''Pour le Mérite'' is a 1938

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 ...

produced and directed by Karl Ritter for

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. The film follows the story of officers of the ''

Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Force)—known before October 1916 as (Flyer Troops)—was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-language sources it is usually referred to as the Imperial German Air Service, alth ...

'' (German Air Force) in 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 ...

who were later involved in the formation of the ''

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

''. ''Pour le Mérite'' propagates the "stab legend", which consigns the German military defeat in World War I to an alleged treason in the homeland. At the same time, Ritter also glorifies the former fighter pilots as heroes of

National Socialism 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 Naz ...

Plot

In 1918, the German pilot Lieutenant Fabian ( Albert Hehn), along with his fiancée Gerda (

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 ...

) learn that he has been awarded the Order of ''

Pour le Mérite The ' (; , ) is an order of merit (german: Verdienstorden) established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. The was awarded as both a military and civil honour and ranked, along with the Order of the Black Eagle, the Order of the Red Eag ...

'' ("The Blue Max"), Germany's highest award for valor. The next morning, Fabian and Jagdgeschwader 1 (the "Flying Circus" of

Manfred von Richthofen Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (; 2 May 1892 – 21 April 1918), known in English as Baron von Richthofen or the Red Baron, was a fighter pilot with the German Air Force during World War I. He is considered the ace-of-aces of ...

) is ordered back to the front. On the Western Front, Fabian and other officers of the squadron continue the aerial fight. Their commanding officer, Captain Prank ( Paul Hartmann), returns from homeland with the news that a revolution has broken out in Germany. Prank and his men fly their aircraft back to Germany, but the squadron becomes involved in disputes with the local workers and soldiers. With the squadron's aircraft destroyed, the pilots and the crew surrender, and only Moebius (Fritz Kampers) seemingly disapproves. The former officers successfully find postwar work in civilian occupations, but, Prank cannot cope. Moebius suddenly reappears and takes Prank and his wife, Isabel, to his estate, where Moebius has hidden his former warplane. He plans to start a flying school, but a communist group attacks, and his aircraft is destroyed. During the attack, Isabel is killed. Prank is arrested, and when Moebius fails in a rescue attempt, an embittered Prank serves out his sentence and then goes abroad. After 1933, a wave of National Socialism flows in Germany with the Nazi regime attracting the discontented former officers of Jagdgeschwader 1, all of whom hold the coveted ''Pour le Mérite'' award. They have continued to keep in touch and developed a strong camaraderie. At one point, the men take to the streets to fight the communists and are arrested. In 1935, Nazi Germany restores a new Luftwaffe and invites former officers to return. Fabian, Gerdes ( Herbert A.E. Böhme) and Moebius, convince Prank to come back to Germany, where the latter gets appointed as the commanding officer of a new fighter squadron. ''

Reichsmarschall (german: Reichsmarschall des Großdeutschen Reiches; ) was a rank and the highest military office in the ''Wehrmacht'' specially created for Hermann Göring during World War II. It was senior to the rank of , which was previously the highes ...

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...

, a former commander of Jagdgeschwader 1, visits the squadron as it equips with the new Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter aircraft.

Cast

* Paul Hartmann as Captain Prank * Herbert A.E. Böhme as Gerdes * Albert Hehn as Lt. Fabian *

Paul Otto Paul Otto Schlesinger (8 February 1878 – 25 or 30 November 1943) was a German film actor and director. Born in Berlin, he began a qualification as a retail merchant and made his actor's debut at the age of 17. Otto worked at Theaters in ...

as Maj. Wissmann *

Fritz Kampers Fritz Kampers (14 July 1891 – 1 September 1950) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 250 films between 1913 and 1950. Early life Fritz Kampers was the son of a Munich hotel owner, spent his early childhood in Garmisch-Partenk ...

as Moebius *

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 surcharge *

Willi Rose Wilhelm Bernhard Max Rose (4 February 1902 – 16 June 1978) was a German actor. He appeared in more than one hundred films from 1936 to 1978. Selected filmography References External links * 1902 births 1978 deaths German male fi ...

