''Inquest'' (german: Voruntersuchung) is a 1931 German

crime film Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

directed by

Robert Siodmak Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German film director who also worked in the United States. He is best remembered as a thriller specialist and for a series of films noirs he made in the 1940s, such as ''The Killers'' (19 ...

and starring

Albert Bassermann Albert Bassermann (7 September 1867 – 15 May 1952) was a German stage and screen actor. He was considered to be one of the greatest German-speaking actors of his generation and received the famous Iffland-Ring. He was married to Elsa Schi ...

Gustav Fröhlich Gustav Fröhlich (21 March 1902 – 22 December 1987) was a German actor and film director. He landed secondary roles in a number of films and plays before landing his breakthrough role of Freder Fredersen in Fritz Lang's 1927 film ''Metropoli ...

and

Hans Brausewetter Hans Brausewetter (27 May 1899 – 29 April 1945) was a German stage and film actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 130 films between 1922 and 1945. He appeared in the 1923 film '' The Treasure'', which was directed by Georg Wil ...

. Along with another film that Siodmak made the same year '' Storms of Passion'', it anticipates the later development of

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

. It was made by German's largest studio

Universum Film Leonine Holding GmbH, LLC, formerly Tele München Group, LLC (German: Tele München Gruppe; TMG), is a media company based in Munich. The activities of Leonine include trade in licenses, investments in television and radio stations and distributio ...

, with sets designed by

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

Erich Kettelhut Erich Karl Heinrich Kettelhut (1 November 1893 – 13 March 1979) was a German production designer, Art director#In film, art director and set decorator. Kettelhut is considered one of the most important artists in the history of early German cin ...

Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. The son o ...

, who soon after emerged as a leading director, was

assistant director The role of an assistant director on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have to tak ...

to Siodmak on the film. It was based on a 1927 play of the same title by Max Alsberg and Ernst Hesse. A separate French-language version '' About an Inquest'' was also produced.

Synopsis

When a

prostitute Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

is murdered in a cheap

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 ...

boarding house, an investigating judge suspects that the killer is her boyfriend, unaware that his own son and daughter are also mixed up in the case.

Background

The film was shot from February 18 to March 1931 in Berlin-Tiergarten and in the Ufa studio in

Neubabelsberg Babelsberg () is the largest quarter (''Stadtteil'') of Potsdam, the capital city of the German state of Brandenburg. The affluent neighbourhood named after a small hill on the Havel river is famous for Babelsberg Palace and Park, part of the Pala ...

. The buildings were created by Erich Kettelhut. The street signs and house numbers in the picture indicate Mittelstraße 63 as the location of the action.

Cast

as Dr. Konrad Bienert, Landgerichtsrat *

as Fritz Bernt, Student *

as Walter Bienert, Beinerts Sohn, Student *

Charlotte Ander Charlotte Ander (born Charlotte Andersch, 14 August 1902 – 5 August 1969) was a German actress. She was born in Berlin, the daughter of German stage/film couple and . Ander was trained at the Berliner Staatstheater. Ander was a star in the ...

as Gerda Bienert - Bienerts Tochter *

Anni Markart Annie Markart (sometimes credited as Anni Markart; 5 August 1907 – 23 January 1991) was a German film actress, singer and dancer. She appeared in twenty four films during her career, mostly during the Weimar and Nazi eras. Selected filmography ...

as Erna Kabisch *

Edith Meinhard Edith Meinhard was a German actress who appeared in more than fifty films during her career including the 1929 film ''Diary of a Lost Girl''. Life and Work Little is known about Edith Meinhard, although in the 1930s she was one of the busiest ac ...

as Mella Ziehr *

Oskar Sima Oskar Sima (31 July 1896 – 24 June 1969) was an Austrian actor who is best remembered for appearing in supporting roles in countless comedy films from the 1930s to the 1960s. Born in Hohenau an der March, Lower Austria, Sima attended high sch ...

as Karl Zülke, Portier *

Julius Falkenstein Julius Falkenstein (25 February 1879 – 9 December 1933) was a German stage and film actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1914 and 1933. Falkenstein was Jewish, but secured a special permit to continue making ...

as Anatol Scherr, ein Hausbewohner *

Heinrich Gretler Heinrich Gretler (1897–1977) was a Swiss film and television actor, who also starred on stage at the Bernhard-Theater in Zurich. Selected filmography * '' The Mysterious Mirror'' (1928) * ''Struggle for the Matterhorn'' (1928) * ''The Man w ...

as Kurt Brann, sein Untermieter *

Hermann Speelmans Hermann Speelmans (14 August 1906 – 9 February 1960) was a German stage and film actor.Capua p. 120 Selected filmography * ''Her Dark Secret'' (1929) - Emil * ''Diana'' (1930) * ''There Is a Woman Who Never Forgets You'' (1930) * ''Danton'' (1 ...

as Bruno Klatte, Artist *

Jakob Tiedtke Jakob Karl Heinrich Wilhelm Tiedtke (23 June 1875 – 30 June 1960) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 190 films between 1914 and 1955. Selected filmography * ''The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1918 film), The Pied Piper of Hamel ...

as Ein genierter Herr *

Gerhard Bienert Gerhard Max Richard Bienert (8 January 1898 – 23 December 1986) was a German stage and film actor. Gerhard Bienert was born in Berlin, Germany and died in the same city in 1986 at age 88. Selected filmography * ''Duke Ferrante's End'' (1922) * ...

as Baumann, Kriminalkommissar *

Heinz Berghaus The H. J. Heinz Company is an American food processing company headquartered at One PPG Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Henry J. Heinz in 1869. Heinz manufactures thousands of food products in plants on six contine ...

as Schneider, Kriminalbeamter * Carl Lambertin as Kriebel, Kiminalbeamter *

Emilia Unda Emilia Unda (January 29, 1879 – December 7, 1939) was Baltic German stage and film actress. She is best known for her role as the headmistress in the 1931 film ''Mädchen in Uniform''.Langford p.175 Unda was married to German architect Hugo Här ...

Erwin Splettstößer Erwin may refer to: People Given name * Erwin Chargaff (1905–2002), Austrian biochemist * Erwin Dold (1919–2012), German concentration camp commandant in World War 2 * Erwin Hauer (1926–2017), Austrian-born American sculptor * Egon Erwin Kisc ...

References

Bibliography

External links

*
''Voruntersuchung''
Full movie at the Deutsche Filmothek 1931 films Films of the Weimar Republic German crime films 1931 crime films 1930s German-language films Films directed by Robert Siodmak Films set in Berlin Films shot in Berlin German films based on plays German multilingual films UFA GmbH films Films shot at Babelsberg Studios German black-and-white films Films produced by Erich Pommer 1931 multilingual films 1930s German films {{1930s-Germany-film-stub