Carl Froelich
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Carl August Hugo Froelich (5 September 1875 – 12 February 1953) was a German film pioneer and
film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...
. He was born and died in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
.


Biography


Apparatus builder and cameraman

From 1903 Froelich was a colleague of
Oskar Messter Oskar Messter (21 November 1866 – 6 December 1943) was a German inventor and film tycoon in the early years of cinema. His firm Messter Film was one of the dominant German producers before the rise of UFA, into which it was ultimately merg ...
, one of the advance guard of
German cinema The film industry in Germany can be traced back to the late 19th century. German cinema made major technical and artistic contributions to early film, broadcasting and television technology. Babelsberg became a household synonym for the early 20 ...
, for whom initially he worked on the construction of cinematographic equipment. As cameraman for Messter's weekly newsreels he filmed among many other things the aftermath of a train accident on the Berlin
elevated railway An elevated railway or elevated train (also known as an el train for short) is a rapid transit railway with the tracks above street level on a viaduct or other elevated structure (usually constructed from steel, cast iron, concrete, or bricks ...
on 28 September 1908, one of the worst transport disasters of the time.


Film director and producer

Between 1912 and 1951 he made 77 films. In 1913 Froelich made his directorial debut with ''
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
''. In 1920 he founded his own production company, Froelich-Film GmbH, among the productions of which were ''
Kabale und Liebe ''Intrigue and Love'', sometimes ''Love and Intrigue'', ''Love and Politics'' or ''Luise Miller'' (german: Kabale und Liebe, ; literally "''Cabal and Love''") is a five-act play written by the German dramatist Friedrich Schiller. His third play, ...
'' (1921), ''
Die Brüder Karamasoff ''The Brothers Karamazov'' (german: Die Brüder Karamasoff) is a 1921 German silent drama film directed by Carl Froelich and an uncredited Dimitri Buchowetzki and starring Fritz Kortner, Bernhard Goetzke, and Emil Jannings. It is an adaptation ...
'' (1922), and '' Mutter und Kind'' (1924). During these years he often filmed with the actress
Henny Porten Frieda Ulricke "Henny" Porten (7 January 1890 – 15 October 1960) was a German actress and film producer of the silent era, and Germany's first major film star. She appeared in more than 170 films between 1906 and 1955. Biography Frieda Ulrick ...
, who made her screen debut in one of his earliest films, and with whom between 1926 and 1929 he shared ownership of a production company. In 1929 Froelich made the first German
sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...
, '' Die Nacht gehört uns'' ("The Night Belongs To Us"). In 1930 he took over two glasshouses in
Berlin-Tempelhof Tempelhof () is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg. It is the location of the former Tempelhof Airport, one of the earliest commercial airports in the world. The former airport and surroundings are now a park called ...
, which had been used as studios in the days of
silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...
, and had them converted to sound film studios. Here he produced many films, including Rolf Hansen's short film '' Das Schönheitsfleckchen'' (1936) ("The Beauty Spot"), the first German
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
in colour. In 1931 he was advisor, as "senior artistic director", to Leontine Sagan's famous boarding-school film and later
lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
classic, ''
Mädchen in Uniform ' ("Girls in Uniform") is a 1931 German romantic drama film based on the play ' (''Yesterday and Today'') by Christa Winsloe and directed by Leontine Sagan with artistic direction from Carl Froelich, who also funded the film. Winsloe also wrote ...
'' ("Girls in Uniform") (1931). By 1933 Froelich was one of Germany's most noted film artists, producing successful films with the stars of the period, among others
Hans Albers Hans Philipp August Albers (22 September 1891 – 24 July 1960) was a German actor and singer. He was the biggest male movie star in Germany between 1930 and 1960 and one of the most popular German actors of the twentieth century. Early life ...
,
Heinz Rühmann Heinrich Wilhelm "Heinz" Rühmann (; 7 March 1902 – 3 October 1994) was a German film actor who appeared in over 100 films between 1926 and 1993. He is one of the most famous and popular German actors of the 20th century, and is considered a Ge ...
,
Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films, television movies, and plays.Obituary ''Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, she is often ...
and
Zarah Leander Zarah Leander (; 15 March 1907 – 23 June 1981) was a Swedish singer and actress whose greatest success was in Germany between 1936 and 1943, when she was contracted to work for the state-owned Universum Film AG (UFA). Although no exact record ...
. Some of the best-known of the films he made during this period were: * 1934: ''
Ich für dich, du für mich ''I for You, You for Me'' (German: ''Ich für dich, du für mich'') is a 1934 German drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Ruth Eweler, Karl Dannemann and Carl de Vogt. It was made as a propaganda film in support of the Nazi regime's ...
'' for the Reich Propaganda Directorate of the
NSDAP The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...
* 1938: ''
Heimat ''Heimat'' () is a German word translating to 'home' or 'homeland'. The word has connotations specific to German culture, German society and specifically German Romanticism, German nationalism, German statehood and regionalism so that it ha ...
'' * 1940: ''
Das Herz der Königin ''Das Herz der Königin'' (''The Heart of the Queen'') is a 1940 German historical film, making selective use of the life story of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her execution by Queen Elizabeth I for anti-English and pro-Scottish propaganda, in the c ...
'' ("The Queen's Heart"), an anti-
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
historical film A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swa ...
about
Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...
* 1941: '' Der Gasmann'', a
propaganda film A propaganda film is a film that involves some form of propaganda. Propaganda films spread and promote certain ideas that are usually religious, political, or cultural in nature. A propaganda film is made with the intent that the viewer will ad ...
, in which Heinz Rühmann plays a gas-meter reader suspected of being a foreign spy


