''Toxi'' is a 1952 West 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
Robert A. Stemmle
Robert Adolf Stemmle (10 June 1903 – 24 February 1974) was a German screenwriter and film director. He wrote for more than 80 films between 1932 and 1967. He also directed 46 films between 1934 and 1970. His 1959 film '' Die unvollkommen ...
and starring
Elfie Fiegert
Elfie (Elfriede) Fiegert (born 1946) is an Afro-German film actor who became famous as a child actor for playing the lead role in the film ''Toxi'' (1952) filmed when she was five years old. This was followed in 1955 with the film '' The Dark Star' ...
,
Paul Bildt
Paul Hermann Bildt (19 May 1885 – 13 March 1957) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1910 and 1956. He was born and died in Berlin, Germany.
Selected filmography
* ''Devil in Silk'' (1956)
* ''Ich suche Di ...
and
Johanna Hofer
Johanna Hofer (born Johanna Therese Stern; 30 July 1896 – 30 June 1988) was a German film actress. She appeared in 34 films between 1926 and 1982.
Biography
Hofer was born in Berlin. She was the daughter of engineer and later director of ...
. The film's release came as the first wave of children born to
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
servicemen and
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
German mothers entered school.
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 construct ...
in
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
. Elfie Fiegert was selected to play Toxi after a mass audition held in
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
. Publicity for the film emphasised the similarities between her own story and that of Toxi. The film was the eighth most popular release at the West German box office in 1952. The name Toxi became widely used as shorthand in the German media when referring to
Afro-Germans
Afro-Germans (german: Afrodeutsche) or Black Germans (german: schwarze Deutsche) are people of Sub-Saharan African descent who are citizens or residents of Germany.
Cities such as Hamburg and Frankfurt, which were formerly centres of occupation ...
and their social circumstances.
Plot
The melodrama, film begins with a young Afro-German girl being left at the doorsteps of the Rose family—white middle-class Germans—assembled for a birthday party. Initially, most family members treat the young girl with relatively welcome arms as they believe she is only giving a performance as a birthday surprise from an aunt. The family later discovers a suitcase that was left on the doorsteps and realize that the young girl, Toxi, has in fact been abandoned. Once the family learns that Toxi has been abandoned there is a shift in feelings regarding their acceptance of her; the possibility of the girl spending more time at the home than was expected forces members of the family to confront their racism.
One character in particular, Uncle Theodor—the Roses' eldest daughter's husband—is very unsettled by the idea of having Toxi stay in his white household: he does not want Toxi to interact with his two daughters who are about the same age as Toxi. Unlike the other children featured in the film, Toxi acts very differently. She is always on her best behavior as her manners and maturity level are well beyond her age. Due to Toxi's mature behavior and her inherent goodness Uncle Theodor eventually realizes that he has made a mistake with his discrimination towards her.
By the end of the film, the entire family has approved of Toxi. However, Toxi does not stay with the family, as her father—a former American soldier—shows up at their house to find Toxi and take her back to the States with him.
Cast
*
Elfie Fiegert
Elfie (Elfriede) Fiegert (born 1946) is an Afro-German film actor who became famous as a child actor for playing the lead role in the film ''Toxi'' (1952) filmed when she was five years old. This was followed in 1955 with the film '' The Dark Star' ...
as Toxi
*
Paul Bildt
Paul Hermann Bildt (19 May 1885 – 13 March 1957) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 180 films between 1910 and 1956. He was born and died in Berlin, Germany.
Selected filmography
* ''Devil in Silk'' (1956)
* ''Ich suche Di ...
as Grossvater Rose
*
Johanna Hofer
Johanna Hofer (born Johanna Therese Stern; 30 July 1896 – 30 June 1988) was a German film actress. She appeared in 34 films between 1926 and 1982.
Biography
Hofer was born in Berlin. She was the daughter of engineer and later director of ...
as Grossmutter Helene
*
Ingeborg Körner
Ingeborg Körner is a Namibian-born German actress.
Selected filmography
* '' Dangerous Guests'' (1949)
* '' Unknown Sender'' (1950)
* ''Abundance of Life'' (1950)
* '' The House in Montevideo'' (1951)
* '' Toxi'' (1952)
* ''When The Village Mu ...
as Herta Rose
*
Carola Höhn
Carola Höhn (30 January 1910 – 8 November 2005) was a German stage and movie actress.
Selected filmography Film
* ''The Weekend Bride'' (1928)
* '' Don Juan in a Girls' School'' (1928)
* '' From a Bachelor's Diary'' (1929)
* '' Youthful Ind ...
as Charlotte Jenrich
*
Wilfried Seyferth
Wilfried Seyferth (21 April 1908 – 9 October 1954) was a German actor, perhaps best known for ''Decision Before Dawn''.
