Father, our best piece

Movie
Original title	Father, our best piece
Country of production	Federal Republic of Germany
original language	German
Publishing year	1957
length	90 minutes
Age rating	FSK 12
Rod
Director	Günther Lüders
script	Eberhard Keindorff Johanna Sibelius
production	Franz Wagner
music	Ulrich Sommerlatte
camera	Bruno Stephan
cut	Adolph Schlyssleder
occupation
Ewald Balser : Professor Wilhelm Keller Adelheid Seeck : Friedel, his wife Their children: Piet Clausen : Andreas Christian Doermer : Friedrich Heidi Brühl : Bixi Roland Kaiser : Thomas Doris Kirchner : Henriette Peter Weck : Franz Fuchs Ernst Waldow : Uncle Ferdinand Walter Koch : Walter Leonore Esdar : Mrs. Paulig Hugo Lindinger : Salvatini Walter Buschhoff : Ferrucio Marianne Rossi : Carlotta Gino Doni : Edmondo Pero Alexander : Romeo Sammy Drechsel : Emcee
chronology
Successor  → It doesn't work without a mother

Father, our best play is a German comedy film by the director Günther Lüders from 1957. The main roles were cast with Ewald Balser and Adelheid Seeck . The script was written by Eberhard Keindorff and Johanna Sibelius . It is based on the novel of the same name by Hans Nicklisch . In the Federal Republic of Germany, the film was first released on July 18, 1957.

action

The education professor Wilhelm Keller is full of life wisdom, which he tries to apply humorously to his group of children, but which he does not always succeed. One of these principles is: “Your child is smarter than you think.” Andreas, his oldest, is a student and is in love with the pretty Henriette, who is very experienced in love affairs. But because the boy is still far too naive, he seeks help from his father. But he has a hard time with his advice. Friedrich, his second oldest, is about to graduate from high school, but has no desire to study for it because he has discovered his penchant for the art of acting. 16-year-old Bixi flutters from one lover to the next. The youngest member of the family, ten-year-old Thomas, is quite cheeky and drives the family of the noble uncle Ferdinand to white heat with his remarks. With so many different characters, it is inevitable that there will be a crash in the family. But everyone is sure that the father will fix it, and they are mostly right about that.

One day, Keller even manages to invite his entire family to a vacation in the sunny south. So it happens that father, mother and four children arrive in the romantic town of Porto del Sole on the Adriatic . Now events are precipitating: the head of the family spontaneously participates in a boccia competition, and to everyone's astonishment, he also wins. This angered the local favorite so much that he got into a fight with Keller. But even here the Italian is losing out, which his compatriots take note of with glee. At the same time, Keller's wife is struggling to get rid of a pushy Italian Romeo. Bixi, on the other hand, enjoys it when a carabinieri swarms around her. Andreas turtles with the dashing postman Carlotta on the beach. Andreas rushes through the countryside on a borrowed motorcycle, and it doesn't take long before he has completely ruined the vehicle, putting a heavy strain on the holiday budget.

Back at home, Keller has to realize with slight resignation that it is not always the fathers who have worries with their children, but sometimes the children and their fathers too.

additions

The film was shot in the Bavaria Film studios in Grünwald- Geiselgasteig . The buildings were designed by the film architects Franz Bi and Bruno Monden . Ursula Maes contributed the costumes. Erik Ode shot a continuation of the story in 1958 with the same main actors under the title Without a mother it doesn't work.

criticism

• The lexicon of international films describes the film as a comparatively pleasantly entertaining family comedy, but criticizes the erratic direction.

• Der Spiegel thinks that Hans Nicklisch's original has been redirected by the script company into the modern and sometimes even sophisticated. Nevertheless, the warm and thoughtful family tone of the original is retained. Ewald Balser turns the university professor with many children into the dream figure of a knightly and innocent man.

• The Wiesbaden Film Assessment Agency gave the film the rating of "Valuable"

source

Program for the film: Das Neue Film-Programm , published by the publishing house of the same name in Mannheim, without a number

Web links

• Father, our pride in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Father, our best piece at filmportal.de

Individual evidence

1. ↑ rororo-Taschenbuch No. 6322 (1988), p. 4034
2. ↑ Father our best piece in: Der Spiegel 31/1957 of July 31, 1957.