Culture politics

Froelich became a member of the National Socialist Party in 1933 and took over the direction of the ''Gesamtverbandes der Filmherstellung und Filmverwertung'' ("Union of Film Manufacture and Film Evaluation"). In 1937 he was awarded a professorship and in 1939 was appointed president of the ''
Reichsfilmkammer The Reichsfilmkammer (RFK; en, Reich Chamber of Film) was a statutory corporation controlled by the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda that regulated the film industry in Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945. Membership in the associa ...
'', an office which he retained until the end of the
war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
in 1945. The ''Reichsfilmkammer'' was subordinate to the ''
Reichskulturkammer The Reich Chamber of Culture (''Reichskulturkammer'') was a government agency in Nazi Germany. It was established by law on 22 September 1933 in the course of the '' Gleichschaltung'' process at the instigation of Reich Minister Joseph Goebbels a ...
'', which as a
National Socialist Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
trade organisation regulated and controlled access to all artistic professions. He was one of the few filmmakers that received the title "Filmprofessor" from Goebbels.Cinzia Romani, ''Tainted Goddesses: Female Film Stars of the Third Reich'' p38


After the end of the war

After the end of the war Froelich was arrested and in 1948 de-Nazified. His studio had been badly damaged during the war and did not resume production. Only two more films were made under his direction before his death: ''
Three Girls Spinning ''Three Girls Spinning'' (german: Drei Mädchen spinnen) is a 1950 West German comedy film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Albrecht Schoenhals, Adelheid Seeck and Axel von Ambesser.Bock & Bergfelder p. 138 It was shot at the Tempelhof Studi ...
'' and '' Stips''.