He was married four times, to four actresses, Eva Ingeborg Scholz, Tatjana Iwanow, Irene Naef and Lu Säuberlich. He died ...
as Theodor Jenrich
*
Sylvia Hermann as Ilse
*
Karin Purschke as Susi
*
Elisabeth Flickenschildt
Elisabeth Ida Marie Flickenschildt (16 March 1905 – 26 October 1977) was a German actress, producer and author. She appeared in dozens of German language films and television productions between 1935–1976.
Flickenschildt was born in Hamburg ...
as Tante Wally
*
Rainer Penkert
Rainer Penkert (23 June 1921 – 11 April 2012, in Munich) was a German actor.
Selected filmography
* ''Our Miss Doctor'' (1940) - Bierlinger, Primaner
* ''Menschen in Gottes Hand'' (1948) - Karl Renken
* ''Anonymous Letters'' (1949) - Axel Brack ...
as Robert Peters
*
Ernst Waldow
Ernst Waldow (22 August 1893 – 5 June 1964) was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 160 films during his career.
Selected filmography
* ''Rübezahl's Wedding'' (1916)
* '' Sin of a Beautiful Woman'' (1929)
*''The Green Domino'' (1935 ...
as Ubelhack
*
Erika von Thellmann
Erika von Thellmann (1902–1988) was an Austrian actress who appeared in more than a hundred films and television series during her career.Fritsche p.254
Selected filmography
* ''The Stone Rider'' (1923)
* '' Marriage Strike'' (1935)
*''The Gree ...
as Frau Übelhack
*
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 Kriminal-Inspektor Plaukart
*
Lotte Brackebusch Lotte may refer to:
Businesses
* Lotte Corporation, a South Korean industrial conglomerate
** Lotte Holdings, a Japanese holding company
** Lotte Capital, a South Korean financial company
** Lotte Card, a South Korean credit card provider
** ...
as Frau Berstel
*
Al Hoosmann as James R. Spencer
*
Gustl Busch
Gustl is both a German language masculine and feminine given, often a diminutive of the masculine given names Gustav and August, and the feminine given name Augusta. Individuals bearing the name Gustl include:
* Gustl Auninger (born 1955), Austr ...
as Anna
*
Julia Fjorsen as Fanny
*
Katharina Brauren
Katharina Brauren (21 April 1910 – 25 December 1998) was a German actress. She appeared in more than 80 films and television shows between 1937 and 1997.
Selected filmography
* ''Madame Bovary'' (1937)
* ''Third from the Right'' (1950)
* ...
as Vorsteherin
*
Gertrud Prey as Fursorgeschwester
*
Ursula V. Bose as Krankenschwester
*
Leila Negra
Leila Negra, the stage name of Marie Nejar (born March 20, 1930), is an Afro-German singer and actress. She began her career as a child film actor in the 1940s, became a singer after World War II, and left performing in the late 1950s to become a ...
as Singer
*
Renate Feuereisen
Renatus is a first name of Latin origin which means "born again" (natus = born). In Italian, Portuguese and Spanish it exists in masculine and feminine forms: Renato and Renata. In French they have been translated to René and Renée. Renata is a ...
as Frau im Wohnwagen
Significance of Uncle Theodor
Of all the characters within Toxi, Theodor Jenrich is one of the most overtly racist figures for much of the film. This becomes clear in his strong objections to the idea of his children growing up around Toxi and his repeated attempts to get her out of the house.
This antagonistic approach towards Toxi directly contrasts the heartwarming relationships Toxi has with Grandfather Rose, his younger daughter Herta and her soon-to-be fiancé Robert Peters. Where Uncle Theodor spends much of his time attempting to find a way to rid himself of Toxi, Grandfather Rose, Herta and Robert reach out to Toxi, engage with her and work to establish a more genuine relationship.
Through the juxtaposition of these relationships, the film demonstrates its intention of characterizing racial intolerance and the problematic ways in which different generations interacted with communities of color as issues unique the Nazi generation. Theodor's struggle with his racism and references to the Rassenprobleme further accentuate the linkage of racial intolerance with the Nazi era and isolate this to his generation. Such isolation ultimately proved that others, such as the Jenrich children and other members of the younger generations, had the ability to overcome the racism and discrimination inherent in the previous generations. This was revealed throughout the film to only mean overt racism had been overcome, as even the children made Toxi feel unwelcome. Also the final scene in which the Jenrich children were in
Blackface
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person.
