''SAS 181 antwortet nicht'' (English-language title: ''SAS 181 Does Not Reply'') is an East German

black-and-white film Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a grayscale, range of shades of gray, shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology imp ...

, directed by

Carl Balhaus Carl Balhaus (born Carl Ballhaus; 4 November 1905 – 28 July 1968) was a German stage and film actor. After the Second World War he worked as screenwriter and director for the East German state-owned studio DEFA. He was an uncle of the Academ ...

. It was released in 1959.

Plot

Kurt, a young apprentice in a fishing commune and a member of the Technology and Sport Association, enters a race to show his maritime skills. After he fails to win, he falls in love with a girl named Anke, but she loves the apprentice Hannes. Kurt and Hannes sail with skipper Laue on one of the collective's boats, SAS 181. Laue pretends to be Kurt's friend and encourages a conflict between the two boys. However, they both realize that he intends to reach the Danish isle of

Bornholm Bornholm () is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. It has usually been ruled by ...

and defect to the West. The two settle their differences and, with the help of the old fisherman Jens, return the boat home.

Cast

* Ulrich Thein as Kurt * Otmar Richter as Hannes * Rita Gödikmeier as Anke * Friedrich Wilhelm Junge as Linnet *

Erwin Geschonneck Erwin Geschonneck (27 December 1906 – 12 March 2008) was a German actor. His biggest success occurred in the German Democratic Republic, where he was considered one of the most famous actors of the time. Early life Geschonneck was born in Bart ...

as Laue *

Wilhelm Koch-Hooge Wilhelm Koch-Hooge (11 February 1916 – 2 September 2004) was a German actor. He appeared in more than ninety films from 1953 to 1989. Filmography References External links * 1916 births 2004 deaths German male film actors People ...

as Poppe * Gustav Püttjer as Jens * Erich Brauer as Laue's deck hand *

Hans Finohr Hans (Johannes) Finohr (5 September 1891–8 November 1966) was a German actor. Biography Finohr was born in the village of Rynnek, West Prussia, Imperial Germany and gained his first stage experiences at Heiligenbeil (Mamonovo). He worke ...

as Kollmorgen * Klaus Gendries as Eisermann * Fritz Diez as collective director *

Harry Hindemith Harry Hindemith (16 June 1906 – 21 January 1973) was a German actor. He appeared in more than eighty films from 1944 to 1973. Filmography References External links * 1906 births 1973 deaths German male film actors {{Germany ...

as Danish harbor manager * Hans-Joachim Glaser as Spuchti * Gerd Scheibel as Knautschke

Production

The film was the first in the history of East Germany to portray the pre-military youth training organization known as the Technology and Sport Association (GST). It was produced with the assistance of the association.

Reception

Heinz Kersten noted that the theme of "fleeing from the republic" - a common feature in East German films, which showed a person leaving the GDR for the West, grow disillusioned and sometimes commit suicide - was present in the plot of the ''SAS 181'', as well. The Germa Film Lexicon cited it as having "an unimaginative plot".
SAS 181 antwortet nicht
' on zweitausendeins.de.

References

External links

* {{Carl Balhaus 1959 films East German films 1950s German-language films German black-and-white films Films directed by Carl Balhaus Films set in the Baltic Sea