Selected filmography


Director

* ''
Werner Krafft ''Werner Krafft'' is a 1916 German silent drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Eduard von Winterstein, Erika Glässner and Reinhold Schünzel.Bock & Bergfelder p.138 Cast * Eduard von Winterstein as Werner Krafft * Reinhold Schünz ...
'' (1916) * '' Ikarus, the Flying Man'' (1918) * ''
The Loves of Käthe Keller ''The Loves of Käthe Keller'' (German: ''Die Liebschaften der Kaethe Keller'') is a 1919 German silent drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Irmgard Bern, Paul Hartmann and Reinhold Schünzel. The film's sets were designed by th ...
'' (1919) * ''
Wandering Souls ''Wandering Souls'' (German: ''Irrende Seelen'') is a 1921 German silent drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Asta Nielsen, Alfred Abel, and Walter Janssen. It was based on the 1869 novel ''The Idiot'' by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The f ...
'' (1921) * ''
The Brothers Karamazov ''The Brothers Karamazov'' (russian: Братья Карамазовы, ''Brat'ya Karamazovy'', ), also translated as ''The Karamazov Brothers'', is the last novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky spent nearly two years writing '' ...
'' (1921) * '' Island of the Dead'' (1921) * ''
In Thrall to the Claw ''In Thrall to the Claw'' (german: Im Banne der Kralle) is a 1921 Austrian silent film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Eugen Jensen, Gustav Diessl, and Julius Strobl. While visiting the set, future director Georg Wilhelm Pabst made his o ...
'' (1921) * ''
The Weather Station The Weather Station is a Canadian folk music band fronted by Tamara Lindeman, formed in 2006. The band membership has changed over the years, and as of 2022 includes Lindeman (lead vocals, piano), Ben Whiteley (bass), Johnny Spence (keyboards), ...
'' (1923) * ''
Mother and Child ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of gestat ...
'' (1924) * '' Chamber Music (film), Chamber Music'' (1925) * ''
The Adventures of Sybil Brent ''The Adventures of Sybil Brent'' (german: Das Abenteuer der Sibylle Brant) is a 1925 German silent film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Henny Porten, Memo Benassi and Rudolf Biebrach.Grange p. 204 It was shot at the EFA Studios in Berlin. ...
'' (1925) * ''
Tragedy Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy ...
'' (1925) * '' The Flames Lie'' (1926) * '' Roses from the South'' (1926) * ''
The Long Intermission ''The Long Intermission'' (german: Die große Pause) is a 1927 German silent drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Henny Porten, Wolfgang von Schwindt and Livio Pavanelli.Grange p. 269 It is based upon the play written by Oscar Blum ...
'' (1927) * '' My Aunt, Your Aunt'' (1927) * '' Lotte'' (1928) * ''
Escape Escape or Escaping may refer to: Computing * Escape character, in computing and telecommunication, a character which signifies that what follows takes an alternative interpretation ** Escape sequence, a series of characters used to trigger some so ...
'' (1928) * ''
Love in the Cowshed ''Love in the Cowshed'' (German: ''Liebe im Kuhstall'') is a 1928 German silent drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Henny Porten, Toni Tetzlaff and Eugen Neufeld. The film's art direction was by Gustav A. Knauer and Willy Schil ...
'' (1928) * '' Violantha'' (1928) * ''
The Night Belongs to Us ''The Night Belongs to Us'' (german: Die Nacht gehört uns), released in English as ''The Night Is Ours'' or ''The Night Belongs to Us'', is a 1929 German sports romance film directed by Carl Froelich and Henry Roussel, and starring Hans Al ...
'' (1929) * ''
German Wine German wine is primarily produced in the west of Germany, along the river Rhine and its tributaries, with the oldest plantations going back to the Ancient Rome, Roman era. Approximately 60 percent of German wine is produced in the state of Rhine ...
'' (1929) * ''
The Woman Everyone Loves Is You ''The Woman Everyone Loves Is You'' (German: ''Die Frau, die jeder liebt, bist du'') is a 1929 German silent film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Henny Porten, Fritz Kampers and Paul Hörbiger.Bock & Bergfelder p.215 The film's sets wer ...
'' (1929) * ''
Hans in Every Street ''Hans in Every Street'' (german: Hans in allen Gassen) is a 1930 German crime film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Hans Albers, Camilla Horn, and Betty Amann. A separate French-language version was also released. The film's sets were des ...
'' (1930) * ''
Fire in the Opera House ''Fire in the Opera House'' (german: Brand in der Oper) is a 1930 German drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Alexa Engström, Gustav Fröhlich and Gustaf Gründgens.Goble p. 696 A separate French-language version ''La barcarolle d ...
'' (1930) * '' Louise, Queen of Prussia'' (1931) * ''
Mädchen in Uniform ' ("Girls in Uniform") is a 1931 German romantic drama film based on the play ' (''Yesterday and Today'') by Christa Winsloe and directed by Leontine Sagan with artistic direction from Carl Froelich, who also funded the film. Winsloe also wrote ...
'' (1931) * ''
This One or None ''This One or None'' (German: ''Die - oder keine'') is a 1932 German musical film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Gitta Alpar, Max Hansen and Ferdinand von Alten. It is part of the tradition of operetta films. It was shot at the Johannis ...
