The tragedy at Rottersheim Castle
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | The tragedy at Rottersheim Castle |
| Country of production | Austria- Hungary |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1916 |
| length | approx. 83 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director |
Jakob Fleck Luise Kolm |
| script |
Paul Lindau Leopold Krenn |
| production |
Anton Kolm Luise Kolm Jakob Fleck for the Viennese art film industry |
| occupation | |
| |
The tragedy at Rottersheim Castle is an Austro-Hungarian silent film drama from 1916 by Jakob Fleck and Luise Kolm with Liane Haid and Hermann Benke in the leading roles.
action
Even after she has been forced to marry Baron Hartwig, Baroness Elsa remains connected to her former lover, the Count von Rhelen, via correspondence. In order not to compromise herself, she always carries this correspondence under the address of her sister-in-law, the Countess von Rottersheim. One day the baron intends to emigrate to Madagascar and expects his wife to follow him. At this moment Count Rhelen writes to Elsa that she should choose him, the rightful father of the child they have conceived. Since this letter was also sent to Countess Rottersheim's address and this time fell into the hands of her husband, the latter believes, given the significance of the content, that his wife is cheating on him. Helplessly, she repeatedly protests her innocence to him. A chain of highly unfortunate entanglements, including the disappearance of an enlightening letter from the pen of Baroness Elsa, leads Rottersheim to now his own wife Paula together with the child Liane, who he assumes is not his the count's house. Countess Rottersheim hardly recovers from this emotional shock and falls into a deep emotional hole.
Ten years have passed since then, and Liane, who is always called Liesel by her new foster parents, the hiking musician Schorsch Stelzer and his wife, has become a pretty, young woman. She had little to laugh about among her new parents and was treated badly, only the foster sister Annerl, who was the same age, was a ray of hope in her past years. Her birth mother had separated from her heartless husband and, since she was feeling a little better lately, went on a search for her missing child. The encounter with two young girls on the way to church reminds Countess Rottersheim painfully of her own lost daughter. Baroness Else Hartwig is meanwhile widowed and has since returned to Rottersheim Castle. Elsa promises her sister-in-law not to marry her beloved Count Rhelen until Paula has found her liana again. The first meeting after such a long time between Paula and her husband Alwin is tearful; Count Rottersheim asks for forgiveness for his heartless act, but the countess only shows herself to be willing to forgive when she has found her daughter again. As luck would have it, Count Rottersheim meets the musician Schorsch again a little later. He offers him a high reward if he would give him back his own flesh and blood.
Now Liane / Liesel had escaped overnight because she no longer wanted to be treated so badly by her foster parents. Schorsch is not stupid and consults with his wife as to whether the count could not be given her other girl, Annerl, as a liana. And so it happens. Countess Paula happily hugs her false "daughter". But the truth soon emerges when a friend, Schorsch, who is at odds with him, informs the Rottersheims about the lousy fraud. The count rushes to Schorsch to confront him, but is overwhelmed by him and not released before the count writes him a check for a considerable amount. Liane / Liesel learns that foster sister Annerl is now staying at Rottersheim Castle and is going there immediately. Deeply buried memories are awakened when the returned vine walks through the castle room. Countess Paula and Baroness Elsa deduce from their statements that Liesel must be Liana. After many years, mother and daughter embrace and the countess decides that Annerl can stay too. But there is still the question of what has become of the letter that could prove the innocence of Countess Paula, who was dragged into adultery and which Schorsch had once taken. Liane knows what to do and returns to her unloved foster father. Her foster mother is drunk and the imprisoned paternal count is freed. The letter finally makes it clear to him what a bitter injustice he once did to his faithful wife. Liane and her father Alwin escape, but are followed and overtaken by Schorsch Stelzer. On a ledge there is a duel between the count and the disgusting musician, in which the villain falls into the depths and perishes. The Rottersheim family can finally start their new life.
Production notes
The tragedy at Rottersheim Castle was filmed in Mödling and Laxenburg in 1916 and prohibited from schooling (= youth ban). The first performance was on November 10, 1916 in Vienna. The version of the four-act act shown was around 1700 meters long. In Germany, the drama passed censorship in January 1917 and was premiered that same year.
The film was one of the various collaborations between Hermann Benke and Liane Haid during the First World War . Both of them previously worked for the Viennese art film industry . a. filmed the patriotic dramas With Heart and Hand for the Fatherland (1915) and With God for Emperor and Empire (1916). For the renowned theater actor and director Rudolf Beer , his role as a dissolute traveling musician Schorsch was probably the only one he played in the film. Cordy Millowitsch from Cologne , who was at the Johann Strauss Theater at the time , presumably made her film debut here.
Reviews
“With this picture, Wiener Kunstfilm has again created a work of gripping power. The exciting plot, which leads us into the depths and up to the heights of mankind and portrays its suffering and sorrows with realistic power, will have the most lasting effect on the cinema audience in its shocking tragedy. This tremendous effect is supported by the brilliant, realistic representation as well as by an impeccable, photographic execution and masterful direction. "
In Paimann's film lists you can read: "Sentimental stuff, scenery except for the Rottersheim imprisonment scene very good. Game and photos, but especially Lieserl's memory scene and the transfer scene great."
Web links
- The tragedy at Castle Rotter home in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The tragedy at Schloss Rottersheim on The German Early Cinema Database
- The tragedy at Rottersheim Castle at filmportal.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ The tragedy at Schloss Rottersheim ( memento of the original from March 25, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been 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
