The Punch Bowl (1944)
"Die Feuerzangenbowle" (original title)

A successful writer, home-schooled in his youth, masquerades as a student at a secondary school to experience all the fun and pranks he missed out on.

Director:

Helmut Weiss

Writer:

Heinrich Spoerl (novel)

Stars:

Heinz Rühmann, Karin Himboldt, Hilde Sessak

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Hans Pfeiffer and some of his friends are drinking "Feuerzangenbowle". Talking about their school-time they discover that Hans never was at a regular school and so, as they think, missed an important part of his youth. They decide to send him back to school to do all the things he never could do before.

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Plot Keywords:

school | remake | spoof | cult film | classroom | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

7 April 1944 (Netherlands)

Also Known As:

The Punch Bowl

Filming Locations:

Kurpark, Hotel Badehof, Bad Salzschlirf, Hessen, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Terra-Filmkunst

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

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

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Connections

Version of Such a Boor (1934)

User Reviews

German cult movie - extremely popular before X-Mas!

That a over 50 year old movie would make students of all faculties pour into the campus theatre year after year is a phenomenon. The secret of this films huge success is the message which hardly anybody is able to miss - that school in spite of all the hard work was fun! Remembering one's own school time will cause an emotional state of well-being, and there you have it!

Aside from these factors, the movie's humor is timeless, the actors were very talented and their characters just wonderfully weird. Many people have seen this movie so often they can speak every line - and with larger audiences, the film is starting to evolve into an interactive experience à la Rocky Horror Picture Show, with the audience shouting at the characters and carrying alarm clocks, candles and flashlights into the theatre to switch on in the exact right moment.

If there is one true German cult movie - this is it!