The Devil's General

Des Teufels General

West Germany

1955

117 Min

Black and White

1.33:1

German

Currently 2.7/5 Stars.
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SCR Georg Hurdalek, Helmut Käutner, Gyula Trebitsch, Carl Zuckmayer

CAST Curd Jürgens, Marianne Koch, Viktor de Kowa, Karl John, Eva Ingeborg Scholz, Harry Meyen, Bum Krüger, Paul Westermeier, Camilla Spira, Erica Balqué, Albert Lieven, Karl Ludwig Diehl, Beppo Brem, Werner Fuetterer, Joseph Offenbach, Wolfried Lier, Ingrid van Bergen, Wolfgang Neuss, Robert Meyn, Hans Daniel, Inge Meysel, Werner Riepel, Werner Schumacher, Gerd Vespermann, Horst Beck

This 1955 film is an adaptation of the eponymous play by Carl Zuckmayer, which tells the story of renegade general Harras of the German Luftwaffe, who during World War II openly criticizes the Nazi regime. As a consequence, he is put under surveillance and even imprisoned for a brief period of time. Still remaining outspoken, Harras realizes the horrific dimensions of this hopeless and unjust war waged by Germany. Meanwhile, his friend, an aviation engineer, is sabotaging fighter planes in order to stop the madness.

Director

Helmut Käutner

Helmut Kaeutner was born in 1908 in Duesseldorf and died in 1980 in Italy. He studied German, Art History, Philosophy, Psychology and Theater Studies and was one of the founding members of the cabaret group “Die vier Nachrichter”, which was banned in 1935. Originally working in the theater as an actor and director, he began his film work as a scriptwriter. His directorial debut was with the film Kitty and the World Conference (Kitty und die Weltkonferenz, 1939), but the film was withdrawn by the Nazi government due to its “pro-English tendencies”. His other films include: Kleider machen Leute (1940), Auf Wiedersehen, Franziska! (1941), Anuschka (1942), Romance in a Minor Key (Romanze in Moll, 1943), Great Freedom No. 7 (Grosse Freiheit Nr. 7, 1944), Seven Journeys (In jenen Tagen, 1947), The Original Sin (Der Apfel ist ab, 1948), The Last Bridge (Die letzte Bruecke, 1953) – winner of a German Film Award in 1954, Sky Without Stars (Himmel ohne Sterne, 1955), The Devil’s General (Des… read more