K - The House of Silence

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Movie
Original title K - The House of Silence
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 1951
length 102 minutes
Age rating FSK 16
Rod
Director Hans Hinrich
script Alfred Neumann
Eugen A. Borkum
production Eugene A. Borkum
music Alois Melichar
camera Oskar Schnirch
occupation

K - Das Haus des Schweigens is a German film drama by Hans Hinrich with Ernst Deutsch in the leading role. The story is based on the play "Abel" and the novella "Many are called Cain ..." by Alfred Neumann, who was also involved in the script.

action

The story takes place in Antwerp around 1900. Abel and Paul de Yonkh are two brothers who couldn't be more different: Abel, the older of the two, is sensible, reliable, generous and solid as a rock. Paul, on the other hand, is a Luftikus; irresponsible, sometimes unscrupulous and easily gets on the wrong track. When the younger of the two gets caught in the crosshairs of a prosecutor, Abel is immediately there to take care of Paul's well-being. He gives him all his money and makes sure that Paul can escape safely abroad. Abel himself is deeply in love with Marie, the wife of a cynical lawyer named Gabriel Robert. Abel secretly wishes for the death of this man who, in his opinion, stands in the way of his personal happiness. At the last meeting with Abel, Paul had read this wish from his eyes, so that Paul, less scrupulous, wants to help his brother, who had done so much for him, in this regard.

A few days later it is discovered that attorney Gabriel Robert fell outside during a train ride and was killed in the process. Whether this was an accident or a targeted murder is initially left open. Now Abel and Marie can spend a harmonious life together. Back from Marie's old relationship was little Roger Robert, who after ten years has matured into an angry, young man. He hates Abel with all his heart and blames Abel for the violent death of his father. Paul de Yonkh wants to ease his conscience one day and kills himself at the exact same spot where the lawyer died. In the face of so much misery that his desire for Marie has brought upon everyone, Abel also plans to kill himself. It is Roger Robert of all people who, after Abel's admission of guilt, prevents him from doing the terrible deed.

Production notes

K - Das Haus des Schweigens , the only post-war film by Nazi actress Käthe Dyckhoff , was made entirely in Hamburg, including both studio and outdoor shots. The world premiere took place on March 28, 1951 in Berlin. The film was also called Years of Silence .

Werner Drake took over the production management. Gabriel Pellon designed the film structures.

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia awarded the film the title “artistically superior”.

useful information

The cast with the famous, emigrated Jew and declared Nazi despiser Ernst Deutsch at the side of a film actress from the world war years, Käthe Dyckhoff, who was considered extremely loyal to the regime, gave this film a high degree of piquancy. At the time this film was published, there was an investigation against Dyckhoff, initiated by the journalist and screenwriter Axel Eggebrecht , who allegedly acted as Goebbels confidante until 1945 and denounced colleagues critical of the regime. At the end of 1944 Goebbels gave Dyckhoff a bust of Hitler , which was sold at an online auction in September 2012 for $ 5,500.

Reviews

The acting performance of Dyckhoff, which got its role exclusively because of its proximity to the film financier Martin Adolff, as Der Spiegel wrote in April 1951, “a million dollar textile industrialist from Backnang”, was panned by contemporary criticism. Star critic Friedrich Luft said: "With the cast and acting of the main actress herself, however, it is good to cover the cloak of oblivion."

In the lexicon of the international film it says: "Dark and pathetic drama, which is gaining in stature mainly thanks to the brilliant Ernst Deutsch."

Individual evidence

  1. Born, depending on the source (both Reichskulturkammer), on February 14, 1918 or 1920 - so the February 20, 1913 date given by filmportal.de and IMDb appears incorrect -, died, depending on the source, 1998 or 2001
  2. Documents in SUB Hamburg
  3. Online auction documents
  4. Der Spiegel , April 4, 1951 edition
  5. K - The House of Silence. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed July 1, 2020 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 

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