Preliminary examination (film)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Preliminary examination |
 | |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1931 |
| length | 95 minutes |
| Rod | |
| Director | Robert Siodmak |
| script | Max Alsberg |
| production | Erich Pommer |
| camera |
Otto Baecker Konstantin Irmen-Tschet |
| cut | Viktor Gertler |
| occupation | |
| |
The German UFA crime drama Pre-investigation is the second sound film by director Robert Siodmak and has Gustav Fröhlich in the lead role. The world premiere was on April 20, 1931 .
action
The student Fritz Bernt has had a relationship with the prostitute Erna Kabisch for three years . During a loud separation argument, she demands that Fritz find out the name of her rival. Fritz leaves Erna's apartment in an argument. She calls out to him through the stairwell, "Pimp!" after.
Fritz has wanted to part with Erna for a long time because he is in love with the sister of his friend Walter Bienert . Walter wants to settle the matter for Gerda and Fritz, so Fritz gives him the keys to Erna's apartment. In addition, Walter has a small pistol in his pocket when he goes to Erna. Fritz waits for Walter in front of the apartment and is seen there by one of the residents, so he leaves the stairwell and waits for Walter at the S-Bahn station. But Walter has fun with his roommate Ernas and also prostitute Mella Ziehr . After a long wait, the last train went without Walter showing up. Fritz meets his old friend Bruno Klatte and goes for a drink with him.
The next morning Mella comes home and discovers the dead Erna in the apartment. According to "Help! Murder!" she screams and alarms the neighbors. The police arrest Fritz as a murder suspect. Ironically, Walters' father is the district judge who heads the preliminary investigation. The testimony and a lost cufflink weigh heavily on Fritz. After a long interrogation, Fritz tells about the apartment key and Walter. The judge does not want to believe in his son's guilt and continues the interrogation with Fritz until Walter is arrested with the keys to the apartment. The district judge is desperate and continues to look for another perpetrator. Then the caretaker remembers that the dead woman had received a money letter for a thousand dollars and only the neighbor Anatol Scherr knew about it. He is interrogated and gives the money to the police, but accuses his unemployed lodger, Kurt Brann , with whom he found the money, of the act. He is interrogated again and confronted with the money. Brann takes up his gun and is overwhelmed.
In the end, the judge admits that only chance saved him from bringing an innocent man to court for murder. Bernt is released from custody, and Walter, with his father's consent, invites him home to Gerda.
background
The film was shot from February 18 to March 1931 in Berlin-Tiergarten and in the Ufa studio in Neubabelsberg. Erich Kettelhut created the buildings . Mittelstrasse 63 is indicated as the location of the action by the street signs and house numbers in the picture .
The literary model for this film was the book Pre-investigation (1927), which was written by the Berlin defense attorney and writer Max Alsberg together with Otto Ernst Hesse . Alsberg was considered a full Jew by the National Socialists and was persecuted. He took his own life in 1933.
The premiere took place on April 20, 1931 in the Gloria Palast in Berlin. The film was banned during the National Socialist era.
French version
At the same time, a French version of the film entitled Autour d'une enquête was shot with other actors. Its premiere was on June 5, 1931 in Paris , Cinéma des Champs-Elysées.
occupation
- Jean Périer : Conrad Bienert
- Jacques Maury : Walter Bienert
- Annabella : Greta Bienert
- Pierre Richard-Willm : Paul Bernt
- Florelle : Erna Kabisch
- Colette Darfeuil : Mella Zier
- Gaston Modot : Le commissaire Baumann
- Paul Ollivier : Anatole Scherr
- Robert Ancelin : Bruno Klatte
- Bill Bocket : Karl Zülke
- Pierre Frank : Kurt Brann
- Laila Bensedira : La chanteuse
- Willy Rozier , Théo Tony
reception
The film was viewed by critics as extremely realistic and addressed the burning questions of the time .
Web links
- Preliminary investigation in the Internet Movie Database (English)- German version film
- Autour d'une enquête in the Internet Movie Database (English)- French version film
- Preliminary examination of the complete film at the Deutsche Filmothek
Individual evidence
- ↑ Preliminary examination at filmportal.de
- ↑ Robert Siodmak - author, director . In: CineGraph - Lexikon zum Deutschsprachigen Film , Lg. 14, F 2
- ^ Christian Rogowski: The Many Faces of Weimar Cinema: Rediscovering Germany's Filmic Legacy, 2010, p. 256 The Many Faces of Weimar Cinema in the Google book search