as frill *

as Gerda Fabian *

Jutta Freybe Jutta Freybe (1917–1971) was a German stage and film actress.Giesen p.197 She appeared in ten films during the Nazi era, in leading roles. Her sisters were the writers Johanna Sibelius and Martha Albrand. Selected filmography * ''Love Can Lie ...

as Isabel Prank *

Gisela von Collande Gisela von Collande (5 February 1915 – 22 October 1960) was a German film actress. She was killed in 1960 during a traffic accident. Gisela came from an acting family. She was the sister of the actor and director Volker von Collande. She marr ...

as Anna Moebius *

Marina von Ditmar Marina von Ditmar (30 October 1914 – 3 September 2014) was a German film actress born in Saint Petersburg of Baltic German descent. After moving to Germany she studied acting under Lucie Höflich and Ilka Grüning. Her first roles were performe ...

as Young Frenchwoman *

Otz Tollen Otz Tollen (9 April 1882 – 19 July 1965) was a German actor and film director. Born in Berlin, he made his film debut in the 1912 Joe May directed film ''In der Tiefe des Schachtes''. His last film role was an appearance in the 1960 Nadja Till ...

as Capt. Reinwald * Theo Shall as Capt. Cecil Wood * Wolfgang Staudte as Lt. Ellermann *

Clemens Hasse Clemens Hasse (13 April 1908 – 28 July 1959) was a German actor and synchroniser. Biography Hasse was born in Königsberg, East Prussia to a public official and attended his stage education at the ''Preussisches Staatstheater'' in Berlin. B ...

as lancer *

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 hussar *

Heinz Engelmann Heinz Engelmann (1911–1996) was a German film actor. He was married to the actress Gertrud Meyen. Selected filmography * '' D III 88'' (1939) * '' Drei Unteroffiziere'' (1939) * ''Congo Express'' (1939) * ''The Girl at the Reception'' (1940) * ...

as cuirassier

Production

''Pour le Mérite'' was produced and distributed by the UFA. The German premiere took place on 22 December 1938. The film was identified as "state political and artistic particularly valuable" as well as of "youth value". After the end of 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 ...

, the High Command of the Allied victorious powers prohibited the screening of ''Pour le Mérite''. Today, the evaluation rights are held by the

Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation The Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau Foundation (german: Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung ), based in Wiesbaden, was founded in 1966 to preserve and curate a collection of the works of Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau as well as a collection of other German ...

, which sanctions the screening of the film only in the context of special educational events.Leiser 1976, p. 45.

Reception

Aviation film historian Bertil Skogsberg in ''Wings on the Screen: A Pictorial History of Air Movies'' (1987) characterized ''Pour le Mérite'' as "... notwithstanding its palpably Nazi undertones, can be regarded as a technically good film about flying." Further, he stated, "The film was permeated with patriotic fervor and, in spite of the glorification of the Nazi cause, it compelled the spectator's attention. Paul Hartmann was magnificent as the squadron leader, and he received much assistance from the other "flyers", Albert Hehn, Fritz Kampers and Herbert A.E. Böhme."Skogsberg 1987, p. 28.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Farmer, James H. ''Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation''. Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: Tab Books Inc., 1984. . * Leiser, Erwin. ''Germany Awake!: Propaganda in Third Reich Films''. Hamburg: Rowohlt, Reinbek, 1976. . * Paris, Michael. ''From the Wright Brothers to Top Gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema''. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1995. . * Pendo, Stephen. ''Aviation in the Cinema''. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. . * Skogsberg, Bertil. ''Wings on the Screen: A Pictorial History of Air Movies''. London: Tantivy Press, 1987. .

External links

*
le Mérite film portal

''Pour le Mérite''
bei murnau-stiftung.de {{DEFAULTSORT:Pour le Mérite (film) 1938 films Films of Nazi Germany Films shot in Germany 1930s action films German action films German drama films German historical films German political films German war films Films of the Weimar Republic German black-and-white films World War I aviation films Films set in the 1920s Nazi propaganda films Films directed by Karl Ritter 1930s German-language films 1930s German films