''The First Day of Spring'' (german: Der erste Frühlingstag) is a 1956 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

Helmut Weiss Helmut Weiss (January 25, 1907 – January 13, 1969) was a German actor, screenwriter, and film director. He was notable for directing '' Tell the Truth'' the first film produced in what was to become the future West Germany after the Second World ...

and starring

Luise Ullrich Luise Ullrich (31 October 1910 – 21 January 1985) was an Austrian actress. She was born in Vienna. While still a teenager, she got a stage contract. In late 1932, Ullrich played opposite Werner Krauss in "Rauhnacht" in Berlin. In 1933, sh ...

, Paul Dahlke and

Ingeborg Schöner Ingeborg Schöner is a German film and television actress. Selected filmography * ''The Silent Angel'' (1954) * '' The Dark Star'' (1955) * '' The Captain and His Hero'' (1955) * '' The First Day of Spring'' (1956) * ''King in Shadow'' (1957) ...

.Parish p.505 It was based on the 1935 play ''

Call It a Day ''Call It a Day'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Olivia de Havilland, Ian Hunter, Anita Louise, Alice Brady, Roland Young, and Frieda Inescort. Based on the 1935 play '' Call It a Day'' by Dodie Smith, the ...

'' by the British writer

Dodie Smith Dorothy Gladys "Dodie" Smith (3 May 1896 – 24 November 1990) was an English novelist and playwright. She is best known for writing ''I Capture the Castle'' (1948) and the children's novel '' The Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (1956). Other works ...

. It was made at the

Spandau Studios The Spandau Studios or CCC Studios were film and television studios located in Spandau, a suburb of Berlin. They were established in 1949 following the Second World War by the producer Artur Brauner controller of CCC Films, on the site of a form ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

. The film's sets were designed by the art directors Mathias Matthies and Ellen Schmidt.

Cast

as Dolly * Paul Dahlke as Robert Hiller *

as Vera *

Matthias Fuchs Matthias Fuchs (1939–2001) was a German stage, film and television actor.Langford p.246 Partial filmography * '' The Immenhof Girls'' (1955) - Ethelbert * '' The First Day of Spring'' (1956) - Martin * ''Hochzeit auf Immenhof'' (1956) - Ethel ...

as Martin *

Angelika Meissner Angelika may refer to: * Angelika (given name) * Angelika Film Center, theater chain See also * Pieris angelika, butterfly * Angelica (disambiguation) * Angelique (disambiguation) Angelique or Angélique may refer to: * Angélique (given na ...

as Lilo *

Fita Benkhoff Fita Benkhoff (1 November 1901 – 26 October 1967) was a German actress. Life Benkhoff was born in 1901. In the 1920s the actress Louise Dumont separated from her husband. Dumont was attached to a number of young actresses including Benkh ...

as Käthe *

Robert Freitag Robert Peter Freytag (7 April 1916 in Vienna – 8 July 2010 in Munich), known professionally as Robert Freitag, was an Austrian-Swiss stage and screen actor and film director. Life Freitag was the son of the Swiss opera singer Otto Freitag (Ott ...

as Bruno *

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 ...

as Paul Frank *

Heli Finkenzeller Heli Finkenzeller (17 November 1914Friedemann, Beyer (1992)''Die Gesichter der UFA: Starportraits einer Epoche'' München: Wilhelm Heyne Verlag. Page 46. . – 14 January 1991) was a German actress. She appeared in more than 80 films and tel ...

as Edith *

Brigitte Grothum Brigitte Grothum (born 26 February 1935) is a German film actress. She has appeared in 50 films since 1955. She was born in Dessau, Germany. Selected filmography *'' Ripening Youth'' (1955), as Dora *''The First Day of Spring'' (1956), as Tri ...

as Trixi * Blandine Ebinger as Elsi *

Carla Hagen Carla Hagen (11 September 1927 – 27 January 2020) was a German film and television actress. Hagen died in Hamburg on 27 January 2020, at the age of 92. Selected filmography * '' Professor Nachtfalter'' (1951) * ''The Happy Village'' (1955) * ...

as Fanny * Lori Leux as Oma * Katharina Mayberg as Bettina Morelli * Kurt Roy as Albert *

Lou Seitz Lou may refer to: __NOTOC__ Personal name * Lou (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Lou (German singer) * Lou (French singer) * Lou (surname 娄), the 229th most common surname in China * Lou (surname 楼), the 269th most co ...

as Martha * Horst Willer as Fred

References

Bibliography

* Parish, James Robert. ''Film Actors Guide''. Scarecrow Press, 1977.

External links

* 1956 films West German films German comedy films 1956 comedy films 1950s German-language films Films directed by Helmut Weiss Remakes of American films German films based on plays Films based on works by Dodie Smith Films shot at Spandau Studios 1950s German films German black-and-white films {{1950s-Germany-film-stub