Wenn Ludwig ins Manöver zieht (1967)

Director:

Werner Jacobs

Writers:

Franz Seitz, Ludwig Thoma (stories)

Stars:

Hans Kraus, Heidelinde Weis, Rudolf Rhomberg

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hans Kraus	...	Ludwig Thoma (as Hansi Kraus)
Heidelinde Weis	...	Cora Reiser
Rudolf Rhomberg	...	Falkenberg
Hubert von Meyerinck	...	von Below (as Hubert v. Meyerinck)
Chantal Goya	...	Melanie
Hans Terofal	...	Bader Gschwind
Georg Thomalla	...	Stumpf
Karl Schönböck	...	Corps General
Hans Quest	...	Rittmeister von Stuelphagel
Dieter Borsche	...	Wilhelm II
Beppo Brem	...	Rafenauer
Friedrich von Thun	...	Franz Reiser (as Friedrich v. Thun)
Claus Wilcke	...	First Lieutenant von Busch
Evelyn Gressmann	...	Princess (as Evelyne Gressmann)
Veronika Fitz	...	Servant Fanny

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

spoof | crude humor | uniform | german humor | prank | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

West Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

19 December 1967 (West Germany)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Franz Seitz Filmproduktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Did You Know?

Connections

Follows Tante Frieda - Neue Lausbubengeschichten (1965)

User Reviews

Usual late 60's comedy, ultimately unfunny

Film wavers between ridiculing the dull German militarism of around 1900 and glorifying the old-time antagonism between Bavarians and Prussians. Moreover, it has elements of the German/Austrian "Heimatfilm" of the 50's and the basically unfunny "Lümmel" comedies of the late 60's.

Hansi Kraus had already starred in three "Lausbubengeschichten" comedies based on Ludwig Thomas's well-known local colour stories about a renitent young boy who uncovers his contemporaries' bigotry and blind dependence on authorities in an "Eulenspiegel" tradition. This one being the last entry to that movie series (1964-7, with one reprise in 1969), only loosely based on Thoma, Kraus was soon to become the star of the even more successful 7-part "Lümmel" school series (1968-72).

The little that can be called really humorous here is rather coarse and bulky, and in addition to that there are a couple of plots (screenplay by producer Franz Seitz), which are not connected tightly enough. Basic idea has Prussian troops manoeuvering near a Bavarian village in connection with the otherwise seldom-regarded necessity of billeting which serves to generate some funny situations.

While the scripting is rather poor, technical achievements are completely reliable, and so is the acting, thanks to the usual assembly of first-rate comedians such as Georg Thomalla. Funniest scenes are yielded by inimitable Hubert von Meyerinck and the late Hans Quest as two helplessly stiff Prussian officers, the latter also being the director of thirteen post-war comedies and two "Heimatfilms" of the 50's.