''Girls in Gingham'' (german: Die Buntkarierten; literally, The Checkered Ones)—sometimes called Beaverskin—is a 1949 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 ...

directed by

Kurt Maetzig Kurt Maetzig (25 January 1911 – 8 August 2012) was a German film director who had a significant effect on the film industry in East Germany. He was one of the most respected filmmakers of the GDR. After his retirement he lived in Wildkuh ...

Plot

In 1884, Guste is born as the illegitimate daughter of a maid. She marries a worker named Paul; her mistress gives her a set of common, checkered mattresses as a wedding gift. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Paul is called to the front, and she remains alone with their children and works in a munitions factory. When she realizes how the capital of the great industry magnates had caused the war in the first place, Guste resigns and begins cleaning houses for a living. When the Nazis take over, Paul is fired from his job for being a trade-unionist, and dies. At the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, their children are killed in a bombing. Gusta's granddaughter, Christel, is the only family she has now. After the war, as Christel is about to attend university - the first member of the family to have ever done so - her grandmother sews her a new dress from the old mattresses and tells her to always fight for peace and freedom.

Cast

Camilla Spira Camilla Spira (1 March 1906 – 25 August 1997) was a German film actress. She appeared in 68 films between 1924 and 1986. She was born in Hamburg, Germany, of Jewish ancestry on her father's side, and died in Berlin, Germany. Her father was ...

as Guste Schmiedecke *

Werner Hinz Werner Hinz (18 January 1903 – 10 February 1985) was a German film actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1935 and 1984. Selected filmography * '' The Old and the Young King'' (1935) - Kronprinz Friedrich ('Fritz') * '' White Slaves'' ( ...

as Paul Schmiedecke * Liselotte Lieck as Grandmother *

Friedrich Gnaß Friedrich Gnaß (13 November 1892 – 8 May 1958) was a German film actor. He appeared in 53 films between 1929 and 1958. Partial filmography * '' Beyond the Street'' (1929) - Der Matrose / The Sailor * ''Mother Krause's Journey to Happiness'' ...

as Grandfather *

Carsta Löck Carsta Löck (28 December 1902 – 9 October 1993) was a German film actress. Selected filmography * '' Refugees'' (1933) * '' Ripening Youth'' (1933) * '' The Double Fiance'' (1934) * '' Trouble with Jolanthe'' (1934) * '' Police Report'' (19 ...

as Emma *

Ursula Diestel Ursula may refer to: * Ursula (name), feminine name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name * ''Ursula'' (album), an album by American jazz pianist Mal Waldron *Ursula (crater), a crater on Titania, a moon of Uranus *Ursula (det ...

as Frieda * Yvonne Merin as Marie * Kurt Liebenau as Hans * Brigitte Krause as Christel * Hanni Herter as Suse * Yvonne Sturm as Erika * Hans Alexander *

Walter Bluhm Walter Bluhm (5 August 1907 – 2 December 1976) was a German film and television actor. Partial filmography * '' Glückspilze'' (1935) - Georg Lewaldt * ''Hermine und die sieben Aufrechten'' (1935) * '' The Beaver Coat'' (1937) - Schreiber ...

as Mr. Levin * Susi Deitz *

Lothar Firmans Lothar Firmans (1896–1964) was a German stage and film actor.Giesen p.216 Selected filmography * ''Quax the Crash Pilot'' (1941) * ''Front Theatre'' (1942) * '' Aufruhr der Herzen'' (1944) * ''Quax in Africa'' (1947) * '' Marriage in the Shadow ...

Production

The script was adapted by author Berta Waterstradt from her successful radio drama, ''During the Blackout'', which was broadcast in the Berlin Radio. Waterstradt's screenplay was rejected by

DEFA DEFA (''Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft'') was the state-owned film studio of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) throughout the country's existence. Since 2019, DEFA's film heritage has been made accessible and licensable on the PRO ...

at first. Director

decided to film her script only after he realized he will not be able to create a picture based on a novel by Eduard Claudius. The work on ''Girls in Gingham'' was relatively free from censure. It was created at the time before the Tito-Stalin Split and the founding of the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **G ...

forced strict censure on

; according to Maetzig, the Soviet occupation authorities were determined not to force a USSR-style system on their subjects, but to allow them to develop their own model of Socialism. Although the censors did criticize several points in the plot, like presenting the Proletariate worker Paul as rather passive, Maetzig and Waterstradt refused to make any amendments. The director also told he was influenced by Bertolt Brecht's disapproval from his last picture, '' Marriage in the Shadows'', which the latter described as "utter kitsch", and wished to avoid making an overly didactic movie. Mark Silbermann claimed that the film was generally made in style reminiscent of Brecht's works during the 1920s.Marc Silbermann. ''German Cinema: Texts in Context''. Wayne State University (1995). . Page 106. ''Girls in Gingham'' was leading actress'

first role on screen since she was banned from working in cinema at 1935.
Seventy Years with Checkers Sheets
'. Der Spiegel. 14 July 1949.

Reception

The film had its premier in East Berlin's Babylon Cinema, and sold 4,175,228 tickets. For their work on the picture, Maetzig, Waterstradt, Spira and cinematographer Friedl Behn-Grund were all awarded the National Prize, 2nd degree, at 25 August 1949. It was also entered into the

1949 Cannes Film Festival The 3rd Cannes Film Festival was held from 2 to 17 September 1949. The previous year, no festival had been held because of financial problems. Like in 1947, the entire jury for this festival was made up of French persons, with historian Georges ...

. ''Girls in Gingham'' received great acclaim in all sectors of Germany. the West German '' Der Spiegel'' praised it as one "made with spirit and wit" by Maetzig, who also "employed good actors". The magazine quoted favourable reviews by the American zone's ''Die Neue Zeitung'', which described the film as "a great epic", as well as by the

Socialist Unity Party of Germany The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (german: Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands, ; SED, ), often known in English as the East German Communist Party, was the founding and ruling party of the German Democratic Republic (GDR; East German ...

's ''Neues Deutschland'', the columnist of which "was absolutely approving of it". Film scholars Miera and Antonin Liehm considered the ending of ''Girls in Gingham'' as "schematic", claiming that it foreshadowed the propagandistic style of his next work, ''The Council of the Gods''.Miera Liehm, Antonin J. Liehm . ''The Most Important Art: Soviet and Eastern European Film After 1945''. . Pages 87-88. Author Nick Hodgin wrote that the film presented one of the earliest examples of a self-assured, female protagonist, which would become a token character in later DEFA films.Nick Hodgin. ''Screening the East: Heimat, Memory and Nostalgia in German Film Since 1989''. Berghahn Books (2011). . Page 49. Sabine Hake noted that while doing so in moderate style, the picture certainly promoted a Socialist message; Michael Geyer argued that it portrayed the Marxist-Leninist interpretation of German history, explaining the great events of the 20th century in this fashion.Michael Geyer. ''The power of intellectuals in contemporary Germany''. University of Chicago (2001). . Page 136. Still, the SED's cultural establishment later criticized ''The Beaverskin'' as lacking sufficient ideological commitment.Dagmar Schittly. ''Zwischen Regie und Regime. Die Filmpolitik der SED im Spiegel der DEFA-Produktionen''. . Page 35.

Plot

Cast

Production

Reception

References

External links