Die Feuerzangenbowle (1944)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Helmut Weiss

Writer:

Heinrich Spoerl (novel)

Release Date:

22 January 1945 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Dieser Film ist ein Loblieb auf die Schule, aber es ist möglich, daß die Schule es nicht merkt.

Plot:

Hans Pfeiffer and some of his friends are drinking "Feuerzangenbowle". Talking about their school-time...

Plot Keywords:

School | Prank | Remake | Garbage | Burlesque

Cast

Heinz Rühmann	...	Dr. Johannes Pfeiffer / Hans Pfeiffer
Karin Himboldt	...	Eva Knauer
Hilde Sessak	...	Marion
Erich Ponto	...	Professor Grey - called Schnauz
Paul Henckels	...	Professor Bömmel
Hans Leibelt	...	Gymnasialdirektor Knauer, called Zeus
Lutz Götz	...	Oberlehrer Dr. Brett
Hans Richter	...	Rosen
Clemens Hasse	...	Rudi Knebel
Hedwig Wangel	...	Haushälterin bei Crey
Anneliese Würtz	...	Frau Windscheidt
Margarete Schön	...	Frau Knauer (as Marg. Schön)
Max Gülstorff	...	Oberschulrat
Egon Vogel	...	Musiklehrer Fridolin
Rudi Schippel	...	Luck

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:12 | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Peutinger Gymnasium, Ellwangen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Company:

Terra-Filmkunst

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Knebel draws a nude on the blackboard you see thin lines that help him trace the drawing.

Movie Connections:

Version of So ein Flegel (1934)

Escapist school comedy from the late Nazi era

Germany was losing the war, its cities were being bombed to smithereens, so it's easy to see why Goebbels felt the need for quality escapist entertainment like this gentle, funny school comedy.

Heinz Ruhmann plays a successful writer who was educated by tutors and never attended school, and who decides to return to his hometown disguised as a pupil to find out what he missed. What ensues is a lot of sweet-natured tomfoolery, with lots of tricks played on the teachers - something which nearly got the film banned because of its supposedly 'anti-authoritarian' tendencies.

There's no real message except that 'schooldays are the best days of your lives', and perhaps that's its secret - for it remains among the most popular of all film comedies in Germany and is cult viewing around Christmas time. Ruhmann is in his element in this film, but particular mention should go to the wonderful Erich Ponto as the eccentric chemistry teacher, who is quite best thing in the film.