In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...
illustrates that Theodor as a character is present to foil benevolent racism through his more aggressive Nazism. Furthering this suggestively post-racial agenda, Herta's and Robert's consideration of the possibility of adoption serves as a subtle push that reasserts the suggestion that racism was confined to the Nazi era, and as such, a thing of the past. This consideration is also a reference to the idea that Black children in Germany needed to be adopted, as seen in many discussions on
brown babies Brown Babies is a term used for children born to black soldiers and white women during and after the Second World War. Other names include "war babies" and "occupation babies." In Germany they were known as ''Mischlingskinder'' ("mixed race children ...
.
Significance of the end of the film
At the end of Toxi, Toxi and Uncle Theodor's children put on a nativity play for the family. Although Toxi is originally supposed to be the Moor King, one of Uncle Theodor's children wants the role. Thus they paint the other girl's face black and Toxi's face white in order to symbolize a post-racial era and support the idea of the film that race is not something that people should discriminate and differentiate on.
However, while the nativity play is in progress Toxi's grandmother brings Toxi's black American father into the house. With her face covered in white paint Toxi hugs her father for the first time and the movie ends. Of course, the assumption is that Toxi's father will take her "home" to America—Toxi will wipe the white paint from her face, and thus her Germaneness, and return to the country in which she belongs. This is problematic, because it shows that after all Toxi has been through to prove herself lovable to Germans, it actually means nothing, because she still does not belong. The movie still has to end with Toxi returning to America, showing that Toxi is not in fact German even though it has been her home her entire life.
Another important implication of the ending of the film is that Toxi's case mirrors the case of the "Brown Babies" (war children) from Germany after World War II. Biracial children were born as a result of the bringing of American and French troops into Germany during World War II. They were often referred to as "Rhineland B*stards" as well. These "Brown Babies" could not be assimilated into the white German nation, so they were excluded from German society. Consequently, Black Americans were more receptive to these biracial children so the African-American community sought to adopt some of these babies. Toxi's case is very rare, but existent in Black Diaspora histories.
Historical context
The film was set in Germany in the years following
World War II
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 opposin ...
. During World War II, the "Black Scourge"/"Schwarze Schmach" took place during the occupation of the Rhineland by American, French, and British troops in Belgium. Twenty-five thousand to forty thousand Black French colonial soldiers occupied Belgium, which resulted in the mixing of Black men with white German women. These "racial mixtures" were seen as an endangerment to the German racial purity and thus, the German national identity. At the time of the film's creation and theatrical debut, there were thousands of children living in Germany who had been fathered by African American soldiers and white, German mothers.
[Erickson, Hal. "Toxi (1952)." The New York Times, Movies sec. Print.] The status and social position of these occupation babies was an especially troubling one for Germans, who wished to distance themselves from both the humiliation of postwar occupation by the
Allied Forces and conceived of their society as "post-racial" despite conditions on the ground which indicated a still very racialized society. Despite German roots through their mothers, many popular discourses described these children as "not belonging and at risk in Germany" due to their skin color and the circumstances surrounding their conception.
Two distinct dialogues emerged in Germany regarding these "
Brown Babies Brown Babies is a term used for children born to black soldiers and white women during and after the Second World War. Other names include "war babies" and "occupation babies." In Germany they were known as ''Mischlingskinder'' ("mixed race children ...
" and their prospects for living in Germany. The first posited that these occupation babies should be integrated into German society, and given the opportunity for equal rights and security in their homeland. The second position held that the children could not possibly be guaranteed a safe future in Germany and should thus be removed to the United States or somewhere else where their blackness would be more socially acceptable.
In this specific historical moment, ''Toxi'' acts as propaganda to promote Germany as a post-
racial
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
society. In ''Toxi'', the film attempts to reflect the improvement of race relations in Germany in two distinct ways. First, the film falsely contends that the acceptance of Afro-Germans by white Germans is possible dependent on behavior; Toxi's exceptional manners and behavior suggest that Afro-Germans must perfectly perform for white Germans in order to be accepted. This component of ''Toxi'' contributes to Uncle Theodore's redemption, as he eventually learned to accept Toxi. Just as Uncle Theo was easily forgiven, ''Toxi'' suggests a type of post-WWII innocence for Germany. Secondly, ''Toxi'' promotes the idea that Germany is post-racial by using color-blind ideology; at the end of the film, Toxi and the two white daughters decorated themselves with blackface and whiteface. However, such color-blind ideology is dangerous because it ignores systematic racism. Thus, Toxi reinforces the idea that racial inequality is based on an essence of black people, rather than oppressive social practices. With these instances in mind, ''Toxi'' can be understood as German propaganda.
Instances of racism in the film
In the beginning when Toxi makes an entrance into the middle-class white household, one of the ladies asks "What's this?" to which another replies "A chocolate girl!" Toxi's arrival throws the multigenerational German family, representative of the German nation as a whole, into disarray and forces members to confront their own racism. Also demonstrating the objectification of Black Germans in white German society.
