Extra women in life
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Extra women in life |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1913 |
| length | approx. 43 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Hans Oberländer |
| production | Oskar Messter |
| occupation | |
| |
Extra women in life is a German silent film from 1913 with Lissy Lind and Hans Marr in the leading roles.
action
first act
In the center of the action are the two daughters of a completely impoverished shoemaker. The sisters are called Gretchen and Lia and could not be more different. While one, Gretchen, works as a runner in a cleaning salon and expresses her modest expectations of life through her poor clothes, the other, Lia, is always a little snooty because she thinks she is something better. She works as a choir singer at the theater and has allowed many a patron to come to her. Gretchen's heart belongs to a huge man named Hans, a train driver. In his presence, Gretchen finally dares to confess to her always morose and grumpy father that she wants to go to the theater as well. The old man is strictly against it and reproaches Lia for putting this flea in her sister Gretchen's ear. Then Hans moves away again because the train whistles and he has to go to work.
However, Gretchen does not want to give up her dream of acting anymore. Nevertheless, she has to continue to work as a running girl, while Lia savored the desolate nightlife in the arms of her new suitor. When her patron wants to kiss her, Lias agrees. The young woman only returns home very late and tells the questioning Gretchen in a champagne mood about her lively bar visits at night. Comparing her stressful life with the lustful life of her sister Lia, Gretchen comes to the conclusion that if anything is ever going to change, she has to do a lot of work. In fact, her first attempt to get an engagement is a success. The director of the theater where Lia is employed as a choir player gives her a well-paid contract. Hans, the shower head, initially does not agree with this, but with a lot of gentleness and persuasion, Gretchen can convince him of the correctness of her decision. Evening after evening the stately giant picks up his Gretchen from the theater and guides her home.
Second act
The smart and well-heeled Count Ratzikow sees Gretchen playing on the stage and asks the theater porter about her. On his behalf, the cloakroom attendant slips her an envelope containing a noble finger ring and an invitation to dinner with the count. Torn between her love for faithful Hans and the lure of a nocturnal adventure with a noble man, Gretchen decides on the little sin, because: once is never as she believes. This time Hans waits for free at the staff entrance and has to find out from the porter that his Gretchen has already left. Lia, meanwhile, is also eager to find out where the little sister is in such a hurry this evening. On the cloakroom table in the theater she sees Ratzikow's written invitation to the chic Royal Restaurant. Feeling that Gretchen might have fallen into the clutches of a not very noble seducer, Lia hurries quickly to this very location to save Gretchen from any harm. Lia storms into the Séparée, where the Lustgraf is already trying to make Gretchen as his personal starter. Lia's anger just makes him laugh. Gretchen follows her sister home, confused. Her Hans is already waiting there, who, in order not to lose her in any temptations, now wants to marry immediately. Gretchen's theater career is a thing of the past.
Now she is completely housewife and spends a year in absolute home-and-hearth tranquility. Her longing for the theatrical air has not given way over time. One day Ratzikow's vehicle happened to roll past her. The noble man stops and accompanies Gretchen home. A short time later the count is standing in her doorway again. She is wax in his hands and sinks into his arms after initial resistance, but he finishes what he was so ugly disturbed by Lia years ago in the Séparée. Alone again, the guilty conscience stirs in Gretchen, and she begins to think of the staid Hans who is always so loyal to her while she indulges in “sin” in search of excitement and tension. Hans comes home from work and immediately notices that his wife is so very different from usual. Very closed and withdrawn. He believes she is ill and advises Gretchen to go to bed early. She obeys Hans and can no longer hide her guilty conscience. Then Gretchen breaks out, and she confesses to Hans that she has just cheated. After a brief moment of shock, naked anger breaks through and he throws his unfaithful wife out of the house. Gretchen falls down the stairs while storming out and remains motionless in front of the steps. Hans tries with all his love to save her, but his wife dies in his arms.
Production notes
Extra women of life was created in the Messter-Film-Atelier in Berlin's Blücherstraße 32. The two-acter with a length of around 800 meters passed the film censorship in April 1913 and was premiered a little later (by June 1913 at the latest).
Reviews
"The film is effective."