The Great Opportunity (1957)

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Movie
Original title The big chance
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 1957
length 100 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Hans Quest
script Werner Eplinius ,
Janne Furch
production Peter Schaeffers
for Melodie Film
music Lothar Olias
camera Willy Winterstein
cut Walter von Bonhorst
occupation

The big chance is a German hit film by Hans Quest from 1957. It is based on a film novella by Aldo von Pinelli . The main roles are cast with Walter Giller , Gardy Granass , Michael Cramer and Wera Frydtberg .

action

During the day, Walter Gerber works at a gas station to finance his mechanical engineering studies . In the evenings he performs as a trumpeter in the jazz cellar of the Heidelberg youth, much to the displeasure of his father, who believes his older son is lost in "Hottentot music" and therefore raises his younger son all the more strictly. Walter is also regularly in conflict with his boss, as his friends also regularly write to him. When a young woman forgot her wallet and therefore wants to pay the fuel bill later and simply drives away despite Walter's request to leave the car behind, his boss fires him.

It turns out that the young woman is Erika Hallersperg, the sister of Walter's rich friend Manfred. Manfred loves the flower seller Ruth, who does not seem befitting of his mother. Walter and Erika also become a couple after a brief disaffection and meet in the jazz cellar. Kaplan Sommer also comes here one evening . The young people initially disapprove of him, believing that he wants to teach them, “convert” or “recruit” them for the church as “youngsters”. However, it turns out that Sommer is a musical person who also likes jazz. He begins to rehearse a spiritual with the boys . When Walter's father hears about it, he is outraged. He starts a signature campaign with the aim of having Sommer transferred to a sentence. When the young people find out, they go to the bishop in person and invite him to a planned benefit event at which Kaplan Sommer is to conduct the spiritual.

In addition to worrying about the chaplain, the group also has love concerns. At a talent competition, at the insistence of her friends, Ruth performs a song that Manfred wrote for her and is offered a recording contract. Out of love for Manfred, she refuses this offer, but a little later Manfred's mother shows her clearly that she would never accept a relationship between Ruth and Manfred. Ruth now leaves hastily for Hamburg , where she becomes a record star. Walter, in turn, who is heard by Albert Nicholas at a jazz session and is given the chance to work with him in America, decides to study on the advice of Kaplan Sommer. He will only cultivate music as a hobby. When Walter's father hears that Kaplan Sommer has steered his son on the “right track”, he now collects signatures for Sommer to stay in Heidelberg.

The big benefit event takes place anyway. Since it initially looks as if the announced Ruth will not appear, the boys succeed for the first time in getting the talented Freddy on stage as a singer. Walter and Erika get engaged behind the stage, their understanding father has nothing against improper relationships between his children. Finally Ruth appears and sings the hit that Manfred once wrote for her in front of the assembled audience - and also reconciles Manfred's strict mother with the choice of her son.

Production, DVD

The shooting took place from June 24th to August 4th 1957 in Heidelberg . F.-Dieter Bartels and Helmut Nentwig were responsible for the film construction. Michael Marszalek took the still photos . The great opportunity experienced its premiere on September 26, 1957 in the Cologne Capitol . In Denmark it was published on April 14, 1958 under the title Den store chance .

Various hits can be heard in the film. It was Freddy Quinn's first music film. He sings A Poor Mulero and Once in Tampico . The lyrics are from Aldo von Pinelli and Peter Moesser .

You can also hear Renée Franke , who doubles Gardy Granass' vocals, clarinetist Albert Nicholas , the Armand Gordon orchestra , the RIAS dance orchestra and his combo, Horst Wende with his soloists, the Sunnies, the Cornel Trio , Cornelis op den Zieken and the Waldow Favre Choir singing the spiritual.

The film first appeared on DVD on November 28, 2002, provider: ems. Warner Home Video released it on DVD on July 1, 2005 as part of the "German Film Classics" series.

criticism

The Lexicon of International Films wrote: "The superficial film seems modern, timely and entertaining - none of that applies."

film.at, on the other hand, was of the opinion that this “entertaining German hit film” reflected “in many ways the atmosphere and zeitgeist of the 50s”.

Cinema spoke of a “dusty comedy” and a film that “had a certain celebrity among fans of the 50s songs”, “because pop star Freddy Quinn is making his cinema debut in a supporting role”. The conclusion was: "Chance missed: jazz posse without pep".

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Great Opportunity DVD "German Film Classics"
  2. ↑ Klaus Brüne (Ed.): Lexicon of International Films . Volume 3. Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1990, p. 1414.
  3. ↑ The great opportunity. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed August 20, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  4. ↑ The great opportunity at film.at
  5. ↑ The big chance at cinema.de (with 9 film images and film trailer)