''Not Afraid of Big Animals'' (german: Keine Angst vor großen Tieren) is a 1953 West German

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Ulrich Erfurth Ulrich Erfurth (1910–1986) was a German film director.Giesen p.201 Filmography Director * ' (1944/1950) * ''Finale'' (1948) * ''Not Afraid of Big Animals'' (1953) * ''Columbus Discovers Kraehwinkel'' (1954) * ''Captain Wronski'' (1954) * '' On ...

and 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 ...

, Ingeborg Körner and

Gustav Knuth Gustav Knuth (7 July 1901 – 1 February 1987) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1935 and 1982 and starred in the TV series '' Alle meine Tiere''. He was married to the actress Elisabeth Lennartz. Selected ...

.Bock & Bergfelder p. 340 It is a circus film and a remake of the French film ' (1938). It was shot at the

Wandsbek Studios The Wandsbek Studios are film production and television studios located in Wandsbek, a district of the German city of Hamburg. The complex was established in 1948 when Real Film, set up the previous year, acquired a site in Wandsbek for constr ...

Real Film Real Film or Real-Film was a West German film production company. It was established in 1947 in Hamburg, then part of the British Zone of Occupation. Its founders were Walter Koppel and the Hungarian Gyula Trebitsch. The company released some rub ...

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

. The film's sets were designed by the art directors

Albrecht Becker Albrecht Becker (14 November 1906 – 22 April 2002) was a German production designer, photographer, and actor who was imprisoned by the Nazi regime for the charge of homosexuality. Personal life Born in Thale, Germany, Becker trained as a ...

and

Herbert Kirchhoff Herbert Kirchhoff (1911–1988) was a German art director. Selected filmography * ''Nora's Ark'' (1948) * '' My Wife's Friends'' (1949) * '' The Last Night'' (1949) * ''Second Hand Destiny'' (1949) * ''Third from the Right'' (1950) * ''Harbour ...

Main cast

as Emil Keller * Ingeborg Körner as Anni *

as Schimmel * Maria Paudler as Frau Müller * Gisela Trowe as Emma *

Werner Fuetterer Werner Fuetterer (10 January 1907 in Barth, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – 7 February 1991 in Benidorm, Province of Alicante, Spain) was a German film actor. He appeared in nearly 100 films between 1925 and 1967. In his early film career, Fuetterer ...

as Bollmann *

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) * '' The Doll'' (1919) * '' ...

as Zirkusdirektor *

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 ...

as Polizei-Kommissar *

Josef Sieber Josef Sieber (28 April 1900 – 3 December 1962) was a German film actor. Selected filmography * ''Pappi'' (1934) * ''Punks Arrives from America'' (1935) * ''Joan of Arc'' (1935) * ''The Gypsy Baron'' (1935) * ''The Last Four on Santa Cruz'' (193 ...

as Polizist *

Willy Maertens Willy Maertens (1893–1967) was a German film and television actor. He was married to the actress Charlotte Kramm with whom he had a son Peter Maertens. Selected filmography * ''Attack on Baku'' (1942) - Notar beim dänischen Ölherrn Jenssen ...

as Lawyer Immelmann *

Albert Florath Albert Peter Adam Florath (7 December 1888, Bielefeld – 11 March 1957, Gaildorf) was a German stage and film actor. Early life and education Born to Joseph Florath, a locksmith, and his wife Matilda, née Burkart, he attended school in Brakel ...

as Ziegler *

Margarete Slezak Margarete Slezak (9 January 1901 – 30 August 1953) was an Austro-German singer and actress.Newman & Kirtley p. 340 She was the sister of the actor Walter Slezak. Selected filmography * ''Derby'' (1949) * '' King for One Night'' (1950) * '' Abu ...

as Frau Richter *

Ursula Herking Ursula Herking (28 January 1912 – 17 November 1974) was a German film actress. She appeared in more than 130 films between 1933 and 1972. She was born in Dessau, Germany and died in Munich, West Germany. Selected filmography * ''Susanne ...

as Dame in Straßenbahn *

Hubert von Meyerinck Hubert "Hubsi" von Meyerinck (23 August 1896 – 13 May 1971) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 280 films between 1921 and 1970. Biography Meyerinck was born in Potsdam, Brandenburg, the son of Friedrich von Meyerinck (1858� ...

as Kunstreiter * Bruno Fritz as Herr Richter * Beppo Brem as Schornsteinfeger / Chimney sweeper * Carl Napp as Herr mit Koffer *

Wolfgang Neuss Wolfgang Neuss (3 December 1923 – 5 May 1989) was a German actor and Kabarett artist. Beginning in the mid-1960s, he also became famous for his political engagement, first for the SPD, then for the extra-parliamentary opposition, ''APO''. ...

as Zauberkünstler *

Carl Voscherau Carl Voscherau (1900–1963) was a German film actor.Shandley p.212 He was also a prominent voice actor, dubbing foreign films for release in Germany. His son Henning Voscherau was Mayor of Hamburg. Selected filmography * ''Film Without a Title' ...

as Mann in Straßenbahn *

Josef Dahmen Josef Dahmen (21 August 1903 – 18 January 1985) was a German stage, film and television actor.Youngkin p. 462. Dahmen was married to the actress Gisela von Collande, with whom he had a daughter Andrea Dahmen. His granddaughter Julia Dahmen is ...

as Schwerer Junge *

Ruth Stephan Ruth Stephan (27 October 1925 – 8 August 1975) was a German film and stage actress. She appeared with Heinz Erhardt in the 'Willi' series of films. Biography Ruth Stephan was born to retail merchant Kurt Stephan and his wife, Kriemhilde. A ...

as Partnerin des Zauberkünstlers * Max Schmeling as Zuschauer

References

Bibliography

* Bock, Hans-Michael & Bergfelder, Tim. ''The Concise Cinegraph: Encyclopaedia of German Cinema''. Berghahn Books, 2009.

External links

* 1953 films 1953 comedy films German comedy films West German films 1950s German-language films Circus films Remakes of French films Real Film films Films shot at Wandsbek Studios Films directed by Ulrich Erfurth 1950s German films {{1950s-Germany-film-stub