''Shoulder Arms'' (German: ''Das Gewehr über'') is a 1939 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-g ...

directed by

Jürgen von Alten Jürgen von Alten (12 January 1903 – 28 February 1994) was a German actor, screenwriter and film director. During his career he directed around seventy short film, short and feature films. In 1939 he made the military comedy-drama ''Shoulder Arm ...

and starring F.W. Schröder-Schrom,

Rolf Moebius Rolf Moebius (27 July 1915 – 4 June 2004) was a German actor. He starred in the 1939 film ''Shoulder Arms''.Richards p.372 Partial filmography * '' The Dreamer'' (1936) - Minor Role * ''Fanny Elssler'' (1937) - Duke of Reichstadt * '' Urlaub a ...

and

Rudi Godden Rudi Godden (18 April 1907 – 4 January 1941) was a German singer and film actor, notable for his role in Nazi-era musical films such as ''Hello Janine!'' and '' Robert and Bertram''. ''Das Gewehr Űber'' (''Shoulder Arms'') was a 1939 prop ...

. It was based on a novel by Wolfgang Marken. The film's German title refers to a word of command in the German

drill book A dot book (also dotbook or dot-book or drill book) is a small notebook utilized by marching bands (especially high school Marching_band#Types_of_marching_bands, show bands and Drum and bugle corps (modern), drum corps) in order to aid the learnin ...

. A German emigrant to Australia becomes concerned that his son has been too strongly influenced by the democratic, permissive attitudes of the country and decides to send him back to Germany for military service. While his son at first resents and resists his new lifestyle, he is eventually converted to the cause of

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 ...

.Richards p.325 The film was made as a piece of propaganda to support the policies of the

Nazi 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 ...

regime. It was one of a growing number of films of the late 1930s that were hostile towards life in the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...

on the eve of the Second World War.

Cast

* F.W. Schröder-Schrom Hartwig sen. *

Rolf Möbius Rolf Moebius (27 July 1915 – 4 June 2004) was a German actor. He starred in the 1939 film ''Shoulder Arms''.Richards p.372 Partial filmography * '' The Dreamer'' (1936) - Minor Role * ''Fanny Elssler'' (1937) - Duke of Reichstadt * '' Urlaub a ...

as Paul Hartwig *

as Gestütaufseher Charlie Kühne *

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'' (1934) ...

as Lotte *

Hilde Schneider Hilde Schneider (1914–1961) was a German actress. She appeared in the 1939 film '' Shoulder Arms''.Richards p.372 Selected filmography * ''The Schimeck Family'' (1935) * ''Hilde and the Volkswagen ''Hilde and the Volkswagen'' (german: Hilde u ...

as Hühnerfarmbesitzerin Trude Schmidt *

Wolfgang Staudte Wolfgang Staudte (9 October 1906 – 19 January 1984), born Georg Friedrich Staudte, was a German film director, script writer and actor. He was born in Saarbrücken. After 1945, Staudte also looked at German guilt in the cinema. Alongside He ...

as Unteroffizier Schmidt *

Georg H. Schnell Georg Heinrich Schnell (11 April 1878 – 31 March 1951) was a German actor who remains perhaps best-known for his role as shipowner Harding in ''Nosferatu, Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens'' (1922). Georg appeared in over one hundred fi ...

as Großkaufmann Thomson *

Charlott Daudert Charlott Daudert (27 December 1913 – 19 January 1961) was a German film actress.Jacobsen & Prinzler p.275 Filmography * '' The Csardas Princess'' (1934) * ''Frasquita'' (1934) * '' Da stimmt was nicht'' (1934) * '' Old Comrades'' (1934) * '' ...

as Evelyne Thomson *

Leopold von Ledebur Leopold von Ledebur (18 May 1876 – 22 August 1955) was a German stage and film actor. Selected filmography * '' Carmen'' (1918) * ''The Serenyi'' (1918) * ''Midnight'' (1918) * ''The Foolish Heart'' (1919) * ''The Golden Lie'' (1919) * '' Th ...

as General A. D. Henning *

Wilhelm Althaus Wilhelm may refer to: People and fictional characters * William Charles John Pitcher, costume designer known professionally as "Wilhelm" * Wilhelm (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Other uses * Mount ...

as Hauptmann Wehnert *

Ernst Bader Ernst Bader (7 June 1914 in Stettin, Pomerania – 10 August 1999 in Norderstedt) was a German actor, composer and songwriter (lyricist) best known for his hit recordings " Tulips from Amsterdam" and "Milord". Actors who have performed song ...

as Leutnant Stolle *

Walter Bechmann Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...

as Sekretär Schmitz *

Horst Birr Horst Birr (17 February 1912 – 8 October 1943) was a German actor. He appeared in more than 40 films between 1934 and 1941. Birr was a member of the Nazi Party. There are different accounts about his death. Some sources state that he comm ...

as Schütze Jupp Derksen * Adolf Fischer as Unteroffizier Schmidt * Walter Gross as Reporter des 'Blankenheimer Tageblatt' * Hans Jöckel as Schütze Hermann Lutz * Hans Reinhard Knitsch as Gefreiter Hellermann * Franz Kossak as Oberfeldwebel Grosse *

Viktor Carter The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...

* Bernhard Caspar * Gerdi Gerdt *

Käthe Jöken-König Käthe or Kathe is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Käthe Dorsch (1890–1957), German actress *Käthe Gold (1907–1997), Austrian actress *Käthe Grasegger, later Deuschl (1917–2001), German alpine skier * Kathe Green (bo ...

* Erwin Laurenz *

Trude Lehmann Trude Lehmann (1892–1987) was a German film actress.Grange p.307 Selected filmography * ''Children of No Importance'' (1926) * ''We'll Meet Again in the Heimat'' (1926) * ''Unmarried Daughters ''Unmarried Daughters'' (German: ''Ledige Töcht ...

* Benno Mueller * Hellmuth Passarge * Klaus Pohl * Martin Rickelt * Bert Schmidt-Maris * Hans Schneider * Waldemar Tenscher * Georg Völkel * Herbert Asmis *

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 ...

References

Bibliography

* Richards, Jeffrey. ''Visions of Yesterday''. Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1973.

External links

* 1939 films Films of Nazi Germany German comedy-drama films 1939 comedy-drama films 1930s German-language films Films directed by Jürgen von Alten Films set in Australia Films set in Germany Films based on German novels German black-and-white films 1930s German films {{1930s-Germany-film-stub