'' (1932) * ''
Gitta Discovers Her Heart ''Gitta Discovers Her Heart'' (german: Gitta entdeckt ihr Herz) is a 1932 German musical film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Gitta Alpar, Gustav Fröhlich, and Paul Kemp. It was shot at the Johannisthal Studios in Berlin. The film's ...
'' (1932) * ''
Love at First Sight Love at first sight is a personal experience as well as a common trope in literature: a person or character feels an instant, extreme, and ultimately long-lasting romantic attraction for a stranger upon first seeing that stranger. Described by p ...
'' (1932) * '' Ripening Youth'' (1933) * ''
The Hymn of Leuthen ''The Hymn of Leuthen'' (german: Der Choral von Leuthen) is a 1933 German film depicting Frederick the Great, directed by Carl Froelich starring Otto Gebühr, Olga Tschechowa and Elga Brink. It was part of the cycle of nostalgic Prussian films ...
'' (1933) * ''
Trouble with Jolanthe ''Trouble with Jolanthe'' (German: ''Krach um Jolanthe'') is a 1934 German romantic comedy film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Wilhelm P. Krüger, Marianne Hoppe and Olaf Bach.Williams, Alan. ''Film and Nationalism''. Rutgers University ...
'' (1934) * ''
I for You, You for Me ''I for You, You for Me'' (German: ''Ich für dich, du für mich'') is a 1934 German drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Ruth Eweler, Karl Dannemann and Carl de Vogt. It was made as a propaganda film in support of the Nazi regime's ...
'' (1934) * ''
Sergeant Schwenke ''Sergeant Schwenke'' (German: ''Oberwachtmeister Schwenke'') is a 1935 German drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Gustav Fröhlich, Marianne Hoppe and Karl Dannemann. It was made at the former National Studios in Berlin's Tempelhof a ...
'' (1935) * ''
The Private Life of Louis XIV ''The Private Life of Louis XIV'' or ''Liselotte of the Palatinate'' (German: ''Liselotte von der Pfalz'') is a 1935 German historical film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Renate Müller, Eugen Klöpfer and Maria Krahn.Hake p.145 It was sh ...
'' (1935) * ''
I Was Jack Mortimer ''I Was Jack Mortimer'' (german: Ich war Jack Mortimer) is a 1935 German thriller film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Anton Walbrook, Eugen Klöpfer, and Sybille Schmitz. It was shot at the Tempelhof Studios in Berlin. The film's sets ...
'' (1935) * '' The Dreamer'' (1936) * ''
When the Cock Crows ''When the Cock Crows'' (German: ''Wenn der Hahn kräht'') is a 1936 German comedy film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Heinrich George, Hans Brausewetter and Marianne Hoppe. It was shot at the National Studios in Berlin.Klaus p.228-29 ...
'' (1936) * '' If We All Were Angels'' (1936) * ''
Such Great Foolishness ''Such Great Foolishness'' (German: ''Die ganz großen Torheiten'') is a 1937 German drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Paula Wessely, Rudolf Forster and Hilde Wagener. The film was set in Vienna, unusually for a German film of the ...
'' (1937) * ''
Heimat ''Heimat'' () is a German word translating to 'home' or 'homeland'. The word has connotations specific to German culture, German society and specifically German Romanticism, German nationalism, German statehood and regionalism so that it ha ...
'' (1938) * ''
The Four Companions The Four Companions, also called the Four Pillars of the Sahaba, is a Shia term for the four Companions () of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who are supposed to have stayed most loyal to Ali ibn Abi Talib after Muhammad's death in 632: * # Salm ...
'' (1938) * ''
The Roundabouts of Handsome Karl ''The Roundabouts of Handsome Karl'' (german: Die Umwege des schönen Karl) is a 1938 German comedy film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Heinz Rühmann, Karin Hardt, and Sybille Schmitz. It portrays the experiences of a young waiter during ...
'' (1938) * ''
The Life and Loves of Tschaikovsky ''The Life and Loves of Tschaikovsky'' or ''It Was a Lovely Night at the Ball'' (german: Es war eine rauschende Ballnacht) is a 1939 German historical film, historical drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Zarah Leander, Aribert Wäsch ...
'' (1939) * '' The Gasman'' (1941) * ''
Wedding in Barenhof ''Wedding in Barenhof'' (german: Hochzeit auf Bärenhof) is a 1942 German historical comedy film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Heinrich George, Paul Wegener and Ilse Werner. The film's art direction was by Walter Haag. It was shot ...
'' (1942) * '' The Buchholz Family'' (1944) * ''
Marriage of Affection ''Marriage of Affection'' (german: Neigungsehe) is a 1944 German historical drama film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Henny Porten, Elisabeth Flickenschildt and Käthe Dyckhoff.Bock & Bergfelder p. 518 It was released as a direct sequel ...
'' (1944) * ''
Three Girls Spinning ''Three Girls Spinning'' (german: Drei Mädchen spinnen) is a 1950 West German comedy film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Albrecht Schoenhals, Adelheid Seeck and Axel von Ambesser.Bock & Bergfelder p. 138 It was shot at the Tempelhof Studi ...
'' (1950) * '' Stips'' (1951)


