Rolf von Goth
1906 - 1981
Frühlings Erwachen
Richard Oswald
Toni van Eyck, Ita Rina
Moritz Stiefel faces expulsion due to poor marks. When he is caught with an essay titled “Shame and Lust”, he is indeed kicked out – instead of classmate Melchior Gabor, who actually penned it. Gabor was drawing on his experiences with neighbourhood girl Wendla. Then Wendla turns up pregnant. Stiefel descends into despair ... Exploitation between Eros and Thanatos in this “sexual tragedy of youth” based on Frank Wedekind’s play. Setting the film in the 1920s provided a chance to explore “modern” youth culture, complete with cigarettes, jazz music, the gramophone, and a goodly bit of alcohol. Richard Oswald, a master of films of manners and young sex beginning in the 1910s, fully explores the temptations of the youthful body, even early childhood flirtatiousness. At the same time, with his target audience in mind, the film laments the bigotry and double standards of the adult world.
Spring Awakening
Es war einmal ein Walzer
Victor Janson
Mártha Eggerth, Paul Hörbiger
Banker Rudi Moebius and his counselor arrive in Wien for an arranged marriage which should solve their financial problems. Only they don't know, but Lucie Weidling is broken too, and in love with Gustl, a musician without the courage to elope. Meanwhile Rudi meets Steffi and falls in love not even knowing her name. He and Lucie become good friends and decide to help each other.
Once There Was a Waltz
Fünf von der Jazzband
Erich Engel
Jenny Jugo, Rolf von Goth
By pure chance, Jessie and his four jazz musicians are hired to play at the cabaret theatre “Trocadero”. Unfortunately, she knows nothing about music and it doesn’t help that all four musicians are in love with her. Jessie doesn’t reciprocate their feelings, because she has a thing for Martin. Unfortunately, Martin believes that Jessie stole his car … and so, right before the premiere at the cabaret, she ends up in jail.
Five from the Jazzband
Schatten der Manege
Heinz Paul
Liane Haid, Trude Berliner
Artonis is an acrobat employed in the circus owned by Elvira Starke. Apparently he confines his acrobatics to the bedroom, because he's carrying on two separate affairs on the trot: one with his boss Elvira, and one with the circus's beautiful equestrienne Kitty Rallay. Someone shoots Artonis dead.
Shadows of the Arena
Ausflug ins Leben
Rudolph Bernauer
Felix Bressart, Charlotte Susa
Felix Bressart, later one of the most delightful members of the Ernst Lubitsch "stock company," plays the title character in the Austrian comedy Hirsekorn Greift Ein (Hirsekorn Does Something About It). It's a typical worm-turns affair, as a mild-mannered provincial actor ends up working as a chauffeur for a scatterbrained female novelist. Slapstick is the order of the day, except in the scenes involving heroine Charlotte Susa. Guiding the actors through their paces was Rudolf Bernauer, a stage actor-manager of vast experience. Critics in 1931 felt that Hirsekorn Greift Ein was too thin to be stretched to 90 minutes.
Excursion into Life
