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National Film or National-Film was a German
film production Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...
and
distribution Distribution may refer to: Mathematics *Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations *Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a varia ...
company which operated during the silent and early
sound era A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed befo ...
. In the early 1920s it made an attempt to take over
Erich Pommer Erich Pommer (20 July 1889 – 8 May 1966) was a German-born film producer and executive. Pommer was perhaps the most powerful person in the German and European film industries in the 1920s and early 1930s. As producer, Erich Pommer was involved ...
's Decla-Bioscop, but the projected merger failed and Decla instead joined with the
major studio Major film studios are production and distribution companies that release a substantial number of films annually and consistently command a significant share of box office revenue in a given market. In the American and international markets, t ...
UFA. While Decla was generally in favour of joining with National, it was pressured by its creditors
Deutsche Bank Deutsche Bank AG (, ) is a Germany, German multinational Investment banking, investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, and dual-listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. ...
to merge with UFA. National established a link with the
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
studio
Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
, distributing the American company's films in the German market. The company continued to operate during the decade, but the arrival of sound film in 1929 strained its resources due to the increased costs of making films with sound. By this stage the
German film industry The film industry in Germany can be traced back to the late 19th century. German cinema made major technical and artistic contributions to early film, broadcasting and television technology. Babelsberg became a household synonym for the early 2 ...
had become increasingly dominated by the four biggest companies UFA,
Terra Film Terra Film was a Berlin-based film production company. Founded in 1919, it became one of Germany's largest film production companies in the 1930s under the Nazi regime. Corporate history The company was founded at end of 1919, initially as a limi ...
,
Tobis Film Tobis Film was a German film production and film distribution company. Founded in the late 1920s as a merger of several companies involved in the switch from silent film, silent to sound films, the organisation emerged as a leading German sound s ...
and
Bavaria Film Bavaria Film GmbH is a German film production and distribution company located in Grünwald, Bavaria at the district of Munich. It is one of Europe's largest film production companies and one of the leading production and distribution companies ...
. Many medium-sized studios were either driven out of business or amalgamated.Kreimeier p.193


Selected filmography

* '' Lady Hamilton'' (1921) * '' Lotte Lore'' (1921) * '' The Railway King'' (1921) * ''
You Are the Life ''You Are the Life'' (German: ''Du bist das Leben'') is a 1921 German silent film directed by Franz Eckstein and starring Erna Morena, Uschi Elleot and Lya De Putti.Bock & Bergfelder p.83 The film's sets were designed by the art director Artur ...
'' (1921) * '' The Story of a Maid'' (1921) * '' The Earl of Essex'' (1922) * ''
Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...
'' (1922) * ''
Miss Julie ''Miss Julie'' () is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg. It is set on Midsummer's Eve and the following morning, which is Midsummer and the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. The setting is an estate of a count in Sweden. ...
'' (1922) * ''
Battle of the Butterflies ''Battle of the Butterflies'' () is a 1924 German silent drama film directed by Franz Eckstein and starring Asta Nielsen, Reinhold Schünzel and Hans Brausewetter.Grange p. 183 It is based on a play by Hermann Sudermann. It was shot at the Nat ...
'' (1924) * '' Set Me Free'' (1924) * '' The Hobgoblin'' (1924) * ''
The Girl from Capri ''The Girl from Capri'' (German: ''Das Mädel von Capri'') is a 1924 German silent comedy film directed by Frederic Zelnik and starring Lya Mara, Ulrich Bettac and Robert Scholz. It premiered in Berlin on 10 July 1924. Cast *Lya Mara *Ulric ...
'' (1924) * ''
Maud Rockefeller's Bet ''Maud Rockefeller's Bet'' () is a 1924 German silent comedy film directed by Erich Eriksen and starring Rita Clermont, Karl Elzer and Erich Kaiser-Titz.Grange p. 178 Cast In alphabetical order * Rita Clermont as Maud * Karl Elzer as John ...
'' (1924) * '' Za La Mort'' (1924) * ''
The Secret Agent ''The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale'' is an anarchist spy fiction novel by Polish-British author Joseph Conrad, first published on 12 September 1907.. The story is set in Soho, London in 1886 and deals with Mr. Adolf Verloc and his work as a sp ...
'' (1924) * ''
The Assmanns ''The Assmanns'' () is a 1925 German silent film directed by Arthur Bergen and starring Grete Reinwald, Bruno Kastner, and Auguste Prasch-Grevenberg.Gerhard Lamprecht. ''Deutsche Stummfilme, Volume 8'' p. 894 The film's sets were designed by the ...
'' (1925) * ''
An Artist of Life ''An Artist of Life'' () is a 1925 German silent film directed by Holger-Madsen and starring Erna Morena and Grete Mosheim.Bock & Bergfelder p. 229 The film's sets were designed by the art director Art director is a title for a variety of s ...
'' (1925) * '' The Iron Bride'' (1925) * '' Slums of Berlin'' (1925) * '' The Hanseatics'' (1925) * '' The Proud Silence'' (1925) * ''
Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage.Meyer, Michael Lever ...
'' (1925) * '' Lena Warnstetten'' (1925) * ''
Children of No Importance ''Children of No Importance'' or ''The Illegitimate'' (German: ''Die Unehelichen'') is a 1926 German silent drama film directed by Gerhard Lamprecht and starring Bernhard Goetzke, Margarete Kupfer and Elsa Wagner. It was part of the series of E ...
'' (1926) * '' Kubinke the Barber'' (1926) * ''
The Queen of the Baths ''The Queen of the Baths'' () is a 1926 German silent comedy film directed by Victor Janson and starring Mary Nolan, Walter Rilla and Livio Pavanelli.Grange p. 242 The film's sets were designed by the art director Jacek Rotmil. Cast * Mary N ...
'' (1926) * ''
People to Each Other ''People to Each Other'' () is a 1926 Cinema of Germany, German silent film directed by Gerhard Lamprecht and starring Alfred Abel, Aud Egede-Nissen, and Eduard Rothauser. The film's art direction was by Otto Moldenhauer. Cast References Bi ...
'' (1926) * '' The Wiskottens'' (1926) * ''
Lace Lace is a delicate fabric made of yarn or thread in an open weblike pattern, made by machine or by hand. Generally, lace is split into two main categories, needlelace and bobbin lace, although there are other types of lace, such as knitted o ...
'' (1926) * '' Die vom anderen Ufer'' (1926) * '' Battle of the Sexes'' (1926) * '' Eternal Allegiance'' (1926) * '' Aftermath'' (1927) * '' Babette Bomberling'' (1927) * '' Regine'' (1927) * '' The Sporck Battalion'' (1927) * ''
The Holy Lie ''The Holy Lie'' () is a 1927 German silent film directed by Holger-Madsen Forest Holger-Madsen (11 April 1878 – 30 November 1943) was a Danish film director, actor and screenwriter. He directed more than 40 films between 1912 and 1936 ...
'' (1927) * '' The Catwalk'' (1927) * '' The Eleven Devils'' (1927) * '' The Cavalier from Wedding'' (1927) * ''
Chance the Idol ''Chance the Idol'' (German: ''Die Spielerin'') is a 1927 German silent film directed by Graham Cutts and starring Jack Trevor, Agnes Esterhazy and Harry Liedtke. It was based on a play by Henry Arthur Jones. Cutts was working in Germany at t ...
'' (1927) * '' The Mistress of the Governor'' (1927) * '' Mary Stuart'' (1927) * '' Sister Veronika'' (1927) * '' The Woman with the World Record'' (1927) * ''
Mata Hari Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod (, ; 7 August 187615 October 1917), better known by the stage name Mata Hari ( , ; , ), was a Dutch Stripper, exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for German Empire, Germany during World War ...
'' (1927) * '' Tough Guys, Easy Girls'' (1927) * '' Under the Lantern'' (1928) * '' When the Mother and the Daughter'' (1928) * '' Eva in Silk'' (1928) * '' Love's Masquerade'' (1928) * '' The Page Boy at the Golden Lion'' (1928) * '' The Old Fritz'' (1928) * ''
The Strange Night of Helga Wangen ''The Strange Night of Helga Wangen'' (German: ''Die seltsame Nacht der Helga Wangen'') is a 1928 German silent drama film directed by Holger-Madsen and starring Lee Parry and Francis Lederer.Gerhard Lamprecht. ''Deutsche Stummfilme, Volume 8' ...
'' (1928) * ''
The Story of a Little Parisian ''The Story of a Little Parisian'' (, , ) is a 1928 silent film directed by Augusto Genina. It was made as a co-production between France, Germany and Italy. The film was created in conjunction with Maurice Yvain's operetta ''Yes''; a stage work ...
'' (1928) * '' The Sinner'' (1928) * '' Sir or Madam'' (1928) * ''
Scampolo ''Scampolo'' is a 1958 German film directed by Alfred Weidenmann and starring Romy Schneider, Paul Hubschmid, and Georg Thomalla. Schneider plays the title role. Plot Scampolo is a young, poor girl who lives on the island of Ischia. She falls ...
'' (1928) * '' Anastasia, the False Czar's Daughter'' (1928) * '' Lemke's Widow'' (1928) * ''
The Man with the Frog ''The Man with the Frog'' (German: ''Der Mann mit dem Laubfrosch'') is a 1929 German silent crime film directed by Gerhard Lamprecht and starring Heinrich George, Hans Junkermann and Evelyn Holt.Caneppele p.53 The film's art direction Art d ...
'' (1929) * '' Three Around Edith'' (1929) * '' Children of the Street'' (1929) * '' Painted Youth'' (1929) * '' My Sister and I'' (1929) * '' Flachsmann the Educator'' (1930) * '' Police Spy 77'' (1930) * ''
You'll Be in My Heart "You'll Be in My Heart" is a song by English drummer and singer Phil Collins from the 1999 Disney animated feature ''Tarzan''. It appeared on '' Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack'' as well as various other Disney compilations. ...
'' (1930) * '' Different Morals'' (1931)


References


Bibliography

* Hardt, Urusula. ''From Caligari to California: Erich Pommer's Life in the International Film Wars''. Berghahn Books, 1996. * Kreimeier, Klaus. ''The Ufa story: a history of Germany's greatest film company, 1918–1945''. University of California Press, 1999. German film studios Film production companies of Germany {{film-company-stub