Writer

* ''
The Marriage of Luise Rohrbach ''The Marriage of Luise Rohrbach'' (German: ''Die Ehe der Luise Rohrbach'') is a 1917 German silent drama film directed by Rudolf Biebrach and starring Henny Porten, Emil Jannings and Ludwig Trautmann. The film was based on a novel by Emmi Elert ...
'' (1917) * ''
The Salamander Ruby ''The Salamander Ruby'' (German: ''Der Rubin-Salamander'') is a 1918 German silent drama film directed by Rudolf Biebrach and starring Bruno Decarli, Mechthildis Thein and Hugo Flink.Bock & Töteberg p.26 Cast * Bruno Decarli as Martin Hellberg ...
'' (1918)


Producer

* '' The Hunter from Kurpfalz'' (1933) * '' The Abduction of the Sabine Women'' (1936) * ''
Carmen, la de Triana ''Carmen, la de Triana'' (''Carmen, the girl from Triana'') is a 1938 Spanish/ German musical film directed by Florián Rey and starring Imperio Argentina, Rafael Rivelles and Manuel Luna. It was a Spanish-language version of the 1938 film ' ...
'' (1938) * ''
Torreani ''Torreani'' is a 1951 West German drama film directed by Gustav Fröhlich and starring Fröhlich, René Deltgen and Inge Landgut.Bock & Bergfelder p. 82 The plot revolves around a Variety show. The film's sets were designed by the art director E ...
'' (1951)


References


External links

* *
Cinegraph.de: Das Froelich-Atelier
*

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Froelich, Carl Artists from Berlin 1875 births 1953 deaths Nazi Party members Film directors from Berlin