Max the pickpocket

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Movie
Original title Max the pickpocket
Max the Pickpocket Logo 001.svg
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 1962
length 91 minutes
Age rating FSK 6
Rod
Director Imo Moszkowicz
script István Békeffy
Hans Jacoby
production Bavaria Filmkunst GmbH
music Martin Böttcher
camera Albert Benitz
cut Walter Boos
occupation

Max the Pickpocket is a German black and white feature film from 1962. Heinz Rühmann played the title role under the direction of Imo Moszkowicz . The music for the film came from Martin Böttcher . The premiere took place on March 1, 1962, the first broadcast on German television on November 26, 1970 on ARD.

content

Max Schilling is a real gentleman thief with his heart in the right place. He could pass as a normal, average citizen if he hadn't chosen a pickpocket as his job (“I haven't learned anything else”). He and his partner Arthur only steal from those who can get over it.

During the performance of a trick thief in a vaudeville theater, Max not only steals his wallet , but also that of the American Charly Gibbons who was present. The $ 30 contained therein turn out to be counterfeit money. To redeem his wife Pauline at the hairdresser's with 20 DM, Max tries to collect his outstanding debts from Joe, a petty criminal. However, he put him off until the next week and offers him the possibility of earning 3,000 marks with the smallest possible expense in a soon to come business. Max refuses because the risk of going to jail for 10 years, out of consideration for his wife and children, seems too high.

An unpleasant surprise awaits him at home: his son Egon and his brother-in-law Fred, the black sheep of the family and unsuccessful petty criminal, have sold the recently purchased piano and immediately rented it back so that it can stay in the house. They put the proceeds on a horse in a bribed race in vain - only the horse knew nothing about the bribe and stopped at the start. They could not raise the remaining installments - the piano is being picked up. Max's daughter is in tears, Pauline is desperate. Fred gets a kick in the buttocks and leaves the apartment. But soon it comes to a reconciliation, since Max cannot resist his wife Pauline, sister of Fred. Fred has taken an alibi job as a bowling player, but in reality he is at a big business to earn 3,000 DM immediately.

It is in the newspaper: 600,000 DM wages were stolen in a robbery; Fred cannot be found. His bride Desiree suspects the waitress Lizzy of seducing him. But she asserts that Joe was with her all night. Max already has a hunch: Fred and Joe were there at the robbery. Max's son Egon even believes that Fred became a big fish and carried out the coup himself.

A short time later, Fred is found murdered. Max wants to confront Joe, but can't find him. Inspector Friedrich appears in Lizzy's pub and takes her to an appointment. What he hides from her, but whispers Max: Joe was murdered too. Max finally realizes that Charly Gibbons is the murderer, and together with his pickpocket partner Arthur and son Egon, he uses a double sleight of hand to ensure that Gibbons is brought to justice.

However, Max refuses the reward of DM 5,000, because he would appear in the newspapers as the person who uncovered the double murder and the wage theft, and everyone around him would learn that he is by no means an insurance agent, as can be seen on his doorbell. but simply pickpockets and petty crooks. But he is even more afraid of his daughter's marginalization and bullying by classmates; he couldn't allow that. Inspector Friedrich, already more of a friend than a criminalist, finally campaigned for Max to finally get an honorable job as a warehouse manager, to the relief of his wife Pauline.

Reviews

"Disappointing comedy, poor in life and humor, rich in sentimentality and lopsided morality."

“A sentimentally thickened tragic comedy of unpleasant ambiguity. From 18 without special recommendation. "

- Protestant film observer, review No. 122/1962

Others

The film also features the global success Hawaii Tattoo, composed by Martin Böttcher in 1961 under the pseudonym "Michael Thomas" , which at the time even made it into the American Billboard charts .

Actress Helga Anders played her first film role as Max's daughter Brigitte , but as "Helgi Anders".

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Max, the pickpocket. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used