Countess Herm had told her that the brown room was haunted, she definitely wants to spend the following night there. She hopes to finally get to the secluded knight's hall from there. Countess Herm agrees to her suggestion, as she can best hound the crippled elder there on Agga. Meanwhile, servant Tobias Agga warns of things that could happen next night. Late at night, Countess Herm fetches her hunchbacked grandson from his attic into the castle and takes him to the brown room. At midnight, at witching hour, Agga also sets out to keep the promise she made to her father on his deathbed and goes in search of the legitimation documents. On the way there, her crippled cousin follows on all fours like an invisible shadow. When the creature tries to reach for Agga, she almost scares herself to death and flees headlong from the "monster". But he takes advantage of the moment, tastes the freedom and disappears somewhere on the castle grounds.
The next morning, servant Tobias comes to the Countess and reports that the hunchbacked prisoner has not returned to his hiding place. Now the old woman worries because she thinks the tortured, suppressed creature is dangerous. Agga comes to the breakfast table as if worn out, the excitement of the previous night has got too much for her. Confiding in Magnus Berten, she informs him of her intention to look for the documents and asks him to come with her the following night. Meanwhile, the hunchback strolls across the castle grounds. When midnight approaches again, Gert does not want to let Magnus go because he is afraid of his own brother. In the meantime, Agga is waiting for Magnus. But it is not her lover who suddenly appears, but the hunchbacked madman who now attacks Agga with a lustful look. Agga desperately tries to fend off the creeping creature in the brown room with all her might. Then she flees. Countess Herm now enters Agga's bedchamber. Now the mentally weak grandson also attacks his grandmother. Then the “cripple” flees onto the battlements of the castle tower, followed by Tobias and two other men. Finally the poor creature falls backwards into the depths, into death.
Meanwhile, Magnus and Agga are looking for the secret compartment in the knight's hall. You will find August's papers confirming Agga's right of inheritance. Then the remaining residents of the castle rush in and announce that the countess has been found dead. Tobias accuses Gert in front of Agga and Magnus of having set his brother on Agga. The villain is then expelled from the castle. "Magnus and I will drive the powers of darkness away from Medan forever," are Agga's final words.
Production notes
The ghost hour passed the censorship in September 1916 and had its world premiere in May 1917 in the Berlin Passenger Theater. The three-act play (including a prelude) was about 1400 meters long.
criticism
Paimann's film lists summed up: “The material is very good (very realistic). Game, photos and scenery are very good. (Very useful for a simple audience.) "
Web links
- The ghosts hours in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The ghost hour at The German Early Cinema Database
- The ghost hour at filmportal.de
- The ghost hour in the video
Individual evidence
- ↑ The ghost hour ( memento of the original from March 24, 2016 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. In: Paimann's film lists
