Known for Acting
Shortages in postwar Berlin have created a blooming black market, and the goods rounded up during a major police raid all seem to come from the same source. The trail leads Commissioner Naumann to the Alibaba Cabarett, but he is unable to find conclusive evidence to convict its owner Goll.
After a passionate affair in Paris, adventurer Sascha Demidoff can no longer forget Sitha, the beautiful Maharani of Eshanpur. He travels through the wilderness of India to the maharaja's palace, where Sitha still returns his passion. But when his connection to her becomes apparent, he finds himself exposed to the revenge of the deceived maharaja. It is only with Sitha's help that he narrowly escapes from a ravenous tiger in the predator courtyard and flees with her from the palace to Berlin. Meanwhile, the architect Fürbringer is waiting for a message from Eschnapur, where he has been promised the construction of several large buildings. However, Fürbringer's friend and first draughtsman Sperling returns from India without having achieved anything. When Fürbringer's fiancée, Irene Traven, discovers that the maharajah is in Berlin incognito, she gains access to him and manages to get the prince to award her fiancé the building contract...
In 18th century Europe, King Friedrich II of Prussia leads his army through the seven-years-war with neighboring states, and after numerous near defeats, eventually brings a victorious army back to Berlin.
This film is a fascinating showcase for Emil Janning's theatrical play. He's a gentle school teacher who believes in his boys and is easily fooled about all things, while the other town officials want him dismissed. Curiously it's very hard to see what the film is exactly aiming for. Disaster strikes and the lax prof proves to be too far removed of the real problems of the world, on the other hand his enemies are shown in the most unsympathetic, satirical way denouncing the militaristic, bourgeois ideology of the Kaiserreich.
Musician Robert Sand is released from prison in April 1933, after serving five years for manslaughter. Disappointed not to find his wife Marie waiting for him outside the prison gates, he heads into the city. At the same time, Marie makes her way in the other direction. For one portentous day, they look for each other in the noisy city of Berlin. Doubt, mistrust, and jealousy begin to germinate in Robert’s mind.
The story of the rise to power of King Frederick II (aka "Frederick the Great") of Prussia of his military campaigns to make Prussia a major power in Europe.
Lotte and Daisy run away from the orphanage and make their way to Berlin, where they meet shady characters. The police are looking for the two of them, especially as several girls have recently disappeared without trace.
A dedicated editor, who is engaged to the daughter of a wealthy senator thrills her father with a lecture about convictions based on circumstantial evidence. When a corpse with a disfigured face is found in the house of the senator, evidence points to the editor. An entertaining thriller with a fairly intricate plot and some critical comments on the practice of the law. Based on the novel "Der geschlossene Ring" by Frank Arnau.
About trafficking. A nightclub in Buenos Aires is advertising for blonde women for glamorous jobs.
This is a real curiosity; at best a reasonable film, but also a charming little gem. There is a story (in the line of "A Star is Born"), but this merely serves as an excuse, as it is more importantly a kind of moving encyclopedia of about 35 stars making their debut in a talkie (although some of them had already made one talkie), of the technical sound possibilities and of film making. Besides all that, it is entertaining and sometimes hilarious and it has fine one-liners that split my side. The film is also remarkable for making mock of typical German film genres (like the overly sweet romances involving the military), of too heavy acting and of film making in general. I have to mention this one: a short, hysterically funny parody of "Der blaue Engel". What this film in fact says is: do not take any film too seriously. (J. Steed)
