Hilde Krahl

This film essay explores the strange case of G.W. Pabst, the Austrian filmmaker who was considered a giant of early cinema before his reputation went behind a cloud.

A comet drops from the sky and causes a stir in Cadiz, Spain. A nihilistic drunk called Nada announces that very bad things are imminent. A herald gives orders that it is punishable to mention the comet.

Intrigue and scheming at the court of Queen Anne of England between liberal Lord Bolingbroke and Lady Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. German comedy after the play of Eugène Scribe.

Because Diva Christine believes that her husband is cheating on her, she hurtles away and dies. Only the little son prevents the widower from committing suicide.

Laslo Benedek interrupted his thriving Hollywood career to return to Europe as director of the German Kinder, Mutter und ein General (Children, Mother and the General). The film is set in Berlin during the last days of WW II. Desperate for manpower, Hitler has ordered that all able-bodied teenaged boys --some as young as 15 -- be drafted into the army. Frau Asmussen (Hilde Krahl) is one of five mothers who learn to their horror that their boys have been slated to be cannon fodder on behalf of the Third Reich. Asmussen and the other mothers head directly to the front to plead with the German generals for the lives of their sons. Not directly an indictment of Germany's involvement in (or incitement of) the recent war, Kinder, Mutter und ein General stresses the futility and heartbreak of all wars everywhere.

Directed by Walter Reisch

Unemployed and homeless actors following the dream of finding the future in South America. The manager Osvaldo Curtis tricks the group of colorful and failed artists to apply for a special visa overseas.

It is the year 2000 and the World Global Union is in charge, although other countries are allowed to elect their own government leaders, as long as they support the Union. When Austria's newly-elected president, played by Josef Meinrad, makes his inauguration speech he declares Austria independence and issues an edict ending Austria's financial support for the Global Union.

Directed by Harald Braun and told from the perspective of Bertha von Suttner, the first female to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, The Alfred Nobel Story - No Greater Love chronicles the life of scientist, inventor, and businessman Alfred Nobel. Nobel built a massive fortune throughout his life, and while much if it was amassed by his inventions--dynamite being perhaps the most notable--he was also revered for his discoveries within the fields of science and economics. Upon his death, Nobel decided that his fortune was simply too great to continue in the form of an inheritance or single charitable donation, opting instead to use the money as reward for the greatest contributors to physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and, of course, peace.

An isolated man living in a cottage in the mountains one day discovers a mysterious unconscious woman and takes her in.

A young man and woman meet on a bridge, both about to commit suicide by jumping into the river, and recount to each other their experiences.

A young woman moves to Berlin to work as a press photographer.

Vienna during the fin de siecle. Farmer's daughter Anuschka has to sell the farm after her father's death to the rich but mean farmer's wife Nowarek and her friendly son Jaro. Anuschka goes to Vienna and starts to work as a housemaid until she is wrongly accused of theft.

Although she is known as a patron of the arts, a graceful duchess nevertheless refuses her nephew to marry an enterprising actress in this German melodrama starring Kathe Dorsch and silent screen legend Henny Porten. When Philine (Hilde Krahl), the troupe's ingénue, is rejected as proper marital material by the Duchess of Weissenfels (Porten), Karoline Neuber (Dorsch) creates such a furor that she is banished from the country. A performance at the court at St. Petersburg also ends in disaster for the unhappy actress and abandoned by all, Karoline dies a suicide.

The Hungarian noble Nikki von Kormendy is traveling incognito as a blind passenger on the Danube ferry "Fortuna". Captain Korngiebel keeps him busy with various tasks. When the young singer Anny Hofer comes on board, both men fall in love with her and compete for her affactions. Out of sheer jealousy, Korngiebel lets his ship run aground and now fears for his captain's license. But Kormendy generously acquires the boat and leases it to Peter and Anny ... with the sole condition that the ship bear his name from this date forward.

When two Russian captains of cavalry came to a German post station one of them recalls what happened long time ago. He begins to tell the story: Ten years ago a comrade of them made a resting at the post station and fell in love with the station master's daughter. He promised everything to her and finally convinced her to come with him to St. Petersburg. When both arrived there she had to realize that her captain never had the intention to marry her.

The violin virtuoso Ferdinand Lohner is lonely and depressed after the death of his wife. But then he gets to know the much younger Irene and forgets all about his dead wife, marrying the young tart soon after. Irene moves into the house in the mountains, where Ferdinand, his son Heinz and his former mother-in-law Mrs. Leuthoff live. The bitter Mrs. Leuthoff makes life difficult for Irene, since she had no way of preventing Ferdinand from re-marrying after her daughter bit the dust. When Ferdinand conveniently goes out on tour once again, Irene has to sit at home with the bitter woman. One day, Irene’s cousin Gustl comes on a visit and Mrs. Leuthoff takes the opportunity to “accidentally” let slip to Ferdinand, that his current wife is a whore. As if living with your current mother-in-law isn’t enough to deal with!