Repps and Wepps
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Repps and Wepps / Repps and Webbs |
| Country of production | German Empire |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1925 |
| length | approx. 76 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Edy Dengel |
| script | Edy Dengel |
| production | Edy Dengel for Axa-Film, Wiesbaden |
| camera | W. Frobel |
| occupation | |
| |
Repps and Wepps or Repps and Webbs is a silent detective film made in 1925 that was made by the then 24-year-old total film maker Edy Dengel with his Wiesbaden production company Axa-Film. The film, consisting of two completely independent episodes, is now considered lost.
action
One day, Detective Repps receives a visit from a newspaper boy. He tells him that there is a bar near his newspaper stand in which there is no real business. The boy reports to the nose that he has already observed several times how unconscious girls were dragged into the dim location, but so far none of the girls has ever come out again. Repps manages to ingratiate himself with Blackwell, the head of a gang that specializes in kidnapping young women, and learns from the gang leader that another kidnapping is planned soon, namely that of a millionaire's daughter who promises a big ransom. Repps, who quickly wins Blackwell's trust, takes part in the girl robbery, which also succeeds. The following morning Repps finds out where the kidnapped Grace is hiding and frees her, who is being held behind bars like an animal. There is a fierce battle with the villain, in which the head doggie falls down an abyss during a car chase and is killed in the process.
Meanwhile, Repp's colleague Wepps has a completely different case to solve. He is called to the descendants of Count von D., who has died. After his death, a large amount of money disappeared. But the thief cannot have much fun with his prey, as the notes are said to have been doused with ink. The autopsy reveals that the deceased count was obviously poisoned. Soon only his nephew will be the culprit. Because he is a chemist by profession and likes to experiment with Indian poisons that are largely unknown in Europe. But Wepps has his doubts and continues his research. In fact, it will turn out that the dead nobleman was poisoned, but as the old saying goes: the murderer is always the butler. The servant is arrested. Thus, according to Repps, Wepps has also solved his (significantly less exciting) case.
Production notes
Repps and Wepps were initially not admitted when he submitted his censorship at the end of 1925. At that time the five-stroke had a length of 1988 meters when it was first presented on November 23, 1925. After changes, the length was reduced to 1917.6 meters and was released with the condition "youth ban". When exactly the detective strip started cannot be determined at the moment, but it is still very likely in 1925.
Censorship decisions
When the film was first shown on November 23, 1925, a performance of Repps and Wepps was banned in the German Reich. The main reason given was the scenes with detective Repps in the center of the action. The plot moved, as it was said, "at the lowest (m) level", the assault and beatings were in "high (m) degrees raw" and the technical, especially photographic achievements were viewed as "inferior". However, it was particularly criticized that the film steers sympathy in the direction of the criminals, while the investigating state power is presented in such a way that it is alleged that mainly young male visitors "take sides against the police".
A complaint was lodged against this decision and five days later a new committee decided otherwise and finally approved the film subject to a number of editing conditions. A youth ban has been issued.
useful information
Director-author-producer-leading actor Dengel produced a series of films with the company Axa-Film, which he founded in 1919 when he was 18 years old, “with a logical, simple plot and a sensational touch with few main characters”, as Dengel said in 1925. His first work, Schloss des Schreckens , was designed according to this recipe , as were his later works, including Repps and Wepps .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ According to the censorship notice 1925
- ^ According to Gerhard Lamprecht : German silent films 1923–1926. P. 617
- ↑ It is possible that the film was conceived under the title Repps and Webbs - the latter name based on the famous silent film detective character Stuart Webbs . Perhaps Dengel had to slightly change this protected detective name "Webbs" for legal reasons and chose the name "Wepps" based on "Repps"
- ^ German silent films 1923–1926. P. 617
- ↑ Censorship decision of November 23, 1925
- ↑ Censorship decision of November 28, 1925
- ^ Kurt Mühsam / Egon Jacobsohn: Lexikon des Films . Lichtbildbühne publishing house, Berlin 1926. p. 40