Moreover, there is a scene in the movie where Toxi and Uncle Theodor's daughters are eating Mohrenkopf treats. Black Germans were sometimes referred to as this, since the treat has a dark chocolate covering. When Toxi meets the Roses, the family assumes that she is meant to be a humorous birthday surprise. The assumption that a young black girl is a prank is an example of German racist views of black people. Toxi is even fetishized by the seemingly progressive Mr. Robert, who exploits her image by using her blackness as something that is marketable as he incorporates it in the chocolate advertisement he is working on. Each time, the director cuts back to the carefree and unknowing Toxi for dramatic effect; her innocence and lack of understanding contrasts with the virulent racism that is projected onto her. The white characters in Toxi do not doubt or challenge their own morals. The film does not hold white people accountable for their own actions. Through this, a clear delineation of "good" and "evil" is created. Uncle Theodor's character is portrayed as the ultimate evil of the plotline while every other white character is shown to have good intentions. This fight of good against evil–Manichean dynamic– is popular among melodramas, and is an oversimplification of complex racial issues. This reductive representation is harmful because it communicates to the general public an inaccurate portrayal of the detailed intricacies of the struggles of Afro-Germans. Toxi is taken into the family, is reunited with her American father, and the story is resolved with a happy ending to appeal to the wide audiences of melodrama. What must be understood is that while Toxi's experience with struggling to fit in as a black German may be a common one, her acceptance into a white family and reunification with her black American father is not a luxury that many Afro-Germans are able to have. Additionally, the film's happy ending feels resolute in the sense that all of the plot's problems are solved.
Some of the comments about Toxi exhibit racist ideology in Germany. Uncle Theodor states that he does not want Toxi around his children assuming that she might give them a disease. A female party guest calls Toxi a "child of shame."
Genre and audience
Toxi is considered a melodrama as it delves into female suffering (specifically Toxi's suffering) to appeal to the viewer's emotion. It also proves true to be a melodrama because it presents overreacted emotions and big exaggeration as a way to use emotion. Such emotions are an attempt to prove that blacks are human through sadness, depression and suffering. However, melodramas, and ''Toxi'' specifically, enforce the idea that black people are exceptionally strong given the help of white people. Even though this is an Afro-German narrative, this story is told by a white German director,
Robert Stemmle
Robert Adolf Stemmle (10 June 1903 – 24 February 1974) was a German screenwriter and film director. He wrote for more than 80 films between 1932 and 1967. He also directed 46 films between 1934 and 1970. His 1959 film ''Die unvollkommene E ...
, which may explain why Whites appear to be the heroes in this movie. Because Whites are initially responsible for "saving" Toxi and they all eventually embrace Toxi, it seems the intended audience for this is generally White.
[Gilroy, Paul. "The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double-Consciousness." (1995). Print.]
Specific examples of the melodramatic elements in the film include the scene where Toxi is reciting a birthday poem after she arrives at the Rose household. It's as if she needs to entertain her new white family in order to be fed. Throughout the film, the character Toxi must continuously perform to be accepted into white German society. This constant performance can be seen as the only way that white Germans will deem Afro-Germans as "likeable" or useful in their society. This can be seen in the scene, like the one talked about earlier, where Toxi first arrives at the family's door and performs a poem for the grandmother.
Another melodramatic scene occurs when Toxi is seen doing something very similar when she is taken in by the caravan family. She is seen singing and dancing before they feed her and send her to bed. Finally, when Toxi's African-American father arrives, Toxi leaps into his arms and begins to count in English—that being the only English she knows how to speak. After her adventurous day with Uncle Theodor, it seems Toxi can do no wrong and deserves to go home to her actual family, although in reality, her assimilation to America would have been a difficult one as her father did not speak German and Toxi's English was minimal and barely useful for actual communication. Toxi is portrayed as the perfect child every time she is rewarded with something good or exciting.
References
Bibliography
* Bergfelder, Tim & Bock, Hans-Michael. ''The Concise Cinegraph: Encyclopedia of German. Berghahn Books, 2009.
* Biess, Frank & Roseman, Mark & Schissler, Hanna. ''Conflict, Catastrophe and Continuity: Essays on Modern German History''. Berghahn Books, 2007.
* Davidson, John & Hake, Sabine. ''Framing the Fifties: Cinema in a Divided Germany''. Berghahn Books, 2008.
* Fenner, Angelica. ''Race Under Reconstruction in German Cinema: Robert Stemmle's Toxi''. University of Toronto Press, 2011.
External links
*
{{Robert A. Stemmle
1952 films
West German films
1952 drama films
German drama films
1950s German-language films
Films directed by Robert A. Stemmle
Films set in West Germany
Films about racism
Films shot at Wandsbek Studios
German black-and-white films
1950s German films