''Doctor Praetorius'' or ''Woman's Doctor Praetorius'' (german: Frauenarzt Dr. Prätorius) is a 1950 West German

comedy drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

directed by Karl Peter Gillmann and

Curt Goetz Curt Goetz (; 17 November 1888 – 12 September 1960), born Kurt Walter Götz, was a Swiss German writer, actor and film director. He was regarded as one of the most brilliant German comedy writers of his time. With his wife Valérie von Marten ...

and starring Goetz,

Valerie von Martens Valérie von Martens (; 4 November 1894 – 7 April 1986), born Valérie Pajér Edle von Mayersperg, was a German-Austrian actress. Valérie von Martens was born in Lienz, Tirol, daughter of the Austrian admiral Rudolf Pajér Edler von Mayersperg ...

and

Erich Ponto Erich Johannes Bruno Ponto (14 December 1884 – 14 February 1957) was a German film and stage actor. Career Erich Ponto was born in Lübeck as the son of a merchant. After his family had moved to Hamburg- Eimsbüttel, he attended the gymnasium ...

.Rentschler p. 345 It was based on Goetz's own hit play which was the following year made into an American film ''

People Will Talk ''People Will Talk'' is a 1951 American romantic comedy/drama film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck from a screenplay by Mankiewicz, based on the German play by Curt Goetz, which was made into a movie in Germa ...

''. A second German film ''

Praetorius Praetorius, Prätorius, Prætorius was the name of several musicians and scholars in Germany. In 16th and 17th century Germany it became a fashion for educated people named " Schulze," " Schultheiß," or " Richter" (which means "judge"), to Latini ...

'' was released in 1965, starring

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 ...

. It was shot at the

Göttingen Studios The Göttingen Studios were film studios located in the German city of Göttingen. The studios were established in 1948 on a site that had previously been used as an aeroplane hangar on the outskirts of Göttingen. The studios were founded by the ...

. The film's sets were designed by

Walter Haag Walter Haag (1898–1978) was a German art director. He worked on more than sixty films during his career including the 1940 historical melodrama ''The Heart of a Queen''.Hull p.179-80 Selected filmography * ''The Private Life of Louis XIV'' (19 ...

Plot

Because of his kindness and philanthropy, the doctor enjoys great popularity among patients, the medical staff and the student body alike. Only his colleague Prof. Speiter begrudges his success. When his patient Maria Violetta wants to commit suicide because of an extramarital pregnancy, Prätorius takes care of the young woman. When he wants to carefully prepare her father for the news, this Praetorius considers a more than welcome admirer of his daughter. Since a deep affection has developed between the doctor and his patient, the two eventually marry. The private happiness of the two fuels the envy of Prof. Speiter. Through Praetorius' mysterious factotum Shunderson, he finally believes he can uncover dark points from the doctor's past. But Praetorius succeeds in refuting all allegations before a court of honor with wit and astonishing revelations. In Goetz's production, particularly tragicomic and melancholic moments of the play are emphasized. Humanistic values are emphasized and the problems of abortion and the death penalty are critically examined. In addition, Praetorius strives as constantly as in vain to research the microbe of human stupidity, which he believes to be the cause of envy, hatred and war.

Cast

References

Bibliography

External links

* 1950 films 1950 comedy-drama films German comedy-drama films West German films 1950s German-language films German films based on plays Films based on works by Curt Goetz Medical-themed films Films directed by Curt Goetz German black-and-white films 1950s German films Films shot at Göttingen Studios {{1950s-Germany-film-stub