Die Feuerzangenbowle (1944 film)
| Die Feuerzangenbowle | |
|---|---|
Film poster
|
|
| Directed by | Helmut Weiss |
| Produced by | Heinz Rühmann |
| Written by | Heinrich Spoerl (book and screenplay) |
| Starring | Heinz Rühmann Erich Ponto Paul Henckels Hans Leibelt |
| Music by | Werner Bochmann |
| Cinematography | Ewald Daub |
| Edited by | Helmuth Schönnenbeck |
| Distributed by | UFA |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
97 minutes |
| Country | Nazi Germany |
| Language | German |
Die Feuerzangenbowle ("The Fire-Tongs Bowl" or "The Punch Bowl") is a 1944 German film, directed by Helmut Weiss and is based on the book of the same name. It follows the book closely as its author, Heinrich Spoerl, also wrote the script for the film. Both tell the story of a famous writer going undercover as a student at a small town secondary school after his friends tell him that he missed out on the best part of growing up by being educated at home. The story in the book takes place during the time of the Wilhelmine Empire in Germany. The movie was produced and released in Germany during the last years of World War II and has been called a "masterpiece of timeless, cheerful escapism." The movie stars Heinz Rühmann in the role of the student Hans Pfeiffer, which is remarkable as Rühmann was already 42 years old at that time. The title comes from the German alcoholic tradition of Feuerzangenbowle.
The title refers to the Feuerzangenbowle punch consumed by a group of gentlemen in the opening scene. While exchanging nostalgic stories about their schooldays, the successful young writer Dr. Johannes Pfeiffer realizes he missed out on something because he was taught at home and never attended school. He decides to make up for it by masquerading as a student at a small town high school and quickly gains a reputation as a prankster. Together with his classmates, he torments his professors Crey, Bömmel and Headmaster Knauer with adolescent mischief. His girlfriend Marion unsuccessfully tries to persuade him to give up his foolish charade. Eventually, he falls in love with the headmaster’s daughter and discloses his identity after provoking the teachers into expelling him from school.
Die Feuerzangenbowle was produced by Ufa Studios in Potsdam-Babelsberg. Filming was drawn out by shooting scenes to perfection to save the younger actors from being drafted into the war. Nevertheless, by the time the film was released, the German army had suffered massive casualties and some of the actors had been killed on the battlefield despite these efforts.
...
Wikipedia