''The Great King'' () is a 1942 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. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Veit Harlan Veit Harlan (22 September 1899 – 13 April 1964) was a German film director and actor. Harlan reached the high point of his career as a director in the Nazi era; most notably his antisemitic film '' Jud Süß'' (1940) makes him controversial. W ...

and starring Otto Gebühr. It depicts the life of

Frederick the Great Frederick II (; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled ''King in Prussia'', declaring himself ''King of Prussia'' after annexing Royal Prussia ...

, who ruled

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

from 1740 to 1786. It received the rare "Film of the Nation" distinction. Erwin Leiser, ''Nazi Cinema'' p116 It was part of a popular cycle of "

Prussian films Prussian films were a cycle of historical films made in Germany during the Weimar Germany, Weimar (1918–1933) and Nazi Germany, Nazi (1933–1945) eras noted for their general glorification of History of Prussia, Prussian history and its military ...

". The film is a depiction of the

Führerprinzip The (, ''Leader Principle'') was the basis of authority, executive authority in the government of Nazi Germany. It placed the Führer's word above all written law, and meant that Law of Nazi Germany, government policies, decisions, and officia ...

. The analogy to

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

was so clear that Hitler sent a print to

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...

, and

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and philologist who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief Propaganda in Nazi Germany, propagandist for the Nazi Party, and ...

warned against the drawing of the comparison in print, in particular, because of the pessimistic mood that opens the film. After a sergeant gives an unauthorised order, the king orders him simultaneously promoted and punished. His later decision to desert results in his death because no disobedience is justified. Goebbels declared that the parallels were not a matter of propaganda, but an obvious result of the parallels of history. Goebbels also regarded it as instructive that current sufferings would be a source of strength.Cinzia Romani, ''Tainted Goddesses: Female Film Stars of the Third Reich'' p93 Goebbels had some difficulty with the Army High Command over this film because it depicted the king as being left in the lurch by his general. He complained that the army felt that any depiction, however historical, reflected badly on them.

Cast

* Otto Gebühr as Frederick II. *

Kristina Söderbaum Beata Margareta Kristina Söderbaum (5 September 1912 – 12 February 2001) was a Swedish-born German film actress, producer, and photographer. She performed in Nazi-era films made by a German state-controlled production company. Early life S� ...

as Luise Treskow *

Gustav Fröhlich Gustav Friedrich 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 in fil ...

as Treskow * Hans Nielsen as Niehoff * Paul Wegener as General Czernitscheff *

Paul Henckels Paul Henckels (9 September 1885 – 27 May 1967) was a German film and stage actor. He appeared in more than 230 films between 1921 and 1965. Paul Henckels had started his acting career on the stage in the 1900s. He was well known for his eccen ...

as Grenadier Spiller * Elisabeth Flickenschildt as Spiller's Wife *

Kurt Meisel Kurt Meisel (18 August 1912 – 4 April 1994) was an Austrian actor and film director. He appeared in 65 films between 1934 and 1994. He also directed 21 films between 1949 and 1984. Meisel was married to the actress Ursula Lingen. He was born a ...

as Alfons * Hilde Körber as Elisabeth Christine * Claus Clausen as Prince Henry the Older * Klaus Detlef Sierck as Prince Henry the Younger * Herbert Hübner as Count Finkenstein * Otto F. Henning as General von Finken * Reginald Pasch as General Manteufel * Otto Graf as General Seydlitz *

Heinrich Schroth Heinrich August Franz Schroth (23 March 1871 – 14 January 1945) was a German stage and film actor. Career Schroth was born in Pirmasens, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He made his acting debut at the Sigmaringen Royal Theatre in 1890. In 189 ...

as General Balthasar Rudolf von Schenckendorf * Leopold von Ledebur as General von Retzow

Production

was previously adapted into film for propaganda usage in '' The Hymn of Leuthen'' by future Reich Chamber of Film president

Carl Froelich Carl August Hugo Froelich (5 September 1875 – 12 February 1953) was a German film pioneer and film director. He was born and died in Berlin. Biography Apparatus builder and cameraman From 1903 Froelich was a colleague of Oskar Messter, one of ...

, ''

The Old and the Young King ''The Old and the Young King'' (German: ''Der alte und der junge König'') is a 1935 German historical drama film directed by Hans Steinhoff and starring Emil Jannings, Werner Hinz and Leopoldine Konstantin. The film's sets were designed by ...

'', and '' Fridericus''. ''The Great King'' was commissioned by

, who later ordered multiple scenes to be rewritten. It served to advance and support the idea of

total war Total war is a type of warfare that includes any and all (including civilian-associated) resources and infrastructure as legitimate military targets, mobilises all of the resources of society to fight the war, and gives priority to warfare ov ...

. It was one of the most expensive films produced in the Nazi era. It cost 4,799,000 ℛℳ () to produce.

wrote and directed.

Release

''The Great King'' was meant to premiere on 30 January 1942, but was postponed. It was approved by the censors on 28 February, and premiered in Berlin on 3 March to an audience of wounded soldiers and armaments workers. Otto Gebühr was elevated to staatsschauspieler by Goebbels. It earned 6 million ℛℳ () at the box office for a profit of 343,000 ℛℳ ().

Awards

* Director Veit Harlan won the Mussolini Cup for Best Foreign Film at the 1942

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

References

Works cited

* * *

External links

* *
''Der große König''
Full film at the Deutsche Filmothek {{DEFAULTSORT:Great King, The 1942 films 1940s historical drama films Films of Nazi Germany Depictions of Frederick the Great on film German historical drama films 1940s German-language films German black-and-white films Films directed by Veit Harlan Prussian films Films set in the 1750s Films set in the 1760s Seven Years' War films Biographical films about German royalty Tobis Film films 1942 drama films Films set in the Kingdom of Prussia