Emil and the Detectives (1954)

Movie
Original title	Emil and the detectives
Country of production	Federal Republic of Germany
original language	German
Publishing year	1954
length	90 minutes
Age rating	FSK 0
Rod
Director	Robert A. Stemmle
script	Robert A. Stemmle , Billy Wilder
production	Berolina Film, Berlin ( Kurt Ulrich )
music	Willy Schmidt-Gentner
camera	Kurt Schulz
cut	Hermann Leitner
occupation
Peter Finkbeiner : Emil Tischbein Heli Finkenzeller : Mrs. Tischbein Wolfgang Lukschy : Sergeant Jeschke Kurt Meisel : Mr. Grundis Claudia Schäfer : Pony hats Margarete Haagen : The grandmother Camilla Spira : Emil's aunt Hans Dieter Zeidler : Emil's uncle Wolfgang Condrus : Gustav with the horn Wolf-Eberhard Graßhoff : The professor Roland Kaiser : Little Tuesday Günter Pfitzmann : Teacher Brakeman Ernst Waldow : Spa guest Walter Gross : tram conductor Gerhard Frickhöffer : keynote speaker

Emil and the Detectives is a film directed by Robert A. Stemmle in 1954 in Germany. It is based on the novel of the same name by Erich Kästner . It premiered on October 14, 1954 in Hamburg .

action

Introduction : Emil is to be included in a gang of children. As a test of courage, he is supposed to help free a seal. The liberation campaign succeeds, but it becomes clear who was responsible for it. Fortunately, nobody finds out that Emil was also involved, as he has not been a member of the gang for long.

The main part is almost identical to the novel. Twelve-year-old Emil travels from Neustadt to Berlin to visit his grandmother there. All of his money is stolen from him by a friendly gentleman. He pursues the thief and, after many adventures, drives him into a corner with the help of many Berlin children. It turns out that he is a long-wanted criminal, for whose capture a thousand marks are offered.

For closing after the thief was caught, Emil and his mother will be invited to the annual police sports festival in Berlin.

Production notes

The film is a color remake of the 1931 film of the same name . The longer duration is mainly due to the longer beginning and end. In addition, some of the storylines in the main part were presented in more detail.

The film was produced in the Berlin-Tempelhof studio. The outdoor shots were taken in Berlin, Husum , Glückstadt and Harburg . In contrast to the model from 1931, this film shows the West Berlin of the beginning economic miracle . The ruins of the Gedächtniskirche can be seen in detail before the old nave was demolished, the area around Breitscheidplatz and the Olympic Stadium still without a roof. The film shows a street fountain (on Henriettenplatz) designed by August Gaul for Wilmersdorf in 1908 in a Berlin scene - when the children were called together at the beginning .

Towards the end of the film, Erich Kästner has a cameo : When the children are chasing Grundis the thief, Kästner looks out of a window and throws flower pots.

criticism

“Entertaining new version of the famous children's novel by Erich Kästner, which captures its refreshing adventure; the narrative conventions of the entertainment cinema of the 1950s have a slightly smooth and coarse effect, both formally and thematically. The film is particularly fascinating because of the authentic images from Berlin in the 1950s. "

- film service

literature

• Erich Kästner : Emil and the detectives . In: Erich Kästner (Ed.): Kästner for children . With illustrations by Walter Trier and Horst Lemke . tape 1 . Atrium-Verlag, Zurich 2004, ISBN 3-85535-955-5 .
• Ingo Tornow: Erich Kästner and the film . dtv, Munich 1998, ISBN 3-423-12611-6 .

Web links

• Emil and the Detectives in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Emil and the detectives at Filmportal.de

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Release certificate for Emil and the detectives . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , March 2007 (PDF; test number: 86 44V V / DVD).
2. ^ Alfred Bauer: German feature film Almanach. Volume 2: 1946-1955 , p. 406
3. ↑ Jutta Sy: from the film - Emil and the detectives [... © Berolina-Film, Berlin / mdr]