I am Sebastian Ott
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | I am Sebastian Ott |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1939 |
| length | 97 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Willi Forst |
| script |
Axel Eggebrecht Eberhard Keindorff based on Keindorff's original of the same name |
| production | Willi Forst |
| music | Theo Mackeben |
| camera |
Carl Hoffmann Karl Löb |
| cut | Hans Wolff |
| occupation | |
| |
Ich bin Sebastian Ott is a German crime film about fake Rubens paintings from 1939 by and with Willi Forst , who plays the dual role of a good and a villainous brother.
action
The industrialist Kessen was recently murdered. The extremely wealthy man owned an extensive collection of paintings by the famous Baroque painter Rubens. To check their authenticity, the respected art expert Dr. Sebastian Ott was called in. Since he is convinced of the authenticity of Rubens' works in the Kessen house, the same paintings that hang in various museums must be well-made forgeries. Ott tries to find out when the originals became copies. He finds out that the paintings that were once on loan at exhibitions must have been copied. In this way, he assumes, the fine Mr. Kessen came into possession of numerous originals. Ott would like to personally bring one of these Rubens pictures back to the actual owner, old Colonel Julius Holzapfel. There he met his young niece, Erika Mertens, who was widowed at an early age, and it wasn't long before the two young people fell in love. First of all, the young luck wants to keep his fresh relationship a secret from the public.
Ott took in the somewhat shabby painter Strobl for a while. He is supposed to represent Otts factotum in the gallery, Eberle, until he comes back from his vacation. During this time Sebastian was called to Prague, it was about his half-silk brother Ludwig. Ludwig Ott is the black sheep of the family, who has not been able to keep his hands off any ripoffs and thus has the early death of their father on his conscience. Sebastian supported Ludwig financially for a long time, but one day he broke off contact because there was no improvement in sight for Ludwig. Hardly having arrived in the Bohemian capital, Ludwig stunned his twin brother, who only asked him to come here to take over his identity. Ludwig grabs Sebastian's documents and returns to Vienna as Sebastian Ott. Since Ludwig was also on the wanted list in Prague, Sebastian was arrested a little later because he was believed to be Ludwig and, thanks to the lack of papers, he could not prove the opposite.
Ludwig Ott has taken on the role of his brother in Vienna and begins to work together with Strobl. Both want to start a trade in counterfeit paintings. And since he has already taken over Sebastian Ott's life, Ludwig believes he can "take over" his new girlfriend as well. But like the Eberle who has returned home, she notices a remarkable change in the nature and character of the false Sebastian and begins to turn away from him. Erika talks about it with her uncle, and the old colonel, who has good contacts with the police, asks his old friend, Kriminalrat a. D. Baumann, let's investigate the matter. He found out through his Prague contacts that a Ludwig Ott was being held there who stiffly and firmly claims to be Sebastian Ott. But before the Prague police can release Sebastian, Ludwig's gangsters Paolini, Schmiedel and Meinhardt have already got him out of jail, in the firm belief that they would free their boss Ludwig. They all travel to Vienna together, where Sebastian and Ludwig, who is about to break away with Strobl and the captured Erika, have a hard fight. Finally, the Vienna police arrive and Ludwig Ott dies from a bullet.
Production notes
I am Sebastian Ott was created from mid-March to late April 1939 in the Sievering studio in Vienna. The first performance took place on August 11, 1939 in Berlin's Gloria Palast . The production cost of this film was a moderate 799,000 Reichsmarks. Until February 1941, Forst brought in a staging that had remained relatively unknown for 1,150,000 RM.
In those moments when Forst had to concentrate entirely on his acting, Viktor Becker directed the film. The production line was Hans Somborn , Walter Lehmann was production assistant. The film structures executed by Kurt Herlth were designed by Werner Schlichting , while Herbert Janeczka provided the sound . JA Vesely was the production manager, Heinz Mansfeld was on the artistic advisory board.
As can be read in the opening credits, the material is based on real events in the context of an art forgery scandal.
Reviews
“The new Willi Forst film is interesting for two reasons. Once he deals with a rarely shown and very interesting milieu, the art trade, and in the context of a neatly executed criminalistic act with the methods of picture forgers. And then he shows Willi Forst in a double role. (...) The cameramen Carl Hoffmann and Carl Löb deserve special praise for their virtuoso achievement of all imaginable effects in the game with brilliantly tinted light. In this double role, too, Willi Forst proves to be a remarkably confident and noble actor. How he differentiates these two people from each other only through brief gestures, posture and gaze, how he renounces the cheap possibility of marking these differences through mask art, reveals a really strong acting potential. Trude Marien not only looks very charming, but also convinces with her balanced game. Gustav Dießl as a pathologically fanatical painter offers a captivating study, while Otto Treßler and Paul Hörbiger are two men with heart and wit. "
Paimann's film lists stated: “The original idea is powdered with so many exciting and cheerful details that one hardly notices its construction. The prelude, however, would have expected more. Director Forst prepared this film with verve, a sense of parody and all sorts of tricks and found his most valuable support in the actor Forst. The rest also characterize economical. (...) Idiosyncratic buildings, effective music (Mackeben) ”.
"Through the art of the actors, the film placed itself in the series of works that one does not forget again outside the cinema, some film reviews noted."
"Tension, atmosphere and the performance of the director in the prominent double leading role make the film worth seeing."
Web links
- I am Sebastian Ott in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- I'm Sebastian Ott at filmportal.de
- I'm Sebastian Ott Complete film at the Deutsche Filmothek
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ulrich J. Klaus: German sound films, 10th year 1939. P. 95 f. (048.39), Berlin 1999
- ↑ I am Sebastian Ott ( Memento of the original from November 12, 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
- ↑ I am Sebastian Ott. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
