The Trunks of Mr. O.F. | |
---|---|
Directed by | Alexis Granowsky |
Produced by |
Mark Asarow Hans Conradi Ernst Nölle |
Written by | Alexis Granowsky Hans Hömberg Léo Lania |
Starring |
Alfred Abel Peter Lorre Harald Paulsen Hedy Lamarr |
Music by |
Karol Rathaus Kurt Schröder |
Cinematography |
Heinrich Balasch Reimar Kuntze |
Edited by |
Paul Falkenberg Conrad von Molo |
Production
company |
|
Distributed by | Deutsche Lichtspiel-Syndikat |
Release date
|
2 December 1931 |
Running time
|
80 minutes |
Country | Germany |
Language | German |
The Trunks of Mr. O.F. (German:Die Koffer des Herrn O.F.) is a 1931 German comedy film directed by Alexis Granowsky and starring Alfred Abel, Peter Lorre and Harald Paulsen. The film was shot between 15 September and 17 October 1931 and premiered in Berlin on 2 December 1931. The film was then heavily cut down to a shorter running time, and re-released under the alternative title Building and Marrying (Bauen und heiraten). It received its Viennese premiere on 4 June 1932.
It received a mixed reception from critics who were divided over its non-realist, fantastical elements. The film's screenwriter Léo Lania intended it to be a critique of capitalism.
When thirteen large suitcases arrive at a hotel in a small town, labeled as belonging to a mysterious O.F., they provoke curiosity and speculation. Rumours begin to spread like wildfire that they belong to a millionaire. Although O.F. fails to appear, his anticipated arrival is a catalyst for a series of dramatic changes in the town.