Schlemihl (1915)

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Movie
Original title Schlemihl
Country of production Germany
original language German
Publishing year 1915
length 60 (1915); 58 (1924) minutes
Rod
Director Richard Oswald
script Fritz Friedmann-Frederich
Richard Oswald
production Jules Greenbaum for Greenbaum-Film GmbH, Berlin
occupation

Schlemihl is a German feature film from the year 1915. Directed by Richard Oswald play Rudolph Schildkraut (the title role) and his son Joseph Schildkraut the leading roles.

action

Old Schlemihl, a sellable and thoroughly loyal soul, works as a factotum for the junk dealer Ehrenstein. There are close ties between the two families - Schlemihl's children Jakob and Rahel are engaged to those of Ehrenstein's, Lea and Moritz. One day Schlemihl discovers that the old, now deceased Ehrenstein left behind a large number of valuable shares, which he deposited in a closet. Now the Ehrensteins are considered wealthy. The result of this find is initially also a blessing for the Schlemihl family: The second-hand dealer then gives his loyal employee his business.

But not everyone is able to deal with wealth appropriately. Moritz and Lea suddenly go to their heads with the new wealth, and both break their engagements. In addition, the large amount of money attracts shady characters. So suddenly a certain General Director a. D. Hellborn on. This former bank director intends to improve his shattered finances by trying to marry his children Siddy and Bodo to the newly engaged Ehrenstein offspring Moritz and Lea. But Schlemihl, loyal to his old and generous employer, suspects that something is wrong with this man and starts investigating. He finds out that Hellborn's facade is that of an impostor and at the last moment is able to prevent his plan to take out the Ehrensteins.

But Ehrenstein's reaction is completely different than expected. He is more than ungrateful and rather senses highly selfish motives behind Schlemihl's intervention, since his own children originally wanted to marry von Ehrenstein's. Ehrenstein then shows Schlemihl the door. In order to save what can be saved, Schlemihl forges a telegram to Ehrenstein. It says that Ehrenstein has lost all his money and that he is now as penniless as before the inheritance. Thereupon the Hellborns run away immediately. Schlemihl clarifies the true facts to Ehrenstein, and Moritz and Lea have also learned their lesson in matters of arrogance. Eventually they get back together with Jacob and Rahel Schlemihl. But one day Schlemihl's announcement in the telegram becomes a certainty: in fact, the bank on which Ehrenstein's capital lies is slipping into bankruptcy. Now the fortune seems really gone. But the cunning Schlemihl had anticipated this development and, with wise foresight, brought Ehrenstein's finances to safety.

Production notes

Schlemihl was shot in June 1915 in the Greenbaum studio in Berlin-Weißensee and originally had a length of 1,654 meters in five files. The film premiered in October 1915 in the Tauentzien Varieté. When it was re-censored on May 5, 1924, Schlemihl was reduced to 1,577 meters. Occasionally the film is also published under Schlemihl. A picture of life led.

Schlemihl was, after director Oswalds Demon und Mensch , the second film in which young mime Joseph Schildkraut appeared in front of the camera alongside his father. Oswald's wife Käthe made her debut in Schlemihl in front of the camera.

The film is now